Consciousness

Consciousness

Consciousness can be defined as awareness of the outside world and of one's own thoughts, feelings, perceptions and other mental processes. A person's consciousness state is constantly changing. When the changes are particularly noticeable, they are called altered states of consciousness. Examples of altered states include sleep, hypnosis, meditation and some drug-induced conditions. Sleep is an active and complex state. Differing levels of consciousness are described as variations of awareness of your own mental functions. The preconscious level includes mental activities that are outside awareness but that can easily be brought to the conscious level. Sleep is an active and complex state. Different stages of sleep are defined on the basis of changes in brain activity (as measured by an electro-encephalograph or EEG) and physiological arousal.

The mind is an extraordinary instrument, and responsible for amazing creations. Altered mental states by substances such as drugs, only lead to deterioration or malfunction of it. I do not think subliminal messages as in music or advertisements could change the way we think and behave, I think it all depends on how informed we are about what they are trying to sell to us or make us believe. As educated adults, we are responsible to keep away from the alienation and remain ever vigilant of what not to believe. Currently, in our daily lives we are constantly being attacked by large advertisers who use many forms of communication to sell and make us believe that their products are the best, we as victims fall into its deliberate alienation. Personally, I remain always mindful not to fall into the habit of buying things I do not need and be aware that my mind is my safe deposit box, and that under no circumstances may not allow access to anyone. I am aware of what I want, what I do and what I believe. During my childhood, we could barely hear some radio shows; we did not have access to the local newspaper, this due to the poverty in which we lived, and as for watching television, only visiting a neighbor who had television was possible. We did not know the current news or the latest products of the market, there was no violence in my neighborhood, no drugs were known. Dreams where based on innocence and fantasy that did not go very far. Alienation was not like now days; we did not have many social problems, at least not as the ones in present times.