When the brain is aware that it is confused or conflicted, thinking stops momentarily, and that pause in the constant stream of its content allows for insight that effects a change in the brain’s operation, how ever partial the insight may be.
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If we see that some great pain suddenly dissapears when it loses its power in the light of awareness - we see that what seems solid and real may not be as solid as we imagine.
If we see that one reality can instantly become a totally different reality in the light of awareness - this can sometimes be a shocking insight.
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I’m thinking that awareness is always present and couldn’t not be … ‘inattention’ ignores its presence.
‘Paying attention ‘ then, does what? Allows it?
I think there are two types of awareness: unconscious and conscious. Unconscious awareness is the automatic awareness present 24/7. It is what keeps the body and mind alive and functional. It’s what gets you through traffic to work when you blank out and have no memory of the drive. Conscious awareness is more vivid, immediate. It’s being aware knowingly. Krishnamurti’s direct perception?
Who is it who is unconsciously aware?
Is the autopilot a ‘who’ or an impersonal process? Perhaps the ‘unconscious awarer’ is like the meteorological processes that make a thunderstorm? No thunderstormer.
So, there’s a process who is aware? Sounds strange
How about the notion that awareness is a process, does it seem equally strange? It seems un-strange for me, but I tend to see reality in terms of processes, I’m biased.
Not so strange. There are driverless vehicles that are aware of the environment.
It may be a process, but it seems that there is a need for a subject for being aware. Or… what awareness is?..
Vehicle? … is being aware? Really?..
It better be, or it won’t get very far!
kind of… but I might be misunderstanding the word aware
This seems like the question we are headed towards exploring: What is awareness? What do we mean when we speak of awareness? Are we talking about the same thing? Awareness is one of those terms that has many different meanings.
Neuroscience (and traditional Buddhism) would say awareness is a process and that there needs to be a subject who is aware of an object. Nondualism (and Advaita) would say awareness is the ultimate irreducible reality and that subjects/objects are illusions. Krishnamurti would say shut up and be aware!
Theories (like philosophies) are of little help for us I am afraid. There is a lot of theory on this forum though…
Are you looking for help? Help for what?
And are you not?.. I thought we are trying to understand things about man here
Talking about theory is in my experience waaaaaay easier than living the theory. It’s a way for you to feel you are ‘making progress’ even when you are stuck in place. But there are times intellectual understanding brings real clarity, or at least plants the seeds for this clarity.
Anyway, I have said no thing about “living the theory”
There is no actual “who” to begin with, so where does this question come from?