consciousness

awareness of the outside world and of one’s own mental processes, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions

• intentionality
• unity
• selectivity
• transience

Consciousness is always about something.

Consciousness is resistant to division.

The capacity to include some objects and not others.

The tendency of consciousness to change

the attempt to change conscious states of mind

the conscious avoidance of a thought

variations in quantity how much awareness you have

variations in quality nature of awareness

I am aware that I say, do, think, perceive, feel

Feelings, thoughts, memories, emotions touching awareness

Fears of loss & abandonment; drives of love & belonging; the hurt & rejected child within – acted upon, but not normally aware of.

Encapsulated drives/beliefs/processes that we unconsciously seek to realize in life (gender roles, ambitions, etc).

• Fix a bedtime and an awakening time
• Avoid napping
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine 4-6 hours before bed
• Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4-6 before bed
• Exercise regularly, but not right before bed

• Use comfortable bedding
• Find a comfortable temperature
• Block out any/all distracting noise
• Block out light
• Reserve the bed for sleep (don’t use it as an office, recreation room, tv center, etc.)

• Practice relaxation before bed
• Establish pre-sleep ritual (warm bath, brush teeth, reading, etc.)
• Get into comfortable sleeping clothes
• Get into comfortable sleeping position
• Leave worries behind

A behavioral state AND an altered state of consciousness of reduced awareness and reduced responsiveness to the environment.