Description: Despite centuries of analyses and debates between scientists and philosophers, consciousness remains puzzling and controversial.

It is the most familiar yet mysterious aspect of our lives. There might be different levels of consciousness, or different kinds of consciousness, or just one kind with different features.

Modern research into the human brain is yet to provide conclusive answers, and we don’t know if animals, insects or plants are conscious, or even the universe itself.

Verdict: The contrasting range of research already done suggests that a new approach might be needed -- one that includes both an objective scientific view and a subjective philosophical and spiritual view -- in order to unlock the mystery.

Indeed, Sigmund Freud himself divided human consciousness into three levels of awareness: the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. Each of these levels corresponds and overlaps with his ideas of the id, ego, and superego.

Furthermore, Buddhism has a sophisticated theory of mind but has undoubtedly contained the concepts of conscious and subconscious for over thousands of years.

As we learn, the first level of consciousness is known as the conscious state, and this refers to our immediate awareness that you are experiencing as you read this. We make use of our conscious mind when we take in input from our senses, analyze the information, and then make decisions based on this information.

The conscious mind consists of what we are aware of at any given point in time. It includes the things that we are thinking about right now, whether it’s in the front of our minds or the back. If we’re aware of it, then it is in the conscious mind.

The next level of consciousness, the subconscious (or preconscious), is the stuff from which dreams are made. We can consider it as the storehouse of all remembered experiences, impressions that are left on the mind by such experiences, and tendencies that are awakened or reinforced by these impressions.

Every experience you’ve ever had, every thought, every impression lives in the subconscious mind and influences our patterns of thought and behavior far more than we realize.

The subconscious holds information that is just below the surface of awareness. An individual can retrieve such information with relative ease, and we usually refer to these as memories.

The final level of consciousness is known as the unconscious. This is made up of thoughts, memories, and primitive/instinctual desires that are buried deep within ourselves, far below our conscious awareness. Even though we’re not aware of their existence, they have a significant influence on our behavior.

Although our behaviors tend to indicate the unconscious forces driving them, we can’t readily access the information which is stored in the unconscious mind.

Throughout our childhood, we gathered many different memories and experiences that formed the beliefs, fears and insecurities that we carry today. However, we cannot recall most of these memories. They are unconscious forces that drive our behaviors.

Thus, All Is One: The Science & Spirituality of Consciousness from Ren Koi investigates how consciousness fits into a larger picture of the universe by exploring what science, philosophy, religion, and spirituality have to say on the matter, and offers a conclusive definition of consciousness that might satisfy both the scientifically oriented and spiritually oriented reader.

About the Author - Ren Koi is a British author, philosopher and host of the Life in Recovery Podcast. An ex-DJ and music producer (John Loxley AKA Lox), he spent over ten years drinking alcoholically and using drugs, before joining Twelve Step fellowships in 2010 following an emotional breakdown. He lives in Walsall, UK.

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