Theoretical Model of Consciousness By Ben Ormstad Copyright 2013 Ben Ormstad Smashwords Edition *** Smashwords Edition, License

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*** Theoretical Model of Consciousness

( Don't confuse the model of Consciousness with Consciousness Itself. Consciousness Cons"iousness is )ll That &s &t is the fabri" of E*isten"e+ the glue that binds e%erything together like the spa"e your body e*ists in E%erything starts with "ons"iousness and ends with "ons"iousness To understand "ons"iousness one must e*ist as it knowingly not in a s"ientifi"# logi"al or philosophi"al mental way# but knowingly in an existential being-centered way Therefore# all the following information will not make you enlightened and reali,e the truth of your being# but will aim at pro%iding an as understandable theoretical model of "ons"iousness as possible To get a better understanding of "ons"iousness# the two aspe"ts it "onsists of must be e*amined Awareness )wareness is the most fundamental thing in e*isten"e# as it simply is the isness of -ife The awareness is the un"hanging# unborn# undying part of Cons"iousness# whi"h is the root of e%erything To get the pi"ture imagine this. Before the Big Bang there was nothing This is what s"ien"e says )nd this is "orre"t Before the Big Bang there were no things in e*isten"e /at least %iewed from the perspe"ti%e of our physi"al uni%erse0+ in that state our uni%erse was merely an una"tuali,ed potential# and the entirety of E*isten"e was itself a

singular no-thing S"ien"e assumes this 1nothing2 was simply the absen"e of e%erything# and that3s all there is to it 4as s"ien"e e%er "onsidered looking at what that 1absen"e of e%erything2 a"tually is5 & don3t know# but my guess is that this 1nothing2 would be deemed irrele%ant or simply impossible to e*plore 4owe%er# it3s not impossible to e*plore &t only seems impossible from a limited perspe"ti%e -et3s get right to it. This space that e*isted with no things in it before the Big Bang happened wasn3t 1'ust2 spa"e+ it was a living space 6hy must this be the "ase5 6ell# for one# things appeared in it# whi"h means the spa"e had the 7uality of being able to contain something &f no spa"e e*isted with this "hara"teristi"# nothing would e%er ha%e "ome into being as there would ha%e been no spa"e for it This means that if a living uni%erse suddenly "ould be initiated out of an empty spa"e 8 or rather a spa"eless spa"e 8 then this spa"e# whi"h is the uni%erse3s host# would itself ha%e to be ali%e 9o flower springs from dead dirt Or# if you prefer# the "omputer s"reen must ha%e a steady flow of ele"tri"ity /be 1ali%e20 in order to %iew the %ideo game being played on it 9ow# let3s utili,e this "omputer s"reen analogy to e*plore the idea The s"reen itself is the 1nothing2 that e*isted before the Big Bang# and the %ideo game you "an play on the s"reen# when it3s on# represents our human life in this physi"al reality The ele"tri"al "urrent keeping the s"reen ali%e is the same "urrent keeping the %ideo game world ali%e :oreo%er# the s"reen itself is what is showing;playing the %ideo game# whi"h means that nothing in the %ideo game world is separate from the s"reen <urthemore# nothing in the %ideo game world is actually a 1thing2+ it3s all 'ust "olors appearing on the s"reen The only real 1thing2 would ha%e to be the s"reen itself# whi"h from the perspe"ti%e of the "hara"ters li%ing in the %ideo game world would be %iewed as unknowable# meaningless# out of rea"h# not 1real2# ho"us po"us# or 'ust plain delusional <or them# their game world is a physi"al reality full of physi"al things that e*ists separate from themsel%es 8 ne%er knowing that e%erything they ha%e e%er thought# belie%ed or seen is not a"tually real# but only "olors mo%ing on a "omputer s"reen The ne*t thing to be mentioned is that the s"reen is playing all the "hara"ters The ele"tri"ity flowing through the s"reen and the game world# is what3s animating and gi%ing life to e%erything happening on the s"reen The s"reen and its ele"tri"al "urrent# whi"h would be the fundamental and underlying reality of the %ideo game world# is analogi"al to awareness in our reality 4ow "ome5 )wareness is the li%ing spa"e that e*isted before the Big Bang )wareness is the spa"e that "ontains all things !ou think of your awareness as 1my2 awareness# but as we ha%e seen# the "omputer s"reen is what animates )-- beings and things in the %irtual physi"al reality the "hara"ters in the %ideo game li%e in This# of "ourse# means that any feeling the "hara"ters in the game would ha%e about ha%ing their 1own2 /separate from others0 "urrent of ele"tri"ity or spe"ifi" spa"e on the s"reen would be "ompletely delusional 8 whi"h the one standing outside looking at the s"reen easily "an see. there3s no possibility of anything happening on the "omputer s"reen to be e*isting on its own as an indi%idual thing inside it )ll the "olors are "ontinuously "hanging in a ne%erending dan"e# while the s"reen remains

the same )t the %ery most# ea"h being and thing on the s"reen "ould be represented by a 1folder2 in the "omputer running the game# whi"h would be the gathered data ea"h being;thing has a""ummulated throughout its gi%en amount of past e*perien"es But they would all still 'ust be pie"es intri"ately intertwined in the system running the game# not separate at all &f this spa"e that e*isted before the Big Bang is ali%e and aware# un"hanging# undying# and unborn# then it means it is the e*a"tly same spa"e e*isting now as did all those ages ago before our pre"ious uni%erse was born )nd sin"e the s"reen is e%erything happening on it# it means this aware spa"e is e%erything here in our uni%erse 9oone and nothing is separate from it )s physi"s knows# the smallest "onstituents of physi"al reality are tiny# tiny hypotheti"al things that e*ist with enormous spa"es between ea"h other# and they alternate between being in this reality and swit"hing out of it 6hat are they swit"hing into when they3re not here5 6ho knows5 <or the time being# it doesn3t matter &t only matters that we get a real look at this so$"alled 1physi"al2 uni%erse of ours &t3s made of ==> pure spa"e /a"tually it3s made of 100> spa"e but that3s another story0# and what was earlier thought of as physi"al isn3t e%en physi"al anymore ?ust take a look at 7uantum me"hani"s# and different theories proposing a %irtual or holographi" reality E%en s"ientists "an3t really deny the idea anymore )nyway# the point is# the 1nothing2 before the Big Bang was a li%ing spa"e+ whi"h is what awareness is This is O9E awareness e*isting as e%erything in the uni%erse /'ust like one "omputer s"reen pro'e"ting an entire %ideo game world inside itself0 !ou# me# and all other beings and things appear within this one li%ing spa"e$awarenss$nothing !ou think about 1your2 awareness# but in reality this awareness is the same in everyone and in everything )ll spa"e in the entire uni%erse is the e*a"t same spa"e &t3s not "hunked up in pie"es or organi,ed into different se"tions. it3s all 'ust one spa"e hosting the entire physi"al uni%erse The "ool thing about this is that you "an in fa"t "he"k this out in your personal reality by letting go of everything you've learned since your birth /whi"h doesn3t mean delete your knowledge# 'ust completely drop your belief in it being fundamentally true0 &f you "an do /undo0 this# then you3ll easily tap into the foundation of your being# whi"h is awarenss# whi"h is the li%ing spa"e that the uni%erse e*ists in &f you manage to not 'ust tap into this awarenss# but di%e into it and be"ome swallowed "ompletely by it like a wa%e returning to the o"ean and merging with it# then you will get the 1@ltimate Anowledge2# you3ll be enlightened and know the Truth of -ife These sound like big words# but it3s really simple The foundation and host of your reality is spa"e# and it3s ali%e and aware# and you3re part of it @nderneath all of your "onditioned humanness# you3ll find the ground of being# whi"h is awareness Be"ome it and you will know e%erything to be yourself# and your little personal 1self2 will be eradi"ated 'ust like the wa%e that merged ba"k into the o"ean !ou will be the o"ean# and all wa%es will be you But you will be nothing# no one# be"ause that3s what e%erything is ?ust a spa"e that a"tually e*ists Only a thing "an e*perien"e itself as a limited# "onstri"ted and defined 1self2# but all things are a"tually nothing# be"ause the fundamental reality is no$thing This is 1no$self2 6hen you reali,e you are 1no$self2# you will be 1enlightened2 Then there will be no

more 1self2# 1other2 or 1world2+ only dire"t# unfiltered# pure e*perien"e of whate%er3s happening in;to "ons"iousness This part "annot e%er be "omprehended without intimate e*perien"e <irst there is only spa"e Then a Big Bang happens and a uni%erse is begun The uni%erse li%es its life and ends )gain there is spa"e Then another Big Bang and another new uni%erse begins epeat forever. -ike night and day# awake and asleep# life and death But the spa"e is always there &t is what is wat"hing and playing Mind :ind# on the other hand# is the processing aspe"t of "ons"iousness The mind does a"tually posses the same fundamental 7ualities of being as awareness# but it is its opposite The mind is the e%erything while awareness is the nothing 6here awareness is un"hanging# the mind is "hanging The awareness is eternally stati"# and the mind is eternally in flu* )wareness is and witnesses# the mind is and pro"esses )wareness is the space in the uni%erse# while the mind is the things in the uni%erse & know this all might seem a bit ba"kwards 4ow "ome the mind "an be e7uated to )-- the things in the uni%erse# when 1mind2 is something we as li%ing beings posses5 !ou see# the uni%erse you3re talking about didn3t e*ist until you were born But then what about all the other people in the world# that already were here5 6ell# ea"h and one of them had no uni%erse until they were born either# and they didn3t e*ist for you until you "ame here There is an e*tremely popular belief in the world of humans where they belie%e an ob'e"ti%e and measurable uni%erse e*ists outside of them# and they don3t e%en 7uestion the fa"t that both themsel%es and this entire uni%erse disappears totally about B0> of their time e%ery day their whole lifeC 6ell# they don3t 7uestion it be"ause when they "ome ba"k to this reality in the morning# they "an remember the pre%ious day# and tell themsel%es that they were 1sleeping2 )nd e%en if their being e*perien"ed different realities throughout the 1sleep2# they remind themsel%es that they were 1dreaming2 Be"ause of these two ideas# sleeping and dreaming# people ne%er reali,e what3s a"tually happening# be"ause in order to do this they would ha%e to e*perien"e their e*isten"e directly without the e*ternal knowledge the world has gi%en them !ou believe you3re sleeping# and you believe you3re 1'ust2 dreaming &n dire"t e*perien"e# all you really know is that after being awake in this reality for a "ertain period of time# you be"ome in"reasingly 1hea%y2 and it is as if an unknown for"e is pulling you ba"k into the nothingness you awakened from in the morning Of "ourse# we think we know the body gets tired# and so does our mental spa"e Thus# we need to rest and re"harge the body and mind3s batteries# be"ause s"ientifi" resear"h has "onfirmed this is so )nd if we dream during the night we3re most likely 'ust pro"essing information from what happened throughout the day# or the dream might be un"ons"ious desires "oming true through mas7uerading as something else for us to a""ept and li%e through them & want to remind you that all of these ideas are 'ust beliefs Dire"t e*perien"e indi"ates that this human life is no more or less real than the so$"alled dreams we3re ha%ing at night Elease "he"k this out for yourself

before drawing any "on"lusions -ook at it this way. &f we had no re"olle"tion of a yesterday or whate%er e%ents might ha%e happened before we went to sleep# then ea"h day would be a totally new e*perien"e# 'ust like our dreams are new ea"h night Or# from the perspe"ti%e of our dreams# if you suddenly started e*perien"ing a spe"ifi" dream /with the same beings and en%ironments in it e%ery time you "ame ba"k0 e%ery time you went to sleep# to the point where you remembered the pre%ious dreams like you remember yesterday here# you3d then start building a memory set from that 1dream reality2# and with it a new identity would be "onstru"ted based on your new e*perien"es in that reality Then you would wake up from that dream# ba"k into this one again# reali,e you3d 'ust been sleeping and go on with your day# until you on"e again fell asleep here and "ontinued in the other reality &n a short period of time e*isting in these two realities 8 this human one# and the dream one 8 you3d know with utter "ertainty that this human e*perien"e is no more 1real2 or 1unreal2 than the 1dreams2 you3re ha%ing at night They are all 'ust different e*perien"es had by "ons"iousness /awareness and mind0 in different realities 6hen this was reali,ed# you3d ne*t know that what you truly are /"ons"iousness0 "annot die# be"ause no e*perien"ed reality is fundamentally 1real2 )ll reality is dreamlike in nature E*"ept for the a"tual fundamental reality# "ons"iousness 6hy did we go through this# when we3re a"tually talking about mind5 Be"ause a 1reality2 is an e*pression of mind# whi"h is the aspe"t of "ons"iousness pro"essing information )ny reality# 1real2 or 1dream2# is information E%erything that "an be e*perien"ed is information The one and only aspe"t of reality being informationless is the awareness aspe"t of "ons"iousness# whi"h we "o%ered in the pre%ious se"tion &t is the being# while mind is e%erything else :ind itself is the processor of information 8 it itself is not information The mind ser%es the fun"tion of being the analy,ing and "ategori,ing "omponent of the entity that ne"essarily must e*ist in order for "ons"iousness to be able to eperien"e itself in a "omple* reality# dealing with large amounts of per"eptional and mental information The mind is what pro"esses the sense per"eptions# the thought$pro"esses# and analy,ing and relating all the pie"es of information to ea"h other# making 'udgements and understanding The mind is the "omputer# while awareness is the s"reen all "omputations appear in;on Sin"e "ons"iousness is fundamental /like the "omputer s"reen in the %ideo game analogy0# it means that nothing you e*perien"e in a reality is real to you until you a"tually see it unfolding )s soon as the "urrent s"ene has "hanged# the pre%ious one is only rea"hable by way of memory# and is not real to you anymore &n the %ideo game analogy# this would be the same as saying what you don3t see on the s"reen# isn3t being rendered by the "omputer &n other words# what isn3t rendered isn3t actuali!ed information# only potential# and therefore not real in this moment :ind only pro"esses what3s "urrently happening on all le%els of e*isten"e that you happen to be aware in The mind# being all potential and a"tual information in e*isten"e# is interesting# as it3s split in two &t has two different le%els of itself The mind is

dualistic in nature# and "onsists of -ight and Dark# Eositi%e and 9egati%e# -ife and Death Take a look at this figure# whi"h illustrates my model of "ons"iousness.

/This is 'ust an illustration# of "ourse &n reality# these layers e*ist superimposed on 1top of2 ea"h other# and are wea%ed together like the tightest web you "ould imagine So don3t start belie%ing that awareness lies 1ne*t to2 the mind# and that the light and dark aspe"ts of mind is pla"ed beside ea"h other )ll the layers are O9E being Different le%els of the same E*isten"e )nd what3s e%en more to the point. 9one of these layers actually e*ist+ they are all simply pro"essed information being e*perien"ed by awareness in this moment 0 The "ight aspe"t of mind is whate%er is "urrently being e*perien"ed# whi"h would be your #hysical $xperienced eality# for short EEF This means what sensory information your senses are re"ei%ing )nything you "an see# hear# smell# tou"h# and e%en emotions /defined as 1a"ti%ation in the "entral ner%ous system20# lu"id out$of$body e*perien"es /OBE0# %i%id hallu"inations and near$

death e*perien"es /9DE0 are all e*amples of what "onstitutes the -ight part of mind &t refers to that whi"h is manifest as your reality in this moment &t doesn3t matter if it3s a dream# a psy"hosis# or 'ust normal e%eryday human life+ if it3s e*perien"ed as a physi"al reality# full of light and stuff mo%ing around# then it3s pro"essed by the -ight side of mind )nother thing worth mentioning is that the EEF aspe"t of mind is thoughtless and selfless;identityless# 'ust like awareness &t is not aware like awareness# howe%er# be"ause only awareness is the 1being2 part of e*isten"e EEF is thoughtless and selfless simply be"ause it merely is the information about the physi"al reality awareness re"ei%es through the body3s sensory organs 9e*t we ha%e the Dark part of the mind This in"ludes e%erything that is not manifest as your physi"al reality in this moment# yet still e*isting in;as your reality# whi"h would be the %ental $xperienced eality# or simply :EF This is the part of your reality "onsisting of thoughts# mental images and mo%ies# memories and pro'e"tions into the future are all e*amples of information being pro"essed by the Dark side of mind Thinking is taking pla"e in your imagination# whi"h e*ists in the 1darkness2 of your being The only part of "ons"iousness that "an be said to ha%e the potential to de%elop identity and thereby pro%iding awareness with the opportunity of e*perien"ing ha%ing a 1self2# is this Dark aspe"t of mind This# howe%er# is only possible if "ons"iousness forgets itself as the fundamental reality of E*isten"e# and starts belie%ing itself to be a single entity amongst many others Both the -ight and Dark aspe"ts of mind deal with reality information# but they ha%e their indi%idual roles to play The mind operates with Eositi%e and 9egati%e information <or e*ample# you "ould say the -ight side is positi%e# and the Dark aspe"t is negati%e ?ust don3t fall in the trap of 'udging negati%e as 1bad2 and positi%e as 1good2 This would be utterly ridi"ulous# as e%erything is a mi*ture of both &f the negati%e didn3t e*ist# it3s opposite the positi%e wouldn3t e*ist either Think of a sink mi*ing "old and hot water in order to produ"e water of differing warmth and "oolness &f you were to 'udge hot water as 1bad2# and delete it from the e7uation# then what would happen5 &mbalan"e in the system# leading to only i"e "old water with no possibility of be"oming any warmer Balan"e is of the utmost signifi"an"e for e*isten"e to fun"tion as effe"ti%ely as possible Operating with duality makes the mind "hange "onstantly &t swit"hes from bla"k to white# good to bad# happy to sad# lo%ing to hateful# re%engeful to grateful# and so on and on &t3s ne%er still &n fa"t# it doesn3t know what 1still2 means# other than as the "on"ept 1opposite of motion2 This be"ause the mind itself is motion# whether in manifest /e*perien"ed reality0 or unmanifest form /mental reality0# it mo%es and mo%es &f motion were to stop# the mind would be"ome opa7ue like a pure mirror# and awareness would peer through like the moon perfe"tly refle"ted in still# "lear water The mind stands still as long as "ons"iousness isn3t identified with what it e*perien"es )s soon as "ons"iousness starts forgetting itself and begins

"reating atta"hments to "ertain things in its e*perien"e# then an identity will blossom out of it 6hen this happens the mind starts mo%ing 9ow it knows something better# something worse 8 all related to its newly found identity# whi"h is e*perien"ed as a 1self2 This self has wants# needs# desires# fears and so on atta"hed to its spe"ifi" set of e*periential data There3s no problem as long as "ons"iousness knows that it isn3t this illusory self# but as soon as it begins believing in this illusion# it gets in trouble Consciousness and Identity )s we ha%e seen# the mind is an information pro"essing tool# not a 1self2 or identity )wareness is simply an ali%e and awake no$thing& not a 1self2 or an identity Cons"iousness# whi"h is the total of these two aspe"ts# is not a 1self2 or identity either 1&dentity2 is what has the potential to appear when "ons"iousness forgets itself in its own "reated e*perien"es# and be"omes a habitual way of e*pressing itself based on how it learns to %iew itself through the intera"tion with# and refle"tion of itself in# the per"ei%ed others# "ons"iously or un"ons"iously# while ha%ing a "ontinuous e*perien"e of a more or less stable reality &f you keep e*perien"ing the same reality o%er and o%er# you3ll start belie%ing it has substan"e# ob'e"ti%ity and 1reality2# and the 1you2 you per"ei%e yourself to be# based on the intera"tions in this reality# will form ideas and beliefs about who you think you are while operating in that spe"ifi" reality &n this situation# forgetting itself# "ons"iousness then starts identifying with what it e*perien"es# and starts belie%ing itself to be a little pie"e of the pu,,le /whi"h is "alled a 1self20# when it in reality is The Dreamer of the entire thing# and is# therefore# the entire pu,,le /whi"h is "alled 1no$self20 )gain# the "omputer s"reen is e%erything in the %ideo game reality happening on it# whi"h means the s"reen is The Dreamer of the %ideo game reality and all the beings and things in it But remember# the dreamer isn3t an 1identity2+ it3s "ompletely identity less One "ould maybe say that its identity would be whate%er is happening right now. This moment3s "urrent "onfiguration of sense per"eptions and mental pro"essing in its totality would be the identity But then again# the "urrent flow of sense per"eptions# always "hanging e%ery nano$split$se"ond# means there wouldn3t be any more stable 1identity2 there than there e*ists stable "loud formations This means there will be nothing left to identify with if you a"tually reali,ed yourself to be the one dreaming your e*isten"e into being &f you are e%erything# then what are you not5 6hat "an everything identify itself with that is not already itself5 )n identity e*ists be"ause per"ei%ed boundaries between 1me2 and 1other2 e*ists# but when those boundaries are seen as illusory and not a"tually real# then both 1me2 and 1other2 dissol%es and only T4&S remains 6hat is 1this25 Cons"iousness;-ife;E*isten"e &tself &t perhaps sounds poeti"# fluffy or ambiguous# but it3s truly fitting and e*perientially on point ((( This is the end of the "urrent %ersion of my model of Cons"iousness & "hose

to publish it at this early stage be"ause it already "ontains what & %iew to be the most important parts in order to get an idea of how the different aspe"ts of Cons"iousness are related# and "ompletely intertwined# from a fundamental# pre$physi"al point of %iew 4owe%er# a lot more will ne"essarily ha%e to be added as time goes on & will update this %ersion e%ery time something new is added to the theory &3m also open to suggestions as to what ideas and "on"epts to in"lude in newer %ersions# what to e*plain better# or whate%er else you might want to dis"uss <eel free to email me at truthdreaminglifeGgmail "om HHH isco!er other titles "y #en $rmstad at Smashwords%com& 'on-fiction( 1:editation is !our <undamental Self2 1Theoreti"al :odel of Cons"iousness2 I-ife is <reedom $ Eointers to EnlightenmentI 16hen the Joid )wakens2 )iction( I!ou3%e ?ust Been BustedI 1)gent K13 8 Death and the De%il2 1<resh 4uman2 I) Feport on 4umanity by an )lienI I@tskuddI /) norwegian no%el0