File:Theme 1 Understanding Consciousness Some reflections.pdf

Summary

Contemporary consciousness studies have gained a new height and remarkable popularity in the last few decades. Though science has resolved many mysteries of life and world but the domain of consciousness is still unknown to most of us. Even if no one denies the subjective experience, there are a very few who agree what that experience is. What is consciousness? What are its essential features? Is it mere subjective experience or Universal in nature? Is it the product of this material body or the fundamental cause of this Universe? These are some of the questions which modern scholars and researchers still struggling to answer. The multifaced, mysterious and dynamic nature of consciousness has not only given rise to a ‘hard problem’ but also caught the attention of scholars and researchers from diverse disciplines. Today, philosophers and scientists of all disciplines like cognitive science, physics, biology, neuroscience, neurophenomenology, psychology, Artificial Intelligence etc. have become tremendously curious to understand and explain the intricacies of our conscious experience. It has opened up a door for a transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary discussion and debate and also has become one of the most distinguished, challenging, and rapidly evolving fields. Instead of confining the study of consciousness within one specific discipline, today researchers demand a platform for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural dialogue and discussion, in a free and shared space. Interestingly, many contemporary scholars played an active role in expanding the horizon of our understanding considering the unknown and unexplored traditional Indian theories of consciousness along with cross-cultural perspectives. Hence, in this paper, the aim is to reflect on one very important Indian account of consciousness to examine their relevance in the context of contemporary consciousness studies. Instead of denying either the classical or the modern approaches an attempt will be made to propose a comprehensive and holistic approach that promises to expand the horizon of our insights that can be a gateway for restating the problem of consciousness.