Word of the Week! "Consciousness"

[Xanth]

(Or day... or however long I want really... LoL)

Over the next little while, I'm going to make posts asking everyone what "their" definition/opinion of a certain word is.
My goal with this experiment is to see if we can't find some kind of common ground between the vast number of people here.  Hopefully we'll get a good sampling!  

What I want to see are posts giving your definition/opinion for that word with maybe an example or something to support it.  Or just your definition/opinion will do fine.
What I don't want to see is someone critiquing another persons definition or saying that so-and-so is wrong.  Those kinds of negative posts are unwanted.

So, the first word is... Consciousness!  What does the word "Consciousness" mean to you?  

Use it in whatever context you feel comfortable using it in.  

Annnnnnnnnnd go!

[Chris J.]

I define consciousness as being able to gain new experiences. The closest experience I can think of that might be able to support that definition is when I was in hypnagogia a couple of years ago, and I focused on the question along the line of "What is my purpose?" I saw an image of a bare tree limb appear, then it started branching and leafing out continuously. My best interpretation is that it meant "to grow," and the only way I know of to do that is to gain and learn from new experiences.

[Lionheart]

 I would say Consciousness is the sense of everything around us and how we interact with it. Our thoughts, sensations, feelings, our entire awareness of our existence. Our own personal identity.

[NoY]

for me consciousness is will power (energy) expressed in a positive or negative way over the greater mind
radiating to that which is not you, influencing others will power, again in a positive or negative way

everything is energy and the ability to perceive energy is one thing but understanding how it influences you and those around you is another, will is a true super power and consciousness is a derivative of will

:NoY:

[Greytraveller]

Greetings
I equate Consciousness as the ability to understand what oneself and others are at any given moment.
At present I am a spirit inside a physical body.
During a lucid dream I am a dream body on the dream plane.
During an OBE I am a nonphysical being in the Real Time Zone.
During an astral projection I am a nonphysical being in a higher dimension or plane or Belief System Territory.
Interesting to note that during all these experiences the Basic I remains the same although my outer appearance (whether physical, dream, ethereal or astral) changes.

Sincerely 
Grey

[Xanth]

I'll jump in.

Consciousness to me is the base "material" of what we and everything we experience is derived from.  We ARE Consciousness.

Awesome guys!  Keep'em coming!

[Szaxx]

Hi,
Whether in a nightime dream,
or in the daytime light.
The part that makes us who we are,
That decides to run or fight.

That which can remember,
That which makes us all unique
The I in intellect,
That forms a sort of clique.

The person chasing learnings,
Forming their I-deal.
All these internal processes,
make conciousness so real.

[Lionheart]

 Nice poem there Szaxx! 

[StrangeDreams]

Consciousness is an organisms awareness of itself and its surroundings. We exist as pure consciousness with the ability to produce thoughts and emotions which manifest into "things" (the observed and the observer). We are in everything and everything is in us. Therefore we have the ability to "be" anywhere we choose and experience anything we choose simply by "tuning in" or shifting awareness.

[Stookie_]

Consciousness is everything and everything is consciousness. There is nothing else.