This is all a result of coherent memory and consciousness, not "awareness". To me, it seems, "awareness", by everyone's definition, is perception; for how could you be "aware", with no perception? And that's my whole point - awareness isn't aware of itself, eternally; only in human life can we be, "aware" or our "awareness"-perception.
Actually - you can be aware with no perception. In the deepest levels of meditation - one is aware, but there are no contents of awareness, nothing being perceived. No percieved, no perceiving, no perceiver. There is only awareness. All notions of being, all sense of existing as some thing... all of that is gone. There actually is awareness without perception. No thinking, no self-referencing. That is essentially what samadhi is. And I kind of misworded my point up there. I said awareness does the looking, awareness does the thinking. That is not entirely accurate taken in a certain way. What is more accurate is to say that thinking and perception occur WITHIN awareness. Thinking and perception are automatic processes of the human bodymind - but awareness does exist without any content as well - read about samadhi and the highest absorbtion states. The 4th sheath in yoga, beyond the mind and subconscious mind. Then again - in the grand scheme the question is kind of irrelevant in the big picture as figuring out this thing conceptually does not change the reality of the situation at all anyways lol. No matter what we call it or how we understand it - awareness always IS, anyways lol. Is it aware of itself or not is kind of inconsequential. Edit: to clarify - awareness is not perception. Awareness is that which is AWARE OF ALL perception. A cat is just as aware as we are. It may not be aware that it is aware... but it is aware. OOOOOOO OK. Now I see where you are coming from. The cat is AWARE, but is not AWARE that it is aware. That is a human function. So is it AWARENESS that is aware that awareness exists or is it some kind of human function that is aware that it is aware. it's trippy, because we as humans use our awareness to SEE and realize that we are aware... yet a cat might not have the cognition ability to even make that exercise. Now I see what you are saying, as I was typing that above sentence lol. That is so tricky lol. Because do we really know if animals are aware they are aware or not? Probably not. So perhaps awareness is not aware of itself... it is simply aware. Such a trippy question haha
1.) True 2.) So, "awareness" isn't perception, but, it is the ability which enables us to internally think?
I think it is the ground which allows for EVERYTHING we experience to exist, including to internally think. I think the MIND... which is a function of the brain, which makes sense out of all of our experience, using faculties such as memory, conceptualization etc... I think the MIND enables us to think. That is its function. But awareness is not the thinking.... for it is aware of thinking, and aware of not thinking. Yea now I catch your drift haha. Such a trip using words to try to explain shit like this
So, "awareness", is as I like to call it, the will? Imo, the will is what gives all life; and "awareness" is just another manifestation of the will.
i would say through collective consciousness awareness becomes aware of itself. true awareness is aware of itself, through using physical bodies, it restricts itself from being fully aware of itself at all times... which is why enlightenment is so awakening... you are connecting with the source, the essence, the awareness, the "overmind" you could say... We just happen to be self-aware due to our 3rd dimensional resonance, whereas other animals an plant life are simply just aware? if that makes sense.
Hm interesting. I see the will a little differently. Like when you sit down and close your eyes and meditate. You observe thoughts, and you observe a space of pure awareness in between thoughts. That is what I call awareness. It's not will, to me, because it is just an observer. Will to me is a function of mind, which arises from awareness. To me before a baby uses its will it's just an observer - awareness. That's just how I see it though.
1.) I'm glad you used this example... Babies are born with the intrinsic will. Why do you think a baby tries to learn how to walk, on its own, at such a young age? By learning to walk, it's serving to the will - enhancing it's organism and reality, by walking on two legs, and not on all four. "Awareness" is just conscious will... 2.) But, if you've never had perception, or experienced anything... how can you have thoughts? Thoughts are a result of experience. If you've never experienced anything, by way of the senses, you will have no "thoughts"... you're just there - you just "are" - and this goes back to my thing about awareness not being "aware" of itself. *How could a baby be an "observer" with no perception?