What Does It Mean to Be Conscious?

Consciousness can change in an instant. One moment a soccer player bumps heads with another player while leaping for a header. Seconds later, she is on the ground, out cold. Within a minute, she may be up and walking but feeling dazed and confused. The blow to her head has affected her conscious experience of the world. Changes in consciousness can happen in positive ways, as when a person meditates, or in negative ways, as when a person is in a coma. Indeed, your daily life involves many changes in your conscious experience. Let’s consider different experiences of consciousness.