As is the nature of human consciousness, it operationally monitors life, not as an indivisible whole that is wholly beyond the comprehension of any of its components, but rather, to make any attempted study of it even remotely possible, and promising. Consciousness breaks life’s seamless endlessness into what it finds to be manageable, mental pieces.
Since this posture meets practical needs, consciousness observably then ignores this bit of self-created, laboratory fiction. The end result being, (for ordinary men, under routine conditions), that consciousness treats life itself as though it is a noun – a thing composed entirely of discreet, stable things.
Consciousness is then confronted, (via its own, normally forgotten, doing), with a reality composed of pieces-of-fiction. Ordinary men conceive of living in a world composed of such things as patriotism, spirituality, truth, justice, the right and wrong ways of doing things, thinking about things; and every other subject that no waiter can lay on your table to eat.
This arrangement certainly serves man well. Just look around at how much better off you are, by your worst definition, than any other earthly creature. But if you attempt to employ only these naturally provided facilities of consciousness to STUDY consciousness, (and thus get to the very, rock bottom of everything, conceivable), you must extend yourself in a way not known, taught, nor discussed in city labs and circumstances.
Every time you accept consciousness’ talking about some matter that no one can touch as though it is a thing – a noun – you have momentarily made certain that you will understand nothing about the matter. In its fictional place-and-laboratory of “The Mind,” your consciousness will produce thoughts about the “thing.” Just as consciousness in other men will produce in their minds other thoughts about the matter-cum-apparent “thing,” (often conflicting with the thoughts in your mind about it), but always at some variance.
J.