CONSCIOUSNESS means AWARENESS

CONSCIOUSNESS means AWARENESS. As per TM, there are 7 States of AWARENESS in two divisions; Lower Consciousness (contains Waking, Sleeping and Dreaming varieties) and Higher Consciousness (on the lower and upper side of TRANSCENDENCE or Transcendental Consciousness). Higher Consciousness includes Cosmic Consciousness, God Consciousness and Unity Consciousness. In all there are SEVEN states of Human Consciousness. Consciousness is चेतना in संस्कृत and जाणीव in Bhaarateey languages..

     In lower Consciousness field the man considers egoist; takes credit for most of his activities (with pride) for himself. Amongst all species only man can (try and) develop into higher Consciousness field. To go to higher field भगवद्गीता gives us many routes like द्न्यान, योग, कर्म and भक्ति. Once you try to cross the Transcendence, you are in a position to discard you EGO. Yo start feeling love for others. Lot efforts are needed to establish in Higher Field since TC or तुरीय चेतना is an unstable boundry through which you are likely to slip to lower C Field unless efforts are continued. 

      Once you start settling in Higher Field, the यम and नियम (the first two ateps in अष्टांग योग of पातंजली  You start understanding or realizing what is TRUTH and also every material available in the Universe is Divine and one can make its use for his purposes without restriction, thogh he cannot store it with him or use it in creating more waste from it. In Higher Field he loses his bad habits like Desires, likes-dislikes as well as the षड्रिपू (Anger, Hate, Greed, Attraction, Pride and Jealousy) from his life. You become aware of the Cosmic Ocean of Information and Ebnergy that could be approach by your mind once you carry out your संयम on your requirement. After progressing beyond Cosmic C, the person is ovwerwhelmed with one has so much love with him that he sees God everywhere. All activities that he was claiming for himself in lower Field are now realized by him as they are created by God for all. The love that you have developed so far spreads to all species and even inanimate material. It overwhelms you and include the God in it as well. When you progress further, you find that God is no where else but whereever you are. All activitiese conducted by both of you and hence are always effective. While you are established in Unity C, You function as normal without any special efforts on your part. All your plans and systems will be giving desired results, since the Natural Law adds its force backing your activities and efforts. राजा जनक was a good example of a person sustained in Unity C. This can be comapared with समाधि, the last step of अष्टांग योग. One has reached pinnacle in his development. He will continue to live in this stage till his life span is (not) over. He is not to have any further birth.

     In case you want to know more details you can refer to the book."SCIENCE OF BEING AND ART OF LIVING Transcendental Meditation" (A Plume Book Publication) by महर्षि महेश योगी. by the way श्री श्री रविशंकर, initiater of Art Of Living concept was a disciple of महर्षि महेश

You exist because of self-realization and it does not demand that you should be mentally aware of the fact of self-realization. You, me, and the rest of us exist and function even while we have no mental awareness of the fact of self- realization. It is not something that we acquire by the process called learning or academic experience. The potency called Spiritualism or Spirituality establishes your existence in the physical, material world and if you know or not, you are a self-realized soul at the time of your arrival into this world.