What happens to consciousness in coma?

[Peo]

This is a really good question, maybe some masters can answer. Leo said that when we die we just get rebirth and end up back here again, but what about coma. People that has been in come for years have zero conscious awareness of the environment. They cant get rebirth because they are still alive to some degree. If science ever invent cryosleep, then we could stay in the emptiness for million years without ever getting rebirth. Although in the end you will get rebirth because forms are not immortal and one day will get destroyed.

Can you experience infinite love in deep coma or does my body have to physically die? I know you can experience infinite love before you physically die, but i'm talking about ordinary people that dont do any spirtual work.

Is our consciousness traped in the physical body?

[Enlightenment]

 

[LastThursday]

2 hours ago, Peo said:

Is our consciousness traped in the physical body?

There is an assumption that consciousness is somehow produced by the body, because normal 'baseline' consciousness seems to be dragged around by the body. No matter how we try, we just can't shake off this pesky body of ours. And even when we shed the body in night dreams, it still somehow manages to sneak back when we wake up. We are very confused.

But consider: is the physical body trapped in consciousness? Or even better: is the whole universe trapped in consciousness? In this case to say that consciousness is 'produced' by anything starts to become absurd.  And to speculate that there might be 'gaps' in consciousness also absurd; mostly because the gaps themselves would have to be contained 'within' consciousness (which indeed they are).

 

[cetus]

4 hours ago, Peo said:

Is our consciousness traped in the physical body?

@Peo  One of the most awakening experiences I've had in this journey is that consciousness is not anchored to the body/mind/location as may seem.

[Ananta]

I was in a coma a decade ago for 5 days, there was nothing experienced during the time of being in the coma.

There was- awake. ..nothing. ...awake.

[Ananta]

On 7/28/2019 at 4:39 PM, Peo said:

Is our consciousness traped in the physical body?

The physical body is within awareness/consciousness, not the other way around, imo.

[Shadowraix]

On 7/28/2019 at 7:32 PM, LastThursday said:

There is an assumption that consciousness is somehow produced by the body, because normal 'baseline' consciousness seems to be dragged around by the body. No matter how we try, we just can't shake off this pesky body of ours. And even when we shed the body in night dreams, it still somehow manages to sneak back when we wake up. We are very confused.

But consider: is the physical body trapped in consciousness? Or even better: is the whole universe trapped in consciousness? In this case to say that consciousness is 'produced' by anything starts to become absurd.  And to speculate that there might be 'gaps' in consciousness also absurd; mostly because the gaps themselves would have to be contained 'within' consciousness (which indeed they are).

 

I find there to be a very big distinction in this word consciousness when referred to the mind-body model and the metaphysical model use of it. While metaphysical consciousness represents all of mind-body consciousness this doesn't quite work backwards because there must be duality, a distinction when working with the body, else how do you distinguish body from oneness?

[LastThursday]

@Shadowraix yeah. We wave this conciousness word around as if we all know what it means and we agree on it.

I get what you say: my argument is being preached to the converted. But really I'm just trying to put some weight on the paradigm scales, to even them up a bit.

I'm going to pull out the old trope however. I hope you don't roll your eyes: 'What is the thing that finds a very big distinction in the word consciousness?' And does it come from your body? Or is it separate from it? Hahahahaha....

[Shadowraix]

7 minutes ago, LastThursday said:

I'm going to pull out the old trope however. I hope you don't roll your eyes: 'What is the thing that finds a very big distinction in the word consciousness?' And does it come from your body? Or is it separate from it? Hahahahaha....

If only paradoxes were easy to comprehend.

[LastThursday]

Paradoxically, there is a part that likes to be flumoxed, there's a part that says 'whatever dude', and another that actually understands it.

[abrakamowse]

On 7/28/2019 at 4:39 PM, Peo said:

but what about coma

In a coma you are aware that the body is in coma. Like when you are in deep sleep.

You are always aware.

[Ananta]

7 minutes ago, abrakamowse said:

In a coma you are aware that the body is in coma. Like when you are in deep sleep.

You are always aware.

The awareness of coma or deep sleep, doesn't arise until the mind comes back, then there's a knowing that "nothing was known". 

[LastThursday]

7 minutes ago, Anna1 said:

The awareness of coma or deep sleep, doesn't arise until the mind comes back, then there's a knowing that "nothing was known".

Excellent! The exact same thing is happening in normal waking life. The mind is constantly "coming back" from the void, with an arising awareness that "something was known". That sensation is of course consciousness/awareness itself. But the paradox is that the sensation is always retroactive. It's never now.

[abrakamowse]

@Anna1  I agree... we are always aware of some experience or no experience at all, nothingness.

[Ananta]

@LastThursday @abrakamowse

[cetus]

1 hour ago, Anna1 said:

then there's a knowing that "nothing was known"

@Anna1 Likwise in deep meditation. Only after the fact is it "known" that there was the total disappearence of the "I Am".

[Ananta]

5 minutes ago, Mikael89 said:

So like I said.

The Consciosuness didn't really go anywhere. Same thing happens after death.

Alive. Nothing. Alive.

Yes, ...consciousness doesn't ever "go" anywhere, ever. The body (subtle and gross) is within consciousness/awareness.

 

[Ananta]

@cetus56 Yup! 

[Ananta]

11 minutes ago, Mikael89 said:

Alive. Nothing. Alive.

However, one could argue that the "subtle body" aka soul is experienced in an afterlife of some sort until reincarnation.

It is a possibility, that many believe in.... Even Vedanta states the subtle body goes to a heaven or hellish realm until it's present karma is extinguished from this current life, then reincarnation. 

[LastThursday]

You could also avoid a linear story, by saying that (our) consciousness dissolves into infinity at the point of death; it becomes everything and omniscient until it spontaneously chooses not to be. 

That is only an illusion though, because (our) consciousness is already just a compartmentalised infinity. There's no difference really, you are both alive and dead.