“The States of Consciousness”:
from Volume 13 in The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
“Consciousness is a property of Mind operating at various levels—sub, super, and ordinary. It is not nullified when it passes out of the ordinary level.” (19.3.2) (Category 19, chapter 3, para 2)
“Mind is the most mysterious of all things pertaining to human life, yet it is also the most significant. Take its three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep and you will find they not only contain wonders for ordinary observers but also great instruction for thoughtful inquirers, for Mind has cast so deep a spell on us, its projections, that we have forgotten what we were and why we are here.” (19.3.17)
“Waking world is the crux. Realization must be won here and now.” (19.3.30)
“The first question is also the final one; it is quite short, quite simple, and yet it is also the most important question which anyone could ever ask, whether of himself or of others. This question is: “What is consciousness?” Whoever traces the answer through all its levels will find himself in the end in the very presence of the universal consciousness otherwise called God.” (19.3.32)