Self and transformative experiences
three indian philosophers on consciousness
pp. 209-221
in: Sangeetha Menon, Anindya Sinha (eds), Interdisciplinary perspectives on consciousness and the self, Berlin, Springer, 2014Abstract
The very sense of "I and mine", "you and yours" and "me and the other" is brought to us by the "humble" and often taken for granted presence of consciousness. Consciousness has a ubiquitous presence in our daily sensations, cognitions, feelings and memories. It is consciousness that defines and customizes experiences for us. It is consciousness that defines our personhood. The unitary and subjective nature of consciousness brings along the greatest puzzle of humankind, namely, the self. In fact today, self, experience and consciousness have become the triune face of the most complex puzzle in the medical, philosophical and psychological arena attracting many a mind.