Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
Awareness is the ability to sense the substantiality of the universe. Sensations take the form of feelings, emotions, pain, perception, memories, experience, knowledge, etc. Sensations are identified and assimilated towards knowingness. Based on the degree of assimilation, there comes about a continuum of awareness from identification to knowingness.
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Identification
Identification is superficial awareness that is limited to labels and symbolisms. Therefore, identification is memory intensive and lacks absorption.
We know from our schooling that we enjoyed certain subjects, and got good grades on them without much effort. But there were other subjects that we had to memorize with great effort and regurgitate them in exams to get good grades. These latter subjects fell under the category of identification. We never got to know them fully.
A physicist, who has accepted the basic ideas from physics without questioning them, develops a materialistic viewpoint, and rejects spirituality. He no longer has the curiosity about the universe, which he had as a child. His awareness is tied to working with symbols. His awareness has become identified with current physics, such that he cannot think beyond it.
You meet people who never question their religion, but they even get upset when others question. Such people practice their religion only through rituals full of symbolism. They identify themselves as Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc. They have never assimilated their religion fully. They become biased against all who, they think, disagrees with them. They themselves are not happy.
At the level of identification a person himself has become an identity. He is unable to look beyond labels and symbols. He acts mechanically.
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Knowingness
At the other end of the continuum of awareness is knowingness. Knowingness is deep and intuitive awareness that operates instantaneously. All substantiality disappears. One does not require memory because one simply knows.
A musician who has fully assimilated sounds from his musical instrument with his feel for music and emotions, plays that instrument effortlessly with great effect and creativity. His awareness of music has reached the level of knowingness.
A physicist, who learned all the fundamentals of physics, still questions anything about nature that he does not understand. Instead of rejecting he investigates. He is operating with knowingness.
A person who has achieved knowingness in life can see things as they are. He does not need to separate one religion from another. He sees the similarities among the. He investigates where differences exist. He is not attached to anything. He is carefree. He is said to be enlightened.
At the level of knowingness, a person is full of compassion for others, and he wants them to become enlightened and happy. He guides rather than preaches, for he knows that others must discover on their own.
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Considerations
The major concept introduced in Chapter 4 are SENSATION, IDENTIFICATION, IDENTITY, and KNOWINGNESS. These concepts are defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.
- Awareness is the ability to senses substantiality.
- Awareness ranges from identification to knowingness.
- Identification has the least assimilation.
- Knowingness has the most assimilation.
- Assimilation resolves lack of awareness.
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