.

"Consciousness" is a word we use very often in considering the science of
the Mind. Let us see what it means. Webster defines it as one's
"knowledge of sensations and mental operations, or of what passes in
one's own mind." Halleck defines it as "that undefinable characteristic
of mental states which causes one to be aware of them." But, as Halleck
states, "Consciousness is incapable of definition. To define anything we
are obliged to describe it in terms of something else. And there is
nothing else in the world like consciousness, hence we can define it only
in terms of itself, and that is very much like trying to lift one's self
by one's own boot straps. Consciousness is one of the greatest mysteries
that confronts us."

Before we can understand what Consciousness really is, we must know just
what "Mind" really is--and that knowledge is lacking, notwithstanding the
many injenious theories evolved in order to explain the mystery. The
metaphysicians do not throw much light on the subject, and as for
materialistic science, listen to what Huxley says: "How it comes about
that anything so remarkable as a state of consciousness comes about by
the result of irritating nervous tissue, is just as unaccountable as the
appearance of the genie when Aladdin rubbed his lamp."

To many persons the words "consciousness" and "mental process," or
"thought" are regarded as synonymous. And, in fact, psychologists so held
until quite recently. But now it is generally accepted as a fact that
mental processes are not limited to the field of consciousness, and it is
now generally taught that the field of sub-consciousness (that is,
"under" conscious) mentation, is of a much greater extent than that of
conscious mentation.

Not only is it true that the mind can hold in consciousness but one fact
at any one instant, and that, consequently, only a very small fraction of
our knowledge can be in consciousness at any one moment, but it is also
true that the consciousness plays but a very small part in the totality
of mental processes, or mentation. The mind is not conscious of the
greater portion of its own activities--Maudsley says that only ten per
cent comes into the field of consciousness. Taine has stated it in these
words: "Of the world which makes up our being, we only perceive the
highest points--the lighted up peaks of a continent whose lower levels
remain in the shade."

But it is not our intention to speak of this great subconsc