One of the major and greatest capabilities of a mind is thinking and feeling. And the role our mind plays is important not only in our lives but also in other people’s lives. This asset, if used correctly, can be the best, but if not, then it can prove to be the worst. Problems arise when we identify with our thoughts and feelings and forget – or never discover – our real selves and the peace of simply being.
Mindfulness vs Consciousness
The main difference between mindfulness and consciousness is that consciousness means being conscious or aware and mindfulness means being aware and then making the appropriate decisions. The two terms are closely associated with the well-being of the mind and are an important asset. They both also have other distinctions between them.
Mindfulness is also known as Modern Buddhism. Mindfulness includes taking out time to meditate and breathe to connect with the body of nature. It helps in restoring positive energy, clearing the mind, removing negative thoughts, and keeping the brain in check. These things help in creating balance and awareness, which helps in making thoughtful decisions.
Consciousness means being aware of the things that surround an individual. It can be achieved through meditation and doing activities that increase concentration. It is associated with sensory data. It helps in bringing awareness and balance in emotions. Consciousness is something that cannot be clearly explained as it is very subjective.
Comparison Table Between Mindfulness and Consciousness
| Parameters of Comparison | Mindfulness | Consciousness |
| Meaning | It is an act of being aware inclined towards being mindful. | It is a state of being aware or conscious. |
| Root word | Its root word is found in the Pali language- ‘Sati.’ It somewhat means awareness. | Its root words are found in the Latin language- ‘conscire’ and ‘conscius.’ It means being privy and knowing with others or oneself. |
| Derived Terms | Its derived terms include mindful, awareness, and dhyana. | Its derived terms include cyber consciousness, hyper consciousness, and tele consciousness. |
| Associative terms | It is associated with presence, awareness, and responsibility. | It is associated with mind, intellect, and awareness. |
| Antonyms | Its antonyms are mindlessness or unmindfulness. | Its antonym is unconsciousness. |
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is derived from the word Sati. This is a word from the Pali language, a language found in ancient India. Mindfulness is closely related to the Buddhist term ‘Sammasati.’ These terms refer to an individual paying attention to their feelings, their thoughts, their ideas, and their actions. It helps an individual in the process of identifying his/her feelings and how to not be carried away by them.
It helps an individual not be lost in his/ her thoughts. It helps an individual promote good ideas and stop negative ones. It helps an individual make a note of his/ her actions. It makes them aware that they are accountable for their actions and the impact it has on others and oneself.
Mindfulness is connecting with your body, mind, and soul. This connection is formed with the help of meditation and breathing exercises. This helps in clearing the mind, refreshing the soul, and charging the mind. This also has many physical benefits. The main motive is to get away from bad thoughts and negative feelings.
The negative energy constantly messes with the positive energy and falters our thinking, due to which one makes the wrong decisions. Mindfulness creates awareness and helps in making the right decisions.
What is Consciousness?
Consciousness is something that goes beyond the mind. It involves the power of all your senses. Mind is also a medium of duality, and consciousness cannot go beyond duality. The mind is always subconsciously conscious of one thing or the other. So in a way, your mind is always conscious. It is a part of the parcel of the mind.
The mind is the source of this duality. Addressing your thoughts and emotions, witnessing your actions is the state of achieving awareness through consciousness. Witnessing is a consequence of consciousness. Consciousness begins when one starts noticing their everyday thoughts, emotions, actions, and happenings in you and everything surrounding you.
Once an individual starts noticing, they start witnessing. Consciousness means using your mind, body, and all your senses to be conscious of everything in you and around you. Within oneself, the thoughts, the ideas, the feelings, and actions. Within your surroundings, others thoughts, others ideas, others feelings, and others actions. And how all these things within you and surrounding you impact you and those surrounding you. When you witness all these things, they help in creating awareness within you about yourself and your surroundings. After which, you can begin to achieve mindfulness.
Main Differences Between Mindfulness and Consciousness
Conclusion
Mindfulness and meditation are widely practiced in many cultures and traditions. And over the years has helped in being helpful for individuals. This is also confirmed by various scientific experiments and research. Mindfulness and consciousness are two closely related and intertwined terms. Both of which are closely related to mental well-being.
Mindfulness and consciousness can be integrated into a single program to achieve mental well-being. Consciousness is related to becoming aware, and mindfulness is related to being aware as well as how to make decisions. They are both closely related but different terms. Persistence in self-consciousness and mindfulness have been proven to have a positive impact on an individual’s life.
References
ncG1vNJzZmiZo6Cur8XDop2fnaKau6SxjZympmeUnrOnsdGepZydXZeytcPEnqVmpZmjsafBy6ecrKtdlrulecKopaybmaTCtLrErKpo