Awareness
Definition:
The active noticing of what is present in consciousness.
A subset of consciousness: the part of the field illuminated and observed at a given time.
Nature:
Consciousness = the field.
Awareness = the spotlight.
Awareness is what differentiates between what is foreground (seen) and background (unseen).
While often used as a synonym for consciousness, strictly speaking, awareness is the perceptual activity within the field, not the whole field itself.
Mechanics:
Selective Illumination: Awareness lights up specific features (thoughts, sensations, emotions), while other content remains semi-conscious or subconscious.
Expansion / Contraction: Awareness can narrow (hyper-focus, ego loops) or widen (open, panoramic, nondual states).
Meta-Awareness: Awareness noticing itself — the basis for meditation and awakening practices.
Misidentification: Many people equate awareness with the “I” thought, when in fact awareness is prior to and deeper than the narrative self.
Metaphor:
Consciousness is like the night sky. Awareness is the flashlight beam sweeping across it, lighting up stars (experiences) in turn.
Or: Consciousness is the theater stage, awareness is the spotlight showing one actor while the rest remain in shadow.