Sam Harris has described consciousness & I like the word “perspective” inclusive of thoughts, feelings, & judgements used to describe it and there are awareness levels 👊🏼

Sam Harris posits that consciousness is the epistemological bedrock of reality—the one thing that fundamentally cannot be an illusion. Even if everything we perceive is a simulation, the fact that an experience is happening at all proves consciousness exists. [1, 2]

Harris’s philosophical framework on consciousness breaks down into several core concepts:

1. The Centrality of Subjective Experience

• The "Lights On" Phenomenon: Consciousness is simply the presence of subjective experience. It is conceptually irreducible.

• Beyond the Brain: He often challenges the intuitive assumption that consciousness is trapped inside our heads, proposing instead that the universe happens within consciousness rather than consciousness happening within the universe. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

2. The Illusion of the "Self"

• No Central Controller: Drawing on both neuroscience and Eastern meditative traditions, Harris argues that the conscious "I" or "Self" is an illusion. [1]

• Spontaneous Emergence: Our thoughts, choices, and impulses simply arise spontaneously in consciousness. We do not author our own thoughts or consciously decide how to respond to stimuli before the fact. [1]

3. The Rejection of Free Will

• Determinism: Harris vigorously argues that free will is an illusion. Because our mental states and the brain events that dictate them are physically determined, conscious intent does not originate from a separate, independent self. [1, 2]

4. The Value of Mindfulness

• Breaking the Spell: He asserts that while thoughts and suffering are tightly linked, we can break this cycle through training (such as meditation). By observing consciousness directly, we can see the "self" dissolve, leading to a state of self-transcendence. [1, 2]

Harris explores these themes extensively through his writing—such as his essay on The Mystery of Consciousness—and his guided meditation and mindfulness platform, Waking Up.