modified-consciousness
The lower ontological level of consciousness characterized by the association of absolute consciousness with ignorance, producing individualized phenomenal experience.
1 chapter across 1 book
Consciousness in Advaita Vedanta (1980)William M. Indich
Chapter III explores the Advaitic distinction between absolute consciousness and modified consciousness, focusing on the latter as the basis for individual experience and phenomenal reality. It analyzes the nature of modified consciousness as the association of absolute consciousness with ignorance, detailing its active and latent modes and the fourfold structure of mind (sense-mind, intellect, I-sense, and memory). The chapter also discusses a philosophical debate within Advaita Vedanta regarding whether the mind should be considered a sense-organ, ultimately clarifying the epistemological implications of this question.