A Comprehensive Philosophical Examination of Consciousness and Human Identity

It can be helpful for those trying to make sense of the ‘mind’ to recognise that these three concepts, being, self and personality are quite distinct and different things. Once you have some grasp of these concepts this will help you focus on what is important whilst dismissing the unnecessary.

Pure Being: Our Original State

We can recognise ‘being’ as the initial or uncontaminated experience, similar to a baby who, at this stage, is free from any learning or conditioning. Awareness, at this stage is relatively pure, without recognition of any particular object nor any concept of time.

Think of being as our most basic state of awareness – like a clear mirror before any images appear. It’s similar to how a newborn experiences the world: pure awareness without labels, judgments, or even a sense of time. This state still exists within us, though it’s often clouded by our thoughts and conditioning.

Personality: Our Learned Patterns

Personality is nothing more than our conditioning. If we are fortunate and blessed with good role models and a stable upbringing our personality tends to be balanced. If we suffer lasting psychological trauma this shapes our personality – we might become cautious, even paranoid and untrusting with certain people or scenarios. If our role models struggled with their personality (through their own trauma) we will inherit their coping behaviours, which are often problematic and might cause ongoing issues. It is common to identify with one’s personality, which can complicate any resolution of problematic reactions or responses.

Formation Through Experience

Our personality is essentially a collection of learned responses and behaviours. It’s like a garden that grows based on the care it receives:

• With nurturing role models and stable environments, we develop balanced responses
• Through difficult experiences or trauma, we might develop protective behaviours
• From struggling caregivers, we often inherit their coping mechanisms

Impact on Daily Life

Many of our automatic reactions come from this conditioning. For example, someone who experienced betrayal might find it hard to trust others, while someone raised in a supportive environment might find it easier to form relationships.

The Self: An Emerging Story

The self arises last, usually around about the ages 4 to 7 once our understanding has developed to appreciate the concept of time. It arises merely as a consequence of language. Once we learn to identify sensory, and later mental objects (thoughts) the process of objectification creates a necessary subjective viewpoint.

Development Through Language

The sense of self typically emerges between ages 4 to 7, coinciding with language development. It’s like learning to read – once you know letters, you can’t look at text without seeing words. Similarly, once we learn to label experiences, we create a viewer separate from what’s being viewed.

How Self-Concept Forms

As we develop our language skills we strengthen the habit of labelling experience. If we recognise something, say, a horse – in this process of objectifying this blur of colour, noise, smell and maybe even touch, we label it as ‘horse’. Prior to learning to do this, we simply experience the raw sense data. However, once we have learned to spot a horse, as soon as we can clearly sense it again, we will see ‘a horse.’

With increased learning we habitually learn to identify, and subconsciously label, any and every sensory and mental object that presents itself to our awareness. This creates an increasing sense of subjectivity, which we call ‘the self’. Although this sense of subjectivity is entirely dependent on the process of objectification and in truth, arises only briefly with each episode of sensory or mental objectification.

When we see a tree, we don’t just experience colours and shapes anymore – we think “I am seeing a tree.” This creates two things: the object (tree) and the subject (I). Over time, these countless moments of “I am experiencing X” create our sense of continuous self.

Understanding Modern Perspectives

Scientific Insights

Modern psychology supports this understanding:

• Brain imaging shows self-related thoughts activate specific brain regions
• Mindfulness research reveals how our sense of self can be more flexible than we assume
• Developmental studies confirm the crucial role of language in self-concept

Practical Applications

Daily Awareness Practice

Try this simple exercise: For a few minutes each day, notice experiences without labelling them. Feel sensations, hear sounds, but don’t name them. This helps reconnect with pure being.

Working with Personality

When you notice automatic reactions:

• Pause and observe without judgment
• Remember these are learned patterns, not your core being
• Consider if the response still serves you

Relating to Self

Rather than seeing your self as fixed:

• Think of it as a useful tool, like a narrator of your life story
• Notice when identifying with thoughts causes suffering
• Remember you can observe thoughts without being caught in them

Finding Freedom

Understanding these distinctions can be deeply liberating. When we realise our personality isn’t our essence and our self is more fluid than we thought, we gain freedom to:

• Respond more skilfully to challenges
• Let go of limiting self-judgments
• Access more of our natural wisdom and clarity

Remember, this understanding develops gradually. Be patient with yourself as you explore these concepts. The journey of self-discovery isn’t about reaching a destination but about bringing more awareness and compassion to your experience.