The True Self: Self And Consciousness

“Self” is the identity bestowed upon humans that allows us to distinguish ourselves from one another. A persons unique psyche is what entitles them to be considered an individual and mindfully independent. This distinct self identity follows a person through out every facet of their lives. It remains the same “self” from the time a person is born to the day they die, and possibly after. Despite many opinions, the true “self” does not come from our physical body, it comes from the mind and the soul. It is not what a person specifically thinks and feels, but the distinctive unparalleled way they do so. “Self” is embodied by our continued existence in every moment we experience. Our “self” is created to be stable and is best exemplified through consciousness. Consciousness, as defined by Miller in John Perry’s First Night, is “the non-physical and non-material aspects of you”. Some non-physical features of consciousness are demonstrated through our actions, memories, and how we perceive information. As new born babies, our consciousness is already established. Newborns have the ability to recognize their individual needs. They have a full understand of their idea of pain and pleasure, happiness and sadness. As we grow older, we better establish an awareness of our

Again, through consciousness we can correlate our experiences and our actions. Each moment we experience becomes a memory. The particular way the our memories are distinguished from another persons account of the event is how our “self” intercepts it. One can also relate our “self” is the memories to our same “self” in the present. As Locke also examined in his writing Of Identity and Diversity, we can repeat the ideas of our past actions with the same consciousness that we do our present actions and our future actions. This demonstrated the ability of how our “self” can endure all of the many beautiful and excruciating happenings in