What is the relationship between self awareness and consciousness....if any ?

Scientifically, you are actually considered conscious when you sleep, because you have a concept of self. I dunno, maybe consciousness is synonymous with "attention" after all.

The possibility of being aware of self is a permanent condition whether asleep (not conscious) or not.

As a possibility being unconscious is also permanent.

What we interpret as dreaming relates to the degree we can understand what the self has experienced while unconscious and what can be remembered in a limited way since it is difficult for synapses to be fixed and more so when attention is fleeting. Some of it makes sense and some of it not.

The theory proposed by so many gurus is that we can be aware of self at all times and thus become super-human. I tend to disagree. I think that if that was the way we were designed to be, that is how we would be. Yes awareness of self is a useful tool but it is not the only tool in our toolkit.

Dreaming can be used as a source of inspiration, especially if it is repetitive in nature. One step at a time is just fine. Cheers!

Well, H., I would counter your question with another question...what about those dreams, aspirations, and goals we make when we are awake and conscious?

Our self is who we are...awake AND asleep. Consciousness is our level of awareness. In other words, how knowledgeable and on target our mind is--again, in either state. So if I am asleep and dreaming, I may envision my self in a number of unreal situations...could be beautiful, or it could be a nightmare. Awake, I could envision myself as successful, or work on some plan or goal to get to some level of success.

If I was a self-conscious person while awake, I could very well continue that in my dreams. Or, I could dream that I was more secure in my self...and maybe that would carry over into my waking moments of clarity. I am of the opinion that we need to know as much as we can so our life continues to grow.

Blessings!

If you are not conscious what makes you think you are aware of "self"?

Dreaming is the correlation of short term memories to long term patterns. To keep the brain from filling up with short term, high volume memories, the brain correlates the memories with previous common occurrences. Dreams are the residual effect of this process. Nothing to do with being conscious.

Here's my take on it.

Consciousness = the activity of the brain as it interacts with energy in its environment, a biological function that generates "objects of consciousness" which differ according to the capacity of each particular type of biological consciousness. Amoeba, cockroaches, bats and humans all have differing sets of objects arising in consciousness.

Awareness = the capability to be present to the objects arising in biological consciousness. When we are aware we feel somehow still, stable and centered, i.e., self-awareness. Self awareness is thus identical to the feeling of awareness itself.

Dreams = brain activity using memory of waking consciousness to generate objects of consciousness and concomitant interpretations that we aware are fantasy (not directly based on interaction with energy in the environment)

This is science not philosophy, dreams are related to the brain and this is also psychology. When your body is tired and needs to rest your brain doesn't necessarily sleep with it because if it do than you wouldn't be breathing while sleeping.

Brothers.....................!self awareness elder ......................consciousness younger.........younger follows elder............ok