Does consciousness only exist in a state of illusion?

According to Buddhism what we call consciousness is not an independent entity, but an experience. If we are conscious of something, there is consciousness. If we are not conscious of anything, there is no consciousness. When we talk about visual consciousness, for example, it is a visual experience. And there are six different types of consciousness: Visual consciousness is the bare cognition of visible objects. Hearing consciousness is the bare cognition of audible objects. Olfactory consciousness is the bare cognition of smells. Taste consciousness is the bare cognition of flavours. And mental consciousness is the bare cognition of mental formations (for example thoughts and dreams).

Your question presumes that there exists such a thing as a state of illusion. That is different from saying that illusion exists or not. The fact that you mention consciousness as existing under the old terms could also be seen as a presumption. However there is a new way of thinking about all this and that is the quantum approach. It says that everything is energy which is vibrational. That includes all types of experience including thoughts. The difference between one realm and an other is relative. It has relative vibrational rates of speed. So a thought when you pick up on it may have a certain speed but when you in a particular emotional state (speed) receive it, ponder it, your very state affects the thought somewhat. In this case you are because of your past moved to post it here as a question. Others who are vibrating at a similar or same speed regarding that thought are attracted to find the question and respond to it (or not). Each of them (us) have their own experience or interpretation and are attracted to respond to it. Unknowingly they (we) are all affected in some way by both the question and the answers, theirs for sure and others`if they happen to be attracted to read them. Change is always involved. Change is life-like. This is what makes the universe infinite, eternal from our point of view. Getting back to illusion, imagination or dreams for example are all part of the experience (communication). So from that point of view illusion is a word which describes nothingness which cannot exist. That is what nothingness means, non-existence, which is impossible in a way. Consciousness cannot not exist. It is like a river of energy created by the destination of the river, sort of like the snake which consumes its own tail.

Consciousness is a state of being. If you are 'aware' of reality around you, you can be said to be conscious. Reality is the exact opposite of illusion. Then it should, by default, prove that consciousness exists only when all illusion is gone, be it of eyes or of the mind.

No way. Your consciousness is YOU, or at least a part of you that you are aware of at the moment (you are never entirely aware of your full consciousness and essence at once, only shifting parts of it.)

If anything is an illusion, it is the experiene created by this body holding your consciousness. The weight and importance that are placed on mundane aspects of the human condition. But really, no illusions, it is all an experience right?

While the actuality of existance is filtered through the limitations of our senses & what we percieve as reality is in fact a synthetic construct - we are compelled to presume the actuality exists - that to see through a glass darkly is to none the less see.

Hence 'illusion' is reserved for those virtual constructs devoid of sense responses origins & consciousness itself if anything but illusion - i.e. though the constructs of conciousness can be illusions, conciousness itself cannot. Even a conciousness fully immersed in illusion is still a conciousness. As Descarte reasoned, We think therefore we are.

Does consciousness only exist in a state of illusion?

~~~ ALL 'states' exist 'within' (the One) Consciousness!

"Consciousness is the ground of all being!" - Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics

Because we cannot grasp 'reality' I like to see it more as a dog following a trail(illusion) but with the freedom to roam between the edges(consciousness), the play field is realty.

Grtz

I would not say illusion, but rather a state of redundant realization.

It seems in order to be considered conscious, you must be consciously aware that you are capable of consciousness.

Only if you were kept in sealed tomb your entire life. for consciousness to exist it needs to be aware,therefore in touch with exterior stimuli. It is the perception of the conscious that decides between reality illusion.

Perception is reality. So if everyone has their own perception of reality, and no one is experiencing reality, does reality even exist? You can call it an illusion, but it is our body that makes that experience for us so that we may interact with the world. The world illusion implies there would be an alternative, and there is not.