Vedāntic View of Consciousness and Cosmic Process

Abstract

Right from the dawn of human cognitive enterprise the reflective mind has been concerned about the nature of Reality, proximate and ultimate, empirical and trans-empirical. This has been caused by curiosity as well as practical necessity. There have been varied conceptions and theories in this regard but the demand for some kind of universally acceptable conception is one which thoughtful mind cannot help making.  In the west, right from the Greek times the dominant trend has been to distinguish between, and 
separate, mind (Consciousness) and matter. This position was sharpened by Descartes but this led to severe and serious objections and problems. Darwin tried to reduce mind to matter and put forth materialistic theory of evolution . But in the present quantum era this position has been challenged and the idea of consciousness transcending matter has been mooted.