Are We Moving in Consciousness or Through Consciousness? A Perspective from Advaita Vedanta

Advaita Vedanta, one of the most profound philosophical traditions of India, presents a radical understanding of reality and the nature of consciousness. According to this non-dualistic school of thought, consciousness is not something we move through, nor is it something within which we move. Rather, consciousness is the fundamental substratum of all existence—there is nothing apart from it. To unpack this, we must examine the core teachings of Advaita Vedanta and how they address the nature of movement and consciousness.

The Nature of Consciousness in Advaita Vedanta

In Advaita Vedanta, consciousness (referred to as Chit or Brahman) is the only true reality. The world of forms, movement, and change is considered Maya, an illusory projection upon this singular reality. The key assertion is that we are not separate entities moving within consciousness or through it, but rather, we are that very consciousness itself.

The Mandukya Upanishad and the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya emphasize that consciousness is not an object or medium through which things happen. Instead, it is the eternal witness (Sakshi) that illuminates all experiences but itself remains unchanged. Just as space does not move but accommodates all movement, consciousness remains motionless and formless while appearing to pervade all motion and change.

The Illusion of Movement

From an Advaitic standpoint, movement is only apparent and belongs to the world of Nama-Rupa (name and form), which arises due to ignorance (Avidya). The individual self (Jiva) perceives movement because of identification with the body and mind, which exist within the realm of time and space. However, from the highest standpoint (Paramarthika Satta), there is no real movement—only the unchanging presence of pure awareness.

An analogy often used is that of a dream. In a dream, one may perceive oneself traveling from one place to another. However, upon waking, it becomes clear that the dreamer was never actually moving—the mind merely conjured the experience of movement. Similarly, in the waking state, we experience movement and progression, but from the highest truth, consciousness has never moved, nor has it ever changed.

Do We Move in Consciousness or Through Consciousness?

If we consider ourselves as individuals (Jivas), we might say we are moving in consciousness. However, from the ultimate Advaitic perspective, this statement itself is flawed, as it assumes a duality between the mover and consciousness. Instead, what truly occurs is that all movement is a play of appearances in consciousness, much like waves appearing and disappearing on the surface of the ocean. The ocean itself does not move in any fundamental way, even though waves may seem to rise and fall.

Thus, neither moving “in” consciousness nor moving “through” consciousness is ultimately correct. The more precise Advaitic realization is that there is no separate entity that moves—only consciousness exists, and it is beyond all concepts of space, time, and motion.

The Path to Realization

For one immersed in worldly perception, the experience of movement and progression appears real. However, through self-inquiry (Atma Vichara) and wisdom (Jnana), one begins to see that the self is not the body, mind, or any transient phenomenon. Instead, it is the ever-present, unchanging awareness. The Bhagavad Gita (2.20) affirms this by stating:

“Na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin Nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ Ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre”

(The self is never born, nor does it ever die; nor, having once existed, does it cease to be. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and ancient; it is not slain when the body is slain.)

Thus, as long as one identifies with the body-mind complex, one might speak of movement within consciousness. But upon realizing the truth of Advaita, one sees that all notions of movement dissolve into the singular, motionless reality of Brahman.

YOU ARE CONSCIUNSNESS

Advaita Vedanta does not regard consciousness as something through which movement happens, nor as a space within which we move. Instead, it points to the deeper truth that movement itself is an illusion within the unchanging presence of consciousness. By shifting our identification from the transient body-mind to the eternal self, we transcend the illusion of movement and recognize our true nature as pure, limitless awareness.

Thus, the question itself—”Are we moving in consciousness or through consciousness?”—dissolves when one awakens to the realization that there is no separate ‘we’ to move at all. Only consciousness is, and it neither moves nor changes, but simply is.