BACKGROUND, FOREGROUND

It has been stated here in the past that our background consciousness is the Atman, but some clarification of this is now in order.

Our background consciousness is more correctly stated as the Brahman, which is transcendental consciousness.  Our foreground consciousness, as it were, is the Atman.  This is the consciousness in which we conduct our everyday activities.

Philosopher Alan Watts referred to what he called floodlight consciousness versus spotlight consciousness.  This is a similar idea.  Floodlight consciousness is the big picture, the whole ball of wax.  Everything is included in floodlight consciousness.  There is nothing that is not in floodlight consciousness.

Spotlight consciousness is the same as floodlight consciousness only it is focused, concentrated on the doings of the individual in the relative world.  It does not see the big picture, the whole show, but only what the person is involved in at the moment in the relative world.

Note again that spotlight consciousness is the same as floodlight consciousness only more focused, in the same way that the Atman is the same as the Brahman, only more focused.