CONSCIOUSNESS IN VEDANTA

Consciousness, according to Vedanta philosophy, is a field that exists separate from the body.  This field is a continuum which means that it goes on endlessly in all directions like an infinite ocean.  Each individual consciousness is a portion, a small subsection, of the infinite field, the vast majority of which lies beyond the realm of usual human experience.

Different living beings possess varying amounts of this one continuous spectrum of consciousness.  Take for example an ant.  Compared to humans an ant has significantly lower quantities of consciousness.  An ant is not aware of the traffic jam outside, for instance, nor is it worried about picking the kids up from school.
 
But now what if the consciousness of the ant expands so that it becomes aware of more things?  It, then, will find its small body and brain insufficient and therefore will manifest a more capable body the next time, say that of a cat.

Now, in the evolutionary chain, a consciousness does not jump from an ant to a cat.  Rather there are many small evolutionary steps in the middle.  In fact, in Vedanta a consciousness is said to travel through 8.4 million life forms before it attains to human birth. 
 
Nor are human beings the final step in the chain.  While human consciousness has evolved significantly over that of other animals, it is still restricted.  Beyond it is a state of super consciousness where a consciousness that has expanded becomes boundless.
 
This state is called by different names in different religions.  In Vedanta it is called Samadhi; in Buddhism, Enlightenment; and in Christianity, Salvation.  It was attained by Swami Vivekananda, by his guru Sri Ramakrishna, by Ramana Maharshi, by Jesus, and by Buddha, to name a few, and is the goal and destiny of all living beings.