Q)
What is consciousness?

A)
An analogy

Walk into an orchard early on a misty morning
The trees have birds and fruit, both growing
You can see a few rows in any direction
The horizon is not visible

The birds are talking among themselves
and to their neighbors, signals exchanged
The same for the trees, messages sent
both through the air and underground

Meanwhile, information is incoming
even from beyond what can be seen
Of course, this has been relayed, perhaps
a number of times, and may in some way be corrupted

In this example that mist never goes away
You never see the entire orchard, no matter
how far you walk, because it is always changing
You cannot understand all the signals

Your perception is always what is just around you
The reality is a much larger thing
mostly unexplored and open to interpretation
Even the wind in the leaves has something to say