A conscious mind is a mind with a self in it.

This quote is from neuroscientist Antonio Damasio's fascinating 2011 TED Talk about the mystery of human consciousness. In this quote, Damasio is explaining that we are only fully conscious when we have a sense of self, or a subjective experience of reality. We lose this sense of self when we lose consciousness, such as when under anesthesia and when in a very deep sleep, explains Damasio. Watch the full TED Talk here: Antonio Damasio - The Quest to Understand Consciousness