The level of mental activity that includes all thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that a person is currently aware of and can actively attend to. This represents the immediate contents of awareness at any given moment.
From Latin 'conscius' meaning 'knowing with' or 'aware,' formed from 'con-' (with) and 'scire' (to know). The psychological usage developed alongside the philosophical exploration of awareness and self-knowledge throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.
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