Does consciousness flow inside-out or outside-in?

So is the flow of consciousness unidirectional or bidirectional? Well, it is we interact with the world in two ways. The Karmendriyas and the Gyanendriyas.

So the Gyanendriyas we take in impressions from the outer world or take in stimuli, perceptions from the outer world. And through the Karmendriya we act in the outer world. The working senses.

So now both require consciousness. So with respect to the, if you consider the mind is like this integrator, integration point for the impressions coming from the senses. As the inner screen.

And then the mind makes a decision. Or rather at the level of the mind, the decision is conceptualized internally. Okay, there is fire, there is water over there.

I will walk this way. So I pursue. There is water over there.

I might slip over there. Let me walk this way. So now in this case, consciousness, there are two metaphors for consciousness itself.

One we can use is like a torch. Yatha Aakash Yatha Sarvatra Aakashitva Nityam Vayu Sarvatra Gomaha Aakashitva Nityam Sarvatra Gomaha Yatha Prakasheti Aakashitva Nityam Vayu Sarvatra Gomaha Aakashitva Nityam Sarvatra Gomaha Krishna says over here that just as the sun illumines the world, universe, similarly the soul illumines the body with consciousness. So here Krishna is talking about consciousness as flowing outward from the soul towards the body and activating the body.

Now Krishna also talks about consciousness flowing inwards in 2.7 days. He says that just as rivers flow into an ocean but the ocean doesn't get disturbed, similarly desires flow into the consciousness of a self-realized person but that person is not disturbed. So here Krishna is talking about the inward flow.

So we could say that there is certainly the flow of sensory perceptions but how can sensory perceptions take place unless there is some agency which is going outwards and coming back inwards. So for example, now say there is some noise going on in another room, in the kitchen. Some vessels are being used, moved around.

Now if my consciousness at least in some fragmental way is not going in that direction, I won't perceive it also. So in the sense, consciousness has to go outwards to take an impression and come back. So consciousness sometimes compared to a stream of light, but normally stream of light only goes one way.

Light goes from say the torch to the object but consciousness is not just like a stream. Consciousness is not like a stream of light alone. It could be say, it's like a stream of light but then it is also like bidirectional where the information is gathered and then brought back to the soul.

So now with respect to both there can be intentional and unintentional. Let me say, I want to talk with you but suddenly I think of this, I think of that. My consciousness goes in that direction.

Or for that matter, say we are walking on the road and we want to drive on the road but then we see some movie holding or some sense object and consciousness goes over there. Those impressions also come in. So basically for us the focus of consciousness means that we direct it in the direction that we want it to and we take in only the impressions that we want to take in.

That's how we will become spiritualized. I could say a filter.