In a consciousness based reality, all within it must be conscious. Consciousness based choice then involves all individuated consciousness acting in a coordinated fashion. In this participatory cooperative some consciousnesses, though participating, must function purely at a passive level. Other consciousness has to function at an active level, where choice and consequences are evidence, in terms of being results of active choices. It is important to remember, however nature, all consciousness has the same qualities, whether individually or as a collective.  That is to say, simply, that by being individuated a consciousness does not lose any of its ability. Therefore, to act as a passive or active consciousness is purely a matter of choice from the perspective of consciousness. We have already addressed the concept that consciousness serves itself by maintaining form in a physically perceived reality.

Now though plant and animal consciousness whether related to cells, viruses, plant organisms or animal organisms represents a blending of individuated consciousness into a single unique collective. This organism collective is further associated with a species collective. In a systems black box fashion, a series of stimuli-response interactions take place between the organism and environment which forms the greater system. These are recorded and the response time characteristically shortened as the system “learns”. If these become codified in DNA and the stimulus-interaction response then becomes instinctual. It must be remembered though that this was based on the “first choice” in the stimulus-response history. The organism becomes functional with an entire recorded collection in the DNA. This plant or animal participates as an active individuated consciousness and the perceived substances that are incorporated into the system also have form but are maintained passively.

Humans, however, represent a significant change in this model as they have the ability to make a choice other than that dictated by previous DNA memory. They have the ability to make a non-instinctual choice. This non-instinctual choice is based upon the ability to see a larger picture. The ability to see this larger picture and manifest intent is what is termed free will. An example of this is that a member of the being hunted can make a decision on the fly to take on a situation leading to sure death in order for the group to survive. This decision, in a group of herd animals, is made at the level of the group collective, not the individual collective. Thus the human individual collective consciousness has more freedom to make choices that can affect the whole group collective. This makes the human consciousness capable of deliberate self-destructive behavior as opposed to the instinctive self-destructive behavior based on the whole. An example of the latter is lemmings. So in closing we can summarize the types of consciousnesses as the following:

• Passive consciousnesses
• Active consciousnesses
• Active consciousnesses with free will