What it Means to be Human
- Kevin Liston
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Consciousness, Experience, Knowledge, and Choice
Grounding spirituality and theology in personal experience provides a secure foundation and scaffolding for developing our potential as authentic people in life-giving relationships. The experience in question is the interior experience of our conscious thinking, knowing and deciding. The focus is not on what we are thinking or deciding about (the objects), but on ourselves as agents (or subjects) of those operations. Consciousness is central to human living.
In this paper, I set out my understanding of Bernard Lonergan’s position on human consciousness and how it is structured.[1] My aim is to provide a non-academic outline of the primary features for people not hitherto familiar with Lonergan. Understanding the structure of our own consciousness requires patience, reflection and introspection. Grasping the full implications of that experience takes effort but is highly rewarding. Hopefully, this brief introduction will stimulate an interest in Lonergan’s method as a foundation for spiritualty and theology.
Being conscious
Consciousness is not a thing or a substance, but an ongoing active state. We cannot pay attention unless we are conscious; we cannot be conscious without being conscious of something, such as our acts of attending, understanding and deciding. We are not first conscious and then know stuff; rather, we know stuff by being conscious and performing certain operations such as noticing, hearing, feeling. The two go together. In everyday conversation we take many shortcuts in communication especially in situations where there is a strong common-sense among people.
The story of the newly arrived migrant who is asked to ‘bring a plate’ to a gathering illustrates the point. Locals (the ‘experts’ in this situation) automatically fill in the unspoken parts of the request. Similarly, when we say things like, ‘I am conscious of the dog’ or ‘I am conscious of the time’ there are unspoken elements implicit in the expressions. These statements bypass the elements of seeing or hearing, of previous experience, knowledge, commitments, etc. In this paper, I wish to draw attention to some of those usually overlooked features of consciousness.
Levels of consciousness
Consciousness or being conscious is an experience of interior activity. Lonergan discerns a pattern or structure in the series of operations that humans perform as conscious agents. In broad terms, these are:
Experiencing.
Understanding.
Judging.
Deciding.
The structure of consciousness is described here in terms of the key features of four levels, each of which includes a range of activities that cumulatively constitute the overall operation. While four levels of conscious operations are described in a successive order, we seldom follow the pattern in a linear fashion in our daily living. We are much too complicated for that.
1. Experiencing
At this basic level of consciousness, we notice things, behaviour and events. We are mindful with attention to both sensory experience (see a falling building, hear a statement, touch a hot stove) and inner experience (feelings, images, memories). These are data that we attend to, are mindful of. But they have no meaning in themselves; we are just perceiving them.
We spontaneously look for meaning in what we perceive. Experiences give rise to questions for us: What is this? Why? How? What is happening? These open questions take us to a new level of consciousness.
2. Understanding
Questions are answered by insights, interpretations, hypotheses and the “aha” moment of understanding. Now the data, the events begin to make sense. We have a theory or a hypothesis to explain what we have just seen, heard or felt or as often happens, several ideas or explanations. We are being intelligent, moving into the world of meaning.
When we realise there are many possible theories or ideas that could explain the experience, another question emerges: Is there sufficient evidence for this or that theory, idea or hypothesis – closed questions looking for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. This requires a different kind of activity and moving to a new level.
3. Judging
We reflect critically on how we came to this idea. Check the evidence. Does the hypothesis explain the facts? We conclude by judging the evidence to be sufficient, affirming the truth of the idea or the correctness of the explanation – or otherwise. This is being reasonable.
With an affirmation at this level, we know. The process of knowing has come to a conclusion.
However, humans are more than knowers. We are also doers. Knowing gives rise to the question: What do we do with what we know? To answer, we must move to a fourth level and another kind of activity.
4. Deciding
Here humans (and consciousness) become existential and ethical, not merely cognitive. Our decisions and choices shape our lives. We are faced with options regarding values. We discern what is worthwhile. Feelings, emerging from the psyche, promote often-overlooked values. While our decisions are most obvious in external, observable actions, they also change and form us over time to be the people we are. Moral choices and commitments create the one and only version of ourselves that ever will be.
EXAMPLES THAT ILLUSTRATE THE PATTERN
1. A Doctor Diagnosing an Illness
Experiencing: A patient reports symptoms - fever, cough, fatigue. The doctor observes breathing, temperature, and medical history.
Understanding: The doctor asks himself, “What could explain these symptoms?” Possible insights arise: influenza, pneumonia, COVID-19.
Judging: After reviewing test results and evidence, the doctor concludes: “The most probable diagnosis is pneumonia.”
Deciding: The doctor prescribes antibiotics and a treatment plan.
2. You Hear a Strange Noise at Night
Experiencing: You hear a loud noise in the kitchen.
Understanding: You wonder: “What caused that?” Perhaps the cat knocked something over, or a window blew open.
Judging: You check the kitchen, see a fallen pan and conclude: ‘The cat caused it’.
Deciding: You move the pan and close the cupboard so it cannot happen again.
3. A Moral Decision
Experiencing: You notice a colleague being unfairly criticised in a meeting.
Understanding: You ask yourself: “What is happening here?” You realise the criticism is based on misinformation.
Judging: You conclude that the accusation is unfair.
Deciding: You speak up to clarify the facts and defend the colleague.
Lonergan summarises the imperatives inherent in each level as:
Be attentive
Be intelligent
Be reasonable
Be responsible
Structure and intentionality
The pattern forms a structure. Success on one level leads to questions that can be resolved only on a higher level. Operations on each level build on the lower level. They inter-relate and work together for the positive functioning of the whole person. The pattern is intentional in that it articulates and implements direction in our lives. It is oriented towards the full flourishing of human potential.
Our consciousness expands as we move from one level to another. In experiencing we are aware of ourselves as sentient beings, vulnerable to events beyond our control. With insight, we discover ideas and concepts about who we are. As we make reasonable judgements, we affirm ourselves as knowers. Finally, with discernment, decisions and commitment, we form and become conscious of ourselves as mature, responsible persons.
Understanding the operations of consciousness provides a structure that facilitates reflection on the patterns, quality and effectiveness of our living and feelings that prompt worthwhile values.
Not surprisingly, this outline of the structure of consciousness fits Lonergan’s definition of method: A normative pattern of recurrent and related operations yielding cumulative and progressive results.
Self-making
Lonergan insists that this pattern of conscious activities is not just a theory to be understood and conceptualised (second level of consciousness) but a real structure that is open to being observed in the operations of each one of us. To appreciate the full value of the system, we must pay attention to how it works in our lives - attend to our own conscious operations and identify them as we perform them. This requires mindfulness and takes practice. Having an insight or ‘getting it’ is one thing; knowing what is happening as you ‘get it’ is something else. These are real events happening in real time in real people – you and me.
Without paying attention to the experience of, for instance insight, understanding it and affirming it with evidence as real, it remains a theory. Choosing it as a value in your living, makes it is consciously existential for you.
This introduction is only a summary
This outline provides only a partial view in that it is a summary. It does not consider many key questions such as: What if people do not follow the directions indicated above: Be attentive; Be intelligent; Be reasonable and Be responsible. That is material for another paper.
What it means to be human - Applying these concepts
These questions can lead you to understanding the application of Lonergan's thinking:
Do you agree that there are patterns in how we come to know and decide?
What are some practices that might help you become more aware and act more deliberately?
What actually happens in your mind when you come to know something?
What has been going on in your mind as you read or reflected on this paper?
What is the difference between seeing something and understanding it?
What happens in your mind when you ask ‘Why’ or ‘What is it?
Have you ever struggled with a problem and suddenly said, ‘Aha, I get it?’ What changed in that moment of insight?
How do you distinguish between a good guess and a true answer?
When you know what is true, how do you decide what to do about it?
What makes an action worth doing?
Conclusion
As Lonergan would say, appreciation of the structure of human consciousness is not just about him or me. It is about you, the reader. Understanding, affirming what it is to be the person you are means identifying the activities and operations that make you human – then living what you know. Self-reflection is required and you are the only person with direct access.
Spirituality in our times is more personal and individuated than ever. As the credibility and authority of institutions, including the church, weakens, becoming familiar with our interior functioning offers a foundation and direction. The pattern of the operations of consciousness reveals an orientation and intentionality towards the fulfillment of human potential that points beyond the human as, for the open-minded, there is no limit to human aspiration. We are in the realm of an unrestricted horizon and open to God.
Questions for reflection
How have you noticed the four levels of consciousness (experiencing, understanding, judging, deciding) at work in a concrete situation in your own life, and what did that reveal about how you actually come to know and choose?
In what ways do Lonergan’s imperatives “Be attentive, Be intelligent, Be reasonable, Be responsible” affirm, challenge, or expand the way you usually approach moral or spiritual decisions?
As institutions lose some of their authority in shaping spirituality, how might paying closer attention to your interior operations of consciousness offer you a more personal, credible path in your relationship with God or your sense of ultimate meaning?
[1] Bernard Lonergan (1904 – 1984) was a Canadian Jesuit priest, philosopher, and theologian regarded by many as one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. His best known books are Insight: A study in human understanding and Method in Theology.
FAQs - Understanding Lonergan's Model
What does Lonergan mean by “levels” of consciousness?
Lonergan understands human consciousness as a structured flow of operations in four recurring levels: experiencing, understanding, judging, and deciding. Each level involves different kinds of activities (sensing and feeling; having insights; weighing evidence; making choices) that build on one another rather than occurring in isolation. This pattern is “normative” in that it describes how we function at our best as knowers and decision-makers.
How is this view of consciousness related to being human?
On Lonergan’s account, to be human is to be a subject who not only has experiences but also questions, seeks understanding, evaluates what is true, and makes responsible decisions. These capacities for self-aware knowing and choosing give human life an inner structure and direction, and they are central to many philosophical and theological accounts of “human nature” as rational and free.
Why does the paper link consciousness with spirituality and theology?
The paper suggests that paying attention to how we actually experience, understand, judge and decide provides a concrete, personal basis for spirituality and theology rather than relying only on external authority or abstract doctrine. Many contemporary thinkers argue that spiritual life is now more “individuated,” so a reflective grasp of our interior operations can help ground faith, moral commitment, and a sense of meaning in lived experience.
What practical difference does knowing this structure of consciousness make?
Recognising these levels can help people slow down, notice where they might be skipping steps (for example, deciding without sufficient understanding), and cultivate habits like careful attention, critical reflection, and responsible choice. This kind of self-awareness is often linked with better moral discernment, greater resilience, and a more deliberate, integrated approach to personal growth and spiritual practice.
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What it Means to be Human
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About the Author - Kevin Liston
Kevin Liston is a Co-chair of Council of Australasian Catholics (C.A.C.), formerly ACCCR - Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform, Convener of SACEC (SA Catholics for an Evolving Church), a State Council member of St Vincent de Paul Society (SA) and active in a local Vinnies conference. Following retirement, he completed a Master of Theological Studies at ACU and a Graduate Diploma in Psychology at Monash University. This article is written in a personal capacity.
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