On the physical level, consciousness ranges from the utter self-involution of matter (inconscience or inconscious) to the consciousness of the intelligent lifeforms whether natural or artificial, and beyond to enlightened beings, bodhisattvas and avatars. On the subtle (supra-physical) level consciousness includes many hierarchies of existence. In all these diverse modes, consciousness represents the inward or "within" faculty of the cosmos, as opposed to the outward or physical aspect. The outward aspect of the universe is a part of the mundane physical plane and hence amenable to rationalistic scientific study. The inward aspect is at best the province of ethnology and psychology, and at worst (from the reductionist's point of view) something that can only be deduced through esotericism and occult enquiry.
When you consider the varius grades that make up the evolving universe
than, you get the following:
|
(Noetic) |
||
|
(inward) |
Ideational/Noeric
(pure mind-stuff) |
Noospheres &
Technospheres (innermost outward) |
| Emotional/Orectic
(pure feeling-stuff) |
Biospheres___ (panetary ecosystems) |
|
| Formative/Etheric
(pure life-stuff/ higher morphogenetic fields) |
||
| Formative/Etheric
(lower morphogenetic fields) |
_____ planetary bodies
|
|
|
Astrosphere
steller bodies
|
||
| Quantum fields |
 Hylospheres
(outermost)_
|
|
The stages from geosphere to theosphere represent the ideal course
of planetary evolution (of course not all large masses pass through these
stages, most get no further than hylosphere or astrosphere). These
are described in more detail in the Ages
of Gaia section
Cosmos |