Usually there is just exchange of ideas, perceptions and other things for "spiritual gain, spiritual materialism". Seldom to observe real compassion for hunger after escape and seldom that a hungry is able to taste and eat the food:

But that quality of 'knowing' - how can it's disappearance be directly discerned?

[ a long flood of philosophying and "material" exchange ]

Quote from: Bhante Pesala

Let's discuss eye-consciousness, which is the most predominant and obvious to all who had read this thread.

Eye-consciousness arises from contact between the visible object and the eye. When you see my post, at first you just see it, without understanding what it says. Then you zoom in your attention to each letter to read each word, and the mental process kicks in to understand the message of the text.

Now zoom out again, and just know the "seeing." Visual consciousness knows nothing about letters, words, or meanings. It just sees colour and shape. Keep looking at the post. Can you stop at just seeing, or do other types of consciousness flood your senses? Maybe you think about what I said, or you hear some sound, or you smell some coffee.

Clearly, eye-consciousness is not something static and unchanging. It arises when you pay attention to seeing. If you switch your attention, it ceases, and thinking, hearing, or smelling arise. If you're very mindful for a long time, perhaps you can directly perceive the arising and cessation of eye-consciousness?

[ a long flood of philosophying and "material" exchance and the the reflection of the taking, tasting, and paying gratitude for a real gift by Mana ]

Greetings Bhante,
As I read your reply, I shifted my awareness as you suggested. Right after doing that, I noticed that there had indeed been different types of consciousness. Two that particularly stood out, were the alternation of visual consciouness, with consciousness of the meaning, ie, what I was thinking about regarding the post. Recollecting the experience, their distinctiveness stood out. Visual consciousness did indeed momentarily vanish, to be replaced by consciousness of thoughts, then something else, etc. Perhaps as my mind gets better trained I will be able to notice 'arising' and 'cessation' closer to the actual event? In any case, that was an illuminating experience. Thank you very much.

Mudita with their merits and Anumodana!