Elk Grove Village Our own consciousness is perhaps the most intimate experience a human being ever has.  As a phenomena, consciousness has puzzled humanity for time beyond history, with those retorting to a strictly mechanistic view of the universe that consciousness is indeed the “ghost in the machine”.  Recent years have witnessed remarkable advances in our understanding of consciousness.  This sermon will examine some of the more prominent of these.  In so doing I hope to pique an interest in reflecting on the quixotic nature of this, our most intimate human experience.  Still, consciousness resists a comprehensive formulation and when examined critically asks fundamental questions regarding the nature of such concepts as ‘knowing’, ‘being’ and ‘observing’.  I also hope to convince the congregation that despite advances humanity still has much to learn about (and from!) consciousness.