by definition awareness and consciousness are dependent on each other to exist or for that matter even have meaning.
awareness
noun
the state or condition of being aware; having knowledge; consciousness
the paragraph below is copied from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awareness there is more to this article it is a good read.
Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects, or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something. In biological psychology, awareness is defined as a human’s or an animal’s perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event.
I find myself agreeing with Avatar186’s contributions to this topic
simply contemplating the awareness.
What is pure awareness? Lol can it ever be impure?
Divided yes. United yes.
If I took a crack at "what is pure awareness"
I would say it is an "enlightened being"
one, in who exists, no unconsciousness.
a being with continual consciousness.
He who would have continual consciousness would be sleepless with perfect memory.
I do believe awareness and consciousness are the same thing. It simply takes a certain level of awareness to be self aware. A tree has awareness. Enough awareness to be self aware? I don’t know.
Even if not sleepless, during sleep, their would be self awareness.
I would like to add the following to the “enlightened being” phrase. The"enlightened being" is one that is consciously aware in more and more refined realms and therefore capable of being aware while in those realms to include Deep sleep and states of Samadhi. This super being has arrived at a state of permanency in that this being is always on so to speak whereas ones like myself must shut down nightly not being able to endure ongoing conscious awareness.
Deep sleep is a realm unto itself so is being under anesthesia for a surgery. in either case one is not conscious while in these states and therefore not aware of anything.
ray_killeen likes to write finger pointing at the moon, this is good Zen Koan speak and does inspire Kensho moments. But even Kensho moments are dependent on consciousness wedded to awareness in order to make the intuitive leap and arrive at the Ah Ha! moment.
Vichara Who Am I is a powerful method that creates a gravitic singularity and causes the mind to collapse into itself like a black hole.
Who am I? Who is this I that thinks these thoughts? who is this I that sees this thing? the eventual answer is “I I” followed by collapse of mind shunting of ego and silence. Awareness and consciousness without modification of what is left.
This is a very difficult method.
Quoting ray_killeen: Is not pure awareness what you were prior to consciousness arising, consciousness being everything this side of the I-AM-NESS, were you aware before this happening in consciousness and will you be aware when it expires.
No consciousness is not everything this side of the I -am-ness.
Mind is the tool of awareness and ego which is the automated part of the mind the accumulated memories automatic responses with emotions and misidentification with mind and its automated counterpart ego & memories are that which is everything this side of I- am -ness.
Can awareness be ware of itself? of course.
It is mind that ceases to exist and collapses when closely scrutinized via many different techniques. It is mind that can not be aware of itself because mind is the tool of consciousness and awareness and has no reality save for that of tool. The mind can never be aware of mind, the ego can never be aware of ego, the emotions can not be aware of emotions.
When the mind is turned inwards the ego and the emotions collapse, so does tactile sensation and awareness and consciousness of the relative outside word in moments of deep sadhana awareness and consciousness are made to be present in more refined realms as it were where mind becomes a very fine thing and then unneeded even as a tool. Beyond this I lack the ability to communicate so will now stop.
That which who am I exemplifies is that which is aware of the tools listed above.