Does my answer address the following prompt clearly

Will we ever be able to understand consciousness. Can it be measured. Is it the product of our brains and neuronal firing patterns, or is it something more. If it is simply firing patterns, does that mean we don't have free will. Is consciousness diminished or absent if we suffer brain damage. And, for the adventurous, are children conscious, or does that develop over time. If it does develop over time, does it reach a critical level and become conscious, or are there variations in the degree of consciousness.

My response:

Understanding consciousness is a complex matter. As mentioned in the module, there is no definitive explanation of consciousness. As a Muslim and trying to understand it from an Islamic perspective, a few ways are often discussed. One of the ways I understand consciousness is that we experience the world through three distinct lenses: the eyes of the mind, the heart, and the spirit. The eye of the mind is the brain that is always looking for links between causes and effects. The eye of the heart is the questioning and examination of the feeling. At the same time, the eye of the spirit tries to understand what it perceives. I think consciousness is a stage between the spirit and the body/mental mind. Although consciousness has some predetermined attributes due to neuronal firing patterns, it does have the freedom to practice free will. If we did not have free will, we would never be able to enhance our lives or change negative behaviors.

Although neuroscience has not found a concrete way to measure consciousness yet, it is progressing in that direction. Aside from neuroscientific ways to measure consciousness, analyzing one's behavior and attitude can help determine the level of consciousness. The ability to understand and analyze thoughts and feelings that tend to dominate and control one's thinking and the ability to control them and control behavior can indicate the level of consciousness one holds.

When the consciousness functions properly, it can enable us to acquire new knowledge. The human consciousness goes through many stages of development as we grow. For example, there are significant distinctions between childhood consciousness and adult consciousness that give rise to abstract thought. Thoughts and emotions, thus producing conscious behavior.