How do you define consciousness, but also how do we know if we are actually self aware to our external and internal surroundings? This can be measured simply by understanding what each level of consciousness stands for, and by living through each level. These levels can be interpreted however one decides to do so, but the information provided will be able to allow the individual to reach self awareness and will point you in the direction of your life purpose. Many of people like myself are lucid dreamers which basically means that you dream actively. I cannot count on two hands the amount of times were i had a dream that felt so real and once i woke up, i could recall everything that happened within that dream. This is because all people function differently during these four states and each state is interpreted by the individual. These four states can also be defined as the sleep state, the self awareness state, the consciousness state, and the subconsciousness state.
The sleep state is defined by exactly what it sounds like, and this is the first state. During this state you are asleep and totally unconscious. Although your consciousness level remains at zero until you wake up, depending on whether you are a active dreamer or not will determine if you have dreams. This is why many of us don't realize when we went to sleep or how long we were asleep for. At this level you are completely unaware of any external stimuli until something internal brings you to consciousness such as having to go to the bathroom or hearing a loud sound. This is the simplest state it requires no awareness and no thought.
The following state is called the self awareness state. This state is defined by who you see yourself as within the direct community. This is more of an internal state that relies on your morals and belief system. Personally i feel like i am a outgoing person who loves to be around people like myself, I consider myself honest and someone who can make people laugh. That would be considered my self awareness state, I am self aware of how i project myself onto the world. The perfection of this state is very important simply because it is difficult to gain an understanding of the world, if you do not have an understanding of yourself. Gaining a sense of self awareness allows you to reach self actualization and will direct you in your life purpose  is up to interpretation, meaning they only exist due to what we can directly measure and make sense of. I find this state of consciousness to be somewhat misleading because it only applies to the frequencies our bodies can identify. Same concept as the things as they appear and things in themselves, the consciousness state allows us to identify aspects in our direct environment. This third state can be identified by how we see the immediate world.
Finally the fourth state is what is known as your subconscious state. This state is the most difficult to identify because most people do not live within this state they live within the conscious one. The subconscious state is what the immediate world actually is. This state is the basic truths about the world and many people fail to live within their subconsciousness. The world is so much more than we see whether we are talking about institutions, spirits, or the actuality our direct environment. This is why the subconscious or third eye is almost impossible to open. The human body is much more capable of then what we think and to be able to reach this fourth state requires an extended amount of time and effort. For example when you are listening to the radio, say your favorite station it 97.5. Now just because you are listening to 97.5 does that mean that 103.9 is not playing? No, it simply means our bodies are not able to tune into two frequencies at once, but when in reality all the stations are playing at once. Now your subconscious may pick up on subtle messages or what is known as subliminal messages but these are slight glimpse of the reality that we do not see. The fourth state is key in finding out the hidden truths and realities about the world we live in. Our bodies live within the third dimension but stating that simply means that we are not able to tune into other frequencies within other dimensions. We all know about how extensive and complicated the universe is, but keep in mind its a VERY big place filled with many unidentifiable things. This state allows you to gain a better sense of the truths behind the world.
Ultimately living within these four states allows one to reach self actualization and will result in a shift of the contemporary mindset most people are stuck in. Realization of the states and tending to them is the best way to really become self aware and the infusion of these states will allow you to have a better understanding about life.