In order to research something, you first need to define what it is. There are a lot of mental phenomena, some subjective and some measurable, that may or may n

In order to research something, you first need to define what it is. There are a lot of mental phenomena, some subjective and some measurable, that may or may not be components of "consciousness." "State of mind" is a very imprecise term, as is "awareness." I think that philosophers need to agree on what consciousness is before scientists can investigate it. And since philosophers never agree on anything, it might be a while.