consciousness
noun
the state of being conscious; awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Albert was beginning to have a vague underconsciousness of his real feeling toward the girl, but he fought off the acknowledgment of it as long as possible.
From Other Main-Travelled Roads by Hamlin Garland