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Being aware of your own existence is definitely awareness of something, even if you are cut off from other kinds of perception. My point is that Galt dimisses the possibility of such an awareness (only of oneself) in a context where this kind of self-only awareness is widely practiced for millenia in Eastern countries. Its characteristics can be studied using EGG and what not. Yes, that kind of awareness and pursuit is ignored by Ayn Rand. Possibly as part of her disdain for mysticism. In the area of "states of awareness", I have found little even in Branden's work. I have done biofeedback for many years and I am aware of "me" through artifacts of my biology. I could be aware of it and only it. I am also aware in real time, how I can and do lie to myself because of the objective measure. Nevertheless, exploration of sensation or that which I am aware of can be a sensation in itself or a conceptual view point of what is happening. Either way, it is an awareness of only myself by ignoring everything else that exists. Only myself does not mean devoid of existence. Branden would say that she would say I know anything about psychology. It was probably rhetorical, but in the area you bring up, it would fit. I have seen this with many Objectivists I know. The other issue I have seen is regarding the idea of multiplicities, i.e. the different selves in one self that many Objectivists will negate by saying "no, there is only one self". As in, a part of you thinks you sacrificed but on the whole you think you did what needed to be done.