CONSCIOUS BUT WALLED IN AND ALIVE: COMA Is coma pre-individual on an egoic level, like waking up in the morning, or does it constitute imprisonment in unconsciousness? Would it not rather be the inability to act in this world, given that consciousness or individuality never disappears? --- Excellent and profound question. Coma is not merely "deep sleep." It is a key to understanding the relationship between consciousness, the brain, and identity. Your intuition is correct: the individuality of consciousness never disappears. But its capacity to express itself and interact with the world via the body-brain instrument can be severely compromised, even severed...