Final answer:
Consciousness is the term that describes our awareness of internal and external events and the varying levels of this awareness constitute varying states of consciousness. It is a complex phenomenon that involves our biological rhythms and can fluctuate from being fully alert to being in deep sleep or an unconscious state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to describe a person's awareness of everything that is going on around him or her at any given moment is consciousness. Consciousness includes awareness of both internal stimuli, such as hunger or emotions, and external stimuli, like the sight of sunlight or the sound of a voice. Different states of consciousness can range from being fully aware and awake to being in deep sleep or under the influence of anesthesia, where awareness is significantly diminished.
Our biological rhythms play a crucial role in the varying levels of consciousness we experience throughout the day. For instance, we may be fully conscious and alert while performing a task that requires focus, but we can also operate on autopilot during routine activities—such as driving or grocery shopping—thanks to our brain's ability to perform habitual actions without conscious thought.
The qualia of our experiences, which represent the subjective aspect of consciousness, allow us to have rich and vivid first-person experiences of the world around us. It is through consciousness that we experience life's moments, both mundane and significant, while conscience, on the other hand, is our moral awareness of right and wrong.