consciousness / reflection
Loading your saved state.
consciousness
The state of being conscious; the ability to perceive one's surroundings and think. You can 'die Besinnung verlieren' (lose consciousness, faint) or regain it.
Nach dem Sturz verlor er für einige Minuten die Besinnung.
After the fall, he lost consciousness for a few minutes.
reflection
A phase of calm concentration, thought, and inward reflection. Often used in the context of holidays or a break from everyday life.
Die Weihnachtszeit ist für viele eine Zeit der Besinnung und der Familie.
For many people, the Christmas season is a time of reflection and family.
to come to one's senses
To show insight and change one's wrong or thoughtless behavior; to come to one's senses.
Nachdem er viel Geld verloren hatte, kam er endlich zur Besinnung und änderte seinen Lebensstil.
After he had lost a lot of money, he finally came to his senses and changed his lifestyle.
The noun 'die Besinnung' is derived from the verb 'sich besinnen', which means 'to reflect' or 'to remember'. The root is 'der Sinn' (sense, meaning), which shows the connection to thinking and perceiving.
Er musste sich erst auf den richtigen Weg besinnen.
He first had to remember the right way.
In a medical context, 'Besinnung' is almost always used in fixed expressions. The most important ones are 'die Besinnung verlieren' (to lose consciousness, to faint) and 'wieder zu Besinnung kommen' (to wake up, to regain consciousness).
Der Boxer kam nach dem K.o. nur langsam wieder zu Besinnung.
After the knockout, the boxer only slowly regained consciousness.
When it is about reflection, 'Besinnung' often appears with words that describe a period of time. Typical combinations are 'eine Zeit der Besinnung' (a time of reflection), 'ein Moment der Besinnung' (a moment of reflection), or 'zur Besinnung kommen' (to come to one's senses).
Nutzen Sie die Feiertage für einen Moment der Besinnung.
Use the holidays for a moment of reflection.
The expression 'zur Besinnung kommen' means that someone recognizes and changes their unreasonable behavior. Another person can also 'zur Besinnung bringen' someone (bring someone to their senses).
Hoffentlich kommt er bald zur Besinnung und hört auf, so viel Geld auszugeben.
Hopefully he will come to his senses soon and stop spending so much money.
consciousness / awareness
Bewusstsein and Besinnung can both refer to the conscious state after fainting. Bewusstsein is the general term for this state; Besinnung is used here mainly in set phrases such as „zur Besinnung kommen“ (regain consciousness) or „die Besinnung verlieren“ (lose consciousness).
Nach der kurzen Ohnmacht kam sie rasch wieder zur Besinnung.
After the brief fainting spell, she quickly came to.
Nach der kurzen Ohnmacht erlangte sie rasch das Bewusstsein wieder.
After the brief fainting spell, she quickly regained consciousness.
