Do you believe that consciousness is merely a physical process?

While humans have managed to outline a unique and fitting definition of "consciousness", we're still clueless about how and why it occurs in the brain. The studies in this regard are very limited in number. And surely, fascinating as the topic is, as we move forward, there would be lots of exploring this particular niche.

(Courtesy: Medical Xpress)

Talking about the definition, the Oxford dictionary defines it as:

"The state of being aware of and responsive to one's surroundings."

Take some examples:

If you're aware of what's happening in, say, American politics,per your question, what physical strings are you pulling? You’re triggered psychologically and NOT physiologically, are you?

When you're lying on bed at night, think about the day, are you involved in any physical activity?

The same argument can be made even from the other direction.

Has it ever happened to you that you’re walking on the street but you’re lost in your thoughts? You’re clearly doing something physical yet, per the definition of consciousness, you are NOT necessarily aware of your surroundings.

(Courtesy: Ted.com)

Or, the people who are in a comatose state, they are psychologically conscious. But they are immobile.

We must also be certain that our idea of "physical process" is rather limited. If we're moving, we’re physical; that's how we approach it. However, in reality, with technologies like VR becoming so centric and our biological understanding expanding fast to newer horizons, "physical process" can mean so much more in reality.

But to answer your question, consciousness is not "merely" a physical process. It is primarily a physiological phenomenon state that mainly includes three components: stimuli, sensory organ, and brain. These three components work together to develop consciousness, which triggers our thought process and subsequently we decide whether to act physically on those thoughts or to stay latent.

(Courtesy: Futurism)

In short, physical state is the outcome of our psychological being, which itself is influenced by biological phenomena. When you say consciousness is a physical process, you're bluntly limiting its wide scope that still remains far from our understanding.

Hope this answers your question!