We still don’t understand exactly what consciousness is made of or where it resides. Lorimer Moseley gives a good summary of some of the latest hypotheses but sadly none of them answer the question definitively. The question is important because if we need consciousness to experience pain, as many believe, then to know more about the process has the potential to unlock treatment modalities to help people who suffer chronic, presently untreatable pain.
Lorimer seems fairly sure that the answer lies in the brain. Maybe he needs to have a chat with John Upledger who proposed the "energy cyst" model several decades ago. In this model trauma is "felt" at a cellular level and sets up a continuous noxious input that requires local reorganisation to contain its effect.
A good review, well worth reading can be found here: http://bodyinmind.org/how-does-the-brain-produce-consciousness
