Abhidhamma says there’s perception, feeling and consciousness there. But you are free to not believe in, as you would certainly not believe in it.
I think that Abhidhamma looks at cognition as a proces of alternating active and passive moments of mind. Those active moments refer to those moments when mind is processing sense-info from the sense doors. The passive moments are called bhavanga.
It portrays cognition as a proces of a mind that is, as it were, stirred for a moment and that gives rise to a moment of awareness of something specific (a certain sound , smell, emotion etc). Then this all collapses, as it were, to give rise to a next moment of awareness of something. And in between are bhavanga moments.
So our experiences, the moments we see, hear, smell things, are like snapshots that are extremely rapid projected by the mind, and come with the impression that the world of our experience is continuous, constant, while it is intermittend, snapshot-like.
It do not think that Abhdhamma sees it like this that during waking stage we all time alternately become conscious and unconscious. Is that correct?
All this mention of Abhidhamma has me wondering… how much faith do people on this forum place into Abhidhamma texts? 
Which Abhidhamma? 
The general Abhidhamma canon I must admit gives me headaches. I quite enjoy Paṭisambhidāmagga, even if it’s not part of the official Abhidhamma collection. Arthaviniścaya is likewise a nice recap of the general issues without getting painstakingly pedantic about the issues, my probably favourite non-abhidhamma abhidhamma.
Any of them! 
FWIW, I enjoy learning about them and find them very useful in understanding how other Buddhists throughout times have thought, but I do not have faith in any of them as particularly correct.
It is my general impression that the various Abhidhamma projects were involved in building elaborate rube goldberg contraptions to explain substantial existence for people and phenomenon and thus mostly misguided. One can still learn quite a lot about how various Buddhists build such views of substantial existence though! 
Even in bhavaṅga, there’s consciousness and the universal cetasikas, including perception, feeling, etc.
- Phassa Contact
- Vedanā Feeling
- Saññā Perception
- Cetanā Intention
- Ekaggatā One-pointedness
- Jīvitindriya Life faculty
- Manasikāra Attention
https://www.abhidhamma.com/Chart_Cetasika_en.pdf
Between each cognitive process, be it the 5 physical senses or the mind sense (thinking, conscious awareness), the bhavaṅga mind is there. So yes, we are (psychology usage of the word) conscious and unconscious all the time, very fast. But (abhidhammic usage of the word) consciousness is there all the time arising and falling, except in cessation of perception and feeling, the unconscious brahma realm and parinibbāna.
The more I interact with successful Pa Auk practitioners, the more faith I have of Abhidhamma. Theravada version.
As i understood it the above does not describe bhavanga but sense-vinnana. All those 7 cetasika are always part of any sense moment. They are called sabba citta sadharana.
But that is not bhavanga. It is vinnana. Above 7 cetasika are part of any eye-, ear, nose, tongue, body and mano vinnana. Concrete, when we become aware of a sound (or other sense object) that always means that all above elements are at least present in the mind at that moment: an element of concentration, attention, direction/will, sensation, touch, vitalisation, recognition/ability to know the unique characteristics of the sense object.
These 7 are part of any sense -vinnana, any moment we are aware of something.
It does not describe bhavanga as i have understood this.
as i understood it, vinnana’s rapidly arise and cease and in between there is bhavanga supposed to be, but no sense -vinnana. Bhavanga is not an sense moment. That seems to be the clue.
I do not think Abhidhamma teaches this. Can you check this?
This is also why we need to harmonize terms, because vinnana’s are ofcourse not present while under narcosis according sutta model. There are ofcourse no perceptions and feelings. So, if one even starts to introduce feelings that are not felt, perceptions that are not perceived, we start to create a very different language then the sutta’s use. And if vinnana can even refer to some unconscious consciousness then we are into…into what…??
It looks like my famous gut-feelings 
My impression is that such systematics distract from what one really sees. I believe it hinders a unbiased investigation of how things are.
For example: Buddha teaches a descent into emptiness (MN121). Progressively formations and bases cease. But he does not teach here a descent into bhavanga. Emptiness is how it is really experienced. As empty.
See before and after every cognitive process, it is bhavaṅga.
Bhavangacittas arise and pass away every moment during life whenever there is no active cognitive process taking place. This type of consciousness is most evident during deep dreamless sleep, but it also occurs momentarily during waking life countless times between occasions of active cognition.
From manual of abhidhamma translated by B. Bodhi.
But this was not the subject we discussed. You mentioned that the 7 universal cetasika are present in bhavanga.
I asked to check this because i believe this does not refer to bhavanga but those 7 cetasika are at least present in any moment a sense vinnana arises, or in other words, any moment we become aware of something in the domain of the 6 senses.
About bhavanga
At least, i feel, that introducing the concept of bhavanga is also introducing an element of mind that can receive and detect sense info before it is consciously experienced. Before a moment of sense vinnana arises. And it feel that is great and real. Truthful…
In the systematics of Abhidhamma this refers to the moment of vibrational bhavanga. Info from the sense domains can cause the mind to stir or vibrate. I compared this with a stone throwing in water earlier. On this level the mind has an element of sensitivity and susceptibility. This is the nature of mind. The mind is not the same as consciousness. Not at all. That is all the time the clue.
First of all something stirs the mind, makes it vibrate, but at that moment there is not yet a sense vinnana. It shows that a sense vinnana is not the mind nor a stream of sense vinnana’s. It also shows that the natural sensitivity of the mind, its knowing ability, is not vinnana.
I have seen the same message in EBT. Sense vinnana’s do not manifest/establish (i think is the good word) without an element of engagement (MN28). For example, there can be the eye and objects in the visual field, but without an element of engagment no eye-vinnana manifest. I believe, this engagement refers to ‘five door adverting’ moment in the citta vitthi you posted. If the mind does not advert towards what subconsciously causes a stir or vibration in the mind, there is no change a sense vinnana manifest. There must be some element of engagement with that stir.
This element of engagement, i believe, is called cetana. Here cetana works, an element of will or volition on a very deep level. That mental factor that adverts or directs all mental factors upon that stir or vibration. Cetana, as it were, makes the mind goal-oriented, and directed upon something. The mind adverts to the stir. This karmic activity is even before we become aware of something. So, kamma also determines what we become aware of.
What is called bhavanga is but a latent state supported by life faculty . That’s it . The meditators mistaken it for something else .
Then you placed your question too late.
Also, just so you know, it feels tiring to have dismissal of Abhidhamma when I just present it. So do read it yourself if you find my presentation unacceptable, don’t just reject and ask me to cite more. That’s very disrespectful. Basically one has to read the whole book to get the big picture.
Analysis of functions: In this section the eighty-nine types of consciousness are classified by way of function. The Abhidhamma posits
altogether fourteen functions performed by different kinds of consciousness. These are exercised either at distinct phases within the cognitive
process (3-13) or on occasions when consciousness is occurring outside
the cognitive process, that is, in process-freed (vìthimutta) consciousness
(1, 2, 14).
(1) Rebirth-linking (paṭisandhi): This function exercised at conception is called rebirth-linking because it links the new existence to the
previous one. The consciousness that performs this function, the
paṭisandhicitta or rebirth-linking consciousness, occurs only once in
any individual existence, at the moment of rebirth.
(2) Life-continuum (bhavaṅga): The word bhavaṅga means factor
(aṅga) of existence (bhava), that is, the indispensable condition of
existence. Bhavaṅga is the function of consciousness by which the
continuity of the individual is preserved through the duration of any
single existence, from conception to death. After the paṭisandhicitta has
arisen and fallen away, it is then followed by the bhavaṅgacitta, which
is a resultant consciousness of the same type as the paṭisandhicitta but
which performs a different function, namely, the function of preserving
the continuity of the individual existence. Bhavaṅgacittas arise and pass
away every moment during life whenever there is no active cognitive
process taking place. This type of consciousness is most evident during
deep dreamless sleep, but it also occurs momentarily during waking life
countless times between occasions of active cognition.
When an object impinges on a sense door, the bhavaṅga is arrested and
an active cognitive process ensues for the purpose of cognizing the
object. Immediately after the cognitive process is completed, again the
bhavaṅga supervenes and continues until the next cognitive process
arises. Arising and perishing at every moment during this passive phase
of consciousness, the bhavaṅga flows on like a stream, without remaining
static for two consecutive moments.
From here it is known that Bhavaṅga is function of citta/ conscisousness . You will not see bhavaṅga listed in the 89 types of citta because it’s a function, many of the 89 types of cittas can function as the bhavaṅga citta.
Here is it seen also that bhavaṅga citta arises and passes away, your plan to map your eternal unchanging mind to bhavaṅga is out of the question already.
The functions of rebirth-linking, life-continuum, and death: As
pointed out above, in any single life it is the same type of consciousness
that performs the three functions of rebirth-linking, life-continuum, and
death. At the moment of conception this type of consciousness arises
linking the new existence to the old one; throughout the course of life this
same type of consciousness arises countless times as the passive flow of
the bhavaṅga, maintaining the continuity of existence; and at death this
same type of consciousness again occurs as the passing away from the old
existence.
There are nineteen cittas which perform these three functions. The
unwholesome-resultant investigating consciousness (santìraóa) does so
in the case of those beings who take rebirth into the woeful planes—the
hells, the animal realm, the sphere of petas, and the host of asuras. The
wholesome-resultant investigating consciousness accompanied by equanimity performs these functions in the case of a human rebirth as one who
is congenitally blind, deaf, dumb, etc., as well as among certain lower
classes of gods and spirits. While the deformity itself is due to unwholesome kamma, the human rebirth is the result of wholesome kamma, though
of a relatively weak degree. It should not be thought that investigation
occurs at the moment of rebirth or during the life-continuum, for a
consciousness can perform only one function at a time.
The eight great resultants—the beautiful sense-sphere resultants with
two and three roots—perform these three functions for those reborn in the
fortunate sensuous realms as gods and humans free from congenital
defects.
The above ten cittas pertain to rebirth in the sensuous plane.
The five fine-material-sphere resultants serve as rebirth consciousness, life-continuum, and death consciousness for those reborn into the
fine-material plane of existence, and the four immaterial-sphere resultants
for those reborn into the respective immaterial planes of existence.
From above, we see that there’s 19 cittas which can serve as bhavaṅga.
The cetasikas are mental phenomena that occur in immediate
conjunction with citta or consciousness, and assist citta by performing
more specific tasks in the total act of cognition. The mental factors cannot
arise without citta, nor can citta arise completely segregated from the
mental factors
This says that all cittas have cetasikas, including bhavaṅga.
The universals (sabbacittasádháraóa): The seven universals are the
cetasikas common (sádháraóa) to all consciousness (sabbacitta). These
factors perform the most rudimentary and essential cognitive functions,
without which consciousness of an object would be utterly impossible.
This says that the universal cetasikas would also be present in bhavaṅga.
Universals—7
(1) Contact
(2) Feeling
(3) Perception
(4) Volition
(5) One-pointedness
(6) Life faculty
(7) Attention
It’s very clear that cessation of perception and feeling also means cessation of citta. No mind at all there.
All citations from the comprehensive manual of abhidhamma translated by B. Bodhi.
Thanks for the info. Some is new for me. It becomes technical now but i feel there are some things we can discuss?
So in fact, we also need something that preserves the continuity of bhavanga-sota, because also bhavanga citta’s arise and cease.
Anyway, I do not believe at all that such a stream of bhavanga citta’s and vinnana 's can travel like a bird through the sky or a rocket , without some support of an all pervasive mind element. To think about a stream of bhavanga flowing through to the air, from A to B, from here to an egg, only supported by space???, seems to me irrational magical thinking. Such primitive ideas, i feel, can have some value to explain things in a very coarse way but must be wrong.
Rebirth is only possible if there is something that always supports the mental streams. That cannot be space. Rebirth requires that there is an all pervasive mind element that does not arise, cease and change, and is not local and personal.
I believe it is not like this that during waking stage we go from being unconscious to being conscious.
I believe there are moments that the mind has no sense-object but that does mean being unconsciousness that moment. It means, not being conscious of something.
I prefer to speak of consciousness and mind. I do not believe it is wise to introduce unconscious states of consciousness. This becomes a mess. But one can without problem say that mind can be still present while being unconscious.
I never say such things Bhante. What i say is that Buddha teaches the unconstructed, that what does not arise, cease and changes. So this can have no relation to vinnana sota nor bhavanga sota. Which is a huge mess of arsing and ceasing. So we must abandon this as quickly as we can and discover asankhata. To focus with wisdom on this mess of change is only a means to discover the stable, the constant, asankhata, Nibbana. The Buddha-Dhamma leads to the stable, constant, not-desintegrating, Nibbana, the amazing (SN43).
It looks like it. For me it is new info that the 7 cetasika’s are also presents in a bhavanga citta.
What is the cause and condition for a bhavanga citta to arise and cease?
Like i said i do not believe such is possible. If in sannavedayitanirodha sankhara’s have ceased, i believe it is impossible that such mental formations can re-arise again without mind as supporting condition. If sankhara’s can arise without mind can you explain me how this happens.
See B. Thanissaro’s note on MN1:
Although at present we rarely think in the same terms as the Samkhya philosophers, there has long been — and still is — a common tendency to create a “Buddhist” metaphysics in which the experience of emptiness, the Unconditioned, the Dharma-body, Buddha-nature, rigpa, etc., is said to function as the ground of being from which the “All” — the entirety of our sensory & mental experience — is said to spring and to which we return when we meditate. Some people think that these theories are the inventions of scholars without any direct meditative experience, but actually they have most often originated among meditators, who label (or in the words of the discourse, “perceive”) a particular meditative experience as the ultimate goal, identify with it in a subtle way (as when we are told that “we are the knowing”), and then view that level of experience as the ground of being out of which all other experience comes.
Any teaching that follows these lines would be subject to the same criticism that the Buddha directed against the monks who first heard this discourse.
In this difficult but important sutta the Buddha reviews in depth one of the most fundamental principles of Buddhist thought and practice: namely, that there is no thing — not even Nibbana itself — that can rightly be regarded as the source from which all phenomena and experience emerge.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.001.than.html
PS.
I kinda figured out how now. You’re just making the mind as unchanged, eternal, always with us… that’s basically the properties of a soul, a self. It’s not just the ego here. Soul is defined as something (not nothing) permanent, always with us across rebirth (or in soul’s point of view, reincarnation) from one life to another. That’s basically what you make your definition of mind do.
As the Buddha did said in MN22. No such thing.
Mendicants, it would make sense to be possessive about something that’s permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever.
Taṁ, bhikkhave, pariggahaṁ pariggaṇheyyātha, yvāssa pariggaho nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo, sassatisamaṁ tatheva tiṭṭheyya.
But do you see any such possession?”
Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, taṁ pariggahaṁ yvāssa pariggaho nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo, sassatisamaṁ tatheva tiṭṭheyyā”ti?“No, sir.”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.“Good, mendicants!
“Sādhu, bhikkhave.
I also can’t see any such possession.
Ahampi kho taṁ, bhikkhave, pariggahaṁ na samanupassāmi yvāssa pariggaho nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo sassatisamaṁ tatheva tiṭṭheyya.
So this shows that your mapping of the unconditioned to be something fails, and therefore nibbāna is not something, certainly not a soul-like entity you call the mind.
I do agree with this. Source is not the right word. Experiences do not come out of source, like water from a well.
I do not see how. I do not see asankhata as a possession. I also do not see it as something, in the sense of something that has arisen and exist. That cannot be asankhata.
Yet you deny that it’s mere cessation. I take that denial as taking something after parinibbāna. It’s one or the other.
Just to anticipate you:
MN22 already denies something which last forever exists.
You guys should in the meantime wash your dishes. That is time better spent than a metaphysical discussion where nothing can ever be proven or disproven anyway.
If a guy think that his wardrobe is Nibbana he is going to think that way until he dies and nobody can change a thing about it. He may even make some disciples.
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That’s the danger. Which is bad for him and his disciple.
Ofcourse i denie mere cessation. Buddha teaches the asankhata. It has no characteristic to cease. And he also teaches this must be known. So, how can you ever believe all CAN cease? All ceases denies asankhata. And i feel this is a wrong choice. We have done this in endless lifes. In endless lifes what is seen arising, ceasing, changing has blinded us for asankhata. Now in this life it is time to awaken and change this obsession with what is liable to arise and cease.
I have said this before and i see you do not give it attention but i will say it again: what has no characteristics to arise, cease and change cannot be regarderd as existent (it does not arise, or come into existence), let alone, be seen as forever-existent. Asankhata escapes such expressions. It cannot be objectified.
I feel the best way to think about this is:
Buddha realised that all that is build up, constructed that cannot function as a refuge. It is like a house that is liable to desintegrate. That is the nature of anything build up, anything constructed, also constructed states of peace such as jhana.
And what is asankhata? That is not build up, it is not constructed, and thus also not desintegrating.
It is arrived at when all constructing forces, drifts, tendencies are left behind, are uprooted.
This is the Path Buddha teaches…to asankhata, to what is stable, constant, not-desintegrating.
In this he found the home for himself that he sought:
The world around was hollow ,
all directions were in turmoil.
Wanting a home for myself,
I saw nowhere unsettled. (Snp4.15)
And he found it! His heart come to rest.
All the sutta’s teach…there is an escape and non, really non, teaches, the escape is mere cessation. None! All that is interpretation. Hineininterpretiert.