It is then obvious to ask: Do we all have an equally "large" consciousness when fully alert? Or are some of us more conscious than others?

I don't believe there's a generalized definition of consciousness. Nevertheless, from a fully experiential approach, my answer would be yes. Meditation, yoga, and even learning from psychology have definitely let me become more aware in the last years, and I've seen the same effect in people close to me.

What's new? This was already known 15 years ago.