Awareness after losing heart in life, perhaps (8)
I believe the answer is:
sentence
'life perhaps' is the definition.
(I know that life is a type of sentence)
'awareness after losing heart' is the wordplay.
'awareness' becomes 'sentience' (sentience is being aware or conscious).
'after losing heart' says to hollow out the word (remove centre letters).
'sentience' with its centre removed is 'SENTENCE'.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for sentence that I've seen before include "time passed" , "Condemnation" , "A word-string - or a legal punishment" , "that may be penned?" , "Court judgement" .)