Yes, I like David Hawkins' levels of consciousness, though his later works left something to be desired.

The most important thing to note about this is that each successive level is an improvement. So if you're stuck in paralysing fear, getting angry is an improvement and should be encouraged, not condemned. Once you're there, there's more options, and hopefully you won't get stuck there, but will progress further.
 

Namaste.
 

:)
 

I like the ascending (or descending depending on how you read) way you laid out those levels.
Yep, prejudices and assumptions are fading away gradually while we contemplate more of the Truth and when trying to reach out to the Light of the Sun, so to speak.
The warmth of Divine Love is melting away those icebergs of mental,emotional and spiritual congestion and so much the better...

But what really matters, as you said, is that we all grow, each at a different and suited pace.

Thanks God for that! :)

Love to you and yours Joseph!
 

ok, i surely am not enlightened, after all. so, here's my question:

could the sentence "everything is perfect as it is" not be a projection just like the sentence "what is happening / hasn't happened is wrong"?

surely, the belief that everything is perfect as it is makes us feel better about this world, but could this not just be a mechanism for self protection (which i have nothing against, this would just be the opposite of being "enlightened").

to me, there is a difference between "acceptance" and calling something "perfect".
for instance, when a child gets abused, i wouldn't say that this is perfect, but i would have to accept/understand it as a result of actions/emotions/pain regarding the person who abuses the child. eventually, in the best case, an abusal can be avoided by reconition/understanding of the symptoms. you might call this process perfect and necessary, but i don't have that kind of faith. humanity has been violent since its first day of existance, and continues to be so. only the weapons have changed.

i guess deep inside i am not part of humanity, i am rather part of the animal world.
or maybe that's just wishful thinking.
;o)))
 

I don't normally comment on comments (preferring to regard them as perfect as they are - ha ha!), but what you said reminded me that some people prefer to say "everything is [simply] as it is", rather than "perfect", because "perfect" implies a labeling. Others say that "perfect" brings home the point that from the perspective of Allness, the world is meant to be as it is at this stage of evolution. I'm open-minded on this point. Thanks for your perspective.

Love and peace
 

thanks for both of your reflexion on my comment.

joseph, last night before falling asleep, i was still thinking about your blog and my response to it, and i thought exactly what you wrote here: that everything is just as it is. neither perfect nor wrong. so we are definitely connected here :o)))
 

A very interesting post, my dear friend! I haven't contemplated levels broken out in quite this way.

My comment might circle back to your saying that evolution isn't in straight lines, but it seems to me like some of the hierarchies are more circular. For example, reflecting on the levels that you list, it seems to me like anger is often a mask for fear, sadness, guilt, and/or shame. At least in America, for both genders but probably more so for men, it seems "safer" to cling to anger than to admit to some of those other, more apparently vulnerable, emotions. But, the anger may not be the "real" story. In calling oneself "angry," there's an apparent dead end, because it isn't a truly accurate description of the active mental processes. In such cases, once a person investigates the anger and discovers that it is a mask for something else (fear of mortality or of not being in control of some life situation, for example), deeper discoveries are possible. Also, I feel like the investigation itself may require some overlapping with the "higher" levels - for example, in accepting the anger while simultaneously having the courage to investigate to see if there is something else hiding below.

Love and Peace, my friend!
 

I think the definition here of "unconditional love" is misleading to many, especially to those who remain imprisoned by their conditioned responses, coming from their limited human perspectives (which is almost all of us).

At the level of unconditional love: "I love all things just as they are (including myself) without conditions"

This is almost impossible to commit to totally, unless one has a deeper understanding of the spiritual/soul journey. Although many of us claim to understand the reasons for dysfunction in our world (how many of us can truly deny it exists?)....I do not know many (if any) who would not be affected, react or make judgement on someone who sexually assaulted their own child. (for example). For most parents, the "Level of willingness" would not fit into this scenario.

At the level of courage: "I can do something about this"

If this is applied to the above abusive scenario...what would be considered the most courageous thing to do? If it was my child, and if I could access the abuser, I would kill him/her...do you think by these 'standards' that would be wrong? Would I be judged as "less spiritual" than someone who could accept and forgive the abuser? Who can truly say what is 'wrong' or "right" -- "better" or "worse"? Do you think it would be more "enlightened" to be NOT affected by such an action? Perhaps ACTION is what is needed in this world, so change may be more likely to occur?


I think about the word "Enlightened" and they say Mother Theresa was enlightened, yet she did not bear children in this life, she was not emotionally bonded in this way, and if she had a child of her own, I wonder if things would've been different. This is in no way to take away from the gift that she was to the world :o) I have always questioned...perhaps that is part of my journey this time Joseph. As I have asked...so have I received. I am also interested in other people's perceptions.

Great post, getting people to think (awesome)
Namaste' Love and Peace!
 

Thanks Lady Di! Your comment made me realise that my post needs a couple of points of clarification: no level is "better" than the others (although subjectively the closer to enlightenment, the greater the joy and peace). And love, even unconditional love, certainly does not have to be passive, and does not rule out defending those we love. (Indeed we are more likely to take action if our attitude is "this is how it is, how can I deal with it?" rather than paralysing ourselves with "this should not have happened"). As human beings, we often are operating at different levels in different aspects of our lives, that's part of being human. The key is, we are totally loved by divinity at all the different levels.

The beauty of blogging is that with all the comments, something is produced that is more than the sum of the individual parts!


Love and peace
 

I agree 100% Joseph. Superiority is an illusion and exists only in egoic perception. I also agree that we are unconditionally loved by divinity...no matter how we are expressing in our human role, conscious or unconscious.

You know me, I like to stir the pot a little, see if people are reading and interested in their thoughts (smiles)...thank you for clarifying more specifically, what you were meaning.

Namaste'
Love and Peace :o)
 

I also do believe that humanity is evolving, a new consciousness now being borne every day in the awareness of Wholeness. I don't really care for hierarchal levels, since they can promote "one upmanship".....as Yogini pointed out, the levels here may overlap, and I think that until one is truly "enlightened" (which to me means a non-dual mind/body/spiritual perception of reality), all of the "lower" states of consciousness can manifest, if only briefly.

Blessings and love to you, dear Joseph.
 

such a change when you realize all is perfect as it is
 

This is wonderful..are they really supposed to be ascending/descending and representative of being on seperate levels of conciousness or is it possible to be in many. I find myself, unfortunatley, finding all the negative ones familiar yet willingness also a more recent condition..:) and some others to a lesser degree. I find the idea of complete acceptance amazing and love somewhat eludes me yet the others also are familiar at least at a disconnected understanding level. It's odd that so often my reactions, impulses and condtioned thinking can be somewhat negative yet of all the "positive" levels the one I can truly say I have completely felt is enlightnment during meditation at a particularly harsh period of my life.

I'm glad to have come across this..thanks.
 

As Lady Di mentioned, thanks for provoking thought, questions and discussion, Joseph. I think lists such as this are valuable for doing just that. They are also valuable for summarizing the essence of understanding within an agreed upon or accepted context and, if there isn't such a context, questions and disagreements are inevitable.

I can offer the observation that no particular level is completely understandable by one who is currently stuck in that level. One needs to evolve through the level and then be able to evaluate it from another level in order to possibly be able to see it and understand it more clearly. Also, if one has not been into and through a level it is (usually) impossible to know and understand it.

The problem with levels or states of being is that, while one is in a level, there are or seem to be some benefits and advantages associated with being in that level and we can easily become attached to them, which tends to also immediately attach us to all the negative aspects of that level. Sometimes these negative aspects are "excused" and "justified" as "necessary evils" as long as one is attached to the positive aspects of a level.

Unconditional love is an extremely high ideal to fully experience and understand, yet it is also experienced and practiced quite widely by parents dealing with our children, as well as children dealing with their parents, which effectively embraces all of us should we choose to participate!

What confuses people is that it is quite possible and reasonable to dislike and even hate something someone has done yet still accept and love that person for all they do that we like and appreciate. So any lack of clarity comes from our inability to separate the person from the behavior and evaluate each, in our minds and in our hearts, independently. In the heat and chaos of the moment, we tend to view the person and the deed or result as one. Only with time and in calmness are we able to see the separation, and often it takes more time than simply counting to ten, although that often helps a lot.

True Unconditional Love means *always* being able to distinguish between the act and the actor, and *always* being able to evaluate them separately, and *always* realizing that there is value, validity and beauty in the person, and that these qualities are completely independent of the outward behaviors of the person with his/her limitations.

To see that "everything is perfect" can also be difficult to attain. It may help to contemplate that everything is as it is, and everything is happening in the only way it possibly can, considering the evolutionary state of the person(s) involved, the conditions as they are, and the situation as it is at this moment. Everything that has already occurred through the flow of time has coalesced into this moment in the only way it possibly could. The only way there could have been a different outcome would have been for something or some things to have been different before the current moment.

If this sounds like predestination, I assure you that it is not. We each have the potential of learning from each and every moment and we have the opportunity to change, to evolve from one moment to the next. This is what "free will" is about, should we choose to exercise it. If we do, we effectively change the "rules" that "govern" the elements and the dynamics of the "perfection" of our next moment.

From this point of view, "perfection" does not mean "the best way" or "the best result." Instead, it means "the only possible way (or result) considering all that has come together in this moment." As one of my teachers likes to say, "Everything is perfect but there's always room for improvement." The perfection is an expression of what is, while improvement is possible through one's more conscious participation in the process of personal evolution.

With Love,
Carl
 

I like the way you bought out the diffent level of things. Courage for me this past week was the one that I was dealing with. But with the help of a dear friend I was able to fight off the dragon in my life!!!!! And beileve me to have the victory over it feels 100% wonderful!!!
Love,
Avril
 

Thank you for this Joseph. This is great reminder, and it is interesting to read everyone's comments.
Courage has been a big one for me for the last few days as well and I believe I have been very brave, a warrior of the light actually - hence the new avatar picture. He he.
Thank you again,
Love and Peace.
B.
 

you have such a wonderful way of putting things, thank you!

an interesting . . . i just grabbed 'power vs. force' last week from my library and put it on my nightstand to have when i go to feed my mind . . . nice to know i'm in the flow with such loving energy such as your's!

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'
 

I so love the last 2, about unconditional love and enlightenment...so good...blessings, love and light to you dear sweet Joseph!!! :o)
 

Thanks for blogging about this, dear Joseph! I enjoyed your interpretation of the levels of consciousness. I love to refer back to that book, "Transcending the Levels..." it's SO helpful in this world.

Blessings friend!
Karen. :-)
 

Lovely Joseph, simply lovely...
 

Very very well said my sweet friend!!
 

there is no such thing
as healthy vs. unhealthy
death vs. life
right vs. wrong
only creative/divine expression....


so why is it when one has reached level over 500 cal, that that person automatically chooses what others perceive as "healthy" "life-sustaining/supporting" or "right?" it would almost seem that the dichotomy is still there, just that the <em>choice</em> is in favor of "power" or the "light side" vs. "force" or the "dark side"

(one would not see an enlightened soul "murdering"--instead one would see him "sacrificing," yet there is no "right" or "wrong," so i'm puzzled as to why this seems to be so?)
 

i will for sure check his books out!! thanks J. for sharing. I do agree that Humanity, both individually and collectively, is evolving to higher and higher levels of consciousness

lots of love
marie
 

We are a gift onto ourselves....this map is very helpful and I find during different energy bursts I can shift from one level to another...perhaps perfect may be a label however is awareness the key? If we are aware how we are perceiving an event..that leads to right thoughts, right words, right actions?

I don't know why, but I feel compelled to share the following poem with you...I hope you can take from it a certain relevance for your individual peaceful desires. It inspires me....

One never comes home till one preferres a gentle heart to mastery over other lives.

One comes home when one learns how to bring a gift and receive one.

When one is home, he gives love, makes comfort and hurts for justice.

One is homeward bound when one is tormented by death of innocence and innocent children than by the frustration of ambition.

One makes a home every time he allows others to feel at home with themselves.

One is on the right road, not far away, close enough to run the last mile when he realizes that the greatest gift to give another is home and that the most surprising and wonderful gift to receive is homecoming.

...Namaste...ML:)
 

Joseph I really liked this post and all of the comments as well. It is helpful to see that I/we are infact on different levels but at the same time I/we are all where we should be . When I first began my journey (or should I say first realized I was on one ) Someone left a note on my desk that said God sees what you can be and loves you as you are now. For some reason those words have been a comfort to me so many times along the way when I become confused or feel lost.
 

I have been off line for a few days, but these are wonderful words of wisdom to find now that I am back!
 

At the level of courage: "I can do something about this"

Hi Joseph,

As always I find your blog inspiring and thought provoking. I find myself assending and desceding to different levels of conciousness. I am at a point that I am beginning to come to the conclusion however that wrongness is not a projection, sometimes, we face fear and hate square in the face and have to name it for what it is. I tried to love a fellow co-worker this week out of a very hateful place. She is mean and aggressive to anyone who is not in a positon of power. I had to stand up to her in my own power and strength to protect those that she was bullying. Unfortunately, some people are so stuck in the level of shame that they cannot respond to compassion because they have none to reflect.

But then perhaps, I need to work through this level of courage before I can ascend to a higher level of consiousness for I can reflect acceptance when it entails allowing someone to bully other people. For me this seems unacceptable.

Trying to stay in a place of
Peace, Love, & Light
 

and unity, wholeness, to feel and know all is perfect and share that knowing when you look into the eyes of those around you. we have SO MUCH here.
 

wow Joseph...this is sooo on ppt!!!! Thank you for this!!! I can definately see what level I'm on..... peace and love ;-)
 

nice post!

reminds me a little of the Enneagram of the Holy Ideas -- egoic perspectives one the one hand, views that sustain and reinforce subject/object separation and reification of physical reality -- and on the other hand views (the Holy ideas) that follow once the core delusions have been seen and resolved -- delusions like 'I am a separate entity, separate from the universe' and 'I can plan my own growth'.

Like in your examples, the first series take separateness as a given and add in a little judgment for that creamy suffering center, and the second series take perspectives more aligned with unity/wholeness, accepting what life brings and where one is at, open to Being, all the way to realizing that doing nothing at all [at least from the view of a separate 'doer'] one is not separate from the Tao, the spontaneous, natural flow of perfection, of love, of beingness
 

As we begin to attain higher levels of consciousness in other words belong more to the second group that you wrote instead of the first group.....the less we will suffer while on this plane.

There are many techniques for oepning up awareness, some go to therapy sessions with a psychologist, some opt for meditation, some for zen and try to be int the moment and much more some go for the yoga and some people to all the above !

What comes easier and more natural for me is prayer. I pray to God or Higher Self to please help me notice my "mistakes". When I notice them I pray for change.

Its that simple. Not to say that I havent done the other things that I mentioned yes I have but I am able to go further through prayer.

I can sincerely say that your first six levels (fromt he second group) seem the easiest and the last two are a lulu...so challenging for me.

"I love these just as they are without conditions",

" all is perfect as it is: my perception from divinity and others and the labeling of wrongness was all a proejction"

if i ever achieve the last two im going to make a huge party and invite everyone !

~Evelyn
 

Hi Joseph,

This is so true, and I needed this reminder at this point. I have never heard of David Hawkins, but now I will research his works. Thanks for posting this.

~K
 

Oh I really needed to read this today Joseph.
It is lovely to read and understand and relate to feelings and thoughts as you have them.
We are here to live and learn and be and the more we do all of those things the better we are
Amazing words
Thank you for sharing and for being so kind.
Elaine
 

Hello lovely,

I love your willingness to share truth with people. Cultivating unconditional love a life long journey. I think with all of this wisdom I would add forgiveness. The real forgiveness is seeing that someone has done no wrong and we do not judge. How can a being condemn another being who has hurt someone. The torture inside is enough in my opinion. The Creator delivers the necessary karma to that being with out us getting involved, and universal laws have been established by the ONE and our courts are supposed to uphold those laws. I think instead of corrupt judges and prisons where they are basicly slave labor work forces, they should be more concerned with HEALING the mind body and spirit of those individuals who need it, and energy from us can be directly usefull in that healing, if we let go of punishing others and accept Healing others instead. It is seeing ourselves as one spirit that would help this along. If we see ourselves as separate beings helpless and afraid, we will attack the first thing we think is attacking us. If we see ourselves as SPIRIT as we truely are and we witness attack, we know what that person needs to heal and we freely give it to them so that all of ourselves can be healed and recieve the blessing of unity.
I believe it is all perfect as you say. There is only one truth and that is the reality of love. It is the ever healing jewel, when you return to love in anymoment you are healed. The moment is not hung on you like a wet rag it flows in the breeze and you can roll with it, with anything that comes your way. Of course ego wants to condemn Spirit to thinking there are somethings that can hurt you but Spirit knows better.
Thanks for this post.

Love Jess
 

I will always have work to do on these things. Such a drag being human sometimes! HA.
I hope you are well, Joseph. All my best.
John
 

Thank you so much for reminding me of this Joseph!! I had seen this before and have discovered that I go up and down this Matrix of consciousness depending on what is happening in my life and what I am telling myself about it at the time. The ultimate goal is to reach to the top and be able to stay there without falling back. It is a wonderful reminder to not give up and that staying in a level of enlightenment is possible and worth striving for. It is all about perception :)
 

Insightful correlations to levels of awareness... recognizing the "where" in healing patterns and being. Thanks for sharing. ~K
 

truth, love, WISDOM........
 

One of my fav western teachers just happens to be this man. We need to meet
 

this post was particularly helpful! thank you Joseph. ~Love and Peace to You~