Levels of Consciousness

Previously, in the articles “Letting Go: Overcome Emotional Blockages with This Simple Technique” and “Power vs. David R.

Hawkins, PhD, MD, and covered some key concepts and tools presented by this professor.

From now on, we will delve into his greatest legacy: the map of human levels of consciousness. This text and the next will be fully dedicated to that theme, agreed?

In this article you will understand:
– What are the levels of consciousness;
– Why this knowledge can change your life;
– What are the ego-based levels of consciousness and how each one is characterized.
Enjoy reading!

What are the levels of consciousness mapped by Dr. David R. Hawkins?

Every person has a way of looking at life, right? While some see everything with regret and suffering, others perceive each event as an opportunity for evolution. There are those who live in fear and others who feel empowered. There are people who do everything to defend their opinions and others who humbly question their certainties in order to continue learning.

According to the life research of Dr. David R. Hawkins, these different worldviews and emotional states are characterized by levels of consciousness that can be scientifically calibrated (measured). In fact, Hawkins left us as a legacy a table that goes from 0 to 1.000, in which the lower numbers represent negative levels of consciousness (e.g. shame, guilt, sadness) and the numbers from 200 correspond to the levels of consciousness. positive (e.g. courage, acceptance, love, peace).

For anyone interested in understanding the science behind measuring numbers, we recommend reading the bestselling Power vs. In this article and the next we will focus on explaining the essence of each level of consciousness described by Dr. David R. Hawkins. Then you will be able to observe them in your own life and you will have the opportunity to align yourself more and more with the positive levels, experiencing more happiness, relief and fulfillment.

Calibration levels below 200: the ego

Consciousness levels below 200 are those where there is more illusion than alignment with the truth. They can be didactically called negative levels. This does not mean that these energies are bad in and of themselves, but rather that they can be understood and transcended.

By observing the ego-based levels in our own lives, we have the opportunity to recognize the negative and constantly choose the positive. This work can be done day after day, moment after moment, decision after decision.

Shame

It is a level extremely close to death, and may be a consequence of excessive attachment to the comfort zone. However, as much as it is a very low energy level, it can also be experienced by people in intense spiritual work. When the ego is close to being dissolved (close to the stage of enlightenment), it can come to experience the level of shame, as if it were close to death. In this context, it should be known that only the ego is “threatened” with death, as the Being remains safe and untouched. All fear is an illusion, which includes the fear of death experienced at the shame consciousness level.

At this stage of consciousness, as the context involves a very low energy level, the way out is to surrender to Divine help and mercy.

Guilt

It is the level where many attitudes are seen as sin and where self-punishment takes place. Guilt is a consequence of memories of regrets related to past actions. To overcome it, it is necessary to recontextualize the past and understand that mistakes are natural and impersonal, being part of the learning and development of every human being.

As long as it is viewed with observation, guilt can be useful so that we are always evolving, learning from mistakes rather than being stuck with them.

Apathy

This level represents well the energy of inaction (Yin, tamas). The world is seen as “no solution”. There is no energy to look for alternatives or opportunities for improvement. A person in apathy has so little energy that it is very important to participate in groups anchored by the energy of Unconditional Love, such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Faith, hope and charity are also great ways out of apathy. Helping others (including animals) increases self-esteem and can contribute to energy gains.

Sadness

This is the level of remorse and deep sadness (which may be associated with depression), often caused by the loss of a close person. Sadness occurs when we project our happiness onto what is external. Therefore, it is also linked to feelings of desire and possession.

The feeling of loss or deep sadness can make people turn to religious and spiritual practices, which can open up opportunities for evolution.

Fear

This level already has more energy than the previous ones, but still sees a negative, frightening world, full of threats. It’s easy to “get lost” on the fear level. After all, when a person focuses on fear, events (tragedies, violence, etc.) in the world feed that fear in an endless cycle.

So fear manifests itself on all levels: fear of losing money or getting sick; fear of being deprived of its pleasures; fear of not being able to finish tasks on time; fear of losing a relationship; fear of embarrassment or not being accepted; fear of not having enough knowledge; fear of the unknown; among countless others. While guilt, shame and regret represent the past, fear focuses on the future.

According to Hawkins, a simple technique to transcend fear is to ask yourself “So what?”. For example: “I am afraid of losing my job”. "And?" “Then I can run out of money.” "And?" "Then I can go hungry." "And?" - and so on.

It is soon realized that all fear culminates in the fear of physical death. That is, it is a fear purely of the ego, and not of the Self (since the Self does not die along with the body).

Desire

The level of desire consciousness is the motivator of large areas of human activity, including the economy. It is a level constantly explored by advertising, influencing attitudes and generating demand for products and services. It is also the level of critical vices.

Unlike true happiness and satisfaction, which is internal and comes from the Self itself, desire generates more and more desire in an endless cycle. When attending to a treat that is the object of desire, the person starts to look for the next one. We can see that desire is motivated by the ego, because for a person to have, it is often believed that the other must stop having. Or still uses the comparison: “if the other has it, I need it too”. That is, envy is also a form of desire.

Desire is linked to glamorization, which is the act of “overvaluing” something and projecting our happiness onto that object or activity, as if this could be our source of satisfaction. When we finally get something that we glamorize, sooner or later we realize that that external source is not enough to make us happy, generating frustration.

In some cases, this “post-craving” frustration leads to the anger consciousness level, which has more energy. When we realize that not all our desires will be fulfilled, we get angry, and this can lead to a change of attitude and breaking of patterns.

Rage

Anger can appear as a constructive conclusion that we will not always get our desires fulfilled, paving the way for the courage level of consciousness. Or it can still generate destructive behaviors when the human being wants to end that or those who are different from him.

According to Dr. Hawkins, the obvious antidotes to transcending anger are: compassion, acceptance, love, and the willingness to forgive. You need to stop looking at your resentments as “injustices” and just accept reality as it is. Instead of projecting dissatisfaction on the world, the person who wants to transcend the level of anger must look for ways to change himself. As Gandhi said: “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

It is necessary to understand that anger is an attitude of our “spoiled child”. We often think that all our wants must be met, or that the world must adapt to our preferences. Transcending anger includes forgiving, accepting, and re-educating your inner child. You need to be the responsible adult and take responsibility for your actions and emotions, which also means taking responsibility for your own happiness.

Pride

Compared to previous levels, the pride level brings much more happiness and satisfaction. Still, he remains very self-centered. The chances of having your pride hurt and falling into shame still exist. Despite this, this is a level extremely encouraged by society. Pride is often seen as a positive thing.

The antidotes to pride are humility and courage. Instead of adopting positionalities, one must seek integrity. It is necessary to give up the pride of being right, of conquering, of showing that you know, etc.

Did you like to know a little more about levels of consciousness? In the next text we will talk about positive levels of consciousness, those that bring us relief, happiness and fulfillment. Click here to continue reading the next article!