Applying the Scale of Consciousness to Your Daily Life

 "The attainment of wisdom is apparently slow and painful..." - David R. Hawkins

In talking through the levels of consciousness, we have seen how there is a marked difference between Power and force, and we have also talked specifically about the consciousness levels of force as well as the levels of Power. 

Next I would like to discuss the practical application of the Scale of Consciousness in our everyday lives.

Author and Psychiatrist David Hawkins states that we all operate at different levels of consciousness depending on our situation, age, stage of life, etc. However, we all tend to operate primarily out of one specific level, and most people do not advance much in their entire lifetime.

Just glancing at the Scale of Consciousness above, you probably have a good intuitive sense of where you are on the chart. Do you tend to see the world as sad, lonely, and hopeless? If so, you probably operate mostly out of apathy or grief. Do you find yourself mostly frustrated all the time about life? If so, you probably operate mostly out of anger. Are you pretty even-keeled about life, just kind of taking things as they are? You most likely operate out of acceptance.

The beauty of the Scale of Consciousness is that you can quickly visualize where you are at any given moment. Every thought you have, every word you speak, every action you take, every emotion you experience falls somewhere on this scale. What the scale does is allow you to quickly become aware of your level. Of course, awareness is only the first step to improvement.

Once you are aware of your level of consciousness, you can easily ascertain what a step up is. For example, let's say that you recognize fear as being a primary driver in your life. If you can learn to utilize some of that fear to create a strong desire to make things better, you will actually move up the scale.

Dr. Hawkins says that there is nothing magical about any of the levels and that we all have access to all of them all the time. We have the ability to jump to any level at any point in time. It truly is within us, we just have to make the choice! 

To be sure, making the choice can be difficult. You probably know how it feels to get mad about something and then just want to stay mad for a little while about it. Sometimes we really don't want to advance in our level of consciousness. But, the choice to advance is always present. Our only barrier is our own ego.

So, where are you right now on the Scale of Consciousness?

Consciousness Levels of Power

 "Power is total and complete in and of itself..." - David R. Hawkins

Thus far, we have discussed at a high level the difference between Power and force, and we have also talked about the consciousness levels of force. In this post, I want to delve into the levels of consciousness that are represented by Power. Once again, I have displayed the Scale of Consciousness table below for your reference.

Notice that the scale is broken into two main parts: Force at the bottom, and Power at the top. To reiterate, those emotions and actions associated with force tend to take away from life; they are generally destructive in nature. On the other hand, levels of Power tend to give life and energy; they are constructive in nature.

According to David Hawkins in his seminal work Power vs. Force, consciousness level 200 (courage) is the first non-destructive level on the scale. Courage is the level people operate at when they have drive to try new things. This is the level where people become excited about life. Whereas the levels below 200 are about frustration, anger, bitterness, etc., the level of courage is the first level people begin to let go of those negative emotions and embrace life fully.

At 250, neutrality takes hold. This is the level where people begin to realize that holding on to strong opinions and positions is what brings so much suffering. Those at neutrality see most issues not as something to take a side on but rather something to behold for what it is. Neutrality is marked by confidence and emotional stability.

Willingness (310) is the level of high self-esteem. Those who are willing are able to make the most of any and every situation in life. They don't feel like victims when things don't go their way. Instead, they find a way to move forward constructively.

At the level of acceptance (350), a person has learned to live in harmony with life around them. Rather than trying to change things, they accept everything for what it is. Those who operate from a state of acceptance understand that happiness and joy are simply emotions they can choose to have or not have. They are not dependent on any outside elements for these things.

Most of the United States and other western nations operate at the level of reason, which is 400 - 499. Reason is the level that encompasses science, math, logic, etc. Many great scientists and philosophers operated primarily in the range of reason. Knowledge, understanding, information, data, etc. are all important to those who operate from reason. Because of the finiteness of the human mind and the vast amount of knowledge available, Dr. Hawkins says few people transcend reason to reach higher levels of consciousness since they tend to spend an enormous amount of time rationalizing and reasoning through ideas and thoughts. Once a person is honed in on logic and reason, it can be quite difficult to go beyond these to the higher levels of consciousness.

When one does transcend reason, they come to a level of love (500). Love in this sense refers to a deep sense of caring, nurturing, support, forgiveness, etc. It is not an infatuation as we so often see portrayed in movies and television, rather it is an unconditional way of living that supersedes any external factors. David Hawkins describes it as a way of being.

As love grows deeper in one's life, one finds that they reach a state of immense joy that is also independent of external factors. This joy (level 540) often shows up in people as genuine compassion and perseverance in the face of prolonged adversity and trials. People who operate at the level of joy truly are unswayed by things going on around them - both good and bad. This is the level where we start to find saints and other great spiritual leaders.

At level 600 we find true peace. The Bible speaks of a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4), and that is what the 600s are all about. Many who get to this level of consciousness describe being in a state of bliss. Sometimes people who have an enormously transformative life experience, such as a near death experience, end up at this level or even higher. This is a peace that (like joy) cannot be perturbed by events in one's life.

The levels between 700 and 1000 are said to be levels of enlightenment. Obviously, the higher one goes on this scale, the fewer people one finds. In the 700-1000 range, only a few individuals in the entire history of mankind have managed to reach such heights. David Hawkins describes these levels as being closely associated with the Divine. People at these levels discover that they are not really an individual self but rather part of a much larger entity that encompasses all. He also makes a point that only a handful of individuals has ever reached the level of 1000, which is considered the highest that a human can go. According to Dr. Hawkins, Jesus, the Buddha, and Krishna and maybe one or two others have reached this level of consciousness.

Now that we have briefly reviewed the various levels of consciousness, we will next take a look at how you can apply these to your every day life.