8 stages of consciousness
Greetings to a topic I'm deeply passionate about: the intersection of scientific inquiry into consciousness, blending the realms of psychospiritual exploration with the precision of scientific methodology...
Frequently alluding to "levels of consciousness" in my discussions, I felt it was necessary to provide these levels with a tangible context.
There are numerous valid models existing in the study of consciousness, such as Jean Gebser's 5-layer model (archaic, magic, mythic, rational, and integral), Clare Graves' 9-layer model (instinctive, clannish, egocentric, purposeful, strategic, relativistic, systemic, holistic, unknown), and Ken Wilber's 4-layer model (egocentric, ethnocentric, world-centric, integral) and all of them are valid and interesting.
In this discussion, I focus on a consolidated model presented by Justin Faerman in his research paper, "Mapping the Evolution of Consciousness: A Holistic Framework for Psychospiritual Development" (link).
The simplified version used in this article aims to provide an accessible introduction to this intriguing topic.
The simplified model I present here has 8 stages and they are as follow:
- I am a victim of my circumstances
- I take control of the situation
- I shift from a victim mentality to a creator mindset
- I recognize the perfection in all things
- I surrender to a greater intelligence
- I create reality through being
- I perceive infinite potential
- I transcending physical reality
IMPORTANT: "States" and "stages" of consciousness are interconnected yet different. Individuals can experience different "states" ( a short experience) within various "stages" in a single day. For instance, someone might achieve a high "state" of consciousness (within stage 8) through psychedelic use. Through practice and over time, individuals can establish themselves at a specific "stage", making it their default mode of operation. Many individuals mistakenly believe they have reached a particular stage when, in reality, they have only experienced a temporary state or a brief glimpse, merely scratching the surface of that stage. The difference between state and stage can be also understood as integration.
And I have included a more detailed description of each stages:
Level 1: I am a victim of my circumstances
- Life happens to me / I perceive life as external; I lack control / Fear and hopelessness dominate my existence / I am a victim and I feel disempowered and conform and comply to circumstances.
Level 2: I take control of the situation
- Life happens by me / I realize I have some degree of control / I develop a heavy control addiction to feel safe / I become a control freak / I hoard resources (like money) for a sense of security / I must improve myself: Self discipline / Spiritual bypass
Level 3: I shift from a victim mentality to a creator mindset
- Life happens in me / I recognize the link between my perceptions, beliefs, and life's conditions / I actively contribute to shaping my reality / I feel empowered, / I take responsibility / I have emotional maturity / I can now heal and grow
Level 4: I recognize the perfection in all things
- Life happens for me / Chaos reveals itself as a vast, intelligently organized order / Gratitude replaces fear; I embrace non-action / I appreciate being exactly where I am in life.
Level 5: I surrender to a greater intelligence
- Life happens through me / My life is the process through which the Universe unfolds / I live according to life’s will, not just personal desires / My beliefs and emotions shape the world / Self-love guides me; I embrace authenticity and vulnerability / I surrender to what is
Level 6: I create reality through being
- Life is me / There is no reality independent of consciousness, hence consciousness is the causative factor / Consciousness creates reality / My inner experience is not a result of outer reality but the opposite, my inner experience creates the outer reality / I can manifest what I want
Level 7: I perceive infinite potential
- I am infinite / There is no separation between consciousness and matter, matter is manifested consciousness / We live in a field of potential and consciousness gives it it's form / Whatever your mind can conceive can indeed exist / I can help other manifest what they want
Level 8: I transcending physical reality
- I am energy / Consciousness transcends physical limitations, it is a non-local field of energy that is Quantum in nature / I am life itself, a manifestation of the universe's will / I am a conduit for manifesting life's desires.
I will leave this text as a reference for other share in order to keep short. Yet just embrace the following questions to get yourself familiar with the structure:
1- What is the most common level of consciousness in today's world?
2- Where do you place yourself in this evaluation scale?
3 -What is the stage of consciousness we need to get us out of Co-Dependency and Victim Consciousness?
Infinite Love
Los Angeles, October 9, 2023
(ps: answer tot the first question is level 2, the majority of human organizations are based on creating fear -level 1- in order to offer control -level 2- as a solution. The answer to the third question is level 3).