You begin to develop self-discipline and willpower and learn the importance of sticking to a task till the end. No longer are you satisfied with complacency – you strive to do your best at whatever task you’ve undertaken. Seeing life as one big possibility is the cornerstone of those operating here. Those people around you that are perpetual optimists – this is their level of consciousness. You realize the possibilities but don’t make the sacrifices required to reach a higher level. At this level, you are satisfied with your current life situation and tend not to have a lot of motivation towards self improvement or excellence in your career. To be neutral, you are, for the most part, unattached to outcomes.
#Steve hawkins map of consciousness how to
This is what makes you inherently human: the realization that there is a gap between stimulus and response and that you have the potential to choose how to respond. This empowerment leads you to the realization that you are a steward unto yourself, and that you alone are in charge of your own growth and success.
Courage is where you see that you don’t need to be tossed to and fro by your external conditions. It is the first level where you are not taking life energy from those around you. It is also the source of racism, nationalism, and religious fanaticism. It’s dependent upon external conditions such as wealth, position or power. In comparison to Shame and Guilt, one begins to feel positive here. This anger can cause us to move out of this level or keep us here.Īccording to Hawkins, since the majority of people are below this point, this is the level that most people aspire to. Desire which is not fulfilled leads to frustration which brings us to Anger. This is the level of addiction to such things as sex, money, prestige, or power.Īs one moves out of Apathy to Grief and then out of Fear, they begin to want. Although desire can be an impetus for change, the downside is that it leads to enslavement to ones appetites. Suspicion and defensiveness are common.ĭesire is a major motivator for much of our society. There is a sense of paranoia here, where you think everyone is out to get you. People living under dictatorship rule or those involved in an abusive relationship find themselves at this level. This is the level where you feel all your opportunities have passed you by. However, having this as your primary level of consciousness, you live a life of constant regret and remorse. Many of us have felt this at times of tragedy in our lives. At this level, one has abdicated themselves to their current situation and feels numb to life around them. The level of hopelessness and despair this is the common consciousness found among those who are homeless or living in poverty. When one is stuck in this level, feelings of worthlessness and an inability to forgive oneself are common. Not too far from shame is the level of guilt. Those who suffer from sexual abuse are often found here, and without therapy they tend to remain here.
It’s not surprising that this level, being so close to death, is where most thoughts of suicide are found. At this level, the primary emotion one feels is humiliation.
It is here where I would like to explain these different levels and hopefully inspire you to move beyond your current state.Īccording to Hawkins, this is one step above death. He claims that, although there may be times when we function at different levels of consciousness, we in general operate at one particular level. The positive levels are: courage, neutrality, willingness, acceptance, reason, love, joy, peace, enlightenment. The negative levels from the lowest to the highest are: shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, pride. These levels can be divided into positive energy-giving levels and negative energy-taking levels. These levels determine the reason why people behave the way they do. Hawkins, using applied kinesiology tests, was able to determine the different levels of consciousness in which we as individuals function. I just recently read a book written by David Hawkins entitled, Power vs.