The Scale of Consciousness was created by Dr. David Hawkins and is described in his book Power vs. Force. It offers a 'shortcut' so to speak to understanding where you are on the path of awakening. It is a scale from 1-1000, describing the different stages of awakening (a higher number is a higher Level of Consciousness).
It can be really helpful to your spiritual path to discern which Level of Consciousness (LOC) you tend to be at (many people fluctuate within a general range). At each LOC category there are common blocks that are encountered, that prevent the spiritual seeker from reaching the next level so it helps to understand what will help you the most to continue to become more conscious.
At the time Power vs. Force was written, muscle testing research showed most people only raised their vibration by a few points in a whole lifetime - but huge jumps in consciousness are possible and made a lot easier by knowing about the Scale!
What are the benefits to knowing about the Levels of Consciousness?
Learning about the LOCs can be really validating - people who live consistently at higher Levels of Consciousness are often misunderstood by society at large and sometimes within their own communities.
You never know when you may suddenly experience a big leap in consciousness! There are few resources out there on how to understand suddenly being thrown into the 'very advanced' stages of awakening. Reading about the highest LOCs (states of being) the human body can experience is enormously useful, so that if anything 'wild' happens you have some context and something to refer back to and help you integrate. Psychology does not yet have a context to understand intense spiritual experience such as genuine psychic phenomenon, miracles etc. These are acknowledged in Dr. David Hawkins's work and his personal experience, explained as a natural consequence of realising our oneness with all of creation.
Understanding the pillars of authentic awakening can help prevent spiritual decline - most people miss profound opportunities in their lives to attain higher Levels of Consciousness and fall into lower LOCs than they used to be for months or years at a time. These dips can be completely avoided!
Helps you to recognise authentic spiritual teachers and communities, to discern who can genuinely help you on your path
Raising your LOC can be helpful to resolving physical health issues, and in people with serious illnesses, higher LOCs may be required to bring the body into balance to heal from a health challenge.
The Levels of Consciousness:
Levels below 200 - destructive levels
The levels below 200 are 'unconscious', and create an energy field of net negativity. All persons at a LOC below 200 have an overall negative impact on the world around them. This negative energy is also harmful to the self, both spiritually and to the physical body. From the lowest LOC to up to 199 on the Scale are: shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire anger and pride. At these levels, the cause of 'problems' is considered to be external - someone or something that needs to change, not the person or their outlook themselves. The narcissistic core of the ego is very strong at these levels. Until this century, society's collective LOC was below 200.
Bear in mind these are states of being, not emotions. Feeling ashamed, angry, sad etc does *not* mean that you have a low Level of Consciousness on the Scale.
Because my work will be largely unappealing to people below 200, I won't go into detail about the negative LOCs here - but they are described in more detail in Dr David Hawkins' books.
200 - Courage
200 is the level at which one's motivation becomes positive at the level of Courage. The reader of this material is highly likely to be above 200 since a sincere attempt to advance spiritually always calibrates above 200.
The level of Courage at 200 is the first level where muscle testing subjects 'go strong' - this LOC and above have a positive effect on the human body. It is the beginning of responding to life's challenges with determination, for example learning new job skills or furthering one's education. At 200 the person gives to society as much as they take - you could describe them as 'karmically neutral'. One of the blocks to raising consciousness from this Level is that people at this LOC are prone to black and white thinking and rigidity.
250 - Neutrality
At Neutrality, flexibility and a non-judgemental attitude arise. Hawkins typified the attitude of this level with: "well if I don't get this job, then l'll get another". There is an approach to life of trusting things will be okay if one goes with the flow and keeps going. People at this LOC appreciate freedom and have let go of desire to control others or to prove themselves.
310 - Willingness
Willingness is the level where genuine desire for participation for the good of society is a key motivation in one's life. Friendliness, willingness to learn and put in hard work to make progress, and concern for others' wellbeing arise. Partly due to generally positive feedback from society from people operating at this Level of Consciousness, self esteem tends to be high. (From around the mid-400s, the collective unconscious is more likely to feel intimidated by the person's spiritual progress so positive feedback is often less consistent). Deeper self honesty emerges around this level - being able to look at one's 'mistakes' and learn how to be 'a better person' (*the idea of being a 'better person' contains an illusion within itself, but this is how the idea is perceived mentally from this LOC).
350 - Acceptance
Acceptance is the level where one takes responsibility for one's life as the main creator of one's 'destiny'. Happiness is begun to be understood as something created from within - naturally, as a result of this understanding, the person experiences increased emotional calm.
People at this level tend to be highly committed to positive long term goals such as career aspirations or ethical parenting. At this LOC, equality of all people is valued - discrimination and intolerance have been let go of. At the Level of Acceptance and above, one tends to reflect at least periodically on how society has been in some ways 'insane' and can envision how various systems (e.g. education, the workforce) could work better for the good of humanity. At this LOC and above it is likely the person has some interest in exploring religion or spirituality because they have begun to re-write their worldview and ask deeper questions.
400 - Reason
At 400, the skills of the left brain are increasingly valued and utilised. This is the level of intelligence and rationality, complex abstract reasoning and the scientific method. Knowledge and scientific discovery is highly valued - that which can be verified by data, analysis, comprehension etc. If these ways of thinking are applied within useful contexts, they can lead to breakthroughs that greatly benefit society. Many famous inventors and genius discoverers themselves calibrated at this LOC e.g. Einstein - 499.
A challenge of this level is that the person can end up being caught up in details, and lose sight of the big picture, or miss the limitations of what can be proven or explored with the linear mind. For example applying the scientific method is great for the technical world but cannot handle all facets of life - such as factoring in human considerations such as love, kindness, emotional factors, spirituality, assessment of morality and that which cannot be 'analysed in a lab'. Wisdom is sometimes in recognising that which cannot be 'proven'. Getting caught up with a left brain dominant worldview at this level is often a major block to further spiritual progress.
If one understands the limitations of left brained thinking, the person at this LOC can be highly curious and open minded, perceptive and quick to spot useful patterns between seemingly unrelated phenomena. There is often a deep interest in psychology, philosophy etc at this level.
A sincere spiritual seeker at 400+ grasps new concepts quickly, and rationality paired with devotion to spiritual awakening leads to an unbiased appraisal, where one is able to reflect impartially on one's own ego and recognise innovative ways to address one's unhelpful coping mechanisms.
500 - Love
Love, the state of being, independent of emotions of passion, is actualised in this stage. All life is seen as sacred - lovingness is a way of being in and relating to the world that affects all interactions from connecting to a lover or close friend, to the way one treats a stranger. The core value of this level is kindness. Selfish desires, when they arise and are recognised, are voluntarily surrendered and transformed into compassion. At this level the heart emanates a powerful frequency, and the person may be described as having a healing or soothing presence. Fun fact - a cat's purr calibrates at 500!
At this LOC a person will likely have many viscerally felt experiences of 'the heart opening' - where the area around the heart feels full, alive, radiant, and a sense of infinite compassion flows, as if the person could hold the whole world within their heart. The capacity for empathy at this Level can feel enormously vast.
One of the core realisations of this level is recognising the inherent innocence of every person at birth - that trauma and conditioning from the collective unconscious of society shapes each person until they are awake enough to differentiate this conditioning from Truth. The person at the level of Love is able to look at the unpleasant behaviours of others and see the scared inner child beneath - able to 'make sense' of people society judges or people who hurt them personally.
There is a deep desire to genuinely love unconditionally - but in practice challenges arise such as feeling the pain of abandonment, injustice etc. Nevertheless, love is so deeply established within one's motivations that at 500 and above that the person makes a determined effort to transcend being influenced by any remaining conditioning (e.g. letting go of judgment and working through anger towards forgiveness) and to choose most loving path the person can perceive.
There is an inner dedication to the relief of suffering of others - both close connections and improving the condition of the world. Humanitarian considerations are seen as more important than impersonal factors such as profit.
With practice the person develops a calm tolerance towards the human condition and the predicament of unconsciousness. Out of this comes many loving intentions such as to teach those who are open to listening, to understand, to reach win-win solutions in relationships and to care for one's own body and mind with the same compassion one has for others. Ironically the compassion for oneself can be slower to develop - a potential pitfall at this level is spending one's loving energy unwisely and giving more than one has the capacity to - which can lead to burnout and resentment.
The key to moving from this level and the next level towards the 600s is cultivating discernment. Thankfully this is assisted by the third eye beginning to open by this level, which often manifests as 'aha moments' - intuitive revelations such as about life itself, relational dynamics or one's personal behaviour or thoughts.
540 - Joy
This level was considered by Hawkins to be the level of saints, spiritual healers and advanced spiritual students. Joy in this sense does not describe happiness because of pleasure, but an underlying quality that accompanies all of one's activities like a gentle stream. This quality of joy is unconditional - not joyful because of an event but the joy of Being. This does not mean someone at this level is always happy, but that there is an underlying inner source of lightness and brightness that pervades even in times of challenge. At this LOC there is a profound ability to persist with a positive attitude when experiencing continued adversity.
All human beings who attain this LOC consistently for a few weeks or longer begin to experience a profound personal relationship with divine energy / creation / God / (insert word of choice). Miracles also begin to make sense as perfectly natural phenomena, a natural side effect of the vast intelligence of creation and our nature as part of an energetically governed universe. There is an inner serenity that arises from this feeling and knowing that everything is complete, and filled with God/divine energy.
Near death experiences are one gateway through which some people ascend to this LOC in a short time.
600 - Peace
This is the level where non-duality begins.
In terms of enlightenment, once one reaches this LOC, there is a good chance a person may become fully enlightened within the lifetime because at 600, your will and divine
will become one.
At 600 and above, reality is experienced as emanating from an infinite field of intelligent energy which is experienced as of primary importance over any temporary happenings. Worldly activities become uninteresting unless they serve a greater purpose such as serving others, or renewing oneself, caring for the physical vessel.
At this level, 'self love' comes naturally as paradoxically the 'self' is seen as a temporary form, and the consciousness beneath becomes evident to be the true essence. The body is seen as a sacred vehicle through which to have experiences and so respect for the physical vessel is natural - lifestyle choices of the person reflect this. Intuition is also heightened at this level from the last and there is a clear sense of what is expansive vs. contractive - an ability to listen attentively to the body's signals of what honours it emotionally. This is the LOC at which boundaries and saying no becomes intuitive and natural.
As the intuitive senses expand, daily revelations are commonplace - religious or spiritual scripture becomes unnecessary to instruct the person, although it may be a helpful and enjoyable addition. However, the essence of awakening is already grasped without any form of external instruction. At this level one can see the underlying essence of all religions is the same and all are paths to truth - if the person had a formal religion, their understanding of it now expands. There is a felt Presence of God which pervades - direct relationship with truth becomes the source of knowledge and motivation.
700 - Beginning of Enlightenment
At 700 and above there is the experience of complete oneness with all of creation. Altered states of consciousness become commonplace and there is a sense of lightness and inner warmth that emanates within as the truth of the statement 'this moment is perfect' is understood.
A divine trust in God emerges, as all things are seen to happen through divine energy and at this level this energy can now be interpreted by the higher mind. Things make sense through spontaneous revelation such as why something 'worked/or didn't work' and the multifaceted motivations of the self or others' actions are often decipherable. This is the level of consciousness at which you can reliably look at two people who on paper did the exact some thing and know 'this person did it for selfless service and this other person was mostly motivated by a desire for applause'.
When this level is new to the person, they may at first doubt their own intuitions, but if they remain at this LOC over time, evidence with their own eyes will prove beyond doubt that their perceptions are accurate and coming from beyond anything the rational mind could compute. This siddhi (miraculous ability) indicates the person has achieved stillness of mind and presence to a profound degree.
At this LOC the simplicity of enlightenment becomes 'obvious' to the person - revelations may include that a person never needs to 'struggle' to be 'good' since goodness is an inherent quality that reveals itself by giving oneself grace, and that there are infinite paths to awakening.
Since the ego is mostly released, surrender is usually very pleasant. Hawkins said: 'By alignment with surrender to being a channel of God’s will, one’s life thereby becomes transformed into a prayer by which one is that prayer'.
Every person at this level is a teacher by essence - their natural everyday speech teaches fundamental spiritual truths even if they never formally teach. As for the seeker who advances to this level, very few spiritual teachers in the world can guide someone who is already at 700 - the process now is likely to be almost entirely self-led unless a teacher of a higher vibration is found.
800
A further transformation in consciousness occurs such that a person at LOC 800 sees all beings as on their path of awakening, no matter how 'unawakened' they may be.
Noticing with neutrality where the light (and where the shadow) exists within each person in the present moment becomes natural and can appear as psychic phenomena.
The illusion of form is also further dissolved: What once seemed solid dissolves into a perception of energy - moving, vibrating systems that interact and this realisation is accompanied by indescribable awe and bliss.
By this stage personal relationships have become completely secondary to furthering one's own awakening. It is very common for the person to withdraw from the world if they have not done so at an earlier stage e.g. into a monestary, remote cave etc although some have personal karma that it is most of service not to do so.
Although the person is deeply connected to divine energy and the nature of reality, relationships with loved ones may at first temporarily become more distant because others may have difficulty adjusting to the 'new person' in front of them - for they are no longer concerned with personhood at all. The person at 800+ may recognise that the outer world still has expectations towards them which make no sense from the point of view of divinity - how does one interact as an embodiment of divine love and have compassion for the ego-perceptions of others, without enabling them to fall into the 'traps' of unconsciousness? The condundrum of how to be of the greatest service can only be 'solved' by the non-linear perspective of higher Levels of Consciousness.
Relating to a being of this Level or above is a different 'ball game' since they are able to decipher the true intentions of others, the essence behind the words accurately. Thus, when they have a conversation they are in fact having two conversations - one with the other person and one with their connection to the infinite field of intelligence, which is informing them (perhaps through clairaudience, clairsentience etc) whether the verbal conversation and the vibrational conversation are the same. (For example a person saying they are pleased could be hiding their anger). Though you cannot 'hide' from a being at this level, all actions are seen through the eyes of love. There is no judgment - a being at this level could know everything 'bad' you have ever done and still see your inner beauty unconditionally.
900
Often people at this Level will describe reality as moving in slow motion, vibrant and alive, beyond dazzling. Everything is a radiant field of aliveness, perfect and complete.
At this stage there is a full realisation of one's inherent divinity (and that of every living being). God and self are no longer seen as separate. Divinity is simply one's natural disposition when all illusion has been removed. This is the level of the full understanding of the statement: 'I cannot be more than I am, because I am inherently whole'.
Awakening is now observed as a natural and inevitable process, like evolution or growth from child to adult (only some people are moving more slowly through this process than others). This neutrality helps the person to witness the suffering of the world through acceptance. There is a seeming paradox where the person may appear to 'care less' about the fate of the world, and yet their energy field emanates a vast and unconditional love which has a profound positive effect on the collective consciousness.
From this 'zoomed out' perspective, one can see that both:
- Suffering in the world is inevitable and not everyone will awaken within their lifetime (and therefore be willing to take the neccesary steps to help themselves out of suffering).
- The best way to help reduce the suffering of the world is to become totally impartial to who one helps, and how.
At this level there is an immunity to bias of any kind - the individual will choose whatever is best for humanity, whether this pleases or displeases their loved ones, their culture etc. The person can now discern where their energy is best spent to support the process of humanity awakening, so that the least suffering occurs along the way - how to be the greatest embodiment of love with one's unique soul and karmic predicament.
1000 - complete enlightenment
The final experiential realisation of this level is 'all but love is an illusion'. This is the highest LOC the human being can live out on Earth, that of of complete enlightenment. It muscle tests as absolute truth that Jesus, Buddha, and the few who have reached this LOC will be joined by thousands more completely 'enlightened masters' over the next century as humanity inevitably awakens due to the increased vibration of the Earth itself and many other factors.
At 1000, attachment to one's human life is transcended; There is a complete willingness to die at any moment if that would best serve the collective. There is an absolute knowing that death is not the end and that consciousness continues so death is no longer something to fear. Many miraculous occurrences will have happened in a person's life by this point that demonstrate the vastness of consciousness and eternal nature of love. Even the death of such a person is surrounded by a deep sense of completion, harmony and even bliss - usually many people will feel that the person left Earth in perfect peace, having done all that their soul was here to do.