Levels of consciousness
Encyclopedia
Consciousness
is a loosely defined concept that addresses the human awareness
of both internal and external stimuli. This can refer to spiritual recognition, psychological understanding, medically altered states, or more modern-day concepts of life purpose, satisfaction, and self-actualization.
Most theories map consciousness in a series of levels, some stages of which are more continuous or complex than others. Movement between stages is often bidirectional depending on internal and external conditions, with each mental ascension precipitating a change in reactivity. In the most basic sense, this alteration might lead to a reduced responsiveness as seen in anesthesiology; more abstract facets of tiered consciousness describe characteristics of profoundness, insight
, perception
, or understanding
.
First appearing in the historical records of the ancient Mayan and Incan civilizations, various theories of multiple levels of consciousness have pervaded spiritual, psychological, medical, and moral speculations in both Eastern and Western
cultures. Because of occasional and sometimes substantial overlap between hypotheses
, there have recently been attempts to combine perspectives to form new models that integrate components of separate viewpoints.
thought since the dawn of its civilization around 2000 BCE. Shamans and priests defined consciousness as an awareness of being aware, commonly referred to as a branch of metacognition
. Because consciousness incorporates stimuli from the environment as well as internally, the Mayans believed it to be the most basic form of existence.
This existence, which they referred to as a loose translation of Cosmos
, was made up of nine underworlds, depicted concretely through the nine-storied Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent
in Chichen Itza
, the Temple of the Jaguar
in Tikal
, and the Temple of the Inscriptions
in Palenque
. Within these nine underworlds are a specified "day" and "night", symbolizing periods of enlightenment, increased consciousness, and a heightened ability to interact with the universe.
A common cause for debate is the exponentially accelerating dates separating each level of consciousness, where each stage occurs roughly 20 times faster than the previous one.
considered it a progression of awareness and concern for others, similar to the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.
cultures.
, as the first sound produced after the world was created. Within Christianity
this concept can be likened to the first words of Genesis regarding the holiness of the Word.
meditation practices as well as the teachings of Vedanta
and Tantra
emphasize the importance of self-realization
, a concept that has become increasingly popular in Western philosophy after Abraham Maslow's
and Carl Rogers's
research in Humanistic Psychology
.
In particular, the Advaita Vedanta
school of Hindu philosophy
has been a topic of extensive study in both Eastern and Western cultures for its tiered depiction of the steps toward attaining self-realization. Unlike the unidirectional nature of Mayan, Inca, and ancient shamanic perspectives, however, this particular belief structure arranges the attainment of oneness with AUM through rows and domains, each of which constitutes a fragment of this vibratory sound.
Similarly, the seven levels of consciousness defined by modern-day OM mantras strive to reach Absolute Reality through the same four realms described in the Advaita Vedanta, with three transitional tiers in between each.
The ancient Indian Vedas
texts have lent a comparable view of unified consciousness, with a key difference in the purpose of human ascension from stage to stage. Instead of oneness with the universe, the Vedic vision of consciousness emphasizes the importance of attaining knowledge and pure intelligence.
The Ananda Sangha movement has evolved following the teachings of the late yogi and guru Paramhansa Yogananda. Compared to the multi-dimensional theories of consciousness in shamanic and OM mantra perspectives, this particular ideological faction stresses simplicity rather than detail.
theories within the particular field of psychoanalysis
, one of the most popular theories of consciousness was proposed by Sigmund Freud
, who described three facets of the psychic apparatus
: the unconscious (id) or instinctual facet, the preconscious (ego) or rational facet, and the conscious (superego) or moral facet.
G. William Farthing discusses Freud's findings on consciousness with particular emphasis on the basic concept, characteristics, and states of consciousness to create a purely psychotherapeutic
approach toward awareness of internal and external stimuli. Andrzej Kokoszka, on the other hand, bridges the separation between psychology and medicine by listing relaxation, sleep, meditation, and hypnosis as the four central tiers of responsiveness.
Although not unlike the Vedic vision of consciousness as a form of intelligence
, Jean Piaget's
theory of cognitive development is not commonly considered a form of knowledge awareness but instead as the evolution of the brain's capacity for thought throughout the human lifespan.
(ALC) theory is one such measure, in which a person's arousability and responsiveness to environmental stimuli are classified by their behavioral response.
Although many such ALC tests take place in hospital settings, the primary evaluation of patient alertness is the Glasgow Coma Scale, which separates levels of consciousness from standard conscious awareness to a coma
tose state.
Recent hypotheses have incorporated these ALC theories into the psychopathological study of schizophrenia
, suggesting that each altered level of awareness is connected to a degree of suffering or shock experienced by the patient. As the situation increases in seriousness, patients will descend to lower levels of consciousness and consequentially lose the capacity to cry, to smile, or to exhibit a wide range of emotions when reacting to the environment.
In more physiologically based studies, scientists have found that while the reticular formation
controls alertness, wakefulness, and arousal in the brain, many mental responses to internal and external stimuli are dictated through signals relayed to and from the thalamus. Propofol and other consciousness-altering drugs are therefore antagonists of thalamus activity, possibly leading to a drug-induced comatose state.
The applicability of this tiered system can be generalized to rank objects, events, and entire societies rather than just individual people. Barrett hypothesizes that the average human being can fluctuate naturally between levels due to environmental effects, including media, people, places, material objects, food, and awareness of world events.
, hypothesized the existence of four tiers of extrasensory awareness. Beyond being more applicable to internal states rather than reactions to the external environment, these stages contrast markedly with the previously mentioned modern theories through their emphasis on humankind's immediate interactions. Gibson does not focus on life progression or individual power to move between levels, but rather on momentary instances of personal experience.
, a psychologically based theory that unifies various interpretations of main altered states of awareness into a single meta-theory, or a hypothesis about an already existing hypothesis. In this case, Leary and Wilson state that the altered levels of consciousness
defined in medical fields are products of eight differing brain structures within the human nervous system.
This concept not only connects psychology and the more medically focused studies of neurology
and biology, but also incorporates elements of sociology, anthropology, physics, chemistry, and advanced mathematical formulas. Furthermore, critics argue that the inspiration for his theory stems at least indirectly from the Hindu chakra
system.
In summary, Morin concludes that from the many concepts discussed above it is near impossible to settle for only one theory without accepting at least a fraction of another. Although each hypothesis has been debated either in scientific or more spiritually focused literature, she states that consciousness is related most directly to the subjective perception of self-recognition and language, both of which are determined by culture and our external environment as a whole.
became known for his research into altered consciousness
and "out-of-body experience
". His book 1985 "Far Journeys" was showed numerous levels of consciousness and Infinite expansion of consciousness.
“The plants exist on levels of consciousness from one through seven. They are on a vibrational rate on the levels one through seven. It is the same pattern.
Animals exist on the levels of consciousness from eight through fourteen, and when a person attains, when a consciousness attains level fourteen, it can no longer go any higher unless it is willing to change its form of consciousness.
Levels of consciousness from fifteen through twenty-one are what you call human life on this earth.
When a person progresses to level of consciousness twenty one, he then has the choice of going higher or staying within the realm of human form, but he cannot go higher unless he is willing to give up human form.”
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
is a loosely defined concept that addresses the human awareness
Awareness
Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of...
of both internal and external stimuli. This can refer to spiritual recognition, psychological understanding, medically altered states, or more modern-day concepts of life purpose, satisfaction, and self-actualization.
Most theories map consciousness in a series of levels, some stages of which are more continuous or complex than others. Movement between stages is often bidirectional depending on internal and external conditions, with each mental ascension precipitating a change in reactivity. In the most basic sense, this alteration might lead to a reduced responsiveness as seen in anesthesiology; more abstract facets of tiered consciousness describe characteristics of profoundness, insight
Insight
Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect in a specific context. Insight can be used with several related meanings:*a piece of information...
, perception
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
, or understanding
Understanding
Understanding is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to deal adequately with that object....
.
First appearing in the historical records of the ancient Mayan and Incan civilizations, various theories of multiple levels of consciousness have pervaded spiritual, psychological, medical, and moral speculations in both Eastern and Western
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
cultures. Because of occasional and sometimes substantial overlap between hypotheses
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
, there have recently been attempts to combine perspectives to form new models that integrate components of separate viewpoints.
History
Although many cultures have incorporated theories of the layered consciousness into their belief structure, particularly for spiritual means before the separation of church and state within any given civilization, the Ancient Mayans were among the first to propose an organized sense of each level, its purpose, and its temporal connection to humankind.Mayans
The pyramid of consciousness has defined MayanMaya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
thought since the dawn of its civilization around 2000 BCE. Shamans and priests defined consciousness as an awareness of being aware, commonly referred to as a branch of metacognition
Metacognition
Metacognition is defined as "cognition about cognition", or "knowing about knowing." It can take many forms; it includes knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for learning or for problem solving...
. Because consciousness incorporates stimuli from the environment as well as internally, the Mayans believed it to be the most basic form of existence.
This existence, which they referred to as a loose translation of Cosmos
Cosmos
In the general sense, a cosmos is an orderly or harmonious system. It originates from the Greek term κόσμος , meaning "order" or "ornament" and is antithetical to the concept of chaos. Today, the word is generally used as a synonym of the word Universe . The word cosmos originates from the same root...
, was made up of nine underworlds, depicted concretely through the nine-storied Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent
El Castillo, Chichen Itza
;El Castillo , also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatán...
in Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Municipality of Tinúm, Yucatán state, present-day Mexico....
, the Temple of the Jaguar
Tikal Temple I
Tikal Temple I is the designation given to one of the major structures at Tikal, one of the largest cities and archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Mesoamerica. It is located in the Petén Basin region of northern Guatemala...
in Tikal
Tikal
Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala...
, and the Temple of the Inscriptions
Temple of the Inscriptions
The Temple of the Inscriptions is the largest Mesoamerican stepped pyramid structure at the pre-Columbian Maya civilization site of Palenque, located in the modern-day state of Chiapas, Mexico. The structure was specifically built as the funerary monument for K'inich Janaab' Pakal, ajaw or ruler of...
in Palenque
Palenque
Palenque was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date back to 100 BC to its fall around 800 AD...
. Within these nine underworlds are a specified "day" and "night", symbolizing periods of enlightenment, increased consciousness, and a heightened ability to interact with the universe.
| Cycle | First Year | Consciousness Developed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular | 16.4 billion years ago | Action/Reaction | Developed all physical laws, chemical compounds, star fields, solar systems, and planets |
| Mammalian | 820 million years ago | Stimulus/Response | Individual cells from the Cellular cycle began to develop a survival mechanism with increased consciousness toward stimuli and responses |
| Familial | 41 million years ago | Stimulus/Individual Response | Recognition of individuals and establishment of the family relationship as opposed to herd, school, or flock mentalities |
| Tribal | 2 million years ago | Similarities/Differences | Development of "the mind" to detect similarities and differences in our experience |
| Cultural | 102,000 years ago | (Shared) Reasons | Search for reasons for everything, as a basis of all cultural understanding |
| National | 3115 BCE | Law | Concept of right and wrong |
| Planetary | 1755 CE | Power | Understanding and derivation of power from natural laws |
| Galactic | January 5, 1999 | Ethics | Understanding of ethical matters |
| Universal | February 10, 2011 | Conscious Co-Creation | Achievement of godlike status of all-knowing consciousness |
A common cause for debate is the exponentially accelerating dates separating each level of consciousness, where each stage occurs roughly 20 times faster than the previous one.
Incas
Whereas the Ancient Mayans defined consciousness in almost evolutionary terms, the Inca civilizationInca civilization
The Andean civilizations made up a loose patchwork of different cultures that developed from the highlands of Colombia to the Atacama Desert. The Andean civilizations are mainly based on the cultures of Ancient Peru and some others such as Tiahuanaco. The Inca Empire was the last sovereign...
considered it a progression of awareness and concern for others, similar to the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.
| Level ("Attention") | External Change | Internal Change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Perception of space and time | Awareness of physical body; focus on individual survival | |
| Second | Separate good from evil | Distinguish the self from others | |
| Third | Capable of discrimination | Choice to align with goodness rather than evil | Level of most people |
| Fourth | Reverence toward nature; oneness; against harming others | Decreased attachment to material possessions | |
| Fifth | Ability to heal others in certain circumstances | Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual restoration | Signals the taripay pacha (Incan Day of Judgment) |
| Sixth | Ability to heal others in any condition | No value in individuality; importance of community contribution | |
| Seventh | Teachers of all others | Exemplify four principles of honesty, faithfulness, service, and truthfulness | Revered examples: Jesus of Nazareth, Siddhartha Buddha |
Theories
Although historical views of the separation of consciousness into various layers do not exactly mirror modern-day perspectives, many parallels can be gathered from the overarching themes found in Eastern and WesternWestern culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
cultures.
Eastern perspectives
Many specific similarities have been drawn between Ancient Incan and historical Eastern views of tiered consciousness. Within most Eastern belief structures is the principle of the Cosmos as a joint entity with human awareness. Many branches stress the importance of AUM, also written OmOm
Om is a sacred syllable of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.OM and similar may also refer to:-Music:* Om , a stoner metal band* Om , a 1965 album* OM , a 2006 album* Om...
, as the first sound produced after the world was created. Within Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
this concept can be likened to the first words of Genesis regarding the holiness of the Word.
Historical beliefs
The majority of Eastern perspectives assert that while consciousness originates from the sound of AUM, it has incorporated itself into flesh, which therefore gives humankind the goal of attaining oneness with the universe once more. Unlike Incan tradition, this oneness eliminates the separation of external and internal changes into one general indication of movement from stage to stage, commonly known as the Seven Shamanic Levels of Consciousness.| Consciousness | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Knowledge of the self and of personality | |
| Mankind | Knowledge of human evolution and its experiences | |
| Amphibious | Sense of separate identity between water and land | "Water" and "land" are symbolic of man and earth |
| Spherical | Perceive using the five bodily senses | |
| Crystal | Perceive using emotions, thoughts, and purity | First inorganic level undistorted by bodily senses |
| Light | Attained only by near-death experiences; "tunnel effect" | First level above the human world |
| Sound | Only heard when the mind attunes itself to the world | From the primeval vibration AUM |
Modern-day beliefs
Like the Seven Shamanic Levels of Consciousness, yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
meditation practices as well as the teachings of Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
and Tantra
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
emphasize the importance of self-realization
Self-realization
Self-realization is a self-awakening.Self-realization may also refer to:* Self-Realization Fellowship, worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda...
, a concept that has become increasingly popular in Western philosophy after Abraham Maslow's
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Harold Maslow was an American professor of psychology at Brandeis University, Brooklyn College, New School for Social Research and Columbia University who created Maslow's hierarchy of needs...
and Carl Rogers's
Carl Rogers
Carl Ransom Rogers was an influential American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology...
research in Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic psychology
Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, drawing on the work of early pioneers like Carl Rogers and the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology...
.
Advaita Vedanta
In particular, the Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
school of Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
has been a topic of extensive study in both Eastern and Western cultures for its tiered depiction of the steps toward attaining self-realization. Unlike the unidirectional nature of Mayan, Inca, and ancient shamanic perspectives, however, this particular belief structure arranges the attainment of oneness with AUM through rows and domains, each of which constitutes a fragment of this vibratory sound.
| Row | Level | Realm | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: "A" | Waking | Conscious | External, active conscious |
| 2: "U" | Dreaming | Unconscious | Subtle images and impressions |
| 3: "M" | Deep Sleep | Subconscious | Focus on latent or inactive thought patterns |
| 4: "AUM" | Absolute | Consciousness | Equal permeation of all three levels |
OM Mantra
Similarly, the seven levels of consciousness defined by modern-day OM mantras strive to reach Absolute Reality through the same four realms described in the Advaita Vedanta, with three transitional tiers in between each.
- Between the first ("A") and second ("U") levels is the Unmani, similar to the Western concept of hypnagogiaHypnagogiaHypnagogia is the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep , originally coined in adjectival form as "hypnagogic" by Alfred Maury....
, or the movement from full alertness into stage 1 sleep - Between the second ("U") and third ("M") levels is the Aladani, mirroring ideas of REM sleep
- Between the third ("M") and fourth ("AUM") levels is the Samadhi, or the attainment of deep absorption
The Veda
The ancient Indian Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
texts have lent a comparable view of unified consciousness, with a key difference in the purpose of human ascension from stage to stage. Instead of oneness with the universe, the Vedic vision of consciousness emphasizes the importance of attaining knowledge and pure intelligence.
Ananda Sangha
The Ananda Sangha movement has evolved following the teachings of the late yogi and guru Paramhansa Yogananda. Compared to the multi-dimensional theories of consciousness in shamanic and OM mantra perspectives, this particular ideological faction stresses simplicity rather than detail.
- Subconscious: relatively dim awareness; repository of remembered experiences and consequent mental impressions
- Conscious: rational awareness; guides daily decisions and can be influenced by others; input from the bodily senses
- Superconscious Awareness: intuition and heightened mental clarity; problem and solution are seen as one entity
Western perspectives
Fluctuations in consciousness theories are not particular to Eastern cultures. A surprising degree of overlap can be found within the field of health and social sciences with regard to dulled, standard, and heightened intensities of awareness, both naturally and as a result of injury or disorder.Psychological views
Like many psychologicalPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
theories within the particular field of psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
, one of the most popular theories of consciousness was proposed by Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
, who described three facets of the psychic apparatus
Psychic apparatus
The term psychic apparatus denotes a central, theoretic construct of Freudian metapsychology, wherein:...
: the unconscious (id) or instinctual facet, the preconscious (ego) or rational facet, and the conscious (superego) or moral facet.
G. William Farthing discusses Freud's findings on consciousness with particular emphasis on the basic concept, characteristics, and states of consciousness to create a purely psychotherapeutic
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
approach toward awareness of internal and external stimuli. Andrzej Kokoszka, on the other hand, bridges the separation between psychology and medicine by listing relaxation, sleep, meditation, and hypnosis as the four central tiers of responsiveness.
Although not unlike the Vedic vision of consciousness as a form of intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
, Jean Piaget's
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget was a French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology"....
theory of cognitive development is not commonly considered a form of knowledge awareness but instead as the evolution of the brain's capacity for thought throughout the human lifespan.
Medical and pathological views
Similar to previously mentioned psychological views, medical and pathological perspectives often hypothesize tiered consciousness as a result of disease or disorders. The Altered Levels of ConsciousnessAltered level of consciousness
An altered level of consciousness is any measure of arousal other than normal. Level of consciousness is a measurement of a person's arousability and responsiveness to stimuli from the environment. A mildly depressed level of consciousness may be classed as lethargy; someone in this state can be...
(ALC) theory is one such measure, in which a person's arousability and responsiveness to environmental stimuli are classified by their behavioral response.
Glasgow Coma Scale
Although many such ALC tests take place in hospital settings, the primary evaluation of patient alertness is the Glasgow Coma Scale, which separates levels of consciousness from standard conscious awareness to a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose state.
- Conscious: normal, attentive; oriented to self, place, and mind
- Confused: impaired or slowed thinking; disoriented
- Delirious: disoriented, restless, clear deficit in attention; possible incidence of hallucinations and delusions
- Somnolent: excessive drowsiness; little response to external stimuli
- Obtunded: decreased alertness, slowed motor responses; sleepiness
- Stuporous: conscious but sleep-like state associated with little or no activity; only responsiveness is in reaction to pain
- Comatose: no response to stimuli, cannot be aroused; no gag reflex or pupil response to light
Relationship to schizophrenia
Recent hypotheses have incorporated these ALC theories into the psychopathological study of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, suggesting that each altered level of awareness is connected to a degree of suffering or shock experienced by the patient. As the situation increases in seriousness, patients will descend to lower levels of consciousness and consequentially lose the capacity to cry, to smile, or to exhibit a wide range of emotions when reacting to the environment.
In more physiologically based studies, scientists have found that while the reticular formation
Reticular formation
The reticular formation is a part of the brain that is involved in actions such as awaking/sleeping cycle, and filtering incoming stimuli to discriminate irrelevant background stimuli...
controls alertness, wakefulness, and arousal in the brain, many mental responses to internal and external stimuli are dictated through signals relayed to and from the thalamus. Propofol and other consciousness-altering drugs are therefore antagonists of thalamus activity, possibly leading to a drug-induced comatose state.
Modern-day perspectives
Although many of the previously mentioned theories are still widely held today in various groups, beliefs, and areas of study, a majority of commonly accepted perspectives stem from just the past decade. These hypothesized structures of awareness draw from many historical and early eighteenth- or nineteenth-century theories to form an integrated and overarching generalization of consciousness as a means of determining inner and outer recognition of stimuli.Holder's three levels of consciousness
Derived loosely from his philosophy of the Kung Fu system, Philip Holder offers three levels of consciousness that feature distinct differences in the way in which they are reached.| Level | Definition |
|---|---|
| Spontaneous | The mind can react to the progression of life and does not account for future or past events; therefore, the mind develops an optimistic outlook |
| Calculated | This state reacts to events based on the perception of right and wrong and attempts to direct others accordingly; the mind is focused on achieving what it thinks should happen |
| Imposed | The mind is short sighted and clashes with the opposition; lack of awareness for surroundings amounts to failure in the long term |
Barrett's seven levels of personal consciousness
Similarly, Richard Barrett proposes seven stages of consciousness that progress in a logical order. The progression focuses on “existential” needs directly connected to and dependent on the human condition, all of which are motivating factors for daily interactions.| Reference | Drive |
|---|---|
| Survival | Feel protected or unprotected |
| Relationship | Feel in or out of a group |
| Self-esteem | Feel positive or negative about yourself |
| Transformation | Act out of your true self |
| Internal Cohesion | Find similarities between your views and goals |
| Making a Difference | Align your views with others to make a greater impact |
| Service | Live through voluntary service to meet your personal goals |
Hawkins's Power vs. Force
In his book Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior, David R. Hawkins offers numerous levels of consciousness, which arguably maintain a more specific and psychologically driven perspective of internal awareness than the modern views previously mentioned. The features of each level are explicit enough that individuals can most likely place themselves in a stage depending on their perceived state.- ShameShameShame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
: Close to 'rock bottom'; possibly caused by a life-threatening or traumatizing event - GuiltGuiltGuilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
: Questioning oneself; difficulty letting go of unfortunate past events - ApathyApathyApathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
: Defenselessness and weakness; minimal power to change the current situation - GriefGriefGrief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
: Sadness, deep loss - FearFearFear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
: Uneasiness; feeling pressured or sensing a need to act quickly to change the current situation - DesireDesire (emotion)Desire is a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome. Desire is the fire that sets action aflame. The same sense is expressed by emotions such as "craving" or "hankering". When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the...
: Greed; the need to acquire things; can lead to addictions - AngerAngerAnger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
: Anxiety; typically a result of not meeting expectations while at lower levels - PridePridePride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
: False positive; happiness in high statuses or other superficial benefits; leads to defensiveness and rebellion - CourageCourageCourage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
: Able to rationalize choices and control vision - NeutralityNeutrality (philosophy)Neutrality is the absence of declared bias. In an argument, a neutral person will not choose a side.A Neutral country maintains political neutrality, a related but distinct concept.-What neutrality is not:...
: 'No strings attached'; content with current situation and no effort to change - WillWill (philosophy)Will, in philosophical discussions, consonant with a common English usage, refers to a property of the mind, and an attribute of acts intentionally performed. Actions made according to a person's will are called "willing" or "voluntary" and sometimes pejoratively "willful"...
ingness: Moving forward; openness to embark on new adventures - AcceptanceAcceptanceAcceptance is a person's agreement to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition without attempting to change it, protest, or exit....
: Reactive; stepping out of comfort zones; putting goals and values to action after discovering them in lower levels - ReasonReasonReason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
: Separating objectives and tackling tasks that align with strengths - LoveLoveLove is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
: Empathy; making decisions from true values - JoyHappinessHappiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources....
: Optimism, possibly caused by a life-changing event - PeacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
: Completeness - Enlightenment: Large impact; vision of progress
The applicability of this tiered system can be generalized to rank objects, events, and entire societies rather than just individual people. Barrett hypothesizes that the average human being can fluctuate naturally between levels due to environmental effects, including media, people, places, material objects, food, and awareness of world events.
Gibson's four states of consciousness
Dr. Bob Rhondell Gibson, author of Notes on Personal Integration and Health and often recognized as a psychic healerPsychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
, hypothesized the existence of four tiers of extrasensory awareness. Beyond being more applicable to internal states rather than reactions to the external environment, these stages contrast markedly with the previously mentioned modern theories through their emphasis on humankind's immediate interactions. Gibson does not focus on life progression or individual power to move between levels, but rather on momentary instances of personal experience.
| State | Description |
|---|---|
| Sleep | Unaware of all surroundings; dreams may or may not occur |
| Waking Sleep | Sleepwalking; normal tasks can be performed but the individual is not receptive to what is taking place |
| Self-awareness | Able to identify surroundings and observe what is taking place |
| Objective awareness | Identify surrounding events without opinions or input |
Leary's 8-Circuit Model of Consciousness
Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson proposed the Eight-Circuit Model of Consciousness8-Circuit Model of Consciousness
The eight-circuit model of consciousness is a theory in psychology, first proposed by Timothy Leary. It consists of several quantum psychological systems that unify the various interpretations of the main altered states of consciousness into one coherent meta-theory...
, a psychologically based theory that unifies various interpretations of main altered states of awareness into a single meta-theory, or a hypothesis about an already existing hypothesis. In this case, Leary and Wilson state that the altered levels of consciousness
Altered level of consciousness
An altered level of consciousness is any measure of arousal other than normal. Level of consciousness is a measurement of a person's arousability and responsiveness to stimuli from the environment. A mildly depressed level of consciousness may be classed as lethargy; someone in this state can be...
defined in medical fields are products of eight differing brain structures within the human nervous system.
This concept not only connects psychology and the more medically focused studies of neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
and biology, but also incorporates elements of sociology, anthropology, physics, chemistry, and advanced mathematical formulas. Furthermore, critics argue that the inspiration for his theory stems at least indirectly from the Hindu chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
system.
| Circuit | Title | Imprinting Stage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biosurvival | The Breath of Consciousness | Infancy | Suckling, nourishment, cuddling, trust versus suspicion |
| Emotional-Territorial | Freud's Ego | Toddling | Emotions, domination, submission strategies, territory |
| Symbolic (Neuro-Semantic-Dexterity) | The Rational Mind | From human artifacts and symbol systems | Handling the environment, invention, calculation, prediction |
| Domestic (Socio-Sexual) | The "Adult" Personality | First mating experiences | Pleasure, reproduction, nurture |
| Neurosomatic | Zen-Yoga Mind-Body Connection | Neurological-somatic feedback and reprogramming | Consciousness of the body |
| Neuroelectric (Metaprogramming) | Psionic Electronic-Interface Mind | Re-imprinting and reprogramming earlier circuits | Perceived "realities", cybernetic consciousness |
| Neurogenetic (Morphogenetic) | Buddha-Monad "Mind" | Consciousness maturation | Evolutionary consciousness, DNA-RNA brain feedbacks |
| Psychoatomic (Quantum Non-Local) | Overmind | Consciousness maturity | Out-of-body experiences involving information beyond normal space-time awareness |
Morin's integration
Similar to Dr. Rondell Gibson's view of a simplified hierarchy of conscious states, Alain Morin describes a four-tiered integration of nine past awareness models, focusing explicitly on the two common aspects underlying each belief structure: the perception of the self in time and the complexity of those self-representations.| Level | Description | Alternative titles in past theories |
|---|---|---|
| Unconsciousness | Non-responsive to self and environment | Consciousness, non-consciousness, arousal, limbic stage, sensorimotor cognition |
| Consciousness | Focusing attention on environment; processing incoming external stimuli | Non-conscious mind, ecological and interpersonal self, neocortical level, consciousness, sensorimotor awareness; core, peripheral, primary and minimal consciousness |
| Self-awareness | Focusing attention on self; processing private and public self-information | Consciousness, extended and private self, symbolic level, meta-representational self-consciousness, conceptual self-consciousness, self-concept; reflective, recursive, self and meta-consciousness |
| Meta-self-awareness | Aware that one is self-aware | Consciousness, extended self |
In summary, Morin concludes that from the many concepts discussed above it is near impossible to settle for only one theory without accepting at least a fraction of another. Although each hypothesis has been debated either in scientific or more spiritually focused literature, she states that consciousness is related most directly to the subjective perception of self-recognition and language, both of which are determined by culture and our external environment as a whole.
Robert Monroe
Robert Allan MonroeRobert Monroe
Robert Allen Monroe was a New York radio broadcasting executive who became known for his research into altered consciousness. His 1971 book Journeys Out of the Body is credited with popularizing the term "out-of-body experience".Monroe achieved world-wide recognition as an explorer of human...
became known for his research into altered consciousness
Altered state of consciousness
An altered state of consciousness , also named altered state of mind, is any condition which is significantly different from a normal waking beta wave state. The expression was used as early as 1966 by Arnold M. Ludwig and brought into common usage from 1969 by Charles Tart: it describes induced...
and "out-of-body experience
Out-of-body experience
An out-of-body experience is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and, in some cases, perceiving one's physical body from a place outside one's body ....
". His book 1985 "Far Journeys" was showed numerous levels of consciousness and Infinite expansion of consciousness.
“The plants exist on levels of consciousness from one through seven. They are on a vibrational rate on the levels one through seven. It is the same pattern.
Animals exist on the levels of consciousness from eight through fourteen, and when a person attains, when a consciousness attains level fourteen, it can no longer go any higher unless it is willing to change its form of consciousness.
Levels of consciousness from fifteen through twenty-one are what you call human life on this earth.
When a person progresses to level of consciousness twenty one, he then has the choice of going higher or staying within the realm of human form, but he cannot go higher unless he is willing to give up human form.”
See also
- BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
- Freudian Theory of Id, Ego, and Super-Ego
- ZenZenZen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...