The Stages of Consciousness

The stages of waking up.(57 slides)

Creatively compiled by dr. michael farnworth

This will be a difficult lesson because it deals with assumptions that are not common in our culture. We speak

of education and intelligence as if they were viable commodities… something we fill up our brains with.

This lesson will address the more subtle and perplexing nature of consciousness as levels of being awake or asleep.

Consciousness creates realities in which we live and our intelligence/education or lack of it has little to do with the

level of consciousness or a wakefulness we live in.

The inner journey and adventure of an inner awakening awaits us which in some part is tied directly into progressing through

the stages of consciousness.

This lesson is an invitation to ponder and meditate upon becoming conscious of that journey and adventure.

This a wakening to a deeper inner consciousness from a shallower outer consciousness is difficult to do.

It is very difficult to awaken: A metaphorical/symbolic dream…

• A man dreamed that he was in a nice place but one which he was unfamiliar with, then he realized that he was dead.

• He was next to a nicely decorated room with a casket in it and curious, he walked up to it so see if it was him.

• Upon closer inspection he saw that it was him lying in the casket.

• He took his arm and shook himself, calling out his name in an attempt to awaken himself.

• He opened up his eyes and angrily said, “Leave me alone!” Whereupon he immediately awoke from the dream.

Take a moment and think about the symbolism of the dream and what metaphorical lessons may

perceived from it.

(My take is that we really don’t to be disturbed whether in death or in slumber).

For some of us waking up is a difficult and painful process. It is easier to remain asleep.

But as Socrates has taught us…

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

The issue of consciousness

• This lesson will be an attempt to explain the different levels of consciousness which exist within the mind and which are closely related with the individual’s maturity level.

A simple example consciousness levels…

• Lets say you read the same scripture to a person 3 years of age, another who is 8 years, another who is 15 years old, another who is 26, another who is 47 and to another who is 85.

• Even though the scripture is the same each will take a unique understanding and meaning from the scripture depending upon their intellectual age, their life experiences and their level of inner wakefulness.

A familiar experience…

• What serious student of the scriptures has not had the experience of reading a familiar scripture but having it register in a new and exciting way never perceived before?

• This person may think to themselves so that’s what it means!

• I had never understood it exactly that way before!

• This is so cool!

The moral/lesson of consciousness…

• The moral/lesson of consciousness is that it is our inward terrain that changes not the outer realities.

• We change paradigms.

• Our hearts and minds mature over the years and we look at things differently than what we did when we were young.

• This change is a waking up.

• We transcend our current level of seeing with another that is deeper or higher or different than the one we have been living in.

Research and the stages of consciousness…

• There is plenty of research that suggest different levels of consciousness.

• Some of the best known is found in the developmental stages of cognitive and moral development.

• Stage theorists like Jean Piaget and his work in cognitive development and Lawrence Kohlberg and his theory of moral development are good examples of different types of thinking that occurs at different ages of an individual’s life.

Nesting paradigms of consciousness…

• Most are familiar with the wooden nesting dolls where a smaller doll is nestled within a larger one.

• Levels of consciousness are similar. The person transcends their current level of consciousness with a deeper one.

• Theoretically the older a person gets the deeper and more sophisticated his levels of consciousness or awareness.

• The culture invites us to stay preoccupied with the outside stuff (roles, dress, acceptance, pleasing others) and not to notice or confront the inner stuff (energies, depression, anger, angst, fear, discontent).

Life consciousness

Everyone of us live at different levels of human consciousness and can change that level depending upon study, meditation, education, life experience, crisis, and

age.

The problem…

• A person cannot understand a deeper level of consciousness than their own by reading about it or by hearing someone talk about it or describe it.

• To understand a deeper level of consciousness the person would actually have to live at that level and experience the different reality that exits there.

I am always fascinated about how many times people are told that they are wonderfully unique as if the telling were all

that was needed and mattered!

It is not enough to be told one has to awaken (become conscious) to that reality within their own heart and mind

until that happens it remains an intellectual inert (lifeless) seed.

Consciousness creates our paradigms…

• The reality that many of us live in is simply a construction of our level of consciousness and it’s resulting paradigm.

Here is a wonderful quote describing the nature of reality and paradigms.

• “We are like flies crawling across the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. We cannot see what angles and gods lie underneath the threshold of our perceptions. We do not live in reality, we live in our paradigms, our habituated perceptions, our illusions we share through culture we call reality, but the true reality of our condition is invisible to us.”

William Irwin Thompson

The goal of consciousness…

• The goal of awakening to deeper levels of consciousness is to see through the illusions and mirages of our present day culture and society.

• If a person progresses no further than the conventional wisdom (education and common sense) of his or her culture then they are doomed to live in a world of false and shallow fantasy.

Life is is a wonderful vehicle to facilitate the developmental stage progression of inner consciousness because it can

instruct us in the work of pondering, meditation and mindful living.

The next 9 slides try to outline the descriptive stages of outer and inner consciousness.

The first 5 stages are linear and sequential and occur pretty much the same way for everyone according to genetics and

environment.

The last four are much different and occur only if efforts are made to explore deeper levels.

The Sensory Stage

• This is the stage of infancy where the mind is immature and growing.

• The body dominates the consciousness of the infant with feelings, touching, smells, tastes and sounds.

• This stage neurologically registers the templates of touch, feelings and experiences of the infant in the developing but still immature cerebral cortex.

• These experiences are not forgotten but remain as burned patterns in the neurocircuitry of the brain.

The Magical Stage

• This is the stage of early childhood (two–seven years) which is made up of a mind that is dominated by perceptual thinking.

• The world is magical and explanations of Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny seem real and logical.

• The child is ego centric and is bound to his/her childish perceptual understanding.

The Mythic Stage

• This is the stage of middle childhood (eight–twelve years) with its accelerated learning through stories and everyday experiences that teach principles of law, fairness and truth.

• Everything in the world of this child- is perceived as the best and most true.

• This child is preoccupied with learning the rules and the roles to bring them success and belonging.

The Abstract Ego Centric Stage

• This is the stage of adolescence which is developing the rational thinking of an adult but still struggles with the lack of real life experiences to temper their idealistic and romantic perceptions.

• They are judgmental, extremely self/body conscious and

vacillate between rationality and inconsistency.

• They want to be accepted into the adult world but don’t feel as if they have to play by the same rules as the adults.

The Rational Adult Stage

• This is the stage of the adult with an identification with the rational mind and logical consequences to behavior, rules and roles.

• This is the dominate consciousness of the culture and is based upon the conventional wisdom of the society whether in business, science, government, religion, technology or medicine.

• Cultural success is focus of this stage and conformity is essential.

The first 5 stages pretty much happen naturally and sequentially just by being alive, growing up in the culture and

being a part of it.

If a person progresses or engages in other levels past #5 it will be because of a conscious effort that there is something

else out there beyond their current levels of conventional understanding.

The remaining 4 stages are subtle and very important they do not happen automatically but only after effort, study, personal tragedy and living an examined life as one ages.

Each of the remaining stages are difficult to articulate and ambiguous to even those who have lived there.

They defy simple descriptions!

The stages of 6-9 are not linear and do not automatically happen.

You can get stuck in a stage and remain there for the rest of your life.

The Scholar-Scientist Stage

• This is the stage of the adult who identifies the self and consciousness with his/her abstract mind and what it thinks.

• It is the highest of the cognitive/mental consciousness stages and is only achieved by study, work and long term intensive efforts.

• Thinking dominates the inner world and many complicated and global problems are solved by those in this stage.

• The culture likes and uses those in this stage.

• It is what our current educational system produces educated, intelligent and successful people.

The Artist-Saint-Soul Stage

• This is the stage of consciousness where the mind and the body are joined in a united state.

• No longer does the mind play a dominate role but rather combines with the body and soul of the individual.

• Feelings, energies and emotions are integrated and honored.

• A budding compassion starts to grow and the inner reality and kingdom is nurtured and grows strong.

• They march to their own drummer.

• The culture tolerates those of this stage.

The Surrender Stage

• This is the stage where surrendering to the still intuitive voice within is experienced.

• A fine tuning of body, mind, and soul awareness and sensitivity are practiced and embraced.

• Gifts are nurtured and wisdom and peace are high priorities to posses.

• Faith to say yes to it all including the good and the bad is part and parcel of the surrendering stage.

• Control is finally seen as illusionary.

• People of all faiths (including atheists) can share in this stage.

The Life Consciousness Stage

• This is the stage where the duality of nature is consumed by the paradoxical whole.

• Reality is integrated and joined into a oneness of heart, mind and soul.

• Differentiation and individuation is a claiming of one’s sacred essence.

• The compound of duality is healed within and Life transcends our souls.

• We find rest within the inner kingdom of Self.

A summary of the stages…

• 1. Sensory Stage (years 1-2)• 2. Magical Stage (years 3-7) • 3. Mythic Stage (years 8-12)• 4. Abstract Ego Centric Stage (years 13-25)• 5. Rational Adult Stage (years 25-?)• 6. Scholar-Scientist Stage (years ?-?)• 7. Artist-Saint-Soul Stage (years ?-?)• 8. Surrender Stage (years ?-?)• 9. Life Consciousness Stage (years ?-?)

What follows, is my best attempt to illustrate the difference in seeing between the levels of consciousness using the following

scripture (apologies to those of other paradigms):

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

• A Stage 5 response: How can a man be born again into his mother’s womb?

• Nicodemus, along with the other stage 5 people, don’t get it!

• A stage 6 response: Oh I get it now, so everyone is born into the world by blood, water and spirit has to be born the same way into the kingdom of God by water, blood and spirit.

• That’s why I got baptized!

• The stage 6 people are getting it on a different level.

The responses continued…

• A stage 7 response: So before I can be born again, I have to die!

• I have to be willing to experience some sort of death before my rebirth into the Kingdom of Life.

• How do I do that? • So even though I may be baptized I still could be still born- so to speak.• • The level 7 people are pondering, asking questions, probing their limits as they are

exploring!

• A stage 8 response: So as Christ gave up his life on the cross, I must follow suit- If I attempt to save my life, by not dying, I will end up losing it anyway.

• I will only save my life by dying to the things of this world (pride, security, roles) letting go, dying is the only entrance to the rebirth and my rebirth is a change of heart and mind and spirit which only Life can bring about but I have to let my idealized self die first!

For each level of consciousness there is a more profound pondering, searching and meditation upon the inner

meanings of Life.

In the last stage of consciousness Life transcends our soul we do not lose our self but are given our true self.

We become who we are whole, authentic, complete and the perfect, mature expression of Life.

Life becomes the last and deepest level of consciousness that quickens us within the nesting dolls of our own

consciousness.

Life Consciousness

Surrendering

Child like/Adult consciousness

Scholar/Saint

Artist/ Saint/ Soul

The reason this lesson is important is because many do are unconscious to the importance of the journey through the inner

terrain of the mind and heart.

Too many of us get lost and preoccupied with the song and dance routine of the outer kingdom of culture and society.

Some of us may think that just engaging in the outward behaviors of our religious rituals and and social expectations will be enough.

We may become a sophisticated and prolonged role play but it will still miss the mark.

There will be no pretense here.

“Many inner truths are shorn of their true power by being transposed to a level inconsistent with their power and depth.

Viewing the virgin birth of Christ as only a historical event will blur the sight of a vital law which is needed when you are called upon to make that interior mating of the human soul with the Divine Spirit

which is the true genesis of one’s individuality.”

Robert A. Johnson, He: Understanding Masculine Psychology, Page 30

This important issue may now be confronted:

How does one go from one level to the next?

4 ways that I know of…

• The first way is through study and long concerted efforts of reading and learning.

• The second way is through a crisis where one is invited (forced?) to re-examine and change their life and assumptions they have lived with, up till then.

• The third way is through a meditative gift and endowment that is earnestly sought, for and desired.

• The fourth way is by getting older and living your life and through a combination of the above. Deeper levels of consciousness will be engaged if your mind and heart stay open and soft.

The issue of anger and pride

• Some people get angry when others don’t see reality (God,

religion, politics) as they do. • They may be unawares that people really do live in different

levels of consciousness and that it is this consciousness that creates our realities which are different!

• One can learn to be accepting and understanding of other levels and paradigms when and if they differentiate (which is another way of describing growing up).

Differentiation

• Differentiation is the process of growing up and separating from other people, ideas and organizations.

• In this example, it would be your parents. When you are young they seem perfect and all powerful, a mini god if you will.

• When you mature you realize that they are human beings with problems like everyone else and even though this realization can be awkward, over time you can mature and accept it and them.

• You need to no longer play the child role (naive and dependent) but can interact with them as equal adults.

(somebody needs to ask: What if they don’t want you to grow up and differentiate?)

Differentiating is the difficult process of establishing boundaries with others.

It is the process of being in a relationship with someone (or thing) and not giving up or losing yourself and at the same time not

rejecting the relationship with that person.

(this is the dilemma of marriage and sometimes church)

The cultural dilemma…

• We live in a culture that is very scientific and mechanistic.

• It is a culture preoccupied with role playing.

• We may never be told or fully understand that there is an inner journey of enlightenment that we each need to make if we ever come to understand our own inner nature of goodness (shadow and all).

• This journey may never be started if we do not penetrate the outward façade that role playing always creates.

A word about the dark night of the soul…

Sometimes when we don’t want to awaken life will extend a wake up call in the form of an accident, depression, sickness,

crisis or personal/family tragedy.

When this occurs, you may accept it or fight it

The dark night of the soul…

• The descent into the dark night of the soul is a painful and frightening journey.

• It is where you come face to face with your own dark side (shadow) and the dark side of life.

• Suffering or stuffing will occur if your suffering has meaning then it will be bearable. If not, then it only causes more pain and depression.

• The suffering will be an invitation to spiritually awaken to a new reality. A reality of compassion, forgiveness and healing.

• Stuffing occurs when we don’t want to experience the energies- its business as usual and we continue to do what we have done before… pretend. The status quo remains.

We don’t do suffering well in this culture in fact, we conduct our lives so that we can avoid as much of it as we can!

This will become a psychological dilemma: What am I afraid to awaken to if I allow my energies and

emotions to flow through me?

Why Am I afraid of my past? Or better yet, why can’t I remember it?

“Sometimes what seems like surrender isn’t surrender at all. It’s about what’s going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is and accepting it and being true to it, whatever

the pain, because the pain of not being true to it is far, far greater.”

Nicholas EvansThe Horse Whisperer

This suffering holds the key to our awakening.

It is essential to the maturing of heart and mind.

It is required of the inner journey

the end

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