Power versus Force – David R. Hawkins
A great book about the levels of consciousness!
“Level of consciousness” means a way of thinking, a mental attitude, a way to look at the world and oneself.
The higher someone’s level of consciousness, the more this person understands about the world and the more he sees the world as it really is. It also means: the higher the consciousness the happier and peaceful the person is.
To step up one level someone must have a specific insight or aha-moment. By doing this, a problem that was persistent before is now solved and the person sees the world in a different light. Hawkins talks about 17 Steps and divides them basically in three main levels which I’m describing below.
Power (no inner strength)
A person on this level is helplessly at the mercy of the experiences of life. He is the victim. He is powerless. He has no control over his life. He sees problems. Others are responsible.
Limit: With this attitude no personal growth is possible.
Force (inner strength)
Insight: One is responsible for one’s life.
A person on this level takes responsibility about his life. He creates his life. He controls his own behavior and thinking through discipline and techniques. He sees challenges and possibilities instead of problems. He grows personally. He wants to control everything with his mind. He seeks to choose his fate. He is selfish. The goal is to get money, power and sex.
Limit: Even tough he could get as much money, power and sex, he would never be satisfied. He wants more and more. He cannot become ultimately satisfied.
Love and Enlightenment
Insight: Everything is one. Giving brings happiness.
A person at this level is generous. The goal is to give. He trusts to receive although he isn’t attached to get. He wants to give. He feels unconditional love and friendliness. If someone is unfriendly or evil the person in the love level understands and feels compassion. The ego disappears. The person lets go. He lives in the present moment. He realizes the self.
The highest level is “enlightenment”, which can be described as “unlimited peace” and “identification of the self with consciousness and divinity”. Famous enlightened people are: Jesus, Buddha and Krishna.
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More about the 17 levels you can find on Steve Pavlina’s site.
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