Quantum Leaps of Human Consciousness

Based on the ideas of David Hawkins, as described in his book “Power vs. Force”

David Hawkins, in his book “Power vs. Force,” described a hierarchy of levels of human consciousness. This approach offers a fascinating way to understand personal growth and transformation. Here are the levels, from lowest to highest:

• Shame
• Guilt
• Apathy
• Grief
• Fear
• Desire
• Anger
• Pride
• Courage
• Neutrality
• Willingness
• Acceptance
• Reason
• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Enlightenment

While people can move between these levels, most have a predominant “normal” state. If you’re reading this, you’re likely at least at the level of Courage, since lower levels rarely spark a conscious interest in personal development. Hawkins also notes that the scale is logarithmic: far fewer people exist at the higher levels than at the lower ones. Each transition to a higher level brings significant life changes—a true quantum leap.

Descriptions of the Levels

• Shame: One step from death. You may be contemplating suicide or harboring intense self-hatred.
• Guilt: Slightly above shame, but still plagued by thoughts of self-blame and inability to forgive yourself.
• Apathy: A sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Many homeless people are stuck here.
• Grief: Deep sadness and loss, often after losing a loved one. Depression, but a step up from apathy as you begin to thaw emotionally.
• Fear: The world feels dangerous and unreliable. Paranoia and a sense of being trapped are common.
• Desire: The level of craving, addiction, and passion for money, approval, power, or fame. Materialism and consumption dominate.
• Anger: Frustration from unfulfilled desires. Can motivate action or lead to hatred. In toxic relationships, one partner may be angry while the other is fearful.
• Pride: The first level where you feel good, but it’s a fragile, externally dependent feeling. Can lead to nationalism, racism, and religious wars. Fundamentalists often operate here.
• Courage: The first level of real strength. Life’s challenges become exciting rather than overwhelming. You start to see your future as growth, not just continuation.
• Neutrality: “Live and let live.” Flexible, relaxed, and unburdened. You don’t need to prove anything and feel safe among others. Many self-employed people are here. It’s comfortable but can lead to complacency.
• Willingness: You begin to use your energy more effectively, striving for quality and improvement. Concepts like time management and productivity become important. This is the level of discipline and willpower.
• Acceptance: A major shift occurs. You proactively set and achieve goals, taking responsibility for your role in the world. You see the bigger picture and may change careers or focus on health and relationships.
• Reason: You transcend emotional limitations and think clearly and rationally. This is the realm of science and medicine. You seek to use your talents for meaningful purposes. Few people reach this level.
• Love: Unconditional love and a constant sense of connection with all that exists. Your motives are pure, and you serve humanity selflessly. Intuition becomes powerful. Only about 1 in 250 people reach this level in their lifetime.
• Joy: Deep, unwavering happiness—the level of saints and advanced spiritual teachers. Life is guided by intuition and synchronicity, not detailed plans.
• Peace: Complete transcendence. Hawkins claims only 1 in 10 million reach this level.
• Enlightenment: The highest level, where humanity merges with divinity. Extremely rare—think of Jesus. Even thinking about people at this level can raise your own consciousness.

Applying the Model to Your Life

This model can be used to evaluate not just people, but also objects, events, and even entire communities. Different areas of your life may be at different levels, but you can usually identify your overall state. For example, you might be at Neutrality overall but have a smoking habit (Desire level). Lower levels act like a drug, pulling you down, but you can also find higher-level influences in your life.

To discover your true level, consider how you react under stress. When squeezed by circumstances, what comes out? Do you become paranoid and withdrawn (Fear)? Do you lash out (Anger)? Do you get defensive (Pride)?

Everything around you affects your level of consciousness: TV, movies, books, websites, people, places, objects, food. For example, if you’re at the Reason level but watch TV news (which operates at Fear and Desire), it can temporarily lower your consciousness. If you’re at Guilt, the news might actually raise it.

Making a Quantum Leap

Moving up even one level can radically change your life, but it usually requires tremendous energy—a quantum leap. Without conscious effort or outside help, most people stay at their current level until something external intervenes.

It’s important to follow the natural sequence of levels. Trying to jump to Reason without mastering Willingness and Acceptance will leave you unfocused. Trying to reach Love before Reason can make you vulnerable to manipulation. Each step is challenging, and most people never move beyond their current level without help. Progress below Courage is especially unlikely without outside support.

Courage is essential for growth; it allows you to challenge reality and strive for greater awareness. Once you reach a new level, you realize the struggle was worth it. For example, at Acceptance, you look back at Willingness and see you were running in place—busy but not choosing your direction.

The most important work we can do as humans is to raise our personal level of consciousness. When we do, we elevate those around us as well. Imagine how amazing the world would be if everyone reached at least Acceptance. Hawkins claims that 85% of people on Earth live below Courage.

When you experience higher states, you get glimpses of where you could go. But when you’re stuck in lower levels, those memories fade. You can’t reach higher levels without mastering the basics—Jesus was a carpenter, Gandhi a lawyer, Buddha a prince. We all have to start somewhere.

Look honestly at this hierarchy and consider whether it gives you new insight into making your next leap. No level is inherently better or worse than another. Try not to let your ego get attached to any particular level—unless, of course, you’re currently at Pride.