The 7 Levels of Awareness

I cannot be awake for nothing looks to me as it did before,
Or else I am awake for the first time, and all before has
been a mean sleep.
Walt Whitman


First a bit about the universe..
Our realm, the physical universe..The 'stage front' our lives are played out on..
Subject to the laws of physics, including space, time, and causation are real...
They are not an illusion of our limited perception. They do exist.
What eastern philosophy is trying to hammer home is that,
the physical universe is only a part of the universe as a whole..
The rest of the universe, for lack of a better illustration, is the
'back stage' portion of the universe..
This 'back stage' portion of the universe is where the physical universe was conceptualized..
The 'back stage' part of the universe is the womb of the physical universe.
Where as the physical universe is made tangible by the creation of atoms..
The 'back stage' portion of the universe is and has always existed infinitely, as non matter..
Some people confuse non matter with nothingness...
Non matter is simply that which exists not formed of matter.
Example: Every time you 'think' you are tapping a part of the universe that is non matter.
The fact that you have the ability to 'think' is proof that the 'back stage' portion of the universe is also real, and not
just the rambling of an insane rational.

The process by which human beings perceive the physical universe, and the 'back stage' portion of the universe is through awareness or conscience ness...
One device by which human beings judge the validity of their perception of the universe is through the use of rational thought.
Rational thought is a tool of the human intellect.
Most commonly used during a state of conscience termed 'waking conscience'.

Eastern philosophy advises that at whatever level of conscience or awareness a human being is perceiving the physical and 'backstage' portions of the universe, that level will dictate the perception the human receives.
Although the tool of human intellect has given mankind the ability to survive and flourish in the 'stage front' portion of the universe, eastern philosophy warns mankind that the very tool of our intellect is also working against us as spiritual beings.
Clouding our ability to recognize the reality of the 'backstage' portion of the universe and it's overall greater meaning in our lives.
It is after all, where the physical universe came from.

Eastern philosophy offers mankind (at no charge) the tools to out wit the constraints of the intellect.
That mankind may better understand, the true nature of the universe as a whole, and of human beings unity with the universe as a whole..
Eastern philosophy maintains that human beings are in truth, spiritual beings that transcend the physical universe..
Eastern philosophy maintains that the spiritual nature of human beings is one with the 'backstage' portion of the universe..
Eastern philosophy maintains that the essence that is the whole universe is the same identical essence human beings are constructed of..
By it's very nature of wholeness, within every human being, exists the universe as a whole.
I am using human kind as an example..Eastern philosophy extends this same concept to all that is in existance.

In an effort to understand the importance of the levels of conscience as they apply to the perception of the individual and that individual's building of a life value system:
The seven levels of awareness

Deep sleep: The first level of awareness..
During deep sleep the intellect is disengaged.
The self is still present..Silent..In a state of surveillance...
This is experienced when for example someone says to a woman who is in deep sleep.
"Your child needs you"..
The immediate response of the Mother waking to full waking conscience is an example that the 'self' is still present during the state of deep sleep.

Dream state: The second state of awareness..
The intellect is more active however not fully active as indicated by the often less than rational story lines our dream experiences consist of..
The experiences while dreaming however, seem as 'real' while dreaming, as our experiences in waking conscience..
The insight that the experience is a dream is not realized until the individual awakes from the dream to waking conscience..
Example: "Wow that was a very vivid dream I just had."
Again, the insight that I was dreaming is realized in the next level of awareness, not during the dream state it's self.

Waking conscience: Per eastern philosophy including Hinduism and Buddhism:
When you wake up from the dream state, you 'wake up' into another dream.
The third state of conscience 'waking conscience'.
Here the rational mind (intellect) is fully engaged.
While you are participating in this state you don't realize, that this state is equally illusionary,
equally a result of the intellect creating stories and scenery we become totally immersed in..
Like going to a really good movie and getting lost in the movie..
The drama and meanings of life in this state are real and valid..
Wars are won and lost, victories for and against the greater good are played out on this stage..This state of awareness is the main event in the history of human beings..
It is rich in wonder and fabric...It is fine..
Again the point is....This state of reality is not all there is...
Just as is the case with the previous dream state..
You can not gain insight to the 'intellects weavings of reality' as long as you remain in the present state..
Just as in the dream state the insight of the illusionary nature of the state is only realized when one removes them self from the current state and wakes to a higher level of awareness..

It's is here at this level of awareness I promised (per the blog "Compatibility") to share an exercise that one may practice to experience the next level of awareness..

The silent witness: The fourth state of conscience...
The first glimpse of your soul.
In this state our busy mind is lay to rest and what is left is the real you..
It is the presence of your soul...It is silent, it is witnessing..
Practice the exercise as follows to become aware of your fourth state of conscience:
Media works well for this..It can be music, or a movie, or a television..
Best to find a place where the surroundings are quiet.
So that during the part of the exercise when no media is playing, there are no ambient distractions kick starting the mind back in to disruption.
So, "Get thee to a nunnery!"....Just kiddin'.

Ok, your listening to some music or whatever.
Try to be just into that..
Try not to allow your mind to be wandering off doing a bunch of other stuff while your listening.
Shut the media off, and ask your self this question:
"Who is listening?"
Close your eyes and listen to who is listening..
Don't turn the media back on..Don't let your 'head' answer..Let your mind be at rest..
Just simply ask the question, close your eyes and listen to who is listening.
Try it a couple of times...Shut the media off and ask, "who is listening?"...
Close your eyes and listen to who is listening..
Did you sense the presence there?...The silent witness?...That is you..That is your soul.
It is not a presence that is perceived by the mind..It is a presence all it's own..It is before the mind, transcending the mind...It is the first glimpse of true reality.

Fifth state of awareness: Cosmic Conscience..
Consistent awareness of the soul..In this state of conscience transcends the previous levels of conscience.
So whether in deep sleep, dream, or waking, the awareness of the soul is present.
Sixth state of awareness: Constant awareness of the oneness of all things in existence.
To the point of perception through the five senses..
In this state through meditation, the observer perceives for example,
a bird..
Sees the bird, sees the bird's soul.
Sees the totality of the universe existing within the bird..
Sees the universe through the bird.

Seventh state of awareness: The observer sees not only as in the sixth state of awareness, but also see's their self in the subject being observed.
The realization is in the observer recognizing that he/she is not only the observer but also the subject being observed..
It is the ultimate experience of the oneness that is the entire universe..
This level of conscience is also commonly termed the state of "enlightenment."

I am that...You are that...All of this is that...That is all there is.

A note about the use drugs to attain spiritual growth.
It is true that for many spiritual traditions the use of certain drugs are
successful for a dramatic shift in the student's state of conscience..
Producing an immediate alter in the conscience.
It is produced by a shift of conscience at the assimilation point..
That is, the point where the conscience assembles the universe and projects
it through the process of perception via the brain and nervous system.
The problem with the use of drug induced alternate states of conscience is there
is a lot of disintegration that comes with that process...

It is a fine line between sages, psychotics, and genius...

I don't recommend it..The use of drugs is not required.
There is no special equipment needed to attain higher levels of conscience.
It is not necessary to remove one self from daily normal life activities to attain higher levels of awareness.
It is not even something that one needs to attain.
you all ready have it..It is already part of you...It is your birth right..

The trick, is in the realization, understanding, and integration of what you have available to you in your life..
That part takes willingness, proper direction, practice, and patience.