Levels of Consciousness Questions

[m18pak]

To everyone who believes in the Levels of Consciousness paradigm, I have two questions that I would like answered.

1. How quickly do you believe it is possible for someone to go from one level to the next?

2. How do you know if you've go up a level? Are there any changes or trends characteristic of the transition?

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by m18pak

To everyone who believes in the Levels of Consciousness paradigm, I have two questions that I would like answered.

1. How quickly do you believe it is possible for someone to go from one level to the next?

Possible, or plausible? It is possible to pretty much go instantaneously from one level to another, but more plausible for there to be a margin of time between the states of change.

Originally Posted by m18pak

2. How do you know if you've go up a level? Are there any changes or trends characteristic of the transition?

Definitely. Look for a sense of relief or increased positivity. You'll feel more at peace and energetic.

[4Mind4Life]

Originally Posted by m18pak

To everyone who believes in the Levels of Consciousness paradigm, I have two questions that I would like answered.

1. How quickly do you believe it is possible for someone to go from one level to the next?

2. How do you know if you've go up a level? Are there any changes or trends characteristic of the transition?

1. It all depends on the person, their beliefs, their motivation to advance to a different state of consciousness. So, there is no exact answer here. It took me about a year to enter a state of severe hypochondria (severe fear), I stayed in that state of mind for a year, managed to get out (tough journey) and now I'm feeling happy and peaceful. If you meditate everyday, act consciously, think consciously you will be able to move up through states of consciousness more quickly than someone who doesn't do these things.

2. You will notice a significant change in your awareness and perspective. You will notice and be able to reflect on your old thinking patterns vs. your new thinking patterns and understand your personal growth. YOU WILL NOTICE & BE AWARE OF THE CHANGE! Yes, there are behavior and brain changes that correlate with higher states of consciousness: higher self-esteem, more motivation, higher levels of focus, more productive, and the ability to adapt and control your reality.

Hopefully this answered your questions!

[Groundless]

Originally Posted by m18pak

To everyone who believes in the Levels of Consciousness paradigm, I have two questions that I would like answered.

1. How quickly do you believe it is possible for someone to go from one level to the next?

2. How do you know if you've go up a level? Are there any changes or trends characteristic of the transition?

It can happen quickly if you focus on the statement "I am" and think about this daily several times a day.

Searching, grasping, clinging will only take you so far. You will need to focus on the I am and/or look in the mirror and ask yourself "who am I" many times. Pay attention to your response deep inside......that which you already are will be unveiled.

[Technicolor Tim]

It can be done quickly, but most people will never advance much at all, because they're looking in the wrong direction. Going higher is either easy, in a way, or it's impossible. If you're going to worry about 'how long' it takes it will probably take, well, forever.

[ethereal]

Originally Posted by m18pak

To everyone who believes in the Levels of Consciousness paradigm, I have two questions that I would like answered.

1. How quickly do you believe it is possible for someone to go from one level to the next?

2. How do you know if you've go up a level? Are there any changes or trends characteristic of the transition?

1. The higher up you are, the faster you can go up even higher.

But you gotta start from where you're at, so in the end the point is moot

Depending on where you are currently at, there are various techniques that are most beneficial for you, and other techniques that won't really help you progress. So don't always think every technique or spiritual path is good -- they're good only at certain points on the path.

In the beginning, accumulating knowledge and soaking yourself in Truth is really important. Afterwards, the knowledge eventually takes root and you start getting insights and revelations on what they mean. Meditation and contemplation would probably be helpful at this point, to deepen the insights experientially. Then once the ego's barriers are broken down through these insights, love begins to pour through and burn away all the impurities. I think that's how it is in general, but everybody has their own path that's perfect for them

Throughout the entire path, just keep soaking yourself with higher vibrational sources and it's enough to start impacting you and making changes at a very core level. Keep reading books on Truth, listening to audiotapes, going to retreats, being in the presence of enlightened sages/saints, etc. It doesn't even matter what you consciously do or learn, you just get impacted by the "field".

One of the fastest ways to improve is to sit quietly with an enlightened person, and just surrender your whole being completely. Don't do anything, don't try to give anything up, just sit there in a state of complete nonresistance and allow the Presence to change you in whatever way it sees fit.

2. Yeah, you can tell when you really go up, just because it's so different from before. But don't care about where you are, just focus on progressing forward. You usually won't have any idea where you really are, because the ego just projects its own interpretation of what the LoC levels mean, but that's just a mental fabrication, that's not what it really is.

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I agree with Groundless, if you can really sink into what "I am" really means and break the illusion of the false "I" thought (basically, the "I" that you normally feel), you can progress really fast. You just realize the nondual truth, "there is no suffering, there is no I to suffer" and all negativity just drops away.

But at the beginning, the "I" thought is so solidified that it's near impossible to really get to the pure "I am" awareness underneath it.

Here's a hint that really helped me, maybe you can figure it out

1. "The experiencer is part of the experience."

The "I" that you normally feel (usually centered somewhere in the middle of your head, i.e. the brow granthi / third eye, and around your spine/chakras -- coincidence? ) who is experiencing everything, is just a feeling, it is not you. There is something that is aware of the "I", something that is experiencing the "I" along with whatever you think you are experiencing.

Experience is happening but there is no "I" that is experiencing.