A Seven Level Model of Personal Consciousness

Stanford physics professor emeritus William Tiller in February 2015 wrote a paper titled – “What is Human Consciousness and How Do We Significantly Increase Its Magnitude in Our World?”. In the paper Professor Tiller outlines a mathematical model to represent consciousness, but a portion of the paper that is more easily accessible to a broader audience is his description of consciousness using Richard Barret’s model (which is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). It’s a good model to visually understand the levels involved in increasing your own consciousness over time:

A Seven Level Model of Personal Consciousness

In Barrett’s model every human on the planet evolves and grows in consciousness in seven well- defined stages wherein each stage focuses on a particular existential need that is common to the human condition. These seven existential needs are the principal motivating forces in all human affairs. The level of growth and development of an individual depends on their ability to satisfy these seven needs.

The seven stages in the development and growth of personal consciousness are summarized in Table I and described in detail in the subsequent paragraphs. Table I should be read starting from the bottom and working up.

Table I, Focus and Motivations

Level	Focus	Motivation
7	Service	Devoting your life to selfless service in pursuit of your passion or purpose and your vision.
6	Making a Difference	Actualizing your sense of purpose by cooperating with others for mutual benefit and fulfillment.
5	Internal Cohesion	Finding meaning in your life by aligning with your passion or purpose and creating a vision for your future.
4	Transformation	Becoming more of who you really are by uncovering your authentic self and aligning your ego with your soul.
3	Self-esteem	Feeling a sense of personal self-worth	Underlying anxieties about not being respected and not being enough
2	Relationship	Feeling a sense of love and belonging	Underlying anxieties about not being accepted and not being loved
1	Survival	Feeling secure and safe in the world	Underlying anxieties about not being safe or secure and not having enough
		Healthy Motivations	Unhealthy Motivations

The first three levels of consciousness focus on our personal self-interest in satisfying (a) our physiological need for security and safety, (b) our emotional need for love and belonging, (c) our need to feel good about ourselves through the development of a sense of pride in who we are and (d) a positive sense of self-esteem. Abraham Maslow referred to these as “deficiency” needs with no sense of lasting satisfaction to being able to meet these needs; however, we feel a sense of anxiety if these needs are not met. When these needs are paramount in our lives, we are conditioned by the expectations of those around us; by our social environment (the family and the culture we are brought up in). We are loyal to the groups with which we identify.

The focus of the fourth level of consciousness is on transformation – learning how to manage, master or release the subconscious, fear-based beliefs that keep us anchored in the lower levels of consciousness. During this state of our development, we establish a sense of our personal authority, and our own voice. We are able to let go of our need to identify with our social environment because we have learned how to manage our deficiency needs. We now choose to live by the values and beliefs that resonate deeply with who we are. We begin the process of self-actualization by focusing on our individuation!

The upper three levels of consciousness focus on the need to find meaning and purpose in our existence, actualizing the meaning by making a difference in the world, and leading a life of selfless service. Abraham Maslow referred to these as “growth” needs. When these needs are fulfilled, they do not go away. They engender deeper levels of motivation and commitment. During this stage of our development, we increasingly develop an ability to stand back and reflect on the strengths and limitations of our own ideology. We learn how to become our own self-witness, and develop an inner compass that intuitively guides us into life-affirming decisions.

Individuals that focus on the satisfaction of the lower needs tend to live self-centered, shallow lives. They are significantly influenced by the anxieties and fears they hold about satisfying their deficiency needs.

The most successful individuals are those who balanced both their “deficiency” needs and their “growth” needs. They operate from full spectrum consciousness; they are trusting of others, are able to manage complexity and can respond to and rapidly adapt to all situations. Table II defines the full spectrum of positive attributes manifested via the seven levels of personal consciousness.

Table II, Full Spectrum Consciousness

•	They master survival consciousness by developing the practical skills required to ensure their physical security and safety
•	They master relationship consciousness by developing interpersonal relationship skills required to engender a sense of belonging and being loved
•	They master self-esteem consciousness by developing a sense of self-worth and a personal sense of pride in who they are and how they perform
•	They master transformation consciousness by learning how to manage, master or release the subconscious and conscious, fear-based beliefs that keep them anxious about satisfying their deficiency needs
•	They master internal cohesion consciousness when they uncover their sense of purpose or personal transcendent meaning for existence
•	They master making a difference consciousness by actualizing their sense of meaning by collaborating with others to create a positive contribution in the world
•	They master service consciousness when making a difference becomes a way of life and they embrace the concept of selfless service.
The successful mastery of each level of consciousness or stage of development, involves two steps: (1) first, becoming aware of the emergent need and (2) next developing the skills that are necessary to satisfy the need.

When we first become aware of a need, we are generally unskilled at satisfying it – we are consciously incompetent. We know we don’t know how to successfully manage the need. As we gain an understanding on how to manage the need, and develop the skills that are necessary to satisfy it, we become consciously competent. We know how to manage the need but we have to concentrate on what we need to do to satisfy it. Eventually, when we have developed the understanding and skills that are necessary to satisfy the need, we become unconsciously competent. It becomes second nature to us, like driving a car.

Learning how to manage our needs is a life-long process. Even when we have learned how to become the author of our own lives – to become a self-actualized individual – we will find situations arising where we discover that we still have limiting beliefs that keep us anchored in the lower levels of consciousness – situations that frustrate us or cause us to feel anxious and bring up our fears. It is vitally important, therefore, to develop a deep understanding of yourself and to learn the skills and techniques that allow you to manage your own transformation if you wish to find personal fulfillment in life.

Here are some additional resources to aid in the elevation of your personal consciousness:

~Jay Kshatri
www.ThinkSmarterWorld.com

A Seven Level Model of Personal Consciousness