Everyone is talking about being more aware or mindful these days but what does that really mean? Did you know that being aware does not mean paying greater attention? Attention has to do with concentrated focus on an object or activity. Awareness on the other hand is directly correlated to how consciously evolved you are.

Consciousness lies on a continuous spectrum and many scientists, philosophers and mystics have attempted to map human conscious evolution using various models. For example, Transpersonal Psychologist Abraham Maslow created the now famous Hierarchy of Needs which very simply illustrates how human beings must first have their physiological needs met before finally reaching what he expressed as human self-actualization.

Different Models For Human Conscious Evolution

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

David Hawkin’s Level’s of Consciousness

Another interesting model by which to express human conscious evolution would be the lesser known Dr. David R Hawkin’s Level’s of Consciousness. David was a psychiatrist who had a clinical practice in NY for many decades before turning into a popular spiritual teacher in Sedona, AZ. He is the author of many books including the most well known, Power vs. Force – The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior.

Dr. Hawkin’s has created a logarithmic model for human conscious evolution using an emotional scale and view of life. He describes in detail how an individual can hope to move beyond negative emotional states of shame, guilt and apathy to more positive states of love, joy and peace.

The basis of his work is to draw awareness to the fact that humans can move beyond their current state of conscious evolution through concentrated effort and a willingness to let go of beliefs that no longer serve them. The scale starts with the consciousness level of shame which Hawkins gives a frequency of 20 and ends with the consciousness level of enlightenment where Hawkins attributes a numerical range of 700-1000.

Yogic Chakra System

Another very popular model for human conscious evolution is the ancient yogic science chakra system most referred to in ayurvedic, acupuncture, Chinese, Japanese or Tibetan energy medicine. This system refers to the subtle energy centers located within and around the human subtle body and serve as the energy regulators for human conscious awareness. Chakras are located all throughout the subtle body but the most powerful centers are located along the spinal column and start with the muladhara and extend to the sahasrara. This very complex energy system also serves as a model for human conscious evolution as the energy starting from the root chakra also known as the muladhara, deals mainly with physical survival and preservation of the species. An individual whose energy is focused on the higher chakras of the ajna or sahasrara interact with life from a more integrated place of wholeness, have a keen sense of perception and clarity and are no longer subject to limited belief systems or subconscious programming.

Evolving Past Victim Personality and Moving Towards Creator Being

All of these models of human evolution parallel each other with regard to progressive states of self-awareness. When an individual is only mildy self-aware they are primarily concerned with survival and self preservation. Individual’s occupying this energy level feel a strong sense of separation from everyone and everything, see the world as black and white, and feel as if life happens to them. Many individual’s unconsciously adopt a victim-like personality due to the lack of foresight for creating better life situations for themselves. Additionally, these people lack the fundamental understanding that their thoughts, emotions and actions create their reality.

However, as individuals correlate their thoughts and emotions to outside circumstances they are better able to manage their day to day lives with some level of consistency. The next phase would then be to understand the energy dynamics of human relationships and how our sense of self evolves through the mirroring of other’s behavior.

Many individual’s are locked into a constant power play of relationship dynamics and can stay there for a lifetime without maturing past this maturation phase. It’s hallmark is the preoccupation with other people’s thoughts, opinions and feelings and the tug of war that ensues when an individual simultaneously wants to be accepted by a person or group but also wants to be free from imposed expectations and belief systems. 

Humanity is under great pressure to evolve because it is our only chance of survival as a race. This will affect every aspect of your life and close relationships in particular. Never before have relationships been as problematic and conflict-ridden as they are now. As you may have noticed, they are not here to make you happy or fulfilled. If you continue to pursue the goal of salvation through a relationship, you will be disillusioned again and again. But if you accept that the relationship is here to make you conscious instead of happy, then the relationship will offer you salvation, and you will be aligning yourself with the higher consciousness that wants to be born into this world. For those who hold on to the old patterns, there will be increasing pain, violence, confusion, and madness. – Eckhart Tolle, The Power Of Now

More mature individual’s recognize the need to be involved in relationships but not overly entangled in other people’s affairs. They have the ability to disengage before any emotional power plays begin. The ability to do this comes from a place of deep understanding that one is not defined by another and expectations for seeking happiness outside of oneself is the cause for all suffering.

This process of conscious evolution towards a more integrated and whole Self is the journey of all of humanity. Progressive states of higher consciousness are held by individual’s interested in going beyond the limitations of the body and mind and being in union with existence; the true definition of yoga. It is everyone’s destiny to evolve to the highest pinnacle of human evolution. The only question is, how can one go about quickening the process?

If You Want Happiness – You Must Take Responsibility

Everyone seeks happiness and wants to be happy, the limitation is simply the assumption that external things, people, places, or experiences bring on the feeling of happiness. This premise is false as happiness is actually a quality of consciousness that is innate to all human beings and is brought about when more conscious awareness is evident in a given individual. As one acquires more power and evolves consciously this sense of innate happiness, joy, contentment and bliss is an every moment reality. Thus we come full circle to our initial discussion of cultivating greater awareness and mindfulness in our daily lives because people have been told that this is the only way to maintain lasting happiness.

Humanity is at a very interesting stage where we are actively seeking solutions to the issues and problems that we have created. There is greater awareness to our environment, we are taking better care of our physical bodies and we feel drawn to mentors, guides, teachers and spiritual life coaches who have walked the path before us and can extend a helpful hand to assist in our conscious growth.

So what can we do to quicken our conscious evolution so that we may feel unlimited freedom, happiness, and joy? The most important thing that anyone can do is to start where they are and accept responsibility for everything in their life. After we accept our reality as it is without running from it, evading it, denying it, justifying it, excusing it, or ignoring it we must be willing to do the work necessary to grow. Growth means change and change often times means feeling uncomfortable in new surroundings.

“I want to change you” – that is not a revolution. “I’m willing to change” – now this is a revolution. – Sadhguru

Change can take many forms and includes all dimensions of being human including: physical, mental, emotional and energetic.

How To Be Happy – Physical, Mental, Emotional and Energetic Dimensions

Humans have two dimensions that we are consciously aware of; the physical and the mental/emotional. Some individual’s have a heightened sensitivity to the energetic dimension of prana, ki, chi, shakti, etc either through consistent spiritual practice or due to previous karmic implications.

With regard to the physical dimension, individual’s can certainly put more awareness to their diet as this has a direct effect on resulting hormones, moods, and mental clarity in everyday life. Eating more raw natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes while limiting the intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, caffeine and chemical preservatives are all straightforward ways to give ourselves a natural energy boost and feel better both in body and mind.

Additionally, regular and consistent exercise that includes both cardio exertion for our heart health as well as weight training to maintain bone density and muscle strength is also necessary to keep our bodies fit as we navigate through life and get older. Other ways to enhance our energy levels and resulting mood everyday: drink purified water, get direct sunlight, breath fresh air and receive enough rest so we are not always running with a sense of energy depletion.

On the mental and emotional dimension we can limit our exposure to negative news, superfluous celebrity gossip, sensationalized politics, or time wasting behavior on social media outlets. Our ‘mental diet’ and what we choose to let enter our consciousness on a daily basis is just as important as having a healthy food diet. If we are bombarded with negative stressors on a daily basis our bodies are constantly running on a fight, flight or freeze response with high cortizone levels that toxify our blood and organs. If left unchecked this way of living manifests in lowered overall immunity which can create autoimmune diseases, hormonal disruptions, an overly sensitive neurological system and leave the body susceptible to pathogens such as viruses and bacterial infections.

We must also take responsibility for the environment that we live in and the people that we surround ourselves with. if left unchecked, negative energies from unhappy and unhealthy people can profoundly affect our well being and build up overtime to create physical dis-ease and mental imbalances.

Finally, we also must take responsibility for our energy state. This more elusive dimension can be accessed through meditation, contemplation, concentration, and psychosomatic methods such as massage, reflexology, acupuncture, eft, emdr, chanting, hatha yoga, kinesiology, homeopathy, bach flower remedies, and many more.

Meditation is the best way to cultivate a greater sense of peace and joy in life while also assisting in the conscious evolution of the individual. As one meditates and accesses higher and finer levels of consciousness the individual lets go of old negative programming, resolves subconscious fears and anxieties, forgives old traumas and emotional wounds, can sustain more powerful vibratory energy pulsating though the body/mind and allows one to perceive from a much higher perspective of freedom and natural bliss.

In this way we take control of our conscious evolution through the four dimensions available to us. We no longer have to be the victims of outside influences and situations and see ourselves as separate and alone. As we mature and progress we know we are a small part of the greater whole of humanity and existence itself and help boost others through our higher frequency. The kindness, love, forgiveness and compassion we offer ourselves is also automatically offered to others as we go about our daily lives. 

We change the world not by what we say or do, but as a consequence of what we have become. – David R. Hawkins

In what ways have you taken control of your life to evolve to a higher and finer level of consciousness? What results have you seen in your life and what effect have you had on others?