From Maslow to Barrett

OverviewoftheOriginsoftheSevenLevelsof ConsciousnessModel
ByRichardBarrett
ThereasonIcreatedtheSevenLevelsofConsciousnessmodelwastogivegreater definitionandunderstandingofhumanmotivations.ThemodelisbasedonAbraham MaslowsHierarchyofNeeds. ItwascleartomethatMaslowsresearchandthinkingwasaheadofhistime. AbrahamMaslowdiedin1970atage62wellbeforetheconsciousnessmovementhad takenroot.IsawthatwithsomeminorchangesMaslowsHierarchycouldbe transposedintoaframeworkofconsciousness.In1996,Isetaboutmakingthese changesbyshiftingthemodeloftheHierarchyofNeedsintothemodeloftheSeven LevelsofConsciousness. Changingfromneedstoconsciousness Itwasevidenttomethatwhenpeoplehaveunderlyinganxietiesorsubconsciousfears aboutoneoftheirlowerorderdeficiencyneeds,theirsubconsciousremainsfocused onthatneed.Theysimplycannotgetenoughofwhattheyneedtoassuagetheir anxietyorsubconsciousfears,eventhoughitwouldappeartoanoutsideobserverthat theyhavesatisfiedthatneed.Forexample,therearepeoplewhoareneversatisfied withtheamountofmoneytheyearn.Eventhoughtheymaybeveryrich,forthem, thatneedremainsunfulfilled.Nomatterhowmuchtheyearn,theyarealwaysleft wantingmore.SuchpeopleremainsubconsciouslyfocusedattheSurvivallevelof consciousnesseventhoughtheymayhavemasteredseveraloftheotherhigherlevels ofconsciousness. Otherpeople,whohaveunderlyinganxietiesorsubconsciousfearsaboutbelongingor beingloved,subconsciouslyoperatefromthelevelofRelationshipConsciousness. Theyhavesuchastrongneedtoexperienceafeelingofaffiliationthattheymay compromisetheirownintegritytogetthatneedmeet.Theywanttobeliked.They

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cannottolerateconflictandwillusehumourtobringharmonyandmasktheirtrue feelings. Individuals,whohaveunderlyinganxietiesorfearsabouttheirperformanceorranking inrelationtotheirpeers,subconsciouslyoperatefromthelevelofSelfesteem Consciousness.Theirneedforpower,authority,status,orrespectisparamountfor theirwellbeing.Theycannevergetenoughrecognition,praiseoracknowledgement. Theybecomeperfectionists,workaholicsandoverachievers.Theyaredrivenbytheir needtoberecognised.Despitealltheaccoladestheymayget,theyalwayswantmore fame,recognition,power,authority,orstatus. Theseconsiderationsledmetorecognisethatourperceivedneedsareinrealitya reflectionofourconsciousness,andwhatwevalue,consciouslyorsubconsciously,is reflectedinthelevelsofconsciousnessfromwhichweoperate. Expandingtheconceptofselfactualisation Iexpandedtheconceptofselfactualisationtogivemoredefinitiontoourmentaland spiritualneedsbyintegratingthelevelsofconsciousnessdescribedinVedicScience intotheSevenLevelsofConsciousnessmodel. Vedicsciencespecifiessevenlevelsofconsciousness.Thesearewaking,sleeping, dreaming,soulconsciousness,cosmicconsciousness,Godconsciousnessandunity consciousness.Itappearedtomethatthedescriptionsofthelastfouroftheselevels ofconsciousnessdescribedtheunderlyingfeaturesofselfactualisation. TheFirstLevelofSelfactualisation:Myfirstrealisationwasthatonsetofsoul consciousnesscorrespondstoMaslowsneedtoknowandunderstand,andCarlJungs conceptofindividuation.IcallthislevelTransformation.Itisthefirstlevelofself actualisation,andcouldperhapsbemoreaccuratelydescribedasthelevelofself activationorindividuation.Itisthelevelatwhichwebegintoinquireintothetrue natureofwhoweare,andthemeaningweattachtoourlives.Atthislevelweareable tostepbackfarenoughfromthesocialenvironmentthathasconditionedourbeliefs andvalues,tomakeourownchoices,sowecanbecometheauthorofourownlives, anddevelopourownvoice. Thesecondlevelofselfactualisation:Cosmicconsciousnesscorrespondstothe secondlevelofselfactualisation.IrefertothislevelofconsciousnessasInternal CohesionthefifthoftheSevenLevelsofConsciousness.Atthislevelofconsciousness youregoandyoursoulblendtogetherthisisthemeaningofinternalcohesion.You findyourpersonalsenseoftranscendentpurpose(soulspurpose),andyoubringthe beliefsofyouregointoalignmentwiththevaluesofyoursoul.Youregoandsoul becomefullyintegrated.Youbecomeasoulinfusedpersonality.

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Thethirdlevelofselfactualization:Godconsciousnesscorrespondstothethirdlevel ofselfactualisation.IrefertothislevelofconsciousnessasMakingaDifferencethe sixthlevelofconsciousness.Thisisthelevelwhereyoubegintouncoveranddevelop thedeeperattributesofyoursoul.Youdevelopasenseofknowingthatgoesbeyond reasoning,andyourintuitionbeginstodirectyourdecisionmaking.Atthislevelof consciousness,youfullyactivateyoursoulspurposebymakingadifferenceinthe world.Youquicklylearnthatthedegreeofdifferenceyoucanmakeissignificantly leveragedbyyourabilitytocollaboratewithothersthatshareasimilarpurpose. Fourthlevelofselfactualisation:Unityconsciousnesscorrespondstothefourthlevel ofselfactualisation.IrefertothislevelofconsciousnessasServicetheseventhlevel ofconsciousness.Wearriveatthislevelofconsciousnesswhenthepursuitofmaking adifferencebecomesawayoflife.Atthislevelofconsciousnessweembarkonalifeof selflessservice.Wearefullyateasewithuncertaintyandcantapintothedeepest sourcesofwisdom.Welearntooperatewithhumilityandcompassion. WhilstthecorrelationsIhavemadewithVedicSciencearenotexact,theyare sufficientlyclosetowarrantattention,andprovideinsightsintotheunderlying spiritualsignificanceoftheprocessofselfactualisation. Asweprogressthrougheachofthehigherlevelsofconsciousness,wefeelan increasingsenseofconnectednesstotheworldthatshowsupasanexpandedsenseof identity.Wefeelasenseofonenesswithourselves,withourfamily,withour community,withtheorganisationweworkfor,withournation,withhumanityandthe planet,andeventuallywiththewholeofcreation.Ihavedescribedthesedifferent levelsexpansiveinclusioninapaperentitled. Relabellingthelowerlevelsofconsciousness ThenextchangeImadetoAbrahamMaslowshierarchyofneedswastocombinethe physiologicalsurvivallevelwiththesafetylevelintoasinglecategory.Ifeltjustifiedin doingthissincethephysiologicalneedsofthebodyareessentiallytakencareofbyour cellularconsciousnessnotbyourpersonalconsciousness.Itisonlyintimesof distressordysfunctionthatourpersonalconsciousnessintervenesinthefunctioning ofthebody.Forexample,ourbodysendssignalstoourpersonalconsciousnesswhen itneedsfoodandwaterorneedstoeliminatewaste.Ourpersonalconsciousnessis notincontroloftheseprocesses.InamedthiscombinedlevelSurvivalConsciousness becauseitfocusesonissuesofphysicalsurvival,physicalsafetyandphysicalhealth.

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Ialsorenamedtheleveloflove/belonging,RelationshipConsciousness.Ifeltjustifiedin doingthisbecausethequalityofloveweexperienceinlifeisdirectlyaffectedbyour abilitytobuildmeaningfulrelationshipsandexperienceasenseofbelonging.Ididnot renametheselfesteemlevel.Thislevel,togetherwiththerelationshiplevel, representsouremotionalneeds. Thus,IcreatedthreelevelsofhumanconsciousnessfromMaslowsHierarchyofbasic needs: SurvivalConsciousness(survivalandsafetycombined) RelationshipConsciousness(replacinglove/belonging) SelfesteemConsciousness.

Togethertheseneedsrepresentthemainstagesoftheemergenceanddevelopment oftheego.WiththesethreechangestoAbrahamMaslowsmodel: Changingfromafocusonneedstoconsciousness Restructuringandrelabellingofthelevelsofconsciousness Expandingtheconceptofselfactualisation.

Iwasabletoconstructamodelofconsciousnessthatcorrespondstothesevenlife themesthatareintrinsictotheevolutionofhumanconsciousness.1 AdiagramofthemodelandadescriptionoftheSevenLevelsofPersonal Consciousnessarepresentedbelow.

Service Making a difference Internal cohesion Transformation Self-esteem Relationships Survival 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

IwroteaboutthehigherlevelsofhumanconsciousnessinmyfirstbookAGuidetoLiberatingYourSoul,andI integratedthemintoMaslowshierarchyofneedsanddevelopedtheSevenLevelsofConsciousnessModelinmy secondbookLiberatingtheCorporateSoul:Buildingavisionaryorganization.

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Levels of Consciousness

Motivation/Needs

Needs

Service

Leading a life of self-less service for the good of humanity and the planet.

Making a Difference

Making a positive difference in the world by collaborating with others.

Spiritual

Internal cohesion

Finding a sense of purpose and personal meaning in your existence.

Transformation

Managing, mastering or releasing the subconscious, fear-based beliefs that cause you to feel anxious about not being able to satisfy your deficiency needs.

Mental

Self-esteem

Feeling a sense of personal self-worth.

Underlying anxieties about not being respected and not being enough. Emotional

Relationship

Feeling a sense of love and belonging.

Underlying anxieties about not being accepted and not being loved.

Survival

Feeling secure and safe in the world.

Underlying anxieties about not being safe or secure and not having enough.

Physical

HEALTHY MOTIVATIONS

UNHEALTHY MOTIVATIONS

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