Sample Chapter taken from the book, “Kardec’s Spiritism”
Ch. 4: Supporting Personal Spiritual Evolution
© 2006 Emma Bragdon
“Sown as an animal body, it is raised as a spiritual body.”
–St. Paul in Corinthians, 15:44
“Everyone starts at the same point; no one receives more from God than any other. The highest ranks are accessible to everyone. Getting there depends on the individual, who can choose to put forth the necessary effort and so reach the goal more quickly, or remain inactive for centuries and centuries in the quagmire of human matter.”
—The Gospel Explained by Spiritist Doctrine
This chapter gives a broad outline of personal spiritual evolution, and how we recognize it in ourselves and others. We reflect on how this evolution impacts our ability to heal from illness and maintain health. Spiritist Centers may or may not be religious centers, but do provide an avenue for one important aspect of religious life–inspiring personal spiritual evolution.
Levels of Spiritual Development
Following is a scale of spiritual development through five energy fields of consciousness, from the lowest, “The Physical Level,” up through the “Emotional,” “Mental,” “Integrated Personality Level,” and finally, “The Level of Initiation.” This conceptual framework was created by David Hawkins, MD, PhD., in “Power versus Force: An Anatomy of Consciousness,” (1995). It is a reflection of what one finds in reading Aart Jurriaanse’s “Bridges” (1978).
Hawkins is an American psychiatrist, researcher and author. He reported having a number of personal spiritual experiences that brought him extraordinary insight into the nature of consciousness, and strengthened his abilities to effect healing in his patients. After his personal breakthroughs, he became head of one of the most successful psychiatric clinics in New York City. Among other books, he co-authored “Orthomolecular Psychiatry” with Nobel Laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling.
Hawkins used “muscle-testing,” aka kinesiology, to qualitatively define the levels of consciousness of people alive today.[1] Applied kinesiology began in the early 1970’s when Dr. George Goodheart found that benign physical stimuli, e.g. a beneficial nutritional supplement, would increase the strength of certain indicator muscles, e.g. the deltoid muscle, and inimical stimuli, e.g. chemical sweetener, would cause those same muscles to weaken. John Diamond, MD. had found that subjects universally test weak when listening to deceits, and strong when hearing demonstrably true statements.
In 1975, Hawkins began exploring this same technique to distinguish truth and falsehood. Hawkins developed a scale of relative truth by which intellectual position, statements and ideologies could be rated on a scale from 1-1000. Over twenty years, 1975-1995, Hawkins analyzed and defined the full spectrum of levels of consciousness. From this he developed an anatomy of consciousness, a profile of the entire human condition, including the spiritual development of individuals and societies. He also observed that when a subject “went weak,” this response was accompanied by a de-synchronization of the cerebral hemispheres.
Muscle testing actually takes less than ten seconds to perform. What seems to be at work is the individual being tested taps into a “database of consciousness,” a communally shared base of wisdom, belonging to all mankind. It is stored in a different “arena” of the mind than rational thought processes. This arena is non-local, impersonal and universal, but can be accessed through muscle-testing. Sound bizarre? Maybe, but before you close the book, consider that much of the work has been corroborated by worldwide research, in independent studies.
Jurriaanse, a South African, spent the last part of his life compiling the teachings of “DK,” a disincarnate Tibetan Master, channeled by Alice Bailey, 1920-40s. One of Jurriaanse’s books, “Bridges,” synthesizes the perennial wisdom from the Tibetan with other contemporary metaphysical works written in the final decades of the twentieth century. Jurriaanse’s contribution was distilling more than twenty books of esoteric knowledge to make DK’s teaching available to a general audience. The fact that Jurriaanse’s perspective parallel’s Hawkins, adds weight to the scale Hawkins developed.
The five levels described below appear to be sequential and defined within boundaries. However, as Hawkins writes, any classification of the levels of consciousness, like the one below, must necessarily be broad generalizations. As a person evolves he/she is predominantly engaged at one level, and, from time to time has experiences of other levels, thus the boundaries of each level are permeable. For example, the highly evolved healer may experience a craving for a certain kind of food, or difficulty in completely forgiving a certain person for some hurtful circumstance. Satisfying the craving for food is in keeping with the Physical Level; holding on to resentment, or desire for revenge, is characteristic of the Emotional Level. Similarly, a person on the Mental Level may have one or more extraordinary, inspiring spiritual experiences portending future levels of growth. Hawkins says, in some instances, the levels may overlap or even appear to develop simultaneously.
Both Hawkins and Jurriaanse agree, the process of evolution varies from soul to soul depending on one’s own volition. It varies in rate of growth, and the characteristics of growth.
Further complicating our ability to make simple distinctions, says Hawkins, is that levels of consciousness in any one person are always mixed, i.e. a person operates on one level of consciousness in one domain of life, and on another level of consciousness in another. We can only determine an individual’s overall level of consciousness by the sum total effect of all the levels on which he/she operates. Even though, a clearly defined sequence of evolution is artificial, Hawkins suggests one reference point to determine the level of consciousness: the principles to which a person is most committed.
Realize, too, that the progressive steps described below are said to cover innumerable incarnations, spread over millions of years. Hawkins writes that during the early stages of development, when the soul has not yet infused the personality and emotional ups and downs characterize life, man’s evolution is slow. Toward the later stages of development, the pace picks up, and evolution in the last stages can be very fast.
The Physical Level
According to Jurriaanse, approximately fifteen million years ago human consciousness began developing in humanoid physical forms. Throughout the next nine million years we began to develop self-awareness. This brought an ability to consciously observe our physical body’s animalistic tendencies (fighting for food, or the best area of land, or a sexual partner), as well as expressions of some complex feelings (jealousy, lust, frustration, etc.). Like the rest of the animal kingdom, the motivation was instinctive, and the purpose was survival; but now we could observe ourselves while we were engaged in our lives.
Although people who are on the Physical level of consciousness can acknowledge the existence of more powerful forces in the world, there is, as yet, as Jurriaanse puts it, little motivation to develop higher states of consciousness.
People on the physical level of consciousness, says Hawkins, are characterized by emotional states associated with feeling as if they are powerless victims. Humiliation, blame, despair, regret, anxiety, craving, hate, and scorn are typical. These emotional states are a reaction to experiencing life through belief systems that increase feelings of shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger and pride. All of these reactive emotional states render both the individual and the society unable to act in ways that create loving community.
Physiologically, the reactive emotional states cause a release of adrenaline. When a person is continually immersed in emotional states and negative attitudes causing adrenaline release, the inevitable result is an erosion of physical, emotional and/or mental health. The “emergency emotions” suppress the immune response, causing both weakness and enervation of specific organs, dependent on the stressor.
My guess is rarely would such a person primarily on this level of consciousness be attracted to Spiritism. Why? Spiritism is not consistent with the belief that we are powerless victims, rather it is based on the belief that we are powerful co-creators who have the potential for highly evolved states of consciousness. Also, an individual at the physical level is not yet engaged with his/her own resources of self-knowledge and intuition, and therefore often chooses to place authority for spiritual well-being into the hands of an authority figure, e.g. a priest representing the authority of the Church. Similarly, he/she is likely to put total faith in a licensed physician, rather than empower his/her own resources for self-healing in conjunction with a reasoned scientific approach to health care. Hawkins suggests that even now, the physical level of consciousness manifests as “a habit” of putting one’s faith in authority, rather than thinking, taking responsibility, and assuming authority for some of one’s own life choices:
“The current elevation of science to the status of infallible oracle is an expression of our insecure compulsion to feel there is some kind of a measurable, universally predictable objective world ‘out there’ upon which we can rely.”
Religious life, for those on physical levels, is perceived as a set of relationships (with God and the Saints, as well as the priesthood of the church) to be managed so one will not be too harshly victimized by an all powerful judge. If not negotiated properly, there is the risk one may land in Hell, for Eternity.
The Emotional Level
Whereas a person is motivated in an instinctual way on the physical level, an individual’s desires are more connected to one’s personality on the Emotional Level. Hawkins writes that motivation, on this level, is both instinctual, and designed to satisfy personal emotional needs. The beginnings of the aptitude for love start at this level, but it is typical that loving feelings are tainted by self-serving desire. The capacity for devotion exists, but is often accompanied by unreasonable, negative feelings, i.e. feelings of devotion to some who are more intelligent and wise exist alongside hatred toward others. Inner conflict, turmoil and ambivalence are common at the emotional level of consciousness.
Hawkins asserts that the behavior of eighty-five percent of the human race is currently determined by a mixture of the physical and emotional levels of consciousness. (In later work, he suggests that this percentage is beginning to decline, because people are evolving.[2]) People on the Emotional level experience waves of strong emotion in reaction to what they experience. To the extent that they are unable to avoid this reactivity, they feel victim to their own emotional states.
On the Emotional Level, the purpose of religion is to create positive feelings between the Source, or God, and oneself. This satisfies a desire for security, a sense that some things are predictable and can be depended upon. Again, there is the need to negotiate with a power who will both judge you either worthy of heaven or hell, and determine where you belong at the end of your life on earth.
Hawkins determined that repetition of waves of emotion in both physical and emotional levels of consciousness weaken the system, creating fertile ground for illness of all kinds to take hold.
According to Hawkins, when a person becomes able to make choices about where to place his/her attention, it becomes possible to stop being immersed in negative feelings by choosing a positive focus. When the person can apply his/her will to consistently affirm the positive, and face the unknown with a willingness to learn from every experience, then he/she can transition to the more evolved levels.
However, Hawkins generalizes, after reaching this kind of inner maturity, all levels are positive, empowering both the individual and his/her community to live more harmonious, peaceful lives. These individuals become readily interested in communities offering resources for spiritual development, like Kardecist Spiritist centers.
The Mental Level
According to Hawkins (1995), only 14.96% of human beings are now progressing upwards through the Mental and/or Integrated Personality levels of consciousness.
At the Mental level the emotional body becomes increasingly more refined. Rather than looking to material things to find emotional satisfaction, a person has higher aspirations for intellectual understanding. Further maturity on this level means that emotional satisfaction comes from nurturing these higher aspirations. Subsequently when the intellect, as such, no longer satisfies the inner urge towards self-improvement and deeper understanding, a person tends to look for increasing awareness of subjective realms. The inner life becomes fascinating. This person can see and understand the concept that there are Natural Laws in life, e.g. the law that all actions have consequences, and all effects have causes (Karma). He/she is also becoming conscious of the Soul. Through increasing focus on the Soul, the personality becomes “soul-infused,” absorbing qualities associated with the Soul. New emotional capacities become accessible e.g. forgiveness, optimism, and trust. One’s personal values also become more distinct, and more capable of honoring others. Altruism, wisdom, idealism, group service, sound discernment, understanding, sacrifice, perseverance, compassion, steadfast love and good will are qualities that grow as the personality becomes more Soul-infused. It is at this level that the mind becomes able to use the capacities of the physical brain as a tool.
On the Mental level, when there is a dawning of real connection to the Soul, religion can become a facilitator, enhancing that sacred connection, even evoking that connection. Here begins the breakdown of the notion that God is only outside of each person, as Divinity is now felt and experienced as having a place inside of each person.
Whereas the joy of developing the intellect first comes forward, the Mind, a manifestation of the Soul, eventually predominates as the source of intelligence. Like the conductor of a symphony, it begins to regulate the body, brain and emotions to further positive values and focus on positive emotions.
“IQ is merely a measure of academic capacity for logically comprehending symbols and words. The values that one lives by are more definitive of genius than IQ…Genius can be more accurately identified by perseverance, courage, concentration, enormous drive and absolute integrity. Talent alone is not enough. Dedication of an unusual degree is required to achieve mastery, and in the simplest definition, one could say that genius is the capacity for an extraordinary degree of mastery in one’s calling.” -David Hawkins, MD
Consciousness can still descend temporarily to lower levels, as no one is capable of being in these highest levels all the time. However, each person must remain vigilant over his/her own consciousness, and continue to use will forces to determine that actions and thoughts are positive.
Within the Mental Level and on to Levels of Integrated Personality, pain and illness are no longer perceived as a judgment or punishment from God, but a “wake-up call.” What does this mean? Illness may require that we stop our ordinary activities for a period of time, reflect on what caused the problem, rectify the stresses that led to the problem, and thus stop feeding the source that nurtures the problem. If used in this way illness can give us time to reconnect with our intuition and inner source of guidance. It can give us time to re-evaluate our priorities: “Am I doing what is most important for me to do? Have I gotten too caught up in what others expect of me? Am I too immersed in the hustle and bustle of life?” With a potentially terminal illness, we examine our mortality, and are more open to experience both what is mortal and that which is immortal.
The Integrated Personality Level
According to Hawkins, it is at this stage that, body, emotions and intelligence are under the control of the mind, to be used for specific purpose, as directed by the will. The personality becomes increasingly more integrated, as body, emotions and intelligence become capable of working together as a unit. Wisdom, or knowledge with understanding, becomes more evident at this stage.
The person is consciously deciding to focus on becoming centered in the Soul. Focus extends outward to the world in reverence and compassion for all forms of life. The happiness of others becomes a motivating force.
What Spiritists consider intrinsic to healing–personal transformation, “reforma intima”– is essential to this level of development. A person at this level understands that study, meditation and service to one’s fellow man are the most effective tools for accomplishing personal transformation. Being part of a Spiritist Community gracefully dovetails with this understanding.
As a person gives him/herself to a path of devotion to the well-being of the human family, he/she becomes increasingly more serene.
The notion that religion can be used to facilitate spiritual evolution, the progress toward increasing sense of Oneness with God, becomes increasingly more real as a person evolves past the Mental level into Integrated Personality and beyond.
Levels of Initiation
Jurriaanse recognized that as an individual increases his/her connection to the soul, and its energetic vibration, his/her personal “mission” (unique contribution to evolution) becomes revealed. The light of intuition is no longer obscured by the rational mind, so one senses one’s mission more clearly. Now an individual becomes free to dedicate him/herself to his/her unique path without feeling constrained by the limits of personality and obsolete thinking patterns. There is a wondrous feeling of liberation, and, at the same time, empowerment in the pursuit of one’s mission. Overarching the uniqueness of one’s path is a profound connection to all life. Deepening that connection, takes one into new levels of initiation[3].
Spiritists, as well as DK, use the word “perfection” to describe the ultimate goal of spiritual evolution. The motivation to achieve this level is not self-improvement; the purpose is to become a better instrument, or channel, for the highly evolved spirits to use in the service of creating a more highly evolved world. The closer one is to the ultimate ideal of spiritual union with the Divine, the more one can be of service to his fellow man. The individual at this level knows that making a contribution accelerates spiritual evolution for all beings. Thus, his/her motivation for personal enlightenment becomes increasingly more immersed in empowering the evolution of the whole human community. Ultimately, the enlightenment of all of humanity is the only goal.
Hawkins (1995) finds that only 0.04 percent of the human race are currently in the “Initiatory” levels. Mediums and healers who are dedicated volunteers at Spiritist Centers are deliberately developing Integrated Personality and Initiatory Levels. Therefore, people who want to move into these higher levels would find support for that endeavor by taking part in mediums training and other activities at a Kardecist Center.
Subjectively, there is increasingly closer alignment with one’s “Higher Self “ (inner Divinity). One develops the habit of listening to, then following the direction of the Higher Self, rather than the more self-centered dictates of the personality. Paralleling the development of attending the Higher Self is an increase in the ability to perceive the spiritual worlds: hear and/or see disincarnates, perceive the way subtle energy radiates from a patient’s body and vitalizes the systems of the body.
States of serenity and bliss are characteristic of this level of growth, as is wisdom. The emotional states associated with the personality are replaced by states of being which radiate out to others. These states of being are joy, peace, and enlightenment.
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“The key to joy is the unconditional kindness to all life, including one’s own, that we refer to as compassion.”
-B.J. Eadie in “Embraced by the Light”
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According to Hawkins, in the most advanced initiatory levels of consciousness, the individual has reoriented his/her life so that the subjective world is more significant than the objective world. Time and activities are devoted to spiritual goals. Prayer, meditation, and healing work, where one is in communion with highly evolved, intelligent sources, become the optimal avenues for contributing to the evolution of mankind. The Christ, and all the Masters who have formerly developed the highest levels of consciousness, become available through telepathic contact. One no longer needs a medium, priest, or any kind of mediator to commune directly with the sacred.
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“The inherent sense of Divinity present in every human heart, must ultimately lead each individual soul to synthesis with the ONE.”
–Aart Jurriaanse
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This level is consonant with the new theoretical physics. David Bohm writes, “Everything in the universe is connected with everything else.” When one experiences this connection, one realizes it is a human potential, everyone can experience it. One also realizes the enormous responsibility one has:
We shall eventually have to accept responsibility for every thought, word and deed we beget and re-experience exactly whatever suffering we have caused…Every act, thought and choice adds to a permanent mosaic; our decisions ripple through the universe of consciousness to affect the lives of all…Even if one sits isolated in a cave, his thoughts influence others whether he wishes it or not. Every act or decision you make that supports life supports all life, including your own. The ripples we create return to us. This, which may once have seemed a metaphysical statement, is now established as a scientific fact.
Everything in the universe constantly gives off an energy pattern of a specific frequency which remains for all time and can be read by those who know how. Every word, deed and intention creates a permanent record. Every thought is known and recorded forever. There are no secrets; nothing is hidden, nor can it be. Our spirits stand naked in time for all to see. Everyone’s life, finally, is accountable to the universe. —David Hawkins, MD
Any experience of this Oneness, although exhilarating and awe-inspiring, has a profoundly transformative and sobering effect. When we perceive the Oneness, our Souls must also be willing to assume responsibility for our part in the drama. We no longer can rest in the luxury of ascribing ultimate spiritual authority to the church or any priest. It is up to each one of us, as individuals, to manage our thoughts and our behavior. We are influencing everything all the time. It is up to us whether that influence is positive or negative. Do we radiate more positivity or negativity into the system of all of life? We have become simultaneously very powerful and very humble in the face of the Source of which we are part.
The motivations and states of being associated with the Levels of Initiation enhance the optimal functioning of the body, writes Hawkins. The body releasing more endorphins that have a tonic effect on all the organs is but one manifestation of this phenomena.
“Generally speaking, physical and mental health are attendant upon positive attitudes…It is generally held by traditional medicine that stress is the cause of many human disorders and illnesses. The problem with this diagnosis is that it does not accurately address the source of the stress. It looks to blame external circumstances, without realizing that all stress is internally generated by one’s attitudes. It is not life’s events, but one’s reaction to them that activates the symptoms of stress. A divorce can bring agony or relief. Challenges on the job can result in stimulation or anxiety, depending on whether one’s supervisor is seen as a teacher or an ogre.” -David Hawkins
This is another reason we find Spiritist Centers to be effective places for healing. It is not only receiving energy passes that promotes good health; the further one progresses in spiritual evolution, the easier it is for one’s body to maintain good health.
Faculties of the Spiritual Man or Woman
Having outlined the evolution of humankind, it is useful to summarize the capacities of a person who is working at the highest levels. This is not to enumerate “powers,” or illustrate how powerful a person is who has achieved this level, nor to encourage the development of power for selfish, egotistic purposes, but rather, to acknowledge what that person is capable of doing in service of the evolution of humankind. In fact, when a person has reached these high levels, Jurriaanse writes, “the need to inflate the ego automatically falls away.”
The man or woman at this level has developed extra-sensory perceptions and paranormal abilities. He/She is able to consciously receive and transmit telepathic communications from peers, as well as from disincarnates. He/She has deliberately developed communications with highly evolved spirits who offer spiritual guidance. He/She is also in the habit of obeying promptings coming from the Higher or Divine Self.
Along with this refined telepathy, comes a finely tuned intuition, and the desire and will to obey the intuition. This is employed to discern truth from falsehood, without relying on objective determinants or moralizing. “Whether it is wrong to kill other human beings may be a moral dilemma at lower levels of consciousness; at higher levels the very question is ridiculous. Conventional morality is, therefore, only a provisional substitute for a faculty of higher consciousness,” writes Hawkins. There is also the capacity to articulate into words what is recognized as truth. One might use this capacity in medical intuition: to perceive what is making the body ill, and translate that subtle perception into words to help the patient and his/her doctor create a diagnosis and treatment protocol.
The capacity to be a healing force comes naturally to a person who has developed into the higher levels. In the process of growth, he/she has come to understand vital forces and energies. He/She understands how to manipulate them to relieve both mental and physical suffering in other people.
Unless a person has developed the habit of consistent moral behavior, having the above capacities is only evidence of unusual potentials. What Spiritism stresses over and over again is that the spiritual person has established a way of being in the world that is motivated by compassion and goodwill. “Right Action,” doing what is beneficial for the largest number of people as often as possible, comes naturally. This is not the way of martyrdom, and inflicting undue pain on oneself; rather a path of service, that brings profound joy.
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“The person who has arrived at a habitual state of unconditional Love will experience anything less as unacceptable. As one advances in the evolution of his individual consciousness, the process becomes self-perpetuating and self-correcting, so that self-improvement becomes a way of life.”
—DavidHawkins, MD
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New Groups/New Religions
As more people evolve into the Mental level and Levels of Initiation, we will need new forms of spiritual groups that can keep up with the conscious evolution of humanity. We need groups dedicated to facilitating spiritual evolution, who accommodate our new intellectual understanding of levels of consciousness, and also appreciate and assimilate scientific breakthroughs that give a foundation to higher levels of consciousness. We need a way of facilitating personal evolution that allows for billions of pathways to “salvation,” the return to Oneness, not just one religion, claiming the favored path. Even though we can define levels where a person has particular motivations and satisfactions, there are as many pathways to those higher levels as there are people.
As Jurriaanse writes, DK suggests that these new groups, (he referred to them as “new religions”), will be based in the practice of invocation and evocation. He suggests they will gather to invoke the presence of highly evolved spirits, who share with the group their energy and their wisdom. This will have a profoundly beneficial affect on both the individuals as well as the community, as we will enhance our cooperation with those most able to stimulate higher forms of evolution.
It seems that the Spiritist Centers are a model for the kind of new group that DK spoke about. At Busca Vida, I was invited to participate in several prayer/meditation meetings that began by invoking Masters from the Spiritual realms, receiving communication from these Masters, then sharing the communications together for mutual inspiration. Both the contemporary Spiritist centers and the more traditional Spiritist Centers gather to evoke more highly evolved beings.
“…Future religion will accentuate the invocative approach from man to Divinity, and the response which will consequently be evoked. Greater attention will therefore in future be given to the art of Science of Invocation and the powers which will thereby be evoked.
The vast possibilities of Group Work and the increased power which can be generated by concerted invocative activities, will be emphasized. This will lead to the observance of worldwide sacred festivals, when humanity as a whole will direct its united petition to God, thus inevitably evoking far more potent results.
…Attainment of this ultimate goal can no longer be prevented by any adverse powers, but the rapidity of accomplishing these ideals will depend on the consecration and persistence with which man is going to apply himself to this most demanding task.”
–Aart Jurriaanse,
referring to the wisdom of DK
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1 David Hawkins, Power versus Force, 1995.
2 D. Hawkins, The Eye of the I, 2001.
3 Jurriaanse, A. Bridges, 1978.