Levels of Consciousness: Definition, Examples, & Explanation

The 4 Levels of Consciousness chart and model come from learning science and help us understand how we go about building skills. In other words, we go through these levels of consciousness again and again for everything we learn. 

The 4 levels of consciousness are as follows.

​Level 1. Unconscious Incompetence: We don’t know what we don’t know. 
Individuals at this level do not realize that they don’t understand something. They may also deny that this understanding is important (Wikipedia, n.d.-b).

Level 2. Conscious Incompetence: We know that we don’t know.
Individuals at this level have learned enough to realize that they do not understand something. They realize that they have a deficit and begin to want to address this deficit.

Level 3. Conscious Competence: We work at what we don’t know.
​​​Individuals at this level are conscious of how to do something and can execute the steps. However, it can still be cognitively taxing and tiring to execute these steps. 

Level 4. Unconscious Competence: We don’t have to think about it anymore.
Individuals at this level have so much practice that they can execute the skill automatically without effort or thinking.

According to John Smotherman, author of The Consciousness Paradigm, the levels of consciousness can be thought of as similar to looking through a different set of glasses that color the world in different ways. As we move up through the levels of consciousness, our perception shifts. These levels of consciousness are similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a famous model of growth in the field of psychology. 

Here is an overview of his model of 7 levels of consciousness.

Level 1. Instinctual
Individuals at this level of consciousness operate from the perspective of the survival instinct. Their main focus is on acquiring the resources (e.g., food, water, shelter) needed to sustain life.

Level 2. Individualist
Individuals at this level of consciousness operate from the perspective of the individual self or ego. Their main focus is on eliminating personal threats to themselves (e.g., their mind, body, possessions, etc…). 

Level 3. Conformist
Individuals at this level of consciousness operate from the perspective of the group. Their main focus is on belonging and feeling accepted by the group. Given this focus on group membership, people outside the group are often viewed as ‘less than’ those in the group.

Level 4. Rational
Individuals at this level of consciousness operate from the perspective of fairness. Their main focus is on using logic and reason to perceive and understand the world.

Level 5. Pluralistic
Individuals at this level of consciousness expand to include the perspectives of others and operate from the perspective of common humanity. Their main focus is on empathy and understanding the world through a variety of perspectives. 
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Level 6. Integral
Individuals at this level of consciousness operate from the perspective of allowing. Their main focus is on understanding that everything is fine as it is and that all levels of consciousness interact harmoniously. 

Level 7. Transcendent
Individuals at this level of consciousness operate from the perspective of oneness. The universe is seen as one whole that expresses itself in innumerable ways.

This model (Wilber, 2001) is somewhat similar to the 7 levels of consciousness we previously described but condensed into only 4 levels. It basically outlines how our perspectives shift as we expand our consciousness. 
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Perspectives at each level of consciousness: 

1. Preconventional (egocentric)
2. Conventional (socio-centric)
3. Post-conventional (world-centric)
4. Post-post-conventional (oneness-centric)

According to teachings from Buddhism, there are 9 levels of consciousness (Wikipedia, n.d.-c). Our true identity is only known once we reach the 9th level of consciousness. 

Below we describe these levels of consciousness. 

Levels 1-5. The 5 Senses
We are born with the first 5 levels of consciousness. These include our 5 senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

Level 6. Integration of The 5 Senses
The 6th level of consciousness might be thought of as the part of the mind that enables us to understand the information we are receiving from our 5 senses. For example, we can differentiate an orange ball from an orange fruit (Wikipedia, n.d.-c).

Level 7. Thought Unrelated to Senses
The 7th level of consciousness involves inner thoughts. For example, we are able to think about ideas, concepts, identities, and other things that are not related to our senses. This level might also be considered to be similar to our ego. 

Level 8. ‘Storehouse Consciousness’
The 8th level of consciousness is thought to store all thoughts, feelings, and actions that we take with us when we die (i.e., karma). This might also be described the ‘soul consciousness’ as it includes all the activities of our soul.

Level 9. Buddha Nature
The 9th level of consciousness is the core or purest consciousness. It is beyond the soul and karma. This consciousness might also be described as self-realization or enlightenment. Reaching this level of consciousness enables one to transcend suffering.

I continue to hone my own model of well-being to better understand and explain how we grow and achieve greater well-being. This model fits into the collection here as it involves shifts in consciousness (or perspective). Here is my current model:

Levels of well-being: 

• Sensing (I am my body) 
• Feeling (I am my emotions) 
• Expressing (I am my mind)
• Awareness (I am the observer)
• Allowing (I am nothing)
• Oneness (I am everything)

​Each of these levels will be broken up into smaller levels which I’ll have to dive into later. Although it was unintentional, this model is surprisingly similar to models from the Vedas in Hinduism (Gosar, 2019).

Regardless of which model of consciousness we’re looking at, they all suggest that we improve our well-being as we become more conscious. That doesn’t mean we won’t have challenges at higher levels of consciousness, but at higher levels, we have more resources to handle those challenges and the rewards of overcoming those challenges are far greater. For example, we can become clearer about our identity, experience more positive emotions, and at the highest levels of consciousness, even transcend suffering.

Our consciousness is always expanding (up-leveling) throughout our entire lives (Tolle, 2006). However, the exact path we take and the speed with which we up-level depends on multiple factors. 

We are always progressing along multiple quasi-independent lines of personal growth (Wilber, 2001). For example, we may be learning about ourselves, others, and the world simultaneously, and all at different speeds. Thus, we may up-level in one area of our lives while failing to up-level in another area.

Seven key lines (or areas of development) are below: 

1. Stability. Grounding, connection to the physical body, financial stability, sense of safety, etc…
2. Emotion. Emotion regulation, nervous system activation, fear, physical movement, sexuality, etc…
3. Self. Identity, self-esteem, ego, self-expression, achievement, etc…
4. Other. Social connection, love, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, etc…
5. Self-Other. Communication, listening, voice, boundaries, leadership, etc…
6. Mind. Thinking, learning, analyzing, imagination, intuition, etc…
7. Oneness. Play, surrender, oneness, spirituality, etc…

​Anytime we increase consciousnesses in any of these areas of our lives, we are upleveling our consciousness. Ideally, we want to stay balanced in our growth so that as we up-level, we don;t leave parts of ourselves behind.

Remember, consciousness is awareness. So, if we refuse to change our perspectives, getting attached to some aspect of our current worldview, we’ll get stuck. Any thought, belief, or emotion can become a trap. For example, as we uplevel our consciousness, we can fall into the trap of thinking we’re better than others. Higher consciousness is not about being special. Our expanding awareness is the inevitable next step in human evolution, and it will happen to everyone eventually.

When watching or listening to those who’ve reached the ultimate truth at the highest levels of consciousness, it’s clear that human trappings (like spiritual gifts) are of no importance to them. For example, the spiritual leader Ramana Maharshi considers the gifts of higher consciousness to be an obstacle to self-realization and of no importance whatsoever (Maharshi, 1985). ​

To better understand what level of consciousness you’re at, let’s do a little self-reflection assessment. 

When you think of yourself, which adjectives are you most likely to use to describe yourself?

• Body-based (pretty, ugly, fat, thin, tall, short, strong, weak, etc…)
• Emotion-based (sad, happy, emotional, sensitive, emotionally strong, ashamed, hurt, angry, victimized, guilty, joyful, depressed, anxious, etc…)

• Mind-based (smart, stupid, thoughtful, kind, hard-working, or any other personality trait)
• Awareness-based (the witness, observer, higher self, a soul, a spirit, an energy, a participant in life, etc…)
• Allowing-based (nothing, not the doer, not in control, no action, no will, acceptance, presence)
• Oneness (everything, the universe, oneness, all that is)

​Most people will likely find themselves primarily at the level of the mind or emotions, but these levels overlap so you may experience multiple levels simultaneously.

Because our consciousness expands like the ocean during a rising tide (with waves rolling in and out), it can often involve big jumps forward and backward. A ‘storm’ can lead to giant waves that destroy our existing beliefs and habits. For example, we may be faced with a death, an illness, or a job loss that catapults us to a new level quickly, without warning. Or, internally, we may suddenly gain access to repressed memories, realize that we are in a toxic relationship, or gain awareness of something that was entirely hidden. 
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These rapid expansions of consciousness can indeed be challenging, as each one involves undergoing a loss. That loss may be of something or someone in our material world, or it may be an identity, belief, or role we have grown attached to. As a result, we may feel temporarily depressed, tired, or even experience physical symptoms. It is important that we remember that consciousness expansion comes in waves, and we will get through this.

Given there are very few people who have reached higher levels of consciousness, academic research on this topic is lacking. However, qualitative research and personal reports provided by those who experience higher levels of consciousness help us develop a rudimentary understanding of this experience. 

Here are some experiences that commonly occur as one reaches higher levels of consciousness: 

Activation of the Clairsenses
It is common for one to report an increase in psychic abilities as their consciousness expands. Each person’s experience is vastly different and may include a different combination of clairsenses such as clairaudience (Shutan, 2015). 

Physical Symptoms
The body will often start to do weird things as consciousness expands. For example, people may have spontaneous movement, headaches, digestive issues, and a variety of unexplainable bodily experiences (Shutan, 2015). 

Mental Symptoms
​Often, consciousness expansion involves the shedding of perceptions that were acquired in the earlier levels. We let go of thoughts, emotions, beliefs, roles, stories, and habits that no longer resonate with us. This can result in disorientation and rapid shifts in perception (Shutan, 2015).

Here are a few quotes related to levels of consciousness.

• “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness”. – Lao Tzu
• “Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretence. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” – Adyashanti
• “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” – Albert Einstein
• “When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see the real you, or what you have been conditioned to believe is you? The two are so, so different. One is an infinite consciousness capable of being and creating whatever it chooses, the other is an illusion imprisoned by its own perceived and programmed limitations.” – David Icke
• “As long as you are trying to become, trying to get somewhere, trying to attain something, you are quite literally moving away from the Truth itself.” – Adyashanti
• “The history of the world is none other than the progress of the consciousness of freedom.” – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
• “Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations. You are originally unlimited and perfect. Later you take on limitations and become the mind.” – Ramana Maharshi
• “Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.” – Eckhart Tolle

• Gosar, A. (2019) Multiple Human Bodies: Psychological understanding of Holistic Approach and Intuition. Retrieved 4/29/2024 from https://www.academia.edu/download/94252991/WJRR0805004.pdf
  
• Maharshi, S. R. (1985). Be as you are. Arkana, London.
  
• Shutan, Mary Mueller. (2015). The Spiritual Awakening Guide: Kundalini, Psychic Abilities, and the Conditioned Layers of Reality. Findhorn Press.
  
• Tolle, E. (2006). A new earth: Awakening to your life’s purpose. Penguin Life.
  
• Wilber, K. (2001). The eye of spirit: An integral vision for a world gone slightly mad. Shambhala Publications.
  
• Wikipedia. (n.d.-a). Consciousness. Retrieved 4/26/2024 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness
  
• Wikipedia. (n.d.-b). Four stages of competence. Retrieved 4/26/2024 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence
  
• Wikipedia. (n.d.-c). The Nine Conscoiuness. Retrieved 4/26/2024 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nine_Consciousness