I: Reality and Subjectivity

Power vs. Force #3

by David R. Hawkins

This book explains the very essence of consciousness as it evolved from its primordial appearance as life on earth, on up through evolution as the human ego, and hence, the transcendence of the ego as the spiritual Reality of Enlightenment and the Presence of Divinity. The uncommon clarity and lucidity with which the highly evolved subjet matter is presented facilitates the reader's understanding and comprehension. The nature of consciousness is described in terms that recontextualize and simplify the spiritual process. The nonlinear reality of the enlightened sage is thereby made comprehensible to the reasoning mind.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Personal Development

350 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Sir David Ramon Hawkins, M.D, Ph.D. was a nationally renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, spiritual teacher and lecturer.

Founding Director of the Institute for Spiritual Research, Inc. (1983) and Founder of the Path of Devotional Nonduality (2003), Dr. Hawkins lectured widely at such places as Westminster Abbey; Oxford Forum; Universities of Notre Dame, Michigan, Argentina, Fordham and Harvard; University of California (SF) Medical School; Institute of Noetic Sciences; and Agape Spiritual Center (Los Angeles). In addition, he has been an advisor to Catholic, Protestant, and Buddhist monasteries. He conferred with foreign governments on international diplomacy and has been instrumental in resolving long–standing conflicts that were major threats to world peace.

He is featured in recent documentary films, magazines, and radio interviews (e.g., Oprah Radio and Institute of Noetic Sciences) for his work in the areas of health, healing, recovery, spirituality in modern life, consciousness research, and meditation.

Dr. Hawkins entered the field of medicine to alleviate human pain and distress, and his work as a physician was pioneering. As Medical Director of the North Nassau Mental Health Center (1956–1980) and Director of Research at Brunswick Hospital (1968–1979) on Long Island, his clinic was the largest practice in the United States, including a suite of twenty–five offices, two thousand outpatients, and several research laboratories. In 1973, he co–authored the ground–breaking work, Orthomolecular Psychiatry with Nobel Laureate chemist Linus Pauling, initiating a new field within psychiatry.

His clinical breakthroughs brought appearances on The Today Show, The Barbara Walters Show and The Mcneil/Leher News Hour. In the 1970s, he co–founded several psychiatric organizations, including the Editorial Board of the Journal of Schizophrenia and the Attitudinal Healing Center in New York.

Many awards followed, such as The Huxley Award for the "Inestimable Contribution to the Alleviation of Human Suffering," Physicians Recognition Award by the American Medical Association, 50–Year Distinguished Life Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association, the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame, and a nomination for the prestigious Templeton Prize that honors progress in Science and Religion. In 1995, in a ceremony officiated by the H.H. Prince Valdemar of Schaumburg–Lippe at the San Anselmo Theological Seminary, he became a knight of the Sovereign Order of the Hospitaliers of St. John of Jerusalem (founded in 1077) in recognition of his contributions to humanity.

Reviews

[Brad VanAuken · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hah!" This book transforms the way one views reality. Of the hundreds of religious and spiritual texts that I have read over the past 15 years, this one has influenced me in the most profound ways. My copy of the book is dog-eared and full of highlighted text. Presence, peace, knowingness -- if one could put it into words, these are some of the gifts that this book offers. I am overcome with gratitude. Read this book and you will be richly blessed. Shadows cease to exist in the presence of the all pervading Light.

[Joseph Knecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only review this book through a poem. Here it goes...

Sitting on the edge of the formless and formed,
Peering into each and expressing it through language,
That is the true power of Hawkins.
Standing on the line between the Divine and Illusionary,
Gazing into each and elucidating it through prose,
That is the true love of Hawkins.
And while sitting and standing he was neither sitting or standing,
To be the infinite and to be nothing,
That is what Hawkins realized and explained,
That is what You are.

Amazing read beyond words.

[Iona Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another ”enlightening” book by David Hawkins. It is the third of a trilogy, the previous books being “Power versus Force” and “Eye of the I”. It is divided into five sections, respectively entitled The Process, The Realization of Divinity, The Obstacles, The Transcendence and The Recontextualization.

The book is intended to help the “linear mind” understand the “nonlinear reality” of spiritual truth.

It too includes continual references to the Map of the Scale of Consciousness, which runs from 0-1000, 0 being death and 1000 being the level of the Christ, Buddha and Krishna.

As always, the best bit for me was the section, in this book the Introduction, which comprises a précis of the author’s life. This précis includes descriptions of the states of awareness the author has experienced. Reading about these brings me myself into higher states as I’ve described in previous reviews of Hawkins’ books.

Most of the book is presented as the author’s answers to questions posed by his students. In this way he explains things that many of us might have been inclined to ask him about.

We are informed that cults calibrate below 200. They “appeal to the innocent, the gullible, and the spiritually naïve or ignorant”.

Pope John II at the time of calibration tested at 590, the level of “extremely high Unconditional Love”. However, various political and authoritarian positions regarding church matters may calibrate well below 500 (the level of Love). H. states that the position of the Catholic Church on “clerical pedophilia” calibrates at 165 (200 being the level of Truth), whereas current Catholicism itself calibrates at 510.

The mystics of the world’s great religions calibrate higher than the religions themselves and are generally in accord with each other. He defines the mystic as one who has bypassed the mind in order to realize the pure truth.

H. states that great leaps of consciousness result from surrendering oneself to God at great depth. Long periods of agony can lead to transcendence of many levels of consciousness. The author himself experienced a leap from a hell-like state to a state with no personal “I” but only an “Infinite Presence of unlimited power”.

We are advised about two methods of focus that could be used in both contemplation and meditation. The one is to be aware of the totality of one’s surroundings with no focus on anything in particular, and the other is to “fixate on the central focus of vision so as to be one-hundred-percent focused on the current intended action”.

Spiritual advancement may be made by by-passing all information and merely doing the spiritual practices described. All that is required is “blind faith, the truth of a teaching, … the integrity of the teacher, plus dedication and adherence to a simple practice”.

One can carry out both the pathway of the heart and the way of the mind simultaneously. In the pathway of the heart we make the decision to be unconditionally loving to all that is encountered, even such things a garbage can.

This, like the others in the trilogy, is an amazing book and provides invaluable spiritual information. It answers most of our spiritual questions and illuminates many aspects of spirituality that we may not have been aware of.

I strongly recommend that you read this final volume too. Reading the book will allegedly raise your consciousness between ten and forty points. The book itself was calibrated as having a level of 999.8, with two chapters calibrating at 1000.

[Mihai Cotea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vorbim de un material extrem de complex care, așa cum spune și autorul, caută o evoluție a conștiinței din perspectiva unor cercetări ce se întind pe zeci de ani (Realitate) și pe baza experienței omului David Hawkins (Subiectivitate). În acest sens, celor care n-au mai avut contact cu cărțile lui Hawkins, li se face un scurt rezumat în prolog, antecamera acestei scrieri împărțite în 5 secțiuni și 23 de capitole.

Se stăruie foarte mult pe „eu”, încă din primele pagini, și se continuă la dezasamblarea lui și cercetarea sa îndeaproape, psihologicește, cu cele mai bune intenții. Adevărul e la îndemâna Realității – de exemplu că mintea tinde să se disocieze de ce găsește diferit și că aceasta a dat fragmentarea societății așa cum o vedem astăzi sau că ideea conform căreia „oamenii mă urăsc” vine din însăși ura de sine.
În sine, mintea nu cunoaște nimic, descoperim în continuare, ci se poticnește în iluzii poleite-n pseudo-adevăruri, creații fumigene extrem de dragi fiecăruia dintre noi, nu-i așa? Așa și încep isteriile din mass-media, care ne îngrașă mentalul cu efecte nocebo sub formă de ipoteze materializate-n puncte de audiență. Soluția? „Observarea lumii devine mult mai puțin dureroasă dacă o privești ca pe o școală ultimă, în care câștigăm salvarea și ne servim unii altora prin intermediul propriilor vieți”.
Binele și Mefisto sunt în noi, nu uitați. Acceptarea și negarea stau la un centimetru distanță de Sine, restul ține de sincronicități și simultaneități.

toată recenzia:
https://coltulcultural.wordpress.com/...

[Mark Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former atheist, these books surprised me with a hope for another way of being. Not through devotion to some arbitrary priesthood offering to guide me towards a transcendent godhead, but via living with a shifted focus on inner life instead of outer life or, worse, on the meaninglessness of either.

I haven't read any of these books in over a decade and so am not sure if they'd still open my eyes and inspire me to grow and change the same way. Even if not, they served their purpose as further fuel for the fires of growth and self-improvement that dominated my late twenties.

[John Cashman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow....I mean wow!

[Neeramitra Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The highest-calibrated Consciousness book of David Hawkins - this is FAR denser than its predecessors - Power Vs. Force and The Eye Of The I - and is amazing for the advanced seeker who tends to go the further mile...

The QnA format of much of this book like the previous was supremely helpful and enlightening.

Unless you've read the previous two, I wouldn't recommend starting this directly - and even then, I'd recommend work that advances your own Consciousness before picking this up.

This book itself elevates your own Consciousness a few levels - I EXPERIENCED it, flesh, body, bone, and soul.

David Hawkins' books are near-holy in how I see and treat them - given the high level of Truth they pack. But if you've read the 2 predecessors, you already know and understand, no use for/of words.

[Ernie Truman · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Power Vs. Force" supplies the measuring stick, "The Eye Of The I" soothes the spirtual questions, and "I" does the cleanup. Simple as that.

[Sintia Lincar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book that I read by David Hawkins, and like the rest, it didn't disappoint. Cannot wait to start the next one, it really puts things in perspective. They seem like they are the easiest things to do, but not to judge people or situations.. I find it the hardest thing! Either way, hope is not lost.

[Jeremy Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Hawkins, he has a take on spiritual matters which is breathtaking in its clarity. That said, this is not (in my view) his best work.

We all understand the fundamental dichotomies inherent in spiritual thinking, which makes for an alluring oxymoron. Descartes got us all into a bad way of thinking with his 'I think therefore I am', which came about because of all 'reality' there could only be one certainty: human thought. We cannot know for sure that we interpret reality correctly, but we do know that we think on it. Thus thought is the ultimate litmus test for self-awareness. Hawkins turns this (quite rightly) on its head, because all thought is subjective, self-referential and therefore ego-centric. The ego is not reality, but rather the barrier to it. All Zen masters, and indeed meditators of any skill whatsoever will concur that reality is found in the condition of 'no-mind'. That rare, beautiful and fleeting state in between thought.

So I agree with Hawkins almost without reservation, I just didn't think this book was especially clear, or even especially helpful. It's too academic and has a strange museum-like quality to the writing; like reading Thucydides, which is manageable because his histories are so epic. That style doesn't translate well to spiritual writing in my view.

But still some interesting and important insights, just not easily expressed.

[Khe Loui · Rating 3 out of 5]

لا اعرف ماذا اقول عن هذا الكتاب .. أنه أكبر من أن يستوعب من قراءة واحدة من منظوري طبعا .. اعترف اني استوعبت فقط ٤٠ بالمئة من محتواه ربما لأن لست مهيئ بعد لتشربه كما هو .
كتاب مزيج بين الروحانية و بطريقة كتابة فلسفية في قالب علمي كما سبق و قلت عن (عين الانا ) الذي هو الجزء الثاني من هذه الثلاثية .
لكن يقدم قيمة كبيرة لمن يقدرها كتاب دسم حقا و كبير أكثر من ٥٠٠ صفحة من الروحانية و النفسية و العلمية رغم اني قرأته هى أقل من مهلي بمعدل ٣٠ صفحة في اليوم فقط لتستطيع استعابه باكثر طريقة ممكنة لكن لم يحصل.
عموما انصح اي طالب او باحث مهتم بالروحانيات و الوعي و الحقائق الجوهرية عن الحياة و طريقة سيرها بهذا العنوان لانه فيه اجابات رغم تعقيدها للمبتدئ في هذا المجال الا انه سيجد الاجابات هنا في هذه الثلاثية ل دكتور هاوكينز .

[Rosalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

....May have update once completed, but suffice it to say, this author's work is a complex mixture of physics, spirituality, psychology, and life! Written in easy-to-read (sort of) Q & A format. Content will stretch anyones dendrites and nuronets in their brain, guaranteed! Fascinating.

[Caroline Cottom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hawkins ventures into political discussion, which I found not only unnecessary but hurtful to the greater message about spirituality and divinity that he is writing about.

[Lynn Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

all his books are reality

[Javier Villar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent and beautiful information in it. One of a kind.

[Basma Juma · Rating 1 out of 5]

خدعتني كلمة طبيب نفسي وتقييم ٤.٥٤
هراء ومضيعة وقت ومال
الله يعوض علينا

[Tom Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was already quite familiar with Hawkins’s material through videos, blogs and having read three of his other books. I had read that this book completed the power vs force triology and explores the higher levels of consciousness ie from the perspective of enlightenment. I was therefore excited to read this book and expected it to have a sense of completion (in the sense of containing the essence of his teachings and an explanation of the path).

What struck me about this book is that it places great emphasis on Creation and the Unmanifest God becoming Manifest. This relates to the frequent criticism of causality: that the phenomenal world is an effect and contains no causes. The linear comes from the nonlinear. He uses quantum physics to back this up. This is not something I know deeply so I can’t verify if it’s accurate.

Ultimately, everything is just as it is. Given that this book contains quite a lot of metaphysics, I was thinking of where it fits into the general religious and mystical tradition. Browsing through the nondualism Wikipedia page, I came across the section on Tiantai, which I think fits very well. In this tradition, the metaphysics is immanent holism, “ which sees every phenomenon, moment or event as conditioned and manifested by the whole of reality. Every instant of experience is a reflection of every other, and hence, suffering and nirvana, good and bad, Buddhahood and evildoing, are all "inherently entailed" within each other. Each moment of consciousness is simply the Absolute itself, infinitely immanent and self reflecting.” (Brook Ziporyn). And listen to this from J I Stone: “the whole phenomenal world is the primordially enlightened Tathagata.” This metaphysics is not identical to Hawkins’s in my mind, since he also includes a transcendent element - though ultimately both these are ‘positionalities’ that aren’t the Truth.

Not only is the metaphysics similar, but the practice is too. Tiantai is know to include all practices, such as meditation traditions like Zen and devotional mantra practice like Pure Land. Hawkins also says people can follow the salvation of Jesus and/or the enlightenment of Buddha, though enlightenment is a higher (and more difficult) aim. Related is the (neo) advaita vedanta teaching, such as Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramesh Balsakar and Ramana Maharshi, who he in fact name checks. These masters are also revered by Zennists and so devotional nonduality most likely fits in here.

Hawkins uses both God and Self, with the view that the small self has to be relinquished for the Truth of the real Self to shine through. I think he uses these terms to appeal broadly, because his interpretation of God is not what is traditionally understood. He also gives interesting insights that the duality of enlightenment and not enlightened don’t exist really - it is all just on a scale of absence/presence of the Self. He explains the subjective experience of different levels of enlightenment.

I wasn’t expecting so much social commentary, and certainly Hawkins is a conservative. I get the impression that a lot of his followers are also conservative. I feel that his teachings may make one more inclined to conservatism, and I am at least more sceptical of both political extremes. I think it helps to breed a certain detachment from worldly things, but I also think he hopes to help people who are more in the world to be in it in a more enlightened way.

What of the consciousness calibrations? I think they generally match my intuition about how the world works and sometimes not - but this always gives interesting insights into my assumptions and attachments. I can’t yet verify if it works, assuming I would even be able to. Ultimately, I think the teachings can be followed without the use of them, though the book gives the impression that they are essential for doing almost anything in life.

Most importantly, the practices of letting go, peripheral vision, breathing practices, etc WORK. That is, I can attest to the way these teachings reduce suffering and change one’s perception of the world. Anyone of any faith or no faith can read it and benefit.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

De-a lungul istoriei au existat o serie de relatări şi descrieri cu privire la stări avansate ale conştiinţei, dar acestea au fost adesea fragmentare, sumare, criptice sau enigmatice. Natura lor contradictorie a făcut ca discipolii să petreacă mulţi ani în încercarea de a descifra adevărata semnificaţie a învăţăturilor. Neînţelegerile şi disputele teologice au condus apoi la multe schisme, care adesea au avut consecinţe grave.

Multe dintre tradiţiile străvechi au fost transmise verbal din generaţie în generaţie, iar în cazul unora au trecut multe secole sau chiar mii de ani înainte de a fi înregistrate într-o formă scrisă. O mare parte a lor s-a pierdut din cauza dificultăţilor de traducere. Probabil că problemele cele mai dificile au apărut deoarece ascultătorii cuvintelor marilor învăţători nu erau în stare să le interpreteze corect semnificaţia. Domeniul nondualistic şi non- linear nu poate fi tradus uşor în raţionarea secvenţială a logicii/eului/minţii, care sunt marcate de poziţionalităţile şi presupoziţiile dualităţii precum timpul, durata, cauzalitatea şi spaţiul.

Cercetarea conştiinţei a dezvăluit faptul că iluminarea este un element rar din punct de vedere statistic, şi, chiar şi atunci când se petrece (la nivelul 600), şansele ca fiinţa iluminată să se întoarcă la o viaţă activă în lume sunt de numai 20 de procente. Atunci când nivelul conştiinţei atinge valoarea 700 sau 800, şansele ca înţeleptul să recâştige abilitatea de a relaţiona cu lumea sunt de numai 5 procente. Iar atunci când conştiinţa atinge nivelul 900, numai un singur procent din cei implicaţi mai păstrează abilitatea de a se întoarce în lume. Motivele acestui fapt vor fi investigate şi explicate în capitolele care urmează.

Iluminarea este cel mai bine descrisă ca o stare sau o condiţie ce se autorevelează, înlocuind starea anterioară a conştiinţei. Această stare este completă în sine, fiind numită, de obicei, „realizarea Sinelui”. În experienţa ce va fi descrisă, nu a fost făcută nicio menţiune despre această întâmplare pentru mai mult de 30 de ani, deoarece recontextualizarea fenomenului într-o manieră ce poate fi exprimată într-un limbaj semnificativ presupune un proces de foarte lungă durată. Capacitatea de a o face totuşi a fost impersonală, constituind un rezultat al inspiraţiei ca dar al Divinităţii, prin intermediul căreia starea amintită a putut fi împărtăşită şi altora.

Pentru a facilita înţelegerea şi a oferi un mijloc de orientare şi o perspectivă de ansamblu, nivelurile calibrate ale conştiinţei aferente diferitelor stadii vor fi explicate în capitolele următoare, în urma unei asemenea calibrări va exista întotdeauna o explicaţie, menită clarificării semnificaţiei cuvintelor care, altminteri, ar putea părea obscure. Valoarea acestei metode rezidă în faptul că ca oferă posibilitatea unei cunoaşteri subiective.

[Josie Wennekes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful work, I am a big fan of course of miracles and practice forgiveness, letting go of difficult feelings most days. This book reinforces course of miracles and expands on it, feel inspired to keep doing the inner work, so inner peace is becoming more frequent companion. Some how Dr Hawkins work unifies the underlying teachings of the major relegions and goes beyond it. For years I have not been able to have peace with Course of Miracles and muscle checking and left that healing practise. Now I feel muscle checking and consciousness make a good time. I am delighted inspired and encouraged on my path and also more able to see the pitfalls of the ego.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a profound impact on me. It touches a wide variety of topics in the form of a Q&A. It explains the different paths of realizing the Truth (non-dualism and the heart), talks about the history of the ego and mankind, gives various descriptions of the experiencing of Reality, and just answers questions one might have. This review does not translate the actual power of the book, but reading it is definitely suggested!

[Dwayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is perhaps the most interesting of all his books. I would say it can only be comprehended
with acute attention, if you have that "hearing" capacity you will like the book. Obviously if you relate to the radical nature of it you will understand the writings I can easily suspend judgement and that is also a requirement, belief /familiarness with the authors perspective/doctrine is another prerequisite
because it one of those "Truth is stranger than fiction" book.

[Paheal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explanation of spirituality in human terms with the levels of consciousness. Excellent book.

[Grace]

Couldn't finish it because of emotional reasons- perhaps later in life. It did help me explore some new concepts. Hawkins' writing has helped me through some difficult times.

[Steven Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet this truth.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising to find so many common ground with LDS beliefs. Especially for a guy who didn’t subscribe to any religion.

[Farah Naser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book spoke to my soul.

[Cesar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banger

[Mohammed Sallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

الوعى هو إدراك ومعرفة الله وذلك بإدراك روح الله داخل النفس.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times over my head but multiple moments of me stopping and replaying certain statements. Is a helpful tool on my spiritual path