Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior (Power vs. Force, #1)

by David R. Hawkins

What seems to be at work is a form of communal consciousness, spiritus mundi, or as Hawkins calls it, following Jung, a “database of consciousness.” The phenomenon seen so commonly in other social animals—whereby a fish swimming at one edge of a school will turn instantaneously when its fellows a quarter mile away flee a predator—pertains in some subconscious way to our species also. There are simply too many documented instances of individuals having intimate acquaintance with information experienced firsthand by remote strangers for us to deny that there are forms of shared knowledge other than those achieved by rational consciousness. Or perhaps, more simply, the same spark of inner sub-rational wisdom that can discriminate healthy from unhealthy can discriminate true from false.

In this volume, Dr. Hawkins brings these fruits of decades of research and insight into the penetrating illumination of revolutionary discoveries in advanced particle physics and nonlinear dynamics. For the first time in our Western intellectual record, he shows that the cold light of science is confirming what mystics and saints have always said about the self, God, and the very nature of reality. This vision of being, essence, and divinity presents a picture of man’s relation to the universe that is unique in its capacity to satisfy both soul and reason. There is a rich intellectual and spiritual harvest here, much that you can take, and much more that you can give yourself.

The millions of calibrations that confirmed this discovery further disclosed a stratification of levels of power in human affairs, revealing a remarkable distinction between power and force and their respective qualities. This, in turn, led to a comprehensive reinterpretation of human behavior in order to identify the invisible energy fields that control it. The calibrated scale was found to coincide with sublevels of the hierarchy of the perennial philosophy; correlations with emotional and intellectual phenomena in sociology, clinical psychology, psychoanalysis, and traditional spirituality immediately suggested themselves.

This reaction arises, generally, from realization of the nonlocality, impersonality and universality of consciousness itself; and, specifically, from the realization of the observability of one’s own thoughts and motivations, and their transparency across time. That one’s every thought and action leave an indelible trace forever in the universe can be an unsettling thought.

For that matter, the idea of having to start from Chapter 1 and read progressively to the end is merely a fixed left-brain concept. This is the pedestrian path of Newtonian physics, based on a limited and limiting view of the world in which all events supposedly happen in an A→B→C sequence. This form of myopia arises from an outdated paradigm of reality. Our wider and far more comprehensive view draws not only upon the essence of the most advanced physics, mathematics, and nonlinear theory, but also upon intuitions that can be experientially validated by anyone.

the individual human mind is like a computer terminal connected to a giant database. The database is human consciousness itself, of which our own consciousness is merely an individual expression, but with its roots in the common consciousness of all mankind. This database is the realm of genius; because to be human is to participate in the database, everyone, by virtue of their birth, has access to genius. The unlimited information contained in the database has now been shown to be readily available to anyone in a few seconds, at any time and in any place.

The author’s dedication is to be truthful, accurate, and precise. As he explains in the book, the law of sensitive dependence on initial conditions means that a slight variation over time can produce a major change in outcome, “much as a ship whose bearing is one degree off compass will eventually find itself hundreds of miles off course.”

The outer work can never be small if the inner work is great. And the outer work can never be great if the inner work is small. ~ Meister Eckhart, 14th-century Christian mystic

The levels of consciousness ("energy fields") are calibrated according to their measurable effect. With each progressive rise in the level of consciousness, the “frequency” or “vibration” of energy increases. Thus, higher consciousness radiates a beneficial and healing effect on the world, verifiable in the human muscle response, which stays strong in the presence of love and truth. In contrast, non-true or negative energy fields induce a weak muscle response. That which weakens life energy is to be avoided: shame, guilt, confusion, fear, hatred, pride, hopelessness, and falsehood. That which uplifts life is to be realized: truth, courage, acceptance, reason, love, beauty, joy, and peace.

Without a map in hand, the treasure cannot be found. This pathway is open to all who choose it. We all have different starting points, yet each of us guides the rudder of our future by our own hands. Substantial progress is made, Dr. Hawkins suggests, by practicing any true principle, such as: “Be kind and forgiving to everything and everyone, including yourself, at all times without exception.”

In 2003, the students of his work requested that Dr. Hawkins give a name to the body of teachings. “Devotional Nonduality” was the response, harmonizing what has historically been viewed as opposites in the inner journey: the heart and the mind.

The radical Reality is: to understand the essence of anything is to know God.

Fran Grace, Ph.D., editor Professor of Religious Studies and Steward of Meditation Room University of Redlands, California Founding Director, Institute for Contemplative Life Sedona, Arizona December 2011

Society constantly expends its efforts to correct effects instead of causes, which is one reason why the evolution of human consciousness proceeds so slowly. Mankind is really barely on the first rung of the ladder; we have not yet solved even such primitive problems as world hunger. The accomplishments of mankind, in fact, thus far are most impressive for having been achieved—almost blindly—through trial and error.

hallmark of simplicity. The basic law of the universe is economy. The universe does not waste a single quark; all serves a purpose and fits into a balance—there are no extraneous events.

the majority of people resign themselves to a pessimistic view and pray for a better life in the “hereafter,” the few visionaries who foresee a utopian future are unable to describe the means necessary to bring it about. Society needs visionaries of means, not dreamers of ends. Once we have the means, the ends will reveal themselves.

Societal choices, more often than not, are the result of expediency, statistical fallacy, sentiment, political or media pressure, or personal prejudice and vested interest. Crucial decisions affecting the lives of everyone on the planet are made under conditions that virtually guarantee failure. Because societies lack the necessary reality base for formulation of effective problem resolutions, they fall back, over and over, on a resort to force (in its various expressions—such as war, law, taxation, rules, and regulations), which is extremely costly, instead of employing power, which is very economical.

The main obstacle to man’s development, then, is the lack of knowledge about the nature of consciousness itself. If we look within ourselves at the instant-by-instant processes of our minds, we will soon notice that the mind acts much more rapidly than we would acknowledge. It becomes apparent that the notion that our actions are based on thoughtful decisions is a grand illusion. The decision-making process is a function of consciousness itself; with enormous rapidity, the mind makes choices based on millions of pieces of data and their correlations and projections, far beyond conscious comprehension. This is a global function dominated by the energy patterns that the new science of nonlinear dynamics terms attractors.4

Man thinks he lives by virtue of the forces he can control, but in fact, he is governed by power from unrevealed sources, power over which he has no control. Because power is effortless, it goes unseen and unsuspected. Force is experienced through the senses; power can be recognized only through inner awareness. Man is immobilized in his present condition by his alignment with enormously powerful attractor energy patterns, which he himself unconsciously sets in motion. Moment by moment, he is suspended in this state of evolution, restrained by the energies of force, impelled by the energies of power. The individual is thus like a cork in the sea of consciousness—he does not know where he is, where he came from, or where he is going, and he does not know why. Man wanders about in this endless conundrum, asking the same questions century after century, and so he will continue, failing a quantum leap in consciousness.

Kinesiology exposed, for the first time, the intimate connection between mind and body, revealing that the mind “thinks” with the body itself. Thence, it provided an avenue for the exploration of the ways consciousness reveals itself in the subtle mechanisms behind disease processes.

This description of how the universe works is in accord with the theories of physicist David Bohm, who has described a holographic universe with an invisible implicate (“enfolded”) and a manifest explicate (“unfolded”) order.15 But it is most important to note that this scientific insight corresponds with the view of reality experienced through history by enlightened sages who have evolved beyond consciousness to the state of pure awareness.16 Bohm postulates a source that is beyond both the explicate and implicate realms, very much like the state of pure awareness described by the sages.17

In this study, however, test responses were independent of our subjects’ belief systems or intellectual content. What emerged were patterns of energy fields that were aspects of consciousness itself, irrespective of individual identities. In common left-brain/right-brain parlance, we could say that the test subjects reacted globally to an attractor field, irrespective of the individual variation of their left-brain logic, reason, or sequential thought systems. The results of the study indicate that profoundly powerful patterns organize human behavior.

However, it was Dr. Diamond’s demonstration that the body instantly went weak in response to unhealthy emotional attitudes or mental stresses that had the greatest ongoing clinical influence.

One other cause for paradoxical test results is a physical condition of the test subject resulting from stress, or depression of the thymus gland function, which occurs from encountering a very negative energy field. The thymus gland is the central controller of the body’s acupuncture energy system, and when its energy is low, test results are unpredictable. This can be easily remedied in a few seconds by a simple technique discovered by Dr. John Diamond, which he called the “thymic thump.” The thymus gland is located directly behind the top of the breastbone. With clenched fist, pound over this area rhythmically several times while smiling and thinking of someone you love. At each thump, say, “Ha-ha-ha.” Retesting will now show the resumption of thymic dominance, and normal test results will occur.15

By taking responsibility for the consequences of their own perceptions, observers can transcend the role of victim to an understanding that “nothing out there has power over you.” It is not life’s events, but how one reacts to them and the attitude that one has about them, which determine whether the events have a

positive or negative effect on one’s life, whether they are experienced as opportunity or as stress. Psychological stress is the net effect of a condition that you are resisting or wish to escape, but the condition does not have any power in and of itself. Nothing has the power within itself to “create” stress. The loud music that raises the blood pressure of one person can be a source of delight to another. A divorce may be traumatic if it is unwanted, or a release into freedom if it is desired.

The key to Joy is unconditional kindness to all of life, including one’s own, which we refer to as compassion.1 Without compassion, little of any significance is ever accomplished in human endeavor. We may generalize to the greater social context from individual therapies, wherein patients cannot be truly cured or fundamentally healed until they invoke the power of compassion, both for themselves and others. At that point, the healed may become a healer.

Courage implies the willingness to try new things and deal with the vicissitudes of life. At this level of empowerment, one is able to cope with and effectively handle the opportunities of life. At 200, for instance, there is the energy to learn new job skills. Growth and education become attainable goals. There is the capacity to face fears or character defects and to grow despite them; anxiety also does not cripple endeavor as it would at the lower levels of evolution. Obstacles that defeat people whose consciousness is below 200 act as stimulants to those who have evolved into the first level of true power.

Energy becomes very positive as we get to the level that we have termed Neutral, because it is epitomized by release from the positionality that typifies lower levels. Below 250, consciousness tends to see dichotomies and to take on rigid positions, an impediment in a world that is complex and multi-factorial rather than black and white. Taking such positions creates polarization, and polarization in turn creates opposition and division. As in the martial arts, a rigid position becomes a point of vulnerability; that which does not bend is liable to break.

for flexibility and nonjudgmental, realistic appraisal of problems. To be Neutral means to be relatively unattached to outcomes; not getting one’s way is no longer experienced as defeating, frightening, or frustrating. At the Neutral level, a person can say, “Well, if I don’t get this job, then I’ll get another.” This is the beginning of inner confidence; sensing one’s power, one is therefore not easily intimidated. One is not driven to prove anything. The expectation that life, with its ups and downs, will be basically okay if one can roll with the punches is a typical 250-level attitude.

advancement. Willingness implies that one has overcome inner resistance to life and is committed to participation. Below the 200 calibration level, people tend to be close-minded, but by level 310, a great opening occurs. At this level, people become genuinely friendly, and social and economic success seem to follow automatically.

At this level, self-esteem is innately high and is reinforced by positive feedback from society in the forms of recognition, appreciation, and reward. Willingness is sympathetic and responsive to the needs of others. Willing people are builders of, and contributors to, society. With their capacity to bounce back from adversity and learn from experience, they tend to become self-correcting. Having let go of Pride, they are willing to look at their own defects and learn from others. At the level of Willingness, people become excellent students. They are easily teachable and represent a considerable source of power for society.

An enormous jump—taking back one’s own power—is completed at this level, with the realization that the source of happiness is within oneself. At this more evolved stage, nothing so-called “out there” has the capacity to make one happy, and love is not something that is given or taken away by another, but is created from within.

to be confused with passivity, which is a symptom of apathy. This form of Acceptance allows engagement in life on life’s own terms, without trying to make it conform to an agenda. With Acceptance, there is emotional calm and perception is widened as denial is transcended. One now sees things without distortion or misinterpretation; the context of experience is expanded so that one is capable of “seeing the whole picture.” Acceptance has to do essentially with balance, proportion, and appropriateness. The individual at the level of Acceptance is not interested in determining right or wrong, but instead is dedicated to resolving issues and finding out what to do about problems. Tough jobs do not cause discomfort or dismay. Long-term goals take precedence over short-term ones; self-discipline and mastery are prominent. At the level of Acceptance, we are not polarized by conflict or opposition; we see that other people have the same rights as we do, and we honor equality. While lower levels are characterized by rigidity, at this level, social plurality begins to emerge as a form of resolution of problems. Therefore, this level is free of discrimination or intolerance; there is the awareness that equality does not preclude diversity. Acceptance includes rather than rejects.

Love as depicted in the mass media is not what this level implies. On the contrary, what the world generally refers to as love is an intense emotionality combining physical attraction, possessiveness, control, addiction, eroticism, and novelty. It is usually evanescent and fluctuating, waxing and waning with varying conditions.

That love can turn to hate is a common concept, but what is being spoken about rather than love is an addictive sentimentality and attachment. Hate stems from Pride, not Love. There probably never was actual Love in such a relationship.

The 500 level is characterized by the development of a Love that is unconditional, unchanging, and permanent. It does not fluctuate because its source within the person who loves is not dependent on external conditions. Loving is a state of being. It is a way of relating to the world that is forgiving, nurturing, and supportive. Love is not intellectual and does not proceed from the mind. Love emanates from the heart. It has the capacity to lift others and accomplish great feats because of its purity of motive.

Energy Level 540: Joy As Love becomes more and more unconditional, it begins to be experienced as an inner Joy. This is not the sudden joy of a pleasurable turn of events; it is a constant accompaniment to all activities. Joy arises from within each moment of existence, rather than from any external source. 540 is also the level of healing and of spiritually based self-help groups.

At the high 500s, the world one sees is illuminated by the exquisite beauty and perfection of creation. Everything happens effortlessly, by synchronicity, and the world and everything in it is seen to be an expression of love and Divinity. Individual will merges into Divine will. A Presence is felt whose power facilitates phenomena outside conventional expectations of reality, termed miraculous by the ordinary observer. These phenomena represent the power of the energy field, not that of the individual.

Only 8.0 percent of the world’s population operates at the consciousness level of the 400s, only 4.0 percent of the world’s population calibrates at an energy field of 500 and over, and a level of consciousness calibrating at 600 and over is reached by only one in many millions.

The 400s are the level of the awakening of the intellect, the locus of true literacy, higher education, the professional class, executives, and scientists. The home, devoid of reading materials at the lower levels, now exhibits magazines, periodicals, and full bookcases. There is an interest in educational broadcast channels on TV, and a more sophisticated political awareness. Great communication adeptness, intellectual preoccupation, and artistic creativity are common. Recreational activities take the form of chess, travel, theater, and concerts. Civic enterprises intended to enhance the social milieu receive serious attention. Supreme Court justices, presidents, statesmen, inventors, and leaders of industry occupy this general range.

The reason for this is more easily understandable when we see that what defines one’s level is motivation. Motivation proceeds from meaning, and meaning, in turn, is an expression of context. Thus, achievement is bounded by context, which, when correspondingly aligned with motivation, determines the individual’s relative power.

Thus, although it is not ordinary to move out of one energy field into another during one lifetime, the opportunity still exists. It remains for motivation to activate that potential; without the exercise of choice, no progression will occur. It is well to re-emphasize that the progression of the calibrated power levels is logarithmic; thus, individual choice can have a mighty effect. The difference in power level, for instance, between 361.0 and 361.1 is very significant and capable of transforming both one’s life and one’s effect on the world at large.

The so-called “high” that the drug or alcohol user experiences, however, can calibrate from 350 to 600. The actual effect of drugs is merely to suppress the lower energy fields, thereby allowing the user to experience exclusively only the higher ones. It is as though a filter screened out all the lower tones coming from an orchestra so that all that could be heard were the high notes. The suppression of the low notes does not create the high ones; it merely reveals their presence.

A “high” is any state of consciousness above one’s customary level of awareness. Therefore, to a person who lives in Fear, moving up to Courage is a “high.” To people who live in hopeless Apathy, Anger is a “high” (for example, rioters in third-world ghettoes). Fear at least feels better than Despair, and Pride feels far better than Fear. Acceptance is much more comfortable than Courage; and Love makes any lower state seem comparatively unattractive. While Joy surpasses all lesser human emotions, Ecstasy is a rarely felt emotion in a class by itself. The most sublime experience of all is the state of Infinite Peace at level 600, so exquisite that it belies all attempts at description. The higher the level of these states, the greater its power to reprogram the subject’s entire life. Not uncommonly, just one instant in a very high state can completely change a person’s orientation to life, as well as his goals and values. It can be said that the individual who was, is no more, and a new person is born out of the experience. Through hard-won progress on a dedicated spiritual path, this is the very mechanism of spiritual evolution.

What of a true teacher? In the first place, a universal hallmark is that the true teacher never controls anyone’s life in any way—instead, they merely explain how to advance consciousness.

Indian spiritual saint, Ramana Maharshi, who died in 1950, calibrated at 720. (He went into a state of enlightenment at age sixteen, never left the mountain where he lived, and led a life of humble simplicity, eschewing money, prestige, and followers, and would have remained anonymous had not a well-known British writer’s description of Maharshi’s enlightened state brought seekers from all over the world.)

Appropriate use of the system will always lead to self-discovery and growth. Eventually, it can lead us to have compassion for everyone, when we see how we all must struggle with the downside of human nature. Everyone is crippled in some area, and everyone is somewhere on the path of evolution, some ahead of us, and some behind. In the steps we have walked are the old lessons of life, and before us are the new teachings to be learned.

In actuality, there is nothing to feel guilty about and nothing to blame. There is no one to hate, but there is that which is better avoided, and such blind alleys will become increasingly apparent. Everyone has chosen their own level of consciousness, yet nobody could have done otherwise at any given point in time. We can only get “there” from “here.” Every leap has to have a platform from which to originate. Pain exists to promote evolution; its cumulative effect finally forces us in a new direction, though the mechanism may be very slow. How many times is it necessary to hit bottom before a lesson is learned? Perhaps thousands, which may account for the sheer quantity of human suffering, so vast as to be incomprehensible. Slowly, by inches, does civilization advance.

That which is injurious loses its capacity to harm when it is brought into the light. And now nothing need remain hidden. Every thought, action, decision, or feeling creates an eddy in the interlocking, inter-balancing, ever-moving energy fields of life, leaving a permanent record for all of time. This realization can be intimidating when it first dawns on us, but it becomes a springboard for rapid evolution. In this interconnected universe, every improvement we make in our private world improves the world at large for everyone. We all float on the collective level of consciousness of mankind so that any increment we add comes back to us. We all add to our common buoyancy by our efforts to benefit life. What we do to benefit life automatically benefits all of us because we are all included in that which is life. We are life. It is a scientific fact that “what is good for you is good for me.”