[김애란] Map of consciousness

Map of consciousness  

Sometimes I hear people saying "the original state of beings is unchangeable." There are several related proverbs: "Old habits die hard." "What is learned in the cradle is carried to the grave." "A leopard cannot change his spots." 

Is it really impossible to change old habits?

On the human level, we cannot change ourselves much, but on the level of faith, we can be truly transformed into another being. To those who seek desperately the way to be healed, Jesus keeps saying, "Let you be healed according to your faith!"

Over 30 years, Dr. David Hawkins, a renowned physician, author, lecturer, researcher and psychiatrist has dedicated himself to consciousness research. In 1995, he published "Power vs. Force." This book has been translated into 25 languages, and even Mother Teresa once highly praised the book.

Hawkins says, "We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become." The more conscious we become, the more we can contribute to the harmony of the world. Advancing consciousness is very significant to become responsible for the future of the world.

The 17 levels of consciousness are explained in the map of consciousness in "Power vs. Force." Feelings below 200 refer to fear-based negative forces such as shame (1-20: humiliation, low self-esteem, misery), guilt (30: blame, remorse, destruction), apathy (50: helplessness, despair, despondency), grief (75: regret, sadness, loss), fear (100: anxiety, uncertainty, withdrawal), desire (125: craving, addiction, enslavement), anger (150: hate, aggression, hostility), and pride (175: scorn, dignity, demanding). 

Feelings above 200 belong to love-based positive powers such as courage (200: affirmation, empowerment, feasibility, the first waking point from the sleepwalker status), neutrality (250: trust, safety, release), willingness (310: optimism, intention, hopefulness), acceptance (350: forgiveness, transcendence, harmonious, the second waking point from sleepwalker status), reason (400: understanding, rationality, meaningful), love (500: unconditional, reverence, revelation, benign), joy (540: serenity, compassion, transfiguration, completeness), peace (600: bliss, illumination, perfect), and enlightenment (700-1000: ineffable and pure consciousness, the level of Jesus).

Hawkins says we can improve only 5 percent of those levels by ourselves. But we can be transformed when we are kind to the life, accept and forgive others, and entrust everything to God. Change and transformation are possible only when we entrust everything to God.

One day, I had a hard time to understand and accept some judgmental comments. Without being reconciled, several days passed by. I didn't even want to mention the situation again. I just prayed, "Lord, I still don't feel like accepting the person as she is. I just don't like that situation... Please take it. I just let you handle it."

Then, after several days, I found out everything has gone out of my heart already. It was something like fresh sprouts coming out of old tree stumps. The emotional knot disappeared, and I felt I was completely anew. So I began again. It is natural for us to undergo such the spiral journey of ups and downs.

Living the religious life, I am prone to confess that I cannot do anything by myself alone but I can do something by the help of Providence. Something different happens in our lives with faith. 

I would say my dominant feeling according to the map of consciousness was grief. I notice some traces of sadness are still lingering in my heart even though I have undergone the spiral-like steps towards higher consciousness like love, joy, and peace thanks to the abundant grace of God. The true power is revealed through weakness as St. Paul says that "my power is made perfect in weakness" in 2 Corinthians 12:9.