Overview
Seven well-defined stages can be distinguished in the development of personal consciousness. Each stage focuses on a particular existential need that is inherent to the human condition. The seven existential needs are the principal motivating forces in all human affairs. Individuals grow in consciousness by learning to master the satisfaction of these needs. Individuals who learn how to master all seven needs without harming or hurting others operate from full-spectrum consciousness. They have the ability to respond appropriately to all life’s challenges. The seven existential needs that constitute the seven stages in the development of personal consciousness are shown in the following table.
The “lower” needs, levels 1 to 3, focus on our physiological need for survival; our physical and emotional need for safety; and our emotional need for self-esteem.
The “higher” needs, levels 5 to 7, focus on our spiritual needs – the need to find meaning in our lives, the need to make a difference in the world, and the need to be of service.
The first three levels focus on our personal self-interest – meeting the needs of the ego. The last three levels focus on the common good – meeting the needs of the soul.
The focus of the fourth level is transformation – a shift from self-interest to the common good. This is where the ego learns to let go of its fears so that it can become one with the soul.
Individuals that focus exclusively on the satisfaction of the lower needs tend to live self-centered, shallow lives, subconsciously or consciously dominated by the fears of the ego. The fears of the ego lead us to believe that we don’t have enough of what we need. Consequently, we are never really happy because we don’t have enough money; we don’t have enough love; and, we don’t have enough respect. If we grew up without any of these basic needs being satisfied, we may well find ourselves trying to fill the emptiness we feel inside by getting what we want from the external world to satisfy these needs. In this situation we will lead a dependency-based existence. We will be dependent on others for survival, for protection, for love and for our sense of self-worth. It is only when we release the fears of the ego that keep us in a dependency-based existence that we become free. Individuals that focus exclusively on the satisfaction of the higher needs tend to lack the skills necessary to operate effectively in the physical world. They can be ineffectual and impractical when it comes to taking care of their basic needs. We say they are not grounded.
Full-Spectrum Consciousness
To be successful in the world we need to learn how to master the satisfaction of all our needs so we can operate from full-spectrum consciousness.
We master level 1 by developing the practical skills that are necessary to ensure our physical survival.
We master level 2 by developing the interpersonal relationship skills that are necessary to feel safe and to be loved.
We master level 3 by developing the emotional skills that are necessary to feel good about ourselves in all situations – developing our self-respect.
We master level 4 by learning to release the subconscious and conscious fears we hold concerning the first three levels of needs and thereby begin the process of blending the needs of the ego with the needs of the soul.
We master level 5 when we discover our personal transcendent meaning for existence.
We master level 6 by actualizing our sense of meaning by making a difference in the world.
We master level 7 when making a difference becomes a way of life, and we embrace the concept of self-less service.
The successful mastery of each stage involves two steps: first, becoming aware of the emergent need, and second, developing the skills that are necessary to satisfy the need. Thus, we are always aware of the needs of the level of consciousness we have reached, and the needs of the previous levels we have passed through, but we are unaware of the needs of the next and subsequent levels of consciousness. We are unconsciously incompetent at that next level.
When we first become aware of a need, we are generally unskilled at satisfying it – we are consciously incompetent. As we learn the skills that are necessary to satisfy a need we become consciously competent. Eventually, when we have mastered the skills that are necessary to satisfy our needs at a particular level of consciousness we become unconsciously competent at that level.
We can identify at what levels we are operating from in the Barrett Seven Levels of Consciousness Model by uncovering what is preoccupying our minds. At any moment in time, whatever we are focusing on, consciously and subconsciously, is what we value.
All values relate directly or indirectly to the seven life themes that underlie the Barrett Seven Levels of Consciousness Model. Thus, if we can uncover our values we can determine what levels of consciousness we are currently operating from and what are our next challenges.
If our egos develop subconscious fear-based beliefs during our early years – almost everyone does – these beliefs continually upset our equilibrium in our adult life.
Our subconscious fear-based beliefs lurk in the background of our minds, and can be triggered by an incident at any moment in time. If something happens that is reminiscent of a situation in time when our needs were not being met, then the memory of the past hurt springs into the present and conditions our response to the situation. Even if we have reached the stage where we are consciously seeking to make a difference in the world (level 6), a subconscious fear-based belief about relationships (level 2) that has not been resolved can cause us to be dysfunctional with family members or coworkers.
Thus, even though we may be operating from the higher levels of consciousness in some aspects of our life, we may be operating from the lower levels of consciousness in others. The level of consciousness we operate from is directly related to the needs that are preoccupying our minds, in particular any remaining unmet needs we are holding onto at a subconscious level because of the subconscious fear-based beliefs we learned during childhood.