Are you committed to spiritual growth and development? Your ability to learn and grow depends upon your level of consciousness and awareness. Learn how to remove the roadblocks to your growth.
If you want to grow as a person, you need goals and tools for self-development. Intellectual and spiritual development go hand-in-hand. We will discuss the tools that increase our awareness and open the gateway to other states of consciousness. We call the methods that expand awareness “spiritual technologies.” We’ll explain these and how to choose your pathway of development.
The 7 Levels of Consciousness
One way to measure consciousness is by the level of awareness.
“In the history of the collective as in the history of the individual, everything depends on the development of consciousness.” — Carl Jung
The analogy of the computer is one way to explain how our experience of awareness relates to consciousness within the Universe. Our awareness is the computer, and consciousness is the internet connection. The internet is our spirit or soul.
You can have a fast computer but cannot access the information on the internet if your internet connection is slow. It is a fast internet connection that maximizes the potential of the computer.
Consciousness is not like a light switch which is either on or off. Consciousness is more a wavelength of energy. We must have at least some level of consciousness to be alive. We can have consciousness but not be aware of our bodies. The 7 levels of consciousness and awareness are not static; we can shift between them based on a variety of circumstances.
1 The First Level — Chemically Induced Coma or Suspended Animation
The first level of consciousness is a coma. It is the first level of consciousness. Physicians use compounds that lower our level of consciousness, making it possible for them to operate on the body. A form of suspended animation can also be achieved by injecting ice-cold saline, which reduces life signs of heart rate and respiration to almost zero.
2 The Second Level — Controlling Body Function with the Mind
The second level is consciousness which is altered by the mind using forms of meditation that enable one to enter the state of pure consciousness. In this state, heart rate and respiration can be nearly zero. It is accomplished with full awareness and control, unlike chemically induced states.
3 The Third Level — Distorted Awareness
Consciousness and awareness can be distorted in several ways, which reduces the ability to think rationally. The use of alcohol and drugs is a popular way to distort consciousness in a pleasurable way. Consciousness can be distorted by hypnosis or magical thinking. Both of these methods can alter the programming of our values and beliefs. Here greed and selfishness dominate thinking; these have a detrimental effect on spiritual growth and personal development. We see this kind of distorted thinking in extremist ideologies based on prejudice and bias. Propaganda is another mind-changing stimulus that results in distorted thinking.
4 The Fourth Level — Awakening
Awakening is the opposite of distorted awareness. When we begin the awakening process, we become aware of the value of others and other things. It is the state in which we begin to see we are part of the whole. It is the fourth of the 7 levels of consciousness when we begin to see through the distortions of the cultural narrative.
5 The Fifth Level — Integration
The next step in awakening is the integration of the Observer into our basic default states of waking, dreaming, and sleeping. It’s one of the most important keys to spiritual growth and personal development. It is not a philosophical change but rather a physiological change where one experiences the “self” as a separate but integrated part of our consciousness. This fifth level is the first of the higher states of consciousness. Some see this as self-actualization when you realize the potential of awareness.
6 The Sixth Level — Moving Beyond Self
Selflessness is the state in which you value the needs of others above your own. It is the point at which self-awareness expands to social awareness. Many people we call activists operate with this mindset.
7 The Seventh Level — Enlightenment
We term enlightened the second phase of the higher states of awareness. To be enlightened is to have the knowledge and understanding to move beyond the confines of harmful social constructs of religion and commercialism. Here integration is complete, and the individual possesses the nine virtues of the spirit.
Enlightenment is like standing on a mountain and seeing the landscape of life in all its beauty. The last of the 7 levels of consciousness is when you not only realize your potential but possess the ability to move to other realms of awareness.
Choose Your Pathway — The Keys to Spiritual Growth
What exactly are these technologies of the spirit? Do they differ from the practices of Western organized religion?
Spiritual refers to the spirit, which is the same as consciousness. The word technologies refers to processes. So these are processes for exploring consciousness. This article describes many of these methods and provides free links to learn them here.
So what are spiritual technologies? They are tools that open these doors of awareness. Using a process does not require adopting religious beliefs or joining a religion. Chances are some of your ancestors used these techniques. It’s time for you to rediscover them. These methods are the key to your spiritual growth and personal development.
For a process to be valid, it must stand up to the test of modern science, be repeatable, and produce consistent outcomes. Many of these methods produce physiological changes we can measure.
We place these methods into four groups:
- Rational Thinking Methods
- Seated and Moving Meditation
- Techniques to Expand Awareness
- Natural Healing Modalities
Analytical Tools and Methods
The first tool we recommend for any spiritual explorer is enhancing their critical thinking skills, and this investment will pay huge dividends. Analytical thinking skills in spirituality may seem out of place, but you need these tools to sort out the facts from fiction. The clarity of our thinking depends upon our ability to weigh the facts. If you ask us what are spiritual technologies everyone should practice? These analytical tools are a must. They are the foundation of intellectual development. It helps you choose your pathway instead of becoming a follower. It helps you become committed to spiritual growth and development.
Logical Thinking
Logic is a way of thinking which uses guidelines to ensure the highest degree of validity. In short, it is common sense. These are the basic tools every spiritual explorer needs to assist them in searching for the truth and walking their path. You’ll use these tools every day. Four articles outline these critical thinking skills, which are the keys to spiritual growth and the 7 levels of consciousness and awareness.
Logical and Rational Thinking Skills
Rational thinking skills give us a foundation for making good decisions. This module explains how rational and irrational differ. Then, it provides the correct use of deductive and inductive logic. If you know the correct form of the argument, you can spot errors in logic.
Spiritual Axioms
A spiritual axiom is a premise or formula which helps us reveal the truth, providing valuable insight and wisdom. These tools help us identify false arguments.
This tool provides twelve spiritual axioms to help you avoid common spiritual roadblocks. We use them as a theme for each month of the year, which keeps them fresh.
Spotting logical Fallacies
This module builds on the foundation of the first module. It shows the dangers of false narratives by outlining ten of the most common logical fallacies.
Comparative Analysis
Comparative Analysis is a scientific approach to comparative religious study. This technique evaluates your worldview by comparing your core beliefs with those in other systems. Using these tools enables you to develop a map of your core values. You can use this process alone or in a group setting. We highly recommend you go to the public library, where you can access a wide variety of resources.
The Enneagram System
The Enneagram is a powerful psychological tool. It has a rich history that pre-dates modern psychology. Like many other psychometric tools, it uses questionnaires to gather information to render profiles for personality and instinct.
The questionnaire is only the beginning of the system. The Enneagram describes the thinking patterns and psychic structures of the mind. It helps us understand the mechanisms of the Ego. This system uses “common language,” which makes it accessible to everyone, yet it is deep enough for clinicians.
Modern psychology uses many of the concepts found in the Enneagram tradition. The pioneers of psychology use it as a source of their understanding of the psyche. Freud and Jung refer to the Enneagram in their work, either directly or indirectly.
We see the philosophy and structure used in Jungian psychology. It mirrors the structure of the nine personality types of the Enneagram. Jung calls them the nine processes of consciousness.
Seated and Moving Meditation
When you bring up the subject of spiritual practice, most people think you are talking about some form of seated meditation. If you ask, what are spiritual technologies? They will tell you it’s some form of meditation.
Meditation involves guiding or directing the focus of the mind. There are many kinds of meditation, including both seated and moving forms. Meditation often uses mental tools like mantras, sutras, and affirmations. These tools help us direct the attention of the mind.
Seated Meditation
Many people use seated meditation. It is the primary tool for exploring your consciousness. Seated meditation comprises a continuum of methods from simple to complex. It starts with a simple two-step approach and progresses through Mindfulness Meditation, Japa, or Transcendental Meditation (TM) to more advanced techniques like the Siddhis.
Moving Meditation
Moving meditation is the expansion of awareness. It is the ability to focus inward and outward at the same time. For example, The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a ritual designed to improve awareness. There are forms of the Shamanic Journey that involve dance.
This modality improves thoughts and frame connection and tremendously impacts our fitness and health. This modality includes Qigong and Tai Chi. Moving meditation often involves the concept of grounding, and it helps us connect with our source and with nature. This category includes Sun Gazing, Forest Bathing, and Tree Grounding.
Techniques to Expand Consciousness and Awareness
The spiritual technologies in this group deal with expanding awareness and enhancing our ability to perceive. The capacity of our awareness determines our ability to perceive. So, increasing our awareness and perception bandwidth can help us in every facet of thinking. These techniques include a variety of beginning and advanced techniques that help us leverage the mind’s natural ability. They will take your spiritual growth and development to the next level.
Awakening the Third-Eye
The third eye is an energy center associated with the Penial Gland. It is in the middle of the forehead. This conduit is well-known in many ancient cultures. This portal is a powerful tool for exploring your consciousness and awareness. It sparks spiritual awakening by expanding sensory input.
Automatic Writing
Automatic handwriting is a relatively new technique explored by the early pioneers of psychology. It is most often associated with the spiritualist movement of the 1800s. However, no one knows about its true origin. It is a simple technique that requires a pen or pencil and paper. You write without a conscious attempt to write words. It produces more results if you know how to use cursive writing. It is a way to explore your consciousness, which connects you with the subconscious mind.
Exploring Memories
Exploring memories is a method that helps us understand how our memories are linked to emotions and imagination. It is a form of inner work that brings clarity to memories so we can heal past traumas.
Learn How to Learn
Learning how to learn is an important process that enables us to expand our memory capabilities. You create a memory palace that can store vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently. We’ve often wondered why we weren’t introduced to these methods in childhood. They are simple, effective, and fun. The results you get are astonishing.
Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming is the easiest way to expand awareness. It is a simple process. You start before you go to sleep. It enables you to remember and control your dreams. The more practice you have with the technique, the more control you have over your dreams. By increasing the bandwidth of awareness, you also increase the bandwidth during your waking state. It’s a way of increasing your thinking capabilities while you sleep.
Shamanic Journey
The Shamanic Journey is likely humankind’s first spiritual tool. This method of exploring consciousness is found in many indigenous cultures. Its proliferation serves as proof of the historical significance of the internal quest.
There are many versions of this theme, including Aboriginal Dreamtime. However, all forms of this process use the same formula, combining musical rhythm and imagination. The rhythm regulates heart rate and respiration, and the imagination uses creative visualization to provide the landscape for a vivid adventure. A Shaman is someone who guides us on our spiritual quest. However, you may take this inward adventure through yourself using a drum or a recorded drum track.
The Shamanic Journey Script has been renamed or rebranded in Western cultures to make it marketable. It is advertised as “guided meditation” or “creative visualization.” These terms are apt descriptions of the process.
Natural Healing Modalities
We all need healing from time. The last group of tools includes Pe Jut from Indonesia and Reiki and Shiatsu from Japan. Self-care is an integral part of this category.
Being Committed to Spiritual Growth and Development
As we increase the capacity of consciousness, we increase awareness. We are strengthening the link between the brain and the Observer. The Observer of our experience is our spiritual essence and identity.
The more we meditate regularly, the more we bring the power of silence into our awareness. It puts us in touch with our intuition and other latent spiritual gifts. It increases our ability to use common sense and rational thinking. Our consciousness is engineered and designed to access higher states of consciousness. All we need are the tools to develop the bandwidth of consciousness.
“The growth of the mind is the widening of the range of consciousness, and… each step forward has been a most painful and laborious achievement.” — Carl Jung
You can find similar processes for exploring consciousness around the world. They use similar themes to describe this spiritual journey. Joseph Campbell (2) identified this pattern at the heart of many religions. This pattern is present in many popular contemporary stories like Star Wars and Avatar. He calls this pattern the Hero’s Journey.
Everyone has some spiritual gifts sleeping in their DNA. The process of awakening them will change your life. It sets your spiritual walk into motion. It opens our minds to new ideas and expands our awareness. You are in the right place if you want to know how to develop your consciousness. We have some tools for you.
Conclusion
Each of the techniques described above is a proven technique for exploring your consciousness, and you can learn many by following the links. They each have a way of opening your spiritual gifts. If you are starting your spiritual journey, enhance your critical thinking and memory skills. They will help you find the right advanced processes and teachers. Now you know the answer to the question, what are spiritual technologies, and why should you use them? If you have the autonomy to choose your pathway and become committed to spiritual growth and development.
References
(1) Mayo Clinic, Electroencephalogram.
(2) Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Wikipedia
