The “inner
child” w e hear so much about is actually not inner at all; it is actually quite
“outer .”
As peop le grow up, they take on various identifications and c opy what
they con ceive of as adult behaviors and styles; however , it is n ot the adultwho is doing th is but the child . Therefore, what we see in daily life are
people a cting ou t the programs and scenarios that they identif y with as a
child. The young child, as well as most animals, already exhibits curiosity ,
self-pity , jealou sy , envy , competitiveness, temper tantrums, emotional
outbursts, resen tments, hatreds , rivalries, competition, willf ulness, and
petulance. See king the limelight and admiration, blaming others,
disclaiming responsibility , making others wrong, looking for favor ,
collecting “things,” showing of f, and more are all attributes of the child. As we watch the daily activities of most adults, we realize that nothing
has really changed. This realization is helpful for compassionate
understanding r ather than condemnation. Stubbornness and opposition,
which are characteristic of the two-year -old, continue to dominate
personalities well into old age. Occasionally , people also manage to go from
childhood to adolescence in th eir personality and become endless thrill
seekers and challengers of fa te; they are preoccupied with the body ,
muscles, flirtatio n, popularity , and romantic and sexual conquests. There is
a te ndency to become cute, coy , seductive, glamorous, heroic, tragic,
theatrical, dramatic, and histrion ic. Again, this is the child’ s impression of
adolescence being acted out. The inner child is naïve and impressionable,
easily programmed, and easily seduced and manipulated. 5. Cultivate curiosity about and familiarity with the natur e of
consciousness . Doing so makes it easier to stop reacting to people internally
as well as externally . Human life is very dif ficult, even in the best of
circumstances. Frustrations, delays, lapses of memory , im pulses, and
stresses of all shapes and forms beset any individual. Demands often exceed
capabilities, and life is pressured by time requirements. Y ou wil l notice that
everyone’ s ego is about the same as that of everyone else. The mind is inh erited and has a brain run by genes and a genetically
determined personality “set.” Research shows that many of the personality’ s
major ch aracteristics are already  present at birth. Few people can actually
be dif ferent from what they ar e. It is only the minority who seek self-
improvement or  spiritual growth. This is because whatever their self-
criticisms, most people secretly  really believe that their way of being is
probably the only correct one. T hey believe they are fine as they are, and all
problems are caused by other  people’ s selfishness, unfairness, and the
external world.6. Seek to give love rather than to r eceive it. Most humans believe that
love is something that you ge t, that it is an emotion, that i t has to be
deserved, and that the more the y give away , the less they will have. The
opposite is the truth. Lovingness is an attitude that transforms our
experience of the world. W e become grateful for what we have instead of
prideful. W e express our lovingness when we acknowledge others and their
contributions to life and to our convenience. Love is not an em otion but a
way of being and relating to the world. 7. A void cr eating “enemies.”  Peo ple fall into the trap of gett ing even or
making constant remarks “pushing buttons.” They create enemies and
animosities. These preclude a peaceful life. Nobody needs enemies. They
can retaliate in ways unseen and so bring on unfortunate consequences. There is  no such thing as winning a conflict; it only results in hatred by the
loser . It serves s piritual progress to always accept responsibility  for all that
befalls y ou and avoid the trap o f being a victim. From a higher view , there
are no victims. Nothing in the world of appearances has the pow er to cause
anything. 8. Choose a benign r ole and view of life. Harsh viewpoints are not
conducive to spiritual growth. Even if they are “right” or “justified,” a
spiritual seeker cannot af ford them. One has to give up th e luxury of
revenge or enjoying that “justice  has been done” when a supposed murderer
is executed. One cannot violate basic spiritual principles without paying a
price. The spiritual seeker sees through the illusion and therefo re gives up
the role of judge  and jury . Nob ody goes “scot-free,” as people indignantly
protest. W ith kinesiology , we ca n quickly af firm that not one iota is missed
by the universe; literally , every hair is counted, every fallen sparrow noted. No kind word goes unnoticed. All is recorded forever in the field of
consciousness. 9. Give up guilt. G uilt is an atte mpt to buy salv ation, manipulate God,
and purchase for giveness by suf fering. These attitudes stem from the
misinterpretation of God as a great punisher . W e think we will assuage
God’ s ri ghteous wrath by our pa in and penance. There is actua lly only one
appropriate “penance” for wro ngdoing, and that is change. Instead of
condemning the negative, choose the positive.T o m ake progress and to chang e oneself takes more ef fort tha n feeling
guilty , but it is a more appropriate response. W e note from the Map of
Consciousness t hat Guilt is way  down at the bottom, whereas God is way
up at the top. Consequently , wallowing around in guilt at the bottom of the
field of consciousness does not get anyone to the top! Humility means that we see our own lives as the evolution of spiritual
consciousness. W e learn from m istakes. “It seemed like a good  idea at the
time” is  maybe the most usefu l of all quotes to revise whatever the past
behavior is. Later , of course, in retrospect, it becomes recontextualized, and
if w e see the error , then wisdom can follow . W e are all intrinsically
innocent, because that is the nature of consciousness. Along with giving up guilt, it is also very helpful to give up “sin” as a
reality . Error is correctable; si n (that is, ignorance) is a mistake and is
for givable. Mos t of what people  call sin  is an attachment, an emotionality
stemming from the child within. It is actually the child who lies, steals,
cheats, calls other people name s, and hits other people; therefore, sin is
really im maturity and ignorance  of the true nature of Reality an d the nature
of consciousness. As spiritual values replace worldly ones, temptation
diminishes and error is less likely to occur . 10. Let go of r esistance  and find the joy of giving 101 percent. W illingness is the keystone to all spiritual progress as well as su ccess in the
world. Unpleasantness is due to resistance, and when resistance is let go, it
is replaced by feelings of strength, confidence, and joy . In a ny endeavor , there is a po int of resistance that becomes a block. When th is is overcome, the endeavor becomes ef fortless. Athletes often go
through this discovery , as do physical laborers. There is suddenly the
release o f enormous ener gy , an emer gence into an almost enlightened state
in which all is happening of its own. There is a peace, a serenity , and a
stillness. The exhausted ballerina or laborer is closer to the d iscovery of
God than they th ink. The awareness of the presence of God is preceded by
surrender . It is often in the pit of despair that the ego lets go, so that all
crises can be turned into the opportunity for spiritual discovery . 11. Realize that “T ruth” is dependent on context. All  truth is only so
within a certain level of co nsciousness. For instance, to for give is
commendable, but at a later stag e, one sees that there is actually nothing tofor give. There is no “other” to be for given. Everyone’ s ego  is equally
unreal, including one’ s own. Perception is not reality . 12. Practice nonattachment , which  is an attitude of withdrawal of
emotional entanglement in worldly af fairs. It leads to serenity and peace of
mind. It is supp orted by refusing the emotional seduction of other people’ s
upsets and problems. It also involves a willingness to allow the world to
work o ut its own problems and destiny . Reactive involvement and
intervention in the world can be  better left to people who have a dif ferent
calling. A “ good person” is one thin g; Enlightenment is another . Y ou are
responsible for the ef fort and n ot the result, which is up to G od and the
universe. Nonattachment is not the same as indif ference or detachment. Misunderstanding it to mean that the development of detachment is
required often ends up as flatn ess or Apathy . In contrast, no nattachment
allows full participation in life without trying to control outcomes. 13. Accept that everything serves a purpose. Acceptance is the great
healer o f strife, conflict, and u pset. It also corrects major imbalances of
perception and precludes the dominance of negative feelings. Humility
means th at we will not understand all events or occurrences. Acceptance is
not pass ivity but nonpositionali ty . The development of a spiritual ego can
be avoid ed by the realization that spiritual progress is the result of God’ s
Grace and not our personal endeavors. 14. A void false gurus . Th is cannot be overemphas ized. The naïve
spiritual initiate is easily swayed by trappings and reputations of spiritual
figures a nd the charisma of tho se who have many followers. W ithout the
spiritual awareness of advanced  states of consciousness, the spiritual seeker
has no means of guidance, and popularity clouds judgment. At t his time in human history , not a single guidepost can be relied upon
other than the kinesiologic test of the actual calibration of the level of
consciousness of a teacher , or ganization, or teaching. The naïve are
impressed by outward piety and claims of supernatural powers, paranormal
feats, an d fancif ul titles and sp ecial “spiritual” garments. Serio us spiritual
students are encouraged to verify each teacher or teaching acco rding to thecalibrated list of “Characteristic s of Integrous T eachers and T eachings” in
Chapter 8 . Q&A
Q: What is the value of being in the physical pr esence of the
consciousness of the teacher? A:  W ithin your aura is much that you have learned in this world, most of
it nonve rbal, wh ich you cannot share. Y ou don’ t have enough  time to sit
down and describe to everybod y everything you’ve ever known about life
in a line ar way . The total of yo ur entire life and all the collective wisdom
and exp erience exists as an ene r gy field. When you share that  which you
have be come with others—sim ply by being with them—they pick up the
ener gy field of all that knowingness. That’ s h ow it is that the spiritual teacher transmits the state of
Enlightenment via an ener gy field. The aura of the advanced, realized
teacher has within itself the coll ective wisdom throughout all time. There is
no amount of world time in which all of this can be laid out in a linear
lecture. Y ou could extract som e principles from it, but the principles are
only basic ones. Whatever is speaking to you right now is the accumulation
of th e in fluence of teachers going back to the Buddha. So the ener gy field
of the Buddha is here, now av ailable (calibrates as true). That which is
speaking to you right now is empowered by all the great teache rs who have
ever live d. Every great teacher w ho has ever lived leaves the power of that
field within the collective co nsciousness of humankind. T hat is why
humanity progresses. Otherwise, if every generation had to start from
scratch, humanity would not be where it is today . Q: What is due to the teacher? A:  Nothing at all. The listener ’ s interest is more than suf ficient. The only
obligation you should accept is the obligation to your own self to institute
the wisdoms that were learned and to practice them in order to transcend the
ego. Respect the teacher , but save reverence only for God.Q: How would one characterize or term the teaching and pathway that
you r epr esent? A:  It is the way of the mystic and represents “devotional nonduality .”
Q: May we use that term to denote these teachings? A:  Y es, that would be correct. It is the way of radical truth. Q: Ar e gr eat leaps in consciousness possible? A:  Great leaps in consciousness result from surrendering yourself to God. This is seen in our societ y in people who have “hit bottom.”
W illfulness/Pride is surrendered and transformation occurs. From the pits of
hell, par adoxically , heaven is close by . W e see this in so-called conversions,
where a convict is transformed into a peaceful, loving, and alm ost saintly
person. Prisoners frequently go through major realizations and become
transformed int o the opposite of their former selves. These sudden
revelations also occur concomitant with near -death experiences. Thus,
many le vels of consciousness ca n be suddenly t ranscended. These are often
preceded by long periods of inn er agony . A true conversion is corroborated
by a major jump in the calibrated level of consciousness. When spiritually  oriented people are exposed to the information provided
here, the y show a measurable el evation of consciousness. After each lecture
on this materia l, the calibrated consciousness level of the audience
generally shows  an increase, on  average, of between 10 and 40 points for
the group as a whole. This may vary individually from a low of four points
to as high as hundreds of points. W ithin the group, there is gre at variation
due to “karmic ripeness.” Given  that most people only advanc e about five
points during a lifetime, these numbers are significant. Q: What is an “advanced” seeker? A:  The more advanced seeker has heard that there is no “out there”  or “in
here” and thus takes responsibility for all that happens. T here is the
dawning awareness that all that seems to occur really represents what isbeing held in wh at was previously considered “within.” Thus, the proclivity
to project is undone. The “innocent victim” positionality , with all its
spurious “innocence,” is unmasked. Adversity is thus seen to be the r esult of what had been previous ly denied
and repr essed into the unconscious. By looking within, you find  the source
of adver sity , suc h that it can be addressed. Beliefs are the determinant of
what you experience. There are no external “causes.” Y ou discover the
secret payof fs that are obtained from unconscious secret projections. Y our
underlying prog rams can be discovered by simply writing down your litany
of griev ances and woes and then merely turning them aroun d into their
opposites. People hate me  stems from your own inner hatreds. People don’ t car e
about me  s tems from you r narcissistic absorption with your own happine ss
and you r person al gain, instead of that of others. I don’ t get enough love
stems from not giving love to others. People ar e rude to me  s tem s fr om lack
of cordiality to others. People ar e jealous of me  arises from inner jealousy
of others. Thus, if you take responsibility for being the author of your
world, you come close to its source, where you can correct it. By bein g loving  toward others, you discover that you are surrounded by
love and lovingness. When you unreservedly support life without expecting
gain, life supports you in return. When you abandon gain as a motive, life
responds with unexpected gene rosity . When you perceive in th is way , the
miraculous begins to appear in your life. Harmony manifests as the
unexpected discovery , the fortui tous coincidence, and the lucky break, and
finally t he realiz ation occurs that these are the ripples coming back to you
from the seat of consciousness. Q: What if one is pr esuming to live at the level beyond what one r eally
is? A:  I n addit ion to the ego/mind’ s presumption that it “knows” som ething
because it has heard about it (reading a book on golf does not m ake one an
expert g olfer), t here is the erro r of mixing levels of truth or abstraction. Sometimes spiri tual students have a picture in mind of what h igher states
look like, and then the ego attempts to produce or pe rform it. That i s very
dif ferent from actually “being” it.The apparent realities of a specific level of consciousness are not
necessarily thos e of another level, as is indicated by the  numerical
designations of the calibrated l evels of consciousness. As an example, a
person m ight quote the well-known saying of Ramana Maharshi that “there
is no point in trying to save the world, because the world one se es does not
even exist.” That is the truth and experiential reality of co nsciousness
calibration level 720, but it’ s not the experiential reality of consciousness
levels below it. It’ s best to simply “be as you are” and be true to the reality
that is experientially valid and true at your level of development. Each lev el also has its concordant capacities as well as its lim itations,
which a re quite  dif ferent. For example, perhaps Ramana Maharshi could
safely w alk acro ss a busy highway with his eyes shut, but that is unlikely to
be th e ex perience of the average person, who is probably not ab le to imitate
the same behavior without getting run over! Q: Does spiritual work help the world? A:  T o endeavor to evolve spiritua lly is the greatest gift you can give. It
actually uplifts all humankind f rom within because of the nature of power
itself. Power radiates and is shar ed, whereas force is limited, sel f-defeating,
and evanescent. All society is subliminally and subtly influenced by every
kind and loving thought, word, or deed. Every for giveness is a benefit to
everyone. The universe notes and records every action and returns it in
kind. Every kindness is forever . Q: Is it corr ect to say that our “beingness” is mor e effective than our
“doingness”? A:  Mo ralistic exhortation and “jus tice” seeking bring about the op posite
as counterforce, whereas lovingness radiates power of which there is no
opposite. W ith humility comes the willingness to stop trying t o control or
change other people or life situations or events ostensibly “fo r their own
good.” T o be a committed spiritual seeker , you of necessity relinquish the
desire to be “rig ht” or of imagin ary value to society . In fact, nobody’ s ego
or b elief systems are of any value to society at all. The worl d is neither
good nor bad, nor defective, nor is it in need of help or m odification,because its appearance is only a projection of one’ s own mind. No such
world exists. The real ization of absolute reality and truth is one’ s greatest gift to the
world an d all humanity . Spiritua l work, in its essence, is therefore a selfless
service and surrender to the W ill of God. As your awareness increases, the
power o f that field of consciousness increases exponentially in logarithmic
expansion, and that, in and of itself, accomplishes more than all ef fort or
attempts at relieving the suf feri ng of the world. All such ef forts are futile,
because they are necessarily misguided by the falsifications and illusions of
the perceptual function of the ego itself. The spir itual pow er and inner in tegrity of every individual helps raise the
sea a nd thus all the ships on it. Because everything is connected , that which
you become automatically uplifts all life. If you frame you rself as a thank ful gift of God to the world, then you are
a gift of God to the world. If yo u frame yourself as a miserable worm, then
you are a miserable worm , because you become what you say you will be. Everyone needs to own the infinite dimension of that which they are for the
sake of the world. In surrender , we hold out our hands to God and own the
Divinity within us. That which i s within us is the Source of the salvation of
all humankind, for which “we thank Thee, O Lord. Amen.”
Q: What prayers ar e useful? A:  Ask  to be the servant of the Lord, a vehicle of Divine Love, a channel
of God’ s will. Ask for directio n and divine assistance, and surrender all
personal will through devotion. Dedicate your life to the serv ice of God. Choose love and peace above all other options. Commit to the goal of
unconditional lo ve and compassion for life in all its expr ession, and
surrender all judgment to God.C O N C L U S I O N
The Essence of the Path
The cor e of all the great spiritual teachings and teachers  can be
summarized in a few simple statements. (Operationally , they all amount to
the admonition to avoid that which makes one go weak with kinesiology
and pursue that which makes one go strong!) Choose to be easygoing, be nign, for giving, compassionate, and
unconditionally loving toward life in all its expressions without
exception, including oneself. Focus on unselfish service and the giving of love, consideration, and
respect to all creatures. A void negativity and the desire for worldliness and its greed for
pleasure and possessions. For go opinionat ion, the judgment of right versus wrong, the va nity of
being “right,” and the trap of righteousness. Seek to understand rather than to condemn. V enerate teachers of these basic principles and ignore all others. Apply these principles to one’ s view of oneself as well as of others. T rust in the lo ve, mercy , and infinite wisdom and compassion of
Divinity , which sees through all human error , limitation, and frailty . A void negative depictions of God—that is, jealous, angry , destructive,
partial, favoring, vengeful, insecure, vulnerable, contractual, and so on
—as an anthropomorphic error . Understand that condemnation andfear of judgmen t stem from the ego. Place faith and trust in the love of
God, which is all-for giving. Realize that, like the sun, the love of God shines equally on all. SIMPLE T OOLS OF GREA T V ALUE FOR THE SPIRITUAL
JOURNEY
Y ou can pick a primary tool, plus a few others, but many are not needed. Simple t ools, consistently appli ed, will result in the revelation of spiritual
truths th at do not have to be ac quired intellectually , because they present
themselves with  great clarity . In addition, they present them selves only
when su itable and serviceable, and because they are not an acquisition of
the mind, they do not end up as spiritual vanity . Some tried-and-true basic
tools tha t have brought about tremendous results over the cent uries are as
follows:
1 . Be k ind to ever ything and everyone, including oneself, all the time,
with no exception. 2 . Revere a ll life, in all its expressions, no matter what, even if on e does
not understand it. 3 . Presume no actual reliable knowledge of anything at all. Ask God to
reveal the meaning. 4 . Intend to see the hidden beauty of all that exists—it then reveals itself. 5 . For give everything that is witnessed and experienced, no matter what. Remember Chri st, Buddha, and Krishna said that all error is due to
ignorance. Socra tes said all people can choose only what they believe
to be the good. 6 . Approach all life with humility , and be willing to surrender all
positionalities and mental/emotional ar guments or gain. 7 . Be w illing to for go all perceptions of gain, desire, or profit and thereby
be of selfless service to life in all its expressions.8 . Make on e’ s life a living prayer by intention, alignment, humili ty , and
surrender . T rue spiritual reality is actually a way of being in the world. 9 . By verif ication, confirm the levels of consciousness and spiritual truth
of al l teachers, t eachings, spiritual groups, and literature one intends to
be aligned with or a student of. 10 . Accept that by spiritual declaration, commitment, and sur render ,
Knowingness ar ises that provides support, information, and all that is
needed for the entire journey . The mo st powerful tool that is  in the province of the will is devotion. Thus, it is not ju st spiritual truth but the degree of your devotion to it that
empowers it to become transformative. A great classic that demonstrates the
ef ficacy of simplicity and devotion is Brother Lawrence’ s The Practice of
the Pr esence of God  (1692), which calibrates at 575 and emphasizes the
importance of constancy . It is the motive that establishes spiritual value. T o dedicate your actions
as a service of love to life is to s anctify them and transform them from self-
seeking motives  to unselfish gi fts. Even the smallest task can  be seen as
serving the common good, and if viewed in that light, all endeavors become
ennobled. Everyone has the opportunity t o contribute to harmony and b eauty by
kindness to others and thereby support the human spirit. That which is
freely given to l ife flows back to  us because we are equally part of that life. Like rip ples on the water , every  gift returns to the giver . What we af firm in
others, we actually af firm in ourselves. As y ou advance spiritually , it b rings value to everyone. Because of the
collective consciousness, every single person who improves helps elevate
the leve l of consciousness of humankind. As that elevates, the incidents of
war , suf fering, ignorance, savaging, and disease diminish. When you
advance yourself, you are helping everyone and everything. Appreciate that
every step forward benefits e veryone. In a holographic universe, the
achievements of every individual contribute to the advancement and well-
being of the whole.R E A D E R S ’  G U I D E
Study-Group Questions
PREF ACE
1. Susan says the Map helps us to have compassion for those (including ourselves) who suf fer from
negative states. What’ s an example from your own life? 2. Susan also says the Map gives hope to people in despair . How is that true for you? 3. What else speaks to you from the Preface? INTRODUCTION
1. What did you learn about Dr . Hawkins’ s life that intrigues or moves you? Fran shares that
encountering the Map of Consciousness was a turning point in her life. Can you relate to that? 2. Fra n says that the Map gives a linear visual, but the journey itself is not a linear progression. How
have you noticed that in your own life? 3. What else speaks to you from the Introduction? CHAPTER 1
1. On the Map of Consciousness, Love is much more powerful than Fear , illustrated in the vignette
that opens Part I . Have you ever experienced this? 2. Dr . Hawkins says that the Map rever ses the world’ s understanding of cause and ef fect. He
introduces his groundbreaking visual to show how phenomena actually occur: an “attractor
pattern” (A BC) is the source of any observable event (A
 B
 C). H ow w ould you apply this to
your life? 3. When you look at t he God-view and life-view columns on the Map, what stands o ut to you? What
can you share about the evolution of your own views? What are residual negative views you’d like
to be free of?4. Dr . Hawkins says, “The Map does not de note ‘better than,’ which is a projection of  the ego.” What
does this bring up for you? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 2
1. How does encountering the Levels of Consciousness af fect you? 2. Courage is the critical factor at which  point we tell the truth about ourselves: her e arises the
willingness to stop blaming and accept r esponsibility for one’ s own actions, feelings, and beliefs. What has been your experience of this? 3. What is a negative level (below 200) that trips you up sometimes? (Remember that even though
we might calibrate at a positive level, we are still working to let go of lower ener gies.) 4. T hough Dr . Hawki ns says that it’ s extremely rare for anyone to calibrate at the leve l of Love (500)
and b eyond, he also says that many people have “glimpses” of those states. What was a moment in
your own life when you “glimpsed” the realm of Love, Joy , or Peace? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 3
1. What is an example from your own life of “having-doing-being”? 2. “Th e ego is not an enemy .” How does D r . Hawkins explain this? What would it b e like for you to
apply this truth unconditionally to your life? 3. “There is no point to being impatient with the evolution of consciousness. The best way to
contribute is the qu iet, diligent work of  inwardly becoming a more loving, kind, and self-
responsible person.” In contrast to popula r views, Dr . Hawkins says that we contri bute more to
society by our inner w ork than by outward  activism. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to
see in  the world.” What is your inner work right now? What is the inner change you would like to
contribute to the world? 4. Dr . Hawkins say s that life emer ges perfectly according to Divine W ill, wh ich is innately
compassionate and just. W e may ask, “Then why do bad things happen to good people?” He says,
“‘Good’ an d ‘bad’ is your perception. Adversity can actually be seen as a gift.” (Indeed, recent
research de monstrates that people who ha ve had adversity have higher rates of life  satisfaction,
well-being, and resilience.) What has been your experience of the “gift” of adversity? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 41. Dr . Haw kins says: “The good news is that aligning yourself with just one powerfu l truth can make
a big dif ference in your life. In health, this powerful truth is the shift from I am a body  to I have a
body .” Is there  an area o f your life where you would like to make this shift? For example:
appearance, sexuality , aging, self-image, athletics, food, and/or any other area. 2. “‘W hat is held in mind tends to manifest’—including unconscious  b elie fs.” Dr . Hawkin s says this
is the “core truth” and “law of consciousness” that unravels our projection of fear onto the outer
world. As we let go of our beliefs that something “out there” will harm us, our bodies’ reactions
clear . What are examples o f “uncons cious beliefs” that have operated in your life or that of your
family? Is there anything going on right now with your body that might be asking yo u to uncover
an unconscious belief? 3. T ry the “Steps of Self-Healing.” How did it go? 4. T o  liberate ourselves from unconscious beliefs, Dr . Hawkins advises using the phrase “I am an
infinite being, not sub ject to _______,” fill ing in the blank with whatever disease or substance the
mind has programme d us to view as a danger . What are some of the things you’d like to put into
the blank space? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 5
1. Reread the story at the beginning of Part II , of the mu sician wh o shifted from “I can’ t” to the
courage and willingness to share her musical talent with others. And reread the story of the man
who took a plunge into building dollhouses and selling them. What comes up for you as you
reconsider these stories after having read the chapter? Is there something you love doing but
haven’ t expressed fully? What is a “step” that you could take toward success in that area of your
life? 2. Wh ich steps have you had success with? Describe your experience, as it gives strength and hope to
others. 3. Which steps have you made mistakes in? Describe your experience so others can learn from your
mistakes. 4. What is your experience of doing the two “success practices”? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 6
1. Th e process of recovery is: when we let go of negative ener gies (below 200 on the Map), our
innate happiness, creativity , joy , and love shine forth. What has been your experience with this
process? 2. Wh at substance, inner (mental) habit, or outer habit are you currently addicted to ? What is a step
you can take to free yourself?3. Step 5 in AA—sharing with another person the “exact nature of our wrongs”—is a turning point. Dr . Hawkin s says, “Sharing it changes the ener gy field by removing the negative ch ar ge from it.”
The “ secret” no long er has the capacity to “corrode and destroy .” What is your ex perience with
this? Is there anything right now that you are holding inside of yourself? Are you willing to share it
with another person (sponsor , friend, counselor , minister)? If so, how did it go? 4. Dr . Hawkins says, “The way out of the pit is to be concerned about someone else. W e get higher
with every act of love, every loving intention, and our willingness to for give self and others.” How
has th is be en true for you? Next time you’re “in the pits,” what happens when you tr y his method
to be kind toward another? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 7
1. W hat came up for you as you read the story introducing Part III —of the man who let go of “I can’ t
dance” and  went to the top of the Map? W here are you “stuck” and resistant in your life? What is
the “payof f ” to staying there? (Remember that Dr . Hawkins boils down the journey o f liberation to
this: “ The only thing you need to know about any barrier is what the ego payof f is. What is the
juice that the experiencer is getting out of that positionality , that negativity , that ‘stuck’ place?”)
2. Notice that as a r esult of letting go of a single “I can’ t,” the man’ s entire life changed. The
“momentum” from the single surrender “removed an endless series of blocks and  limitations.”
Have you ever experienced anything simil ar , when the letting go of a single barrier released you
from many more? 3. According to Dr . Hawkins, what is the dif ference between personal will and spiritual will? Do you
have an example from your own life that illustrates the dif ference? 4. A s you r ead throug h the list of “Attractions and A versions,” what stands out as an area that applies
to you right now? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 8
1. Ap ply th e section on “Characteristics of Integrous T eachers and T eachings” to yo ur own journey . Are there any “red flags” for a group that you belong(ed) to, or teaching that you follow(ed)? 2. Dr . Hawkins says , “The primary prob lem initially is the lack of awareness of the dif ference
between the truly spiritual reality and the astral, paranormal, or supernatural domains. . . . The
paradox is that the appeal is to the naïve seeker who has not yet mastered this dimension , much
less other fanciful ones.” What has been yo ur experience with discerning true spiritua l reality from
“fanciful” ones? What are the markers to look for in each? 3. Wh at comes up for you when you read Dr . Hawkins’ s account of the states of Enlightenment, Self-
realization, and Infinite Love? What encouragement do you draw from his sharing?4. Dr . Hawkins says, “It isn’ t the mind that’ s an obstruction to Enlightenment; it’ s yo ur identification
with t he w orking of the mind as ‘me.’” Apply this to yourself: In what ways are yo u aware that
you identify with the working of the mind as “me”? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CHAPTER 9
1. Dr . Hawkins says, “Spiritual work, therefore, is primarily a letting go of the presumably known for
the unknown.” How does this apply to you right now? 2. Read slowly through the “Most V aluable  Qualities and Attitudes for the Spiritual S eeker ,” perhaps
taking each one, indi vidually , as a contem plation for a whole day . Is there any particular quality
that is hard for you to internalize? 3. “ W illingness  is the keystone to all spiritual progress as well as success in the world,” Dr . Hawkins
says. In 12-step groups, when feeling very resistive, we are encouraged: “W ell, then , at least you
can pray for the willingness to be willing!” What is something in your life that awaits your
willingness? 4. In the se ction “The  Most V aluable Qualities and Attitudes for the Spiritual Seeker ,” which quality
or attitude do you feel most called to cultivate? 5. What else speaks to you from this chapter? CONCLUSION
1. Wh ich core statem ent among those of the great spiritual teachings and teachers really speaks to
you right now? 2. Which one of the “Simple T ools of Great V alue” are you drawn to right now? Endeavor to put it
into practice continually , without exception, and share your experience. 3. What else speaks to you from the Conclusion?A P P E N D I X  A
Consciousness Calibration
HIST OR Y AND METHODOLOGY
The basis of this work is research done over a 20-year period, involving
millions of calibrations on thousands of test subjects of all ages and
personality type s, and from all walks of life. By design, the study is clinical
in method and t hus has widespread, pragmatic implications. B ecause this
testing m ethod is valid in appl ication to all forms of human expression,
calibrations have successfully been taken for literature, architecture, art,
science, world events, and the co mplexities of human relationsh ips. The test
space for the d etermination o f the data is the totality of the human
experience throughout all time. Mentally , test subjects ranged from what the world calls “normal” to
severely ill psychiatric patients. Subjects were tested in Canada , the United
States, a nd Mexico and throughout South America and Northern Europe. They were of all  nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, and religions , ranging in
age from children to elders in their 90s, and covered a wide spectrum of
physical and emotional health. Subjects were tested individually and in
groups by many dif ferent testers and groups of testers. In general, the
results were identical and reproducible, fulfilling the fundamental
requirement of the scientific method: perfect experimental replicability . Subjects were selected at rando m and tested in a wide array of  physical
and behavioral settings: on top of mountains and at the seashore, at holiday
parties a nd duri ng the course o f everyday work, in moments of joy and
moments of sorrow . None of th ese circumstances af fected the test results,
which were found to be univer sally consistent irrespective of extraneousfactors, with the singular exception of the methodology of the testing
procedure itself. Because of the significance of this factor , the testing
method will be described in detail below . THE TESTING TECHNIQUE
T wo per sons are required. One a cts as test subject by holding out one arm
laterally , parallel to the ground. The second person then presses  down with
two fing ers on the wrist of the e xtended arm and says, “Resist.” The subject
then resi sts the downward pressure with all his strength. That is all there is
to it. A statem ent may be made by either party . While the subject holds it in
mind, hi s arm’ s strength is tested by the tester ’ s downward pressure. If the
statement is negative, false, or r eflects a calibration below 200 ( see Chapter
3 ), the test subject will “go weak .” If the answer is yes or calib rates over
200, he will “go strong.”
T o demo nstrate the procedure, one might have the subject hold an image
of Abraham Lincoln in mind while being tested, and then, for contrast, an
image o f Adolf Hitler . The same ef fect can be demonstrated by holding in
mind someone who is loved in contrast to someone who is feared or hated,
or about whom there is some strong regret. Once a numeric scale is elicited  (see below), calibrations can b e arrived
at by stating, “This item [such as this book, or ganization, this person’ s
motive, and so on] calibrates over 100,” then “over 200,” then “over 300,”
until a negative response is obtained. The calibration can then  be refined:
“It i s over 220? 225? 230?” and so on. T ester and testee can trade places,
and the same results will be obtained. Once one is familiar with the
technique, it can be used to evaluate companies, movies, ind ividuals, or
events in history; it can also be used to diagnose current life problems. The test procedure, the reader will note, is to use the muscle test to verify
the truth or falsi ty of a declarat ive statement. Unreliable respo nses will be
obtained if the question has not  been put into this form. Nor ca n a reliable
result be obtained from inquiry  into the future; only statemen ts regarding
existent conditio ns or events in the past or present will produce consistent
answers.It is necessary  to be imper sonal during the procedure to avoid
transmitting positive or negative  feelings. Accuracy is increased by having
the test subject close his eyes, a nd there should be no music or distractions
in the background. Because the test is so deceptively simple, inquirers do well to first verify
its accur acy to their own satisfaction. Responses can be checked by cross-
questioning, and everyone who becomes acquainted with the technique
thinks o f tricks to satisfy themse lves that it is reliable. It will so on be found
that the same res ponse is observed in all subjects, that it is not necessary for
the subject to have any knowle dge of the matter in question, and that the
response will always be indepen dent of the test subject’ s person al opinions
about the question. Before p resenting an inquiry , we have found it useful to first test the
statement “I have permission to ask this question.” This is analogous to an
entry req uisite o n a computer te rminal, and will occasionally return a “no”
answer . This indicates that one should leave that question alon e or inquire
carefully into the reason for the “no.” Perhaps the questioner might have
experienced psy chological distress from the answer or its implications at
that time, or for other unknown reasons. In this study , test subjects were asked to focus on a specified  thought,
feeling, attitude, memory , relationship, or life circumstance. T he test was
frequently done in lar ge groups of people; for demonstration purposes, we
first established a baseline by asking the subjects, eyes closed, to hold in
mind th e memory of a time when they were angry , upset, jealous,
depressed, guilty , or fearful; at t hat point, everyone universally went weak. W e would then ask them to hol d in mind a loving person or life situation,
and everyone would go strong; typically a murmur of surprise would ripple
through the audience at the implications of what they had just discovered. The next phenomenon demon strated was that the mere im age of a
substance held in the mind produced the same response as if th e substance
itself were in physical contact with the body . As an example, we would hold
up an apple grow n with pesticides and ask the audience to look directly at it
while being tested; all would go weak. W e would then hold up an
or ganically grow n apple, free of contaminants, and as the audie nce focused
on it, they would instantly go strong. Inasmuch as no one in the audience
knew which apple was which—nor , for that matter , had any anticipation ofthe test at all—the reliability of the method was demonstrated to everyone’ s
satisfaction. For reliable results, it should  be remembered that people process
experience dif fe rently: some people primarily adopt a feeling m ode, others
are m ore auditory , and still othe rs are more visual. Therefore, te st questions
should avoid such phrasing as “How do you feel?” abou t a person,
situation, or experience; or “How does it look?” or “How does it sound?”
Customarily , if one says, “Hold the situation [or person, plac e, thing, or
feeling] in mind,” the subjects w ill instinctively select their own appropriate
mode. Occasionally , in an ef fort, perhaps even unconscious, to disguise their
response, subjec ts will select a mode that is not their customary mode of
processing and give a false response. When the tester elicits a paradoxical
response, the question should be rephrased. For example, a patient who
feels guilty about his anger toward his mother may hold in mind a
photograph of her and test strong. However , if the tester were to rephrase
the question by asking this subject to hold in mind his present attitude
toward his mother , the subject would instantly go weak. Other pr ecautions to maintain the accuracy of the test include removing
eyeglasses, especially if they have metal frames, and hats (synthetic
materials on top of the head m ake everyone go weak). The testing arm
should a lso be free of jewelry ,  especially quartz wristwatches. When an
anomalous response does occur , further investigation will eventually reveal
the c ause—the tester , for instanc e, might be wearing a perfume to which the
patient has an adverse reaction, producing false-negative responses. If a
tester experienc es repeated failures while attempting to elicit an accurate
response, the ef fect of his voice on other subjects should be evaluated; some
testers, at least at certain times,  may express suf ficient negative ener gy in
their voices to af fect test results. Another factor to be considered  in the face of a paradoxical re sponse is
the time frame o f the memory o r image involved. If a test subject is holding
in m ind a given  person and the ir relationship, the response will depend on
the period the memory or im age represents. If he is remem bering his
relationship with his brother from childhood, he may have a dif ferent
response than if he is holding in  mind an image of the relationship as it is
today . Questioning always has to be narrowed down specifically .One other cause for paradoxical test results is a physical condition of the
test subject resulting from st ress, or depression of the th ymus-gland
function, which occurs from encountering a very negative ener gy field. The
thymus gland is the central co ntroller of the body’ s acupuncture ener gy
system, and when its ener gy is low , test results are unpredictable. This can
be easily  remed ied in a few seconds by a simple technique discovered by
Dr . J ohn Diamond, which he ca lled the “thymic thump.” The thymus gland
is locate d directly behind the top of the breastbone. W ith clenched fist,
pound over this area rhythmically several times while smiling and thinking
of so meone you love. At each thump, say , “Ha-ha-ha.” Retesting will now
show th e resumption of thymic dominance, and normal test results will
occur . USE OF THE TESTING PROCEDURE IN THIS STUDY
The testing technique just described is that recommended by Dr . Diamond in Behavioral Kinesiology . T he only variation introduced  in our
study was the co rrelation of responses with a logarithmic scale  to calibrate
the relative power of the ener g y of dif ferent attitudes, thoughts, feelings,
situations, and relationships. Be cause the test is rapid, actually  taking less
than 10  seconds, it is possib le to process an enormous amount of
information about a variety of matters in a very short time. The numerical scale elicited spontaneously from test subjects ranges
from the  value of mere physica l existence at 1; up to 600 in the ordinary
worldly realm, which is the ape x of ordinary consciousness; and then from
600 on up to 1,000, which includes advanced states of Enlightenment. Responses in the form of simple yes-or -no answers determine the
calibration of the subject. For e xample, “If just being alive is one, then the
power o f Love is over 200?” (S ubject goes strong, indicating a yes.) “Love
is ov er 3 00?” (S ubject still goes strong.) “Love is over 400?” (S ubject stays
strong.) “Love is 500 or over?” (Subject still strong.) In this case, Love
calibrated at 500, and this figu re proved reproducible regardless of how
many subjects were tested. W ith repeated testing—using either individuals
or group s—a co nsistent scale emer ged, which correlates well with human
experience, history , and common opinion, as well as the findings of
psychology , soc iology , psycho analysis, philosophy , medicine, and thefamous Great Chain of Being. It also correlates quite precisely with
perennial philosophy’ s strata of consciousness. The test er must be cautious, however , realizing that the answer s to some
questions may be quite disturbing to the subject. The technique must not be
used irr esponsibly , and the tester must always respect the subject’ s
willingness to participate; it sh ould never be used as a confrontational
technique. In clinical situations , a personal question is never posed to the
test sub ject unle ss it is pertine nt to a therapeutic purpose. It is possible,
though, to pose a question that precludes personal involvement  on the part
of the test subject, who then functions merely as an indicator for the
purposes of calibration research. The test response is independent of the subject’ s actual physical strength. It is freq uently d umbfounding to well-muscled athletes when the y go just as
weak as  anyone else in response to a noxious stimulus. The test er may well
be a frail woman who weighs le ss than 100 pounds, and the subject may be
a professional football player who weighs more than 200, but the test results
will be the same, as she puts down his powerful arm with a mere two
fingers. DISCREP ANCIES
Dif fering calibr ations may be obtained over time or by dif ferent
investigators for a variety of re asons: situations, people, politics, policies,
and attitudes change over time. Unless a  specific  scale is used as reference, the numbers obtaine d will be
arbitrary . All calibrations in this book were made in reference to the Map of
Consciousness. For instance: “On a scale of 1 to 1,000, where 700
represents Enlig htenment, this _______ calibrates at _______.” If a specific
scale is not spec ified, testers may get astounding numbers ove r 1,000 and
progressively higher numbers with subsequent tests. On this scale, no
person w ho ever  existed on this planet calibrated over 1,000, the  calibration
of all the great A vatars. People tend to use dif ferent sensory modalities when they hold something
in mind— that is, visual, sensory , auditory , or feeling. “Y our mother” could
therefore be how she looked, felt, sounded, and so on; or “H enry Ford”could be calibrated as a father , as an industrialist, for his impact on
America, for his anti-Semitism, and so forth. One can specify context and s tick to a prevailing modality . T he same
team using the same technique w ill get results that are internally  consistent. Expertise develops with practice. The bes t attitude is one of clinical detachment, posing a statement with
the prefix statement: “In the na me of the highest good, _____ _________
calibrates as true. Over 100? Over 200?” and so on. The conte xtualization
“in the highest g ood” increases accuracy , because it transcends self-serving
personal interest and motives. There are some people, howe ver , who are incapable of a scientific,
detached attitude and unable to be objective, and for whom the kinesiologic
method will therefore not be accurate. Dedication and intention to the truth
have to be given  priority over personal opinions and trying to prove them as
being “right.”
LIMIT A TIONS
Approximately 10 percent of the population is not able to use the
kinesiologic testing technique for as-yet-unknown reasons. The test is
accurate only if the test subjec ts themselves calibrate over 200 and the
intention of the use of the test is  integrous and also calibrates ov er 200. The
requirement is one of detached objectivity and alignment with truth rather
than subjective opinion. Sometimes married couples, also for reasons as yet
undiscovered, ar e unable to use each other as test subjects and may have to
find a third person to be a test partner . DISQUALIFICA TION
Both sk epticism (cal. 160) and cynicism calibrate below 200 because
they reflect negative prejudgment. In contrast, true inquiry requires an open
mind an d hone sty devoid of intellectual vanity . Negative studies of
behavioral kinesiology all  cali brate below 200 (usually a t 160), as do the
investigators themselves.That even famous professors ca n and do calibrate below 200 may seem
surprising to the average person. Thus, negative studies are a consequence of negative bias . As an
example, Francis Crick’ s research design that led to the disco very of the
double-helix pa ttern of DNA calibrated at 440. His last resea rch design,
which was intended to prove that consciousness was just a product of
neuronal activity , calibrated at only 135. The failu re of investigators who themselves, or by faulty research design,
calibrate below 200 confirms th e truth of the very methodology they claim
to disprove. They “should” get negative results, so they do—which,
paradoxically , proves the accu racy of the test to detect the dif ference
between unbiased integrity and nonintegrity . Any new  discovery may upset th e apple cart and be viewed as a  threat to
the status quo of prevailing b elief systems. That a clinical science of
consciousness has emer ged tha t validates spiritual Reality is, of course,
going to precipitate resistance, as it is actually a direct confro ntation with
the dom inion o f the narcissistic core of the ego itself, which is innately
presumptuous and opinionated. Below consciousness level 200, comprehension is limited by the
dominance of lower mind, whic h is capable of recognizing facts  but not yet
able to grasp what is meant by the term truth  ( it conf uses r es interna  with
r es externa ) and that truth has physiological accompaniments dif ferent from
those of falsehoo d. Additionally , truth is intuited, as evidenced by the use of
voice analysis, the study of body language, papillary response, EEG
changes in the brain, fluctuations in breathing and blood pressure, galvanic
skin res ponse, dowsing, and even the Huna technique of measuring the
distance that the aura radiates from the body . Some people have a very
simple technique that utilizes the standing body like a pendulum (fall
forward with truth and backward with falsehood). From a more ad vanced contextualization, the principles that p revail are
that T ru th cann ot be disproved by falsehood any more than light can be
disproved by darkness. The non linear is not subject to the limitations of the
linear . T ruth is of a dif ferent paradigm from logic and thus is not
“provable,” as that which is  provable calibrates only in the 400s. Consciousness-research kinesiology operates at level 600, which is at the
interface of the linear and the nonlinear dimensions.A P P E N D I X  B
Calibration Lists for Spiritual Aspirants
Editor ’ s note:  T o serve  as a guidepost for spiritual truth, Dr . Hawkins
calibrated the levels of consciousness of r epr esentative teachers, spiritual
literatur e, practices, and experiences. For practical convenience, these lists
ar e r eprinted her e fr om  T ra nscending the Levels of Consciousness , and
mor e co mpr ehensive lists can be found in  T ruth vs. Falsehood and the  Book
of Slides. It is  important to r emember tha t the calibration numbers ar e not value
judgments. A calibration of 970  is not “better than” 610. In fac t, a teacher
or w riting at 605 (or 310, for that matter!) is likely to be mor e helpful to
mor e people than one at 970. The mind is sever ely limited by its dualistic
natur e and pr ojects its judgme nt of better/worse onto a simp le number ,
ignoring the overall context, which is nonlinear . By comparison, one would
not say that the highest elevation on an altimeter is “better tha n” another
elevation. If a p lane needs to la nd, or avoid a pocket of turbulence, a wise
pilot gui des it to whatever elevation the situation r equir es. The same is true
in medicine. W ise physicians know the right medicine (and in the right
dose) to  apply to a given malady . They ar e car eful not to pr escr ibe the most
powerful tr eatment in many cases, because the patients wouldn’ t be able to
handle it. Just so, each ener gy field serves perfectly in a certain context. Ther e is no “goo d” or “bad” en er gy field; ther e is only the needed wisdom
to discern which ener gy is best for a given situation. Dr . Hawkins told me
one time, “Many people can’ t handle love, so it’ s best to give them
something else.”
While the scale of 1 to 1,000 i s linearly pr esented in or der to  help the
mind to  grasp the existence of attractor patterns of differing  degr ees of
power , the overall terrain of the Map is nonlinear , in that everything withinit is of e qual va lue. A tr ee is not better than a bir d, nor a bir d  better than
the wind. Each makes its vital contribution to the evolution of life. Just so, each of the teachers an d writings on the lists below make their
contribution. Th ey all calibrate at the rar e levels of 600-plus o n the Map. These levels of consciousness ar e beyond duality and ther efor e transmit
trustworthy spir itual guidance. The fact that one scriptur e is at 600 or 700
rather t han 900 might indicate that passages wer e included in that
“canon,” which  contain anthr opomorphic depictions of God, j ustifications
of violen ce, and/or sociocultural practices inherited fr om histor ical eras. A
wise stu dent of spiritual literatur e knows, for example, that Jesus Christ’ s
Sermon on the Mount calibrates at a higher level than many oth er verses in
the N ew T estament. W e may assume that the calibration of a writing is a
composite of all its verses; some individual verses, and even chapters, may
calibrate below 200. One importance  of the following  lists is that spiritual truth is found in all
the gr eat r eligions. This statement is in stark contrast to the claim of
fundamentalists (cal. 130 and below) that only their r eligion is the “right”
one. Calibration Levels of Some T eachers and W ritings in the 600s
T eachers
Abhinavagupta 655
Aurobindo 605
Karmapa 630
Kasyapa 695
Lao-tzu 610
Magdebur g 640
Muktananda 655
Satchidananda 605
T owles, J. 640
V ivekananda 610W ritings
Abhinavagupta 655
A Course in Miracles (workbook) 600
Aggadah 645
Genesis (Lamsa Bible) 660
Gospel of St. Luke 699
Gospel of St. Thomas 660
Kabbalah 605
Midrash 665
New T estament (King James) 640
Psalms (Lamsa Bible) 650
T eachings of Lao-tzu 610
V ijnana Bhairava T antra 635
Calibration Levels of Some T eachers and W ritings in the 700s
T eachers
Bodhidharma 795
Charya, Adi Sankara 740
de León of Granada, Moses 720
DÐgen 740
Eckhart, Meister 705
Gandhi, Mahatma 760
Maharaj, Nisar gadatta 720
Maharshi, Ramana 720
Patanjali 715
Plotinus1 730Shankara 710
T eresa of Ávila, St. 715
T eresa, Mother 710
W ritings
The Cloud of Unknowing 705
Diamond Sutra 700
Heart Sutra 780
Koran 700
Lotus Sutra 780
New T estament (King James, minus Revelation) 790
Ramayana 810
Rig V eda 705
Y oga Sutras (Patanjali) 740
Zen teachings (Bodhidharma) 795
Calibration Levels of Some T eachers and W ritings at 850+
Bhagavad Gita 910
Lamsa Bible (minus Revelation and Old T estament,
except Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs)880
Nicene Creed 895
Upanishads 970
V edas 970
Zen teachings (Huang Po)2 850
Zohar 905SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES
Consciousness calibration yields a list of representative spiritual practices
and experiences that are integrous and therefore beneficial. All of these
denote devotion  and are common to genuine religions. By in tention, the
devotee sanctifies both self and others, as well as places of worship. Because of intention, all styles of blessing and prayer calibrate over 500,
and their collective ef fect can immeasurably impact the over all level of
collective human consciousness. Calibration levels do not indicate that one level is “better” than another
but only  dif ferent, analogous to the selection of clubs when playing golf,
which d epends on whether one is going to putt, chip, or drive . Therefore,
ef ficacy is the result of intention and not just a technique in itself. Many
spiritual students have explored a variety of these app roaches and report
pragmatic and experiential bene fit. Simply reading the lists gives assurance
that one is headed in the right direction. Practices
Aum (mantra) 210
Baptism 500
Bathing in the Ganges 540
Confirmation 500
Devotional acts 540
Devotional burning of incense 540
Genuflection 540
Golden Rule 405
Gregorian chants 595
Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) 390
Japa 515
Jesus Prayer 525
Kirtan 250
Kneeling to pray 540Last Rite 500
Lord’ s Prayer , The (traditional) 650
Om (pronounced om as in loan) 740
Om Mani Padme Hum 700
Om Namah Shivaya 630
Prayerful hand clasp 540
Prayer of Jabez 310
Prayer of St. Francis 580
Random Acts of Kindness 350
Saying the Rosary 515
“Shanti Shanti Shanti” 650
Surrender (at depth) one’ s will to God 850
Surrender the world to God 535
T urning prayer wheels 540
T welve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous 540
T ranscendental Meditation 295
V isualization (healing) 485
W ailing W all 540
W alking the Labyrinth 503
What is held in mind tends to manifest 505
Experiences
Buddha-nature 1,000
Christ Consciousness 1,000
The Supreme 1,000
Near -death experience 520+
Satori 585Enlightenment 600+
Christian Communion 700
Passover 495
Dur ga Puja festival 480
Ramadan 495
Sweat-lodge ceremony 560
Smudging 520
The see ker is advised to avoid exploring spiritual experiences that
calibrate below the critical line of integrity (200), even if merely out of
curiosity . Just because something is labelled “spiritual” does no t mean it is
trustworthy and, in fact, may be a major distraction. For example, the
“occult” calibrates at 135–18 5, divination game boards at 175, and
transmediumship at 190. The application of spiritual principles to many human dilemmas is
widely acknow ledged as ef ficacious, even when there is no original
conscious motivation, such as the hopeless alcoholic who, after being
ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings by the judge,
miraculously rec overs and becomes an inspiration to others by practicing
the s piritual principles of “carry ing the message to others”—that is, sharing
rather than proselytizing. Spiritual integrity manifests as hope, faith, charity , and inspiring others
by e xample. Integrous spiritual or ganizations that have an open  door grow
by attraction rather than by promotion, and they are devoid of dogma. Reliance on the power of the field is indicated by the group exp erience that
people “get it by osmosis” instead of by intellectualization. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1Plotinus’ s availa ble writings, as listed in the Great Books of the W estern
W orld, calibrate at 503. Plotinus himself in later life calibrated at 730. 2The Zen  teachin gs of Huang Po  are problematic in that they describe the
Pathway of Negation and mistak enly declare the V oid State (cal. 850) as the
Ultimate Condit ion of Buddhahood (cal. 1,000). Subsequent to his classicalsermons about the V oid, he himself transcended the limitation and
eventually reached consciousness level 960 later in life. Therefore, negate
only the linear , but do not negate the nonlinear Reality of Love. Negate only
special, limited personal attachment, which is a limiting emotionality . Divine L ove is a universal quality and a nonlinear context that is innate as
the Radiance of the overall context.G L O S S A R Y
Attractor pattern:  See Ener gy field . Chaos theory:  The science of pr ocess  as opposed to state . This theory
originates in the discovery of pa tterns within a condition of unpr edictability . The view it pro poses discerns global possibilities rather than local events,
and enta ils a topologic system using patterns and shapes to visualize the
intrinsic form of a complex system, which, though locally unpredictable, is
globally stable. Chaos theory recognizes the capacity of a complex system
to simultaneously give rise to both turbulence and coherence. In the late 1800s, Jules Henri Po incaré noted that Newtonian physics was
mathematically accurate if the interaction studied was between  two bodies
only , but that t he addition of a third element made Newton’ s equations
unreliable—only approximations could be obtained. This nonlinearity
implied that any system over time could, by feedback and repetition,
become unpredi ctable. Lorenz’ s  1963 article, “Deterministic Nonperiodic
Flow ,” provided a new paradigm of science, termed chaos theory  by James
Y orke a nd T ien-Y ien Li in th eir famous paper “Period Three Implies
Chaos.” Chaos theory encompasses such subjects as period doubling,
iteration, fractal s, and bifurcation, and recognizes that within f inite space,
there are  an infinite number of dimensions. The first meeting on Chaos at
the New  Y ork Academy of Scie nce was in 1977, and in 1986, t he academy
had its first meeting on chaos theory in medicine and biology . Consciousness:  C onsciousness  is the irreduci ble substrate of existence,
formless yet inclusive of all form. It is infinite, with no beginning and no
end. The field of consciousness, in other terminology , is called the Buddha-
nature o r the Mind of God. It ca n be likened to an infinite and a ll-powerful
electromagnetic field. Each thing has its place within that field , similar to
an i ron filing; w here you are in the field depends upon you r “char ge,”which is based on the decisions  that you have made. As you s ay , “W ell, I
for give that person,” you move  up higher in the field. If you say , “I am
going to get eve n with that bad person,” you move down in th e field. It is
clear that one cannot blame anything on God or anyone. Context:  The total field of observation predicated by a point of view . Context include s any significant facts that qualify the meaning of a
statement or event. Data is me aningless unless its context is defined. T o
“take ou t of context” is to distort the significance of a statemen t by failing
to identify contributory accessory conditions that would qualify the
inference of meaning. (This is a common trial strategy whereby an attorney
tries to distort a witness’ s te stimony by suppressing the inclusion of
qualifying statements that would alter the implications of the testimony ,
demanding that the witness answer only yes or no.)
_OceanofPDF.com_The_Map_of_Consciousness_Explained_-_David_R_Hawkins.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        The “inner
child” w e hear so much about is actually not inner at all; it is actually quite
“outer. ”
As peop le grow up, they take on various identifications and c opy what
they con ceive of as adult behaviors and styles; however, it is n ot the adultwho is doing th is but the child. Therefore, what we see in daily life are
people a cting ou t the programs and scenarios that they identif y with as a
child. The young child, as well as most animals, already exhibits curiosity,
self-pity, jealou sy, envy, competitiveness, temper tantrums, emotional
outbursts, resen tments, hatreds, rivalries, competition, willf ulness, and
petulance. See king the limelight and admiration, blaming others,
disclaiming responsibility, making others wrong, looking for favor,
collecting “things,” showing of f, and more are all attributes of the child. As we watch the daily activities of most adults, we realize that nothing
has really changed. This realization is helpful for compassionate
understanding r ather than condemnation. Stubbornness and opposition,
which are characteristic of the two-year -old, continue to dominate
personalities well into old age. Occasionally, people also manage to go from
childhood to adolescence in th eir personality and become endless thrill
seekers and challengers of fa te; they are preoccupied with the body,
muscles, flirtatio n, popularity, and romantic and sexual conquests. There is
a te ndency to become cute, coy, seductive, glamorous, heroic, tragic,
theatrical, dramatic, and histrion ic. Again, this is the child’ s impression of
adolescence being acted out. The inner child is naïve and impressionable,
easily programmed, and easily seduced and manipulated. 5. Cultivate curiosity about and familiarity with the natur e of
consciousness. Doing so makes it easier to stop reacting to people internally
as well as externally. Human life is very dif ficult, even in the best of
circumstances. Frustrations, delays, lapses of memory, im pulses, and
stresses of all shapes and forms beset any individual. Demands often exceed
capabilities, and life is pressured by time requirements. Y ou wil l notice that
everyone’ s ego is about the same as that of everyone else. The mind is inh erited and has a brain run by genes and a genetically
determined personality “set. ” Research shows that many of the personality’ s
major ch aracteristics are already  present at birth. Few people can actually
be dif ferent from what they ar e. It is only the minority who seek self-
improvement or  spiritual growth. This is because whatever their self-
criticisms, most people secretly  really believe that their way of being is
probably the only correct one. T hey believe they are fine as they are, and all
problems are caused by other  people’ s selfishness, unfairness, and the
external world. 6. Seek to give love rather than to r eceive it. Most humans believe that
love is something that you ge t, that it is an emotion, that i t has to be
deserved, and that the more the y give away, the less they will have. The
opposite is the truth. Lovingness is an attitude that transforms our
experience of the world. W e become grateful for what we have instead of
prideful. W e express our lovingness when we acknowledge others and their
contributions to life and to our convenience. Love is not an em otion but a
way of being and relating to the world. 7. A void cr eating “enemies. ”  Peo ple fall into the trap of gett ing even or
making constant remarks “pushing buttons. ” They create enemies and
animosities. These preclude a peaceful life. Nobody needs enemies. They
can retaliate in ways unseen and so bring on unfortunate consequences. There is  no such thing as winning a conflict; it only results in hatred by the
loser. It serves s piritual progress to always accept responsibility  for all that
befalls y ou and avoid the trap o f being a victim. From a higher view, there
are no victims. Nothing in the world of appearances has the pow er to cause
anything. 8. Choose a benign r ole and view of life. Harsh viewpoints are not
conducive to spiritual growth. Even if they are “right” or “justified,” a
spiritual seeker cannot af ford them. One has to give up th e luxury of
revenge or enjoying that “justice  has been done” when a supposed murderer
is executed. One cannot violate basic spiritual principles without paying a
price. The spiritual seeker sees through the illusion and therefo re gives up
the role of judge  and jury. Nob ody goes “scot-free,” as people indignantly
protest. W ith kinesiology, we ca n quickly af firm that not one iota is missed
by the universe; literally, every hair is counted, every fallen sparrow noted. No kind word goes unnoticed. All is recorded forever in the field of
consciousness. 9. Give up guilt. G uilt is an atte mpt to buy salv ation, manipulate God,
and purchase for giveness by suf fering. These attitudes stem from the
misinterpretation of God as a great punisher. W e think we will assuage
God’ s ri ghteous wrath by our pa in and penance. There is actua lly only one
appropriate “penance” for wro ngdoing, and that is change. Instead of
condemning the negative, choose the positive. T o m ake progress and to chang e oneself takes more ef fort tha n feeling
guilty, but it is a more appropriate response. W e note from the Map of
Consciousness t hat Guilt is way  down at the bottom, whereas God is way
up at the top. Consequently, wallowing around in guilt at the bottom of the
field of consciousness does not get anyone to the top. Humility means that we see our own lives as the evolution of spiritual
consciousness. W e learn from m istakes. “It seemed like a good  idea at the
time” is  maybe the most usefu l of all quotes to revise whatever the past
behavior is. Later, of course, in retrospect, it becomes recontextualized, and
if w e see the error, then wisdom can follow. W e are all intrinsically
innocent, because that is the nature of consciousness. Along with giving up guilt, it is also very helpful to give up “sin” as a
reality. Error is correctable; si n (that is, ignorance) is a mistake and is
for givable. Mos t of what people  call sin  is an attachment, an emotionality
stemming from the child within. It is actually the child who lies, steals,
cheats, calls other people name s, and hits other people; therefore, sin is
really im maturity and ignorance  of the true nature of Reality an d the nature
of consciousness. As spiritual values replace worldly ones, temptation
diminishes and error is less likely to occur. 10. Let go of r esistance  and find the joy of giving 101 percent. W illingness is the keystone to all spiritual progress as well as su ccess in the
world. Unpleasantness is due to resistance, and when resistance is let go, it
is replaced by feelings of strength, confidence, and joy. In a ny endeavor, there is a po int of resistance that becomes a block. When th is is overcome, the endeavor becomes ef fortless. Athletes often go
through this discovery, as do physical laborers. There is suddenly the
release o f enormous ener gy, an emer gence into an almost enlightened state
in which all is happening of its own. There is a peace, a serenity, and a
stillness. The exhausted ballerina or laborer is closer to the d iscovery of
God than they th ink. The awareness of the presence of God is preceded by
surrender. It is often in the pit of despair that the ego lets go, so that all
crises can be turned into the opportunity for spiritual discovery. 11. Realize that “T ruth” is dependent on context. All  truth is only so
within a certain level of co nsciousness. For instance, to for give is
commendable, but at a later stag e, one sees that there is actually nothing tofor give. There is no “other” to be for given. Everyone’ s ego  is equally
unreal, including one’ s own. Perception is not reality. 12. Practice nonattachment, which  is an attitude of withdrawal of
emotional entanglement in worldly af fairs. It leads to serenity and peace of
mind. It is supp orted by refusing the emotional seduction of other people’ s
upsets and problems. It also involves a willingness to allow the world to
work o ut its own problems and destiny. Reactive involvement and
intervention in the world can be  better left to people who have a dif ferent
calling. A “ good person” is one thin g; Enlightenment is another. Y ou are
responsible for the ef fort and n ot the result, which is up to G od and the
universe. Nonattachment is not the same as indif ference or detachment. Misunderstanding it to mean that the development of detachment is
required often ends up as flatn ess or Apathy. In contrast, no nattachment
allows full participation in life without trying to control outcomes. 13. Accept that everything serves a purpose. Acceptance is the great
healer o f strife, conflict, and u pset. It also corrects major imbalances of
perception and precludes the dominance of negative feelings. Humility
means th at we will not understand all events or occurrences. Acceptance is
not pass ivity but nonpositionali ty. The development of a spiritual ego can
be avoid ed by the realization that spiritual progress is the result of God’ s
Grace and not our personal endeavors. 14. A void false gurus. Th is cannot be overemphas ized. The naïve
spiritual initiate is easily swayed by trappings and reputations of spiritual
figures a nd the charisma of tho se who have many followers. W ithout the
spiritual awareness of advanced  states of consciousness, the spiritual seeker
has no means of guidance, and popularity clouds judgment. At t his time in human history, not a single guidepost can be relied upon
other than the kinesiologic test of the actual calibration of the level of
consciousness of a teacher, or ganization, or teaching. The naïve are
impressed by outward piety and claims of supernatural powers, paranormal
feats, an d fancif ul titles and sp ecial “spiritual” garments. Serio us spiritual
students are encouraged to verify each teacher or teaching acco rding to thecalibrated list of “Characteristic s of Integrous T eachers and T eachings” in
Chapter 8. Q&A
Q: What is the value of being in the physical pr esence of the
consciousness of the teacher. A:  W ithin your aura is much that you have learned in this world, most of
it nonve rbal, wh ich you cannot share. Y ou don’ t have enough  time to sit
down and describe to everybod y everything you’ve ever known about life
in a line ar way. The total of yo ur entire life and all the collective wisdom
and exp erience exists as an ene r gy field. When you share that  which you
have be come with others—sim ply by being with them—they pick up the
ener gy field of all that knowingness. That’ s h ow it is that the spiritual teacher transmits the state of
Enlightenment via an ener gy field. The aura of the advanced, realized
teacher has within itself the coll ective wisdom throughout all time. There is
no amount of world time in which all of this can be laid out in a linear
lecture. Y ou could extract som e principles from it, but the principles are
only basic ones. Whatever is speaking to you right now is the accumulation
of th e in fluence of teachers going back to the Buddha. So the ener gy field
of the Buddha is here, now av ailable (calibrates as true). That which is
speaking to you right now is empowered by all the great teache rs who have
ever live d. Every great teacher w ho has ever lived leaves the power of that
field within the collective co nsciousness of humankind. T hat is why
humanity progresses. Otherwise, if every generation had to start from
scratch, humanity would not be where it is today. Q: What is due to the teacher. A:  Nothing at all. The listener ’ s interest is more than suf ficient. The only
obligation you should accept is the obligation to your own self to institute
the wisdoms that were learned and to practice them in order to transcend the
ego. Respect the teacher, but save reverence only for God. Q: How would one characterize or term the teaching and pathway that
you r epr esent. A:  It is the way of the mystic and represents “devotional nonduality. ”
Q: May we use that term to denote these teachings. A:  Y es, that would be correct. It is the way of radical truth. Q: Ar e gr eat leaps in consciousness possible. A:  Great leaps in consciousness result from surrendering yourself to God. This is seen in our societ y in people who have “hit bottom. ”
W illfulness/Pride is surrendered and transformation occurs. From the pits of
hell, par adoxically, heaven is close by. W e see this in so-called conversions,
where a convict is transformed into a peaceful, loving, and alm ost saintly
person. Prisoners frequently go through major realizations and become
transformed int o the opposite of their former selves. These sudden
revelations also occur concomitant with near -death experiences. Thus,
many le vels of consciousness ca n be suddenly t ranscended. These are often
preceded by long periods of inn er agony. A true conversion is corroborated
by a major jump in the calibrated level of consciousness. When spiritually  oriented people are exposed to the information provided
here, the y show a measurable el evation of consciousness. After each lecture
on this materia l, the calibrated consciousness level of the audience
generally shows  an increase, on  average, of between 10 and 40 points for
the group as a whole. This may vary individually from a low of four points
to as high as hundreds of points. W ithin the group, there is gre at variation
due to “karmic ripeness. ” Given  that most people only advanc e about five
points during a lifetime, these numbers are significant. Q: What is an “advanced” seeker. A:  The more advanced seeker has heard that there is no “out there”  or “in
here” and thus takes responsibility for all that happens. T here is the
dawning awareness that all that seems to occur really represents what isbeing held in wh at was previously considered “within. ” Thus, the proclivity
to project is undone. The “innocent victim” positionality, with all its
spurious “innocence,” is unmasked. Adversity is thus seen to be the r esult of what had been previous ly denied
and repr essed into the unconscious. By looking within, you find  the source
of adver sity, suc h that it can be addressed. Beliefs are the determinant of
what you experience. There are no external “causes. ” Y ou discover the
secret payof fs that are obtained from unconscious secret projections. Y our
underlying prog rams can be discovered by simply writing down your litany
of griev ances and woes and then merely turning them aroun d into their
opposites. People hate me  stems from your own inner hatreds. People don’ t car e
about me  s tems from you r narcissistic absorption with your own happine ss
and you r person al gain, instead of that of others. I don’ t get enough love
stems from not giving love to others. People ar e rude to me  s tem s fr om lack
of cordiality to others. People ar e jealous of me  arises from inner jealousy
of others. Thus, if you take responsibility for being the author of your
world, you come close to its source, where you can correct it. By bein g loving  toward others, you discover that you are surrounded by
love and lovingness. When you unreservedly support life without expecting
gain, life supports you in return. When you abandon gain as a motive, life
responds with unexpected gene rosity. When you perceive in th is way, the
miraculous begins to appear in your life. Harmony manifests as the
unexpected discovery, the fortui tous coincidence, and the lucky break, and
finally t he realiz ation occurs that these are the ripples coming back to you
from the seat of consciousness. Q: What if one is pr esuming to live at the level beyond what one r eally
is. A:  I n addit ion to the ego/mind’ s presumption that it “knows” som ething
because it has heard about it (reading a book on golf does not m ake one an
expert g olfer), t here is the erro r of mixing levels of truth or abstraction. Sometimes spiri tual students have a picture in mind of what h igher states
look like, and then the ego attempts to produce or pe rform it. That i s very
dif ferent from actually “being” it. The apparent realities of a specific level of consciousness are not
necessarily thos e of another level, as is indicated by the  numerical
designations of the calibrated l evels of consciousness. As an example, a
person m ight quote the well-known saying of Ramana Maharshi that “there
is no point in trying to save the world, because the world one se es does not
even exist. ” That is the truth and experiential reality of co nsciousness
calibration level 720, but it’ s not the experiential reality of consciousness
levels below it. It’ s best to simply “be as you are” and be true to the reality
that is experientially valid and true at your level of development. Each lev el also has its concordant capacities as well as its lim itations,
which a re quite  dif ferent. For example, perhaps Ramana Maharshi could
safely w alk acro ss a busy highway with his eyes shut, but that is unlikely to
be th e ex perience of the average person, who is probably not ab le to imitate
the same behavior without getting run over. Q: Does spiritual work help the world. A:  T o endeavor to evolve spiritua lly is the greatest gift you can give. It
actually uplifts all humankind f rom within because of the nature of power
itself. Power radiates and is shar ed, whereas force is limited, sel f-defeating,
and evanescent. All society is subliminally and subtly influenced by every
kind and loving thought, word, or deed. Every for giveness is a benefit to
everyone. The universe notes and records every action and returns it in
kind. Every kindness is forever. Q: Is it corr ect to say that our “beingness” is mor e effective than our
“doingness”. A:  Mo ralistic exhortation and “jus tice” seeking bring about the op posite
as counterforce, whereas lovingness radiates power of which there is no
opposite. W ith humility comes the willingness to stop trying t o control or
change other people or life situations or events ostensibly “fo r their own
good. ” T o be a committed spiritual seeker, you of necessity relinquish the
desire to be “rig ht” or of imagin ary value to society. In fact, nobody’ s ego
or b elief systems are of any value to society at all. The worl d is neither
good nor bad, nor defective, nor is it in need of help or m odification,because its appearance is only a projection of one’ s own mind. No such
world exists. The real ization of absolute reality and truth is one’ s greatest gift to the
world an d all humanity. Spiritua l work, in its essence, is therefore a selfless
service and surrender to the W ill of God. As your awareness increases, the
power o f that field of consciousness increases exponentially in logarithmic
expansion, and that, in and of itself, accomplishes more than all ef fort or
attempts at relieving the suf feri ng of the world. All such ef forts are futile,
because they are necessarily misguided by the falsifications and illusions of
the perceptual function of the ego itself. The spir itual pow er and inner in tegrity of every individual helps raise the
sea a nd thus all the ships on it. Because everything is connected, that which
you become automatically uplifts all life. If you frame you rself as a thank ful gift of God to the world, then you are
a gift of God to the world. If yo u frame yourself as a miserable worm, then
you are a miserable worm, because you become what you say you will be. Everyone needs to own the infinite dimension of that which they are for the
sake of the world. In surrender, we hold out our hands to God and own the
Divinity within us. That which i s within us is the Source of the salvation of
all humankind, for which “we thank Thee, O Lord. Amen. ”
Q: What prayers ar e useful. A:  Ask  to be the servant of the Lord, a vehicle of Divine Love, a channel
of God’ s will. Ask for directio n and divine assistance, and surrender all
personal will through devotion. Dedicate your life to the serv ice of God. Choose love and peace above all other options. Commit to the goal of
unconditional lo ve and compassion for life in all its expr ession, and
surrender all judgment to God. C O N C L U S I O N
The Essence of the Path
The cor e of all the great spiritual teachings and teachers  can be
summarized in a few simple statements. (Operationally, they all amount to
the admonition to avoid that which makes one go weak with kinesiology
and pursue that which makes one go strong. ) Choose to be easygoing, be nign, for giving, compassionate, and
unconditionally loving toward life in all its expressions without
exception, including oneself. Focus on unselfish service and the giving of love, consideration, and
respect to all creatures. A void negativity and the desire for worldliness and its greed for
pleasure and possessions. For go opinionat ion, the judgment of right versus wrong, the va nity of
being “right,” and the trap of righteousness. Seek to understand rather than to condemn. V enerate teachers of these basic principles and ignore all others. Apply these principles to one’ s view of oneself as well as of others. T rust in the lo ve, mercy, and infinite wisdom and compassion of
Divinity, which sees through all human error, limitation, and frailty. A void negative depictions of God—that is, jealous, angry, destructive,
partial, favoring, vengeful, insecure, vulnerable, contractual, and so on
—as an anthropomorphic error. Understand that condemnation andfear of judgmen t stem from the ego. Place faith and trust in the love of
God, which is all-for giving. Realize that, like the sun, the love of God shines equally on all. SIMPLE T OOLS OF GREA T V ALUE FOR THE SPIRITUAL
JOURNEY
Y ou can pick a primary tool, plus a few others, but many are not needed. Simple t ools, consistently appli ed, will result in the revelation of spiritual
truths th at do not have to be ac quired intellectually, because they present
themselves with  great clarity. In addition, they present them selves only
when su itable and serviceable, and because they are not an acquisition of
the mind, they do not end up as spiritual vanity. Some tried-and-true basic
tools tha t have brought about tremendous results over the cent uries are as
follows:
1. Be k ind to ever ything and everyone, including oneself, all the time,
with no exception. 2. Revere a ll life, in all its expressions, no matter what, even if on e does
not understand it. 3. Presume no actual reliable knowledge of anything at all. Ask God to
reveal the meaning. 4. Intend to see the hidden beauty of all that exists—it then reveals itself.
What is the value of being in the physical pr esence of the
May we use that term to denote these teachings? A:  Y es, that would be correct. It is the way of radical truth. Q: Ar e gr eat leaps in consciousness possible? A:  Great leaps in consciousness result from surrendering yourself to God. This is seen in our societ y in people who have “hit bottom.”
What prayers ar e useful? A:  Ask  to be the servant of the Lord, a vehicle of Divine Love, a channel
The author is saying that the "inner child" is not actually an inner concept, but rather an external one that people adopt as they grow up, and it's not the adult who is acting, but the child.
What is the author suggesting about the concept of the "inner child"?
The author believes that "sin" is actually ignorance and an attachment stemming from the child within, and that it's important to recognize and correct this ignorance.
What is the author's view on the idea of "sin"?
Yes, spiritual work can contribute to the world by letting go of negative energies and embracing love and compassion.
Can spiritual work contribute to the world?
The testing procedure is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and self-discovery, as it can help individuals identify and correct their own negative beliefs and emotions.
What is the significance of the testing procedure in the context of the book?
No, seeking to understand and relate to the world can actually hinder one's spiritual progress, as it is a form of resistance and attachment.
Can one's spiritual progress be accelerated by seeking to understand and relate to the world?