Levels of consciousness

by Marinus Jan Marijs

Levels of consciousness (including the main groups of development)

1. Impulse:
    a. Affective: Sensations;
    b. Cognitive: Reflexes, drives, instinctual;
   c. Interpersonal: No distinction between Self and others (non-differentiated)   (Selman);
   d. Moral: Non-differentiated;
   e. Spiritual: Non-differentiated.

2. Emotion:
   a. Affective: Satisfaction;
   b. Cognitive: Images, symbols (Piaget);
   c. Interpersonal: Egocentric (Selman);
   d. Moral: Obedience and punishment orientation (Kohlberg);
   e. Spiritual: Magical-projective faith (Fowler).

3. Representational thinking:
   a. Affective: Liking;
   b. Cognitive: Concepts (Piaget);
   c. Interpersonal: Differentiation of physical and psychological characteristics of persons (Selman);
   d. Moral: Self-interest driven (Kohlberg);
   e. Spiritual: Magical-mythical faith.

4. Concrete operational:
   a. Affective: Love; 
   b. Cognitive: Concrete operational (concrete literal thinking) (Piaget);
   c. Interpersonal: Self-reflective/second person and interpersonal perspective taking (Selman);  
   d. Moral: Conformity (Kohlberg);
   e. Spiritual: Mythical-literal faith/conventional (Fowler).

5. Rational:
   a. Affective: Universal affect;
   b. Cognitive: Formal operational (abstract and logical thinking/reflexive) (Piaget)/ systemic (Common & Richards);
   c. Interpersonal: Third person and mutual perspective taking (Selman);
   d. Moral: Social contract driven (Kohlberg);
   e. Spiritual: Individual-reflective faith (Fowler).

6. Pluralistic:
   a. Affective: Global affect;
   b. Cognitive: Systems of systems (multiple perspectives, pluralistic) (Piaget);
   c. Interpersonal: In-depth and societal-symbolic perspective taking (Selman);
   d. Moral: Human dignity (persons should always be treated as ends in themselves);
   e.Spiritual: conjunctive faith (Fowler).

7. Holistic / Integral:
   a. Affective: All human love;
   b. Cognitive: Paradigmatic (systems of systems of systems (Common & Richards)/ interacting perspectives, integrated unified thinking;
   c. Interpersonal: Integrated paradigmatic perspective taking/relations seen in terms of inevitable mutual interdependence (Susanne Cook-Greuter);
   d. Moral: Universal ethical (Kohlberg);
   e. Spiritual: Universalizing faith (Fowler).

8. Transrational / Panenhenic:
   a. Affective: Awe;
   b. Cognitive: Intuition;
   c. Interpersonal: Transpersonal perspective taking (awareness of an underlying unity);
   d. Moral: Transcendental Morality/ Morality of Cosmic orientation (Kohlberg);
   e. Spiritual: Shamanic / Nature mysticism.

9. Panentheistic:
   a. Affective: Universal compassion;
   b. Cognitive: Inspiration;
   c. Interpersonal: Low subtle level union;
   d. Moral: All sentient beings;
   e. Spiritual: Saint.

10. Mystic:
    a. Affective: Saintly commitment;
    b. Cognitive: Revelation;
    c. Interpersonal: High subtle level union;
    d. Moral: All beings in all realms;
    e. Spiritual: Sage.

11. Bodhisattvic:
    a. Affective: Bodhisattvic compassion;
    b. Cognitive: Knowledge by union;
    c. Interpersonal: Low causal level union;
    d. Moral: Relative pacifism;
    e. Spiritual: Bodhisattvic.

12. Buddhic:
    a. Affective: Buddhic / Christ compassion;
    b. Cognitive: Knowledge by identity:
    c. Interpersonal: High causal level union;
    d. Moral: Absolute pacifism;
    e. Spiritual: Buddhic / Christ consciousness.