The 4 levels of consciousness (and how to navigate them)
In every moment we attach our own context to the content of life. These contexts are in constant flux, and we use them to navigate the world.
These contexts can be broken down to 4 levels of consciousness:
TO ME (victim consciousness)
BY ME (responsibility consciousness)
THROUGH ME (surrender consciousness)
AS ME (oneness consciousness).
We move through these states several times through the day, often within minutes or hours.
Below I describe these 4 states of consciousness how these come into effect, and how you can shift their application.
To me
This state is when we’re at the will and effect of life. It doesn’t matter what emotion we feel — the cause of the experience is always outside of us, whether it’s bad traffic or great weather. It’s obvious what problems come with maintaining this type of mentality. The ‘to me’ state leaves us convinced that we are the victim of outside forces, and our mood is constantly dictated by life’s ups and downs.
By me
The ‘by me’ state replaces blame with personal responsibility. It is a state of creatorship and empowerment, in which we can choose how we react to outside forces — from a world-shifting event like a recession to the everyday weather. When we are in ‘by me’ states we are in GO mode and can choose how we create our reality.
Through me
‘Though me’ consciousness means surrendering to the present moment. If in ‘by me’ we play the creator, then with ‘through me’ we are merely a vessel in which the universe enacts itself. There is a sense of flow and things happening naturally in the ‘through me’ state: innovators, musicians, and writers might say that their ideas, music, and stories came ‘through’ them as if by accident. This is a state of impulse or gut feeling where we play in a dynamic dance with life.
As me
‘As me’ is a spiritual experience — a blurring of the personal self and a connection with oneness. History’s greatest spiritual teachers have urged that the experience of oneness, the freedom from separation and the dissolution of an egoic self is the greatest of human possibilities. In this state we cultivate a boundless love and appreciation. Nothing is lacking. We have no nagging wants, and no need to alter where and who we already are.
Choosing your frequency
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to states of consciousness. But we may be able to find a new appreciation of life by taking note of which consciousness we are currently situated in, and elevate ourselves beyond feeling a victim from life’s circumstances.
You can only truly understand from the level you are in at that moment. If someone in ‘as me’ speaks to someone in ‘to me’, they will interpret the content differently with their own context. The Conscious Leadership Group (CLG) estimate that 97% of people spend 90% of their time in ‘to me’ or ‘by me’ states. By being aware of this, we can change how we communicate and elevate our leadership, our actions, and our connections from a state of consciousness that priorities flow, oneness, and creativity.
