By Dr. Francisco Coll
Fig. 3
There are three basic levels of consciousness, and we exist in one of these three states at any one time. The first and highest level is known as the “balanced state.” A man who is in balance has a thought for every feeling and a feeling for every thought. This is symbolically pictured in Figure 3, showing the conscious (thinking) mind and the subconscious (feeling) mind in balance. The man who is in balance is the one who moves by wisdom. He knows where he came from, where he is, and where he is going. Furthermore, he will not permit anything to stop his progress. You are the only person who can keep yourself from being successful.
The second state of consciousness in known as the “semi-intellectual.” It is the man who has read only half of the book of life, the intellectual half. He has left out most of the feelings. This is symbolized by the diagram in Figure 5 of a well-developed intellect or conscious mind, but the feeling or subconscious mind is barely developed.
Fig. 5
This man could help design a ship that could travel to the moon, or solve complicated mathematical problems, but when it comes to being with himself and having feelings, he has a lot of fears. The “semi-intellectual” is the type who wants everything proven to him. He must understand things down to the finest detail. Do you know people like this? Maybe you’re married to a person like this. The main problem with this level of consciousness is the “prove it to me” attitude.
The semi-intellectual is always looking for a system. Finding a system gives him a sense of control over the situation. This he can understand. Feelings present another picture. He will accept only a small portion of the feelings within himself, because they frighten him. He cannot put feelings into “ticky-tacky” boxes so he is lost as to how to deal with them.
He is a person with a lot of problems, trying to find happiness outside of himself to make himself feel secure. He is the alcoholic, the workaholic or the golfaholic in our society. He uses everything for an escape. He has to be doing something all of the time because if he ever slows down to take a look at himself he feels frightened and out of control. This man usually ends up with ulcers or some nervous disorder.
He is very opinionated, thinking that his way is the only way to do things. His attitude is, “You can do anything you want to, as long as you do what I say!” This person needs to acknowledge his feelings to himself and bring out the real inner man. He cannot decrease the area of his conscious, thinking mind, but he can develop his feelings so that the two will be balanced.
The third state of consciousness is called the “unbalanced feeling.” This type of person has also read only half of the book of life, the feeling half. He has left out the thinking part. As shown in Figure 6, the feelings are highly developed, but not balanced by development of the conscious mind.
Fig. 6
The basic problem with this level of consciousness is lack of direction. There is an abundance of feeling and energy, but he tends to bounce from one thing to the next without purpose or accomplishment.
This is the person who knows, but he doesn’t know that he knows. He is eager to help others, but he leaves himself out. You may hear him say, “I can help everyone, but I can’t help myself.” Because he has no interpretation for his feelings, he can’t use them for his own benefit. Instead, other people use him and lean on him. He feels he has to protect himself because everybody is going to take advantage of him. In the long run, they usually do unless he can learn to balance his conscious and subconscious mind.
Basically we find ourselves operating in one of these three levels of consciousness. How would you like to know where you are? Try this: Think of five of your best friends. Then analyze and dissect their character. Any good you find in them you can be sure you have also. Any little faults you find in their lives, you have too, otherwise they would not be your friends. It’s like the old saying, “Like attracts like.” Match your five friends to the three states of consciousness. The area where most of them fit is most likely the area in which you are also operating.
Anytime you see something in another person that you dislike, and that quality makes you angry or upset, you can be sure you have that same quality in some form and to some degree. If he has something negative which you recognize, but it doesn’t particularly bother you, then you had this once and have outgrown it. On the other hand, if you see something in that person which you admire, you have that in you, too.
The key idea in all of this is to come to understand yourself. You may think you can get away from your trouble by moving to another city. This doesn’t work because the trouble you have is inside you, in your state of consciousness. When you move you simply take it with you. All you change is the environment. A man may say, “I’m just not happy here. Maybe if I move to San Francisco or Mexico, things will be better.” Just give that man a little time in the new environment and he will create the same confusion there. The best thing to do, no matter where you are, is to sit down, find out what is wrong and start to “clean house.”
We must get rid of the clutter and become a “do-it-yourself-kit.” To find ourselves, it is necessary to discard many things we have been taught. We must stop looking outside all the time for help. The answer to any problem is self-understanding, so we must begin by looking inward. You are the only thing you have, and you are the most important thing in this universe to yourself. If you don’t do it for yourself, no one will do it for you.
(Above content excerpted from “Man and the Universe” by Dr. Francisco Coll, © 1970 & 2008 Alley Creative Inc., All Rights Reserved)
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