I: Reality and Subjectivity

by David R. Hawkins

Book Overview

Experience spiritual enlightenment and personal transformation from world-renowned author, psychiatrist, clinician, spiritual teacher, and researcher of consciousness, David R. Hawkins, M.D.,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0971500703
• ISBN13: 9780971500709
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Veritas Publishing Company
• Length: 446 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Truly Awesome!

David Hawkins does it again! Just when I thought he couldn't do much better than the first 2 books of this trilogy, I read this final book and I am blown away more than ever. This book actually calibrates the highest of all in the trilogy at 999.8 on a 1 to 1000 scale. This makes it the most powerful on a Truth level if we are to fully trust the Scale of Consciousness calibration he developed to gauge truth from falsehood, a discernment the human intellect is incapable of doing on his own. Hawkins claims that just being exposed to this material will raise one's consciousness, a claim I can attest to. Although I had some resistance and residual skepticism when he describes WalMart corporation calibrating in the 300's, something I was astonished and amazed to learn in light of their sheningigans, I must admit I can not deny the power of his words and message. I spent more time reading and absorbing this last book simply because it was so potent. Reading this book written by a Self Realized psychiatrist may be the most important step you take if enlightenment is your goal. Why? Because this author understands the human ego thoroughly from a uniquely Western perspective and has the uncanny ability to dissect it so we are able to examine the mechanisms and machinery that allows the human ego to survive and in many cases to thrive in the midst of our ignorance regarding its karmic workings. Fully understanding HOW the ego works is the 1st step to undoing it. Hawkins understands this! He imparts a knowledge and insight that I find both refreshing and enlightening in the classics of spiritual teachings. For instance, he makes the very important distinction between crushing and killing the ego often emphasized in Eastern teachings and replaces this jargon with simply gently withdrawing attention from the ego and surrendering its function (ie thinking and mentations) to one's Higher Power thus depriving it of sustenance until it eventually starves from inattention. This is the ultimate diet! It is the true meaning of austerities and tapas. Once we no longer longer give the ego power, it ceases to exist. Thus the endless battle between the lower and higher natures is avoided, and the duality trap consisting of power struggles is circumvented. Endless battling with an ego, which has no inherent, independent existence in Reality, actually often gives rise to a new "spiritual ego" and perpetuates the individual being bound to the wheel of karma. Although the ego can be very clever, it is also very stupid as Hawkins points out! Hawkins also outlines and delineates the spiritual path we all must tread eventually, if we are ever to reach the final goal of enlightenment. In the end, as he mentions, the final step is taken by the Holy Spirit through an Act of Grace. This is the moment when the ego implodes or evaporates into emptiness like the candle flame that is extinguished. This is the actual meaning of the word,"nirvana". Hawkins writes from the perspectiv

Hawkins books are there for you when you are ready

Otherwise they will make no sense, or else be grossly misinterpreted. He himself states time and time again that nothing at one level of consciousness is true at another. How can one even *attempt* to explain the unexplainable and succeed on any level unless the consciouness that is reading is quite fertile and ready? The Truth that Hawkins teaches is so incredibly radical and direct that the 'person' submits and the ego dissolves, or else that person goes into paradigm shock and denies it, or just dismisses it as strange dogmatic baloney. I truly believe that books on this level of Power find the right people through synchronicity when they are ready to receive it. If you are not at the stage of spiritual evolution to surrender *all*, and I mean *all* beliefs and positionalities than Hawkins works are likely to anger and confuse you. This is obviously evidenced by certain reviews of his works. He himself warns of this in his prefaces, that his works are only meant for the extremely dedicated spirtual seeker willing to surrender all thoughts, desires, and positionalities to God.

Clarity

If one could read only three books in a lifetime, I would recommend the trilogy by Dr. Hawkins. "I" is the culmination of the revelation of the most powerful tool and information one will ever encounter on any plane of existence. The gratification from these books is beyond words. My quest for enlightenment/God/Christ consciousness has taken me down many religious roads, both orthodox and unorthodox. I have had many experiences that have been inadequately explained by churches and scriptures until my 12-year search ended when I discovered Dr. Hawkins in 2001. I learned that I had been looking for God in all the wrong places. Once one accepts that the kingdom of heaven is within, all other spiritual problems eminating from the misconception that God is only "out there" disolve. Amazingly, once one's spiritual house is in order, many of the messes in the mental, emotional, social, and physical houses become better organized effortlessly. Once one understands the concepts of content and context, all of one's physical, etheric, and astral experiences begin to clarify. Recontextualization is of utmost importance for the journey to enlightenment. Dr. Hawkins is truely a Master.For those who doubt the validity of kinesiologic testing, Dr. Hawkins explains the limitations of this method of testing in the appendix on page 429.

Stunning clarity

In some broad, general sense, this book should be considered philosophy or theology. It gives what can reasonably be considered a comprehensive discussion of human consciousness, from the most rudimentary human awareness to the status of great enlightened masters. While it does stand alone as a complete work, it is the third of Dr. Hawkin's trilogy on consciousness, the first volume being Power vs. Force and the second being Eye of the I. It is useful to read the books in order, but it is useful to read this book, either in order or out of order.As a mathematician, I really do enjoy reading good math texts. They teach me something, and I can go away from a session (perhaps an arduous session) with the ability to work new problems. That is delightful, a real joy. Very frequently, I have wished for an "engineering theology" text. By that I mean that I would like to study---perhaps hard---and walk away with the ability to improve my life in some way. Many of the great mystic writers are very impenetrable for me. They wax poetic, and I have no way to apply their great ideas to my own situation. Like Faust, I can say, "There stand I now, poor stupid me, and I'm just as smart as I used to be." That is very frustrating. Perhaps the most accessible of the mystic teachers is St. John of the Cross. After many years of study, even his simple lessons still elude me. I have not yet "caught the wave."Dr. Hawkins explains the entire spectrum of consciousness, right up to enlightenment itself, in a way that is entirely understandable for many people, and certainly for anyone who wants to study hard. His approach is hardly a workbook, but it does contain enormous numbers of very practical ideas to help any person to improve. That may not be every person's goal, but it is my goal. If I didn't want to do better, I would not bother reading a book. I'd go hit tennis balls or something else. This book seems more than just sophisticated. It seems exceedingly sophisticated, and at a high level indeed. I cannot say that I have encountered a higher level (that I could recognize). Yet it is understandable and even offers very significant tests most people could do in order to verify its validity. For me, at least, it is a great lesson indeed, and I am reading it over and over again.All best wishes to Dr. Hawkins. (Write another one any day, I'm happy to read it repeatedly.)