5 Levels of Consciousness
Inner and outer, intrinsic and extrinsic, how do they corelate, how does the consciousness transpire through these plains?
To bring forth life in the form we know it the universal consciousness unfolds in stages, creating realms where it weaves energies into fabric of existence layer by layer until the final form appears. It manifests through 5 such layers culminating in separated form of life, comprising a living entity.
The innermost spiritual sheath, unburdened by either gross or subtle physical nature, pure, omni-present, ever existing, beyond time and distance. It is fundamental principle for all of the creation, yet unbound by it, standing apart, observing sequential evolution of its materializing diversity. This sheath is called Anandamaya kosha in Sanskrit – the spiritual realm, the field of unmanifest divine totality, the everlasting ocean of bliss beyond imaginable.
The sheath emerging out of inspiration of the spiritual realm is the mind, namely its highest expression; not the thinking or reasoning mind yet, not that trivial, materialistic mind connected to the body through senses. But the kind of mind that defines intelligence and rules the autonomic processes at the cellular level of the entire body, the beholder of the mental energy, the source of the electric currents through the electromagnetic field, the sustainer of the “unconscious” domain - Chitta, the child of the spiritual realm. It shines with the light we cannot see, it sets chakras in motion. Its core essence is the energy itself - the source, the knowledge, the most prominent manifestation of cosmic consciousness, the universal morale, uncorrupted by the ego. It has the answers to all questions and life purpose at the level of structured inspirations. It is the foundation of the subtle realm of existence. It is the subject of study of metaphysics and so called “pseudo-sciences” that finally arriving at the conclusion that the physical materialistic nature is not what it seems to be and is not the source of energy; that there is some intelligent force behind and beyond it. And one other, maybe the most prominent role is the potential to remove entanglements of confusion from the depth of unconscious mind, liberate Kundalini and transcend to spiritual realm. In other words, it possesses the power to irradicate karma and lead way to liberation. This sheath in Sanskrit is called Vijnana maya kosha, the domain of the first evolute of the universal nature, the higher mind – Mahat.
The farther from source we go the more materialistic the energy become. So does the next level of consciousness – Manomaya kosha – the mental realm. The top individual expression of Mahat is Buddhi mind – materialistic intelligence and reason, - common sense. The accumulative principle of morale and ethics inherited and taught, the power of will and sense of justice for all. But in case the temptation is too strong and ethics are weak, Buddhi mind may be corrupted and fall victim to ego and by whatever means available justify the misconduct of lower - cognitive mind, Manas.
Manas – the lower operational mind connected to the body by means of 5 senses and 6th sense – intuition (one of 2 intuition types); it is what we now call conscious mind. It possesses analytical, thinking, cognitive functions, as well as short-term memory, reactivity, interpretation of senses and emotions, attention, awareness, guarding of the body, rapid decision making, as well as low morale, manipulating, sagacity, convolutedness, tricking, lying, chasing pleasures, averting dislikes – unstable, prone to duality and mood swings, greediness, possessiveness, sensuality and sentimentalism, and other egotistical trends. If Buddhi is dormant and severed from Mahat, the Manas gets imprisoned by Ego. Manas has a nature of a subordinate; it requires constant support and guidance. It either gets it from uncorrupted awakened Buddhi, or it will be possessed by the ego in pursue of materialistic possessions and pleasant sensations. Manas can be viewed as a battlefield between higher consciousness and ego, and ultimately carries out orders of the winning party. The inner conversation is a dialog between Manas and Buddhi, conditioned by the influence of Samskaras – mental confusions in Chitta. The primary function of Manas is to guide Mahat into the depths of the body to purify the unconscious mind – Chitta from Samskaras. The mental realm is extensive and incorporates more faculties than those mentioned above. We’ll later talk about each of them individually.
Next subtle sheath is Pranamaya kosha – etheric body. Quite interesting leyer. It is comparable to mortar that holds bricks together. It is the field of gravitational forces possessing magnetic nature, taking its root in the subtle etheric undulation gradually unfolding into trajectorial motions of air energy currents. There described 5 main such currents. Gravitational force is one of them. Magnetic forces within this realm initialize the strike of mental electric energy, and they are regulated by breath. There are different patterns of regulating the quality and intensity of mental energy with breath; the more potent magnetic field is, the more intense the mental energy; and there is a direct correlation between the etheric magnetic energy of Pranamaya kosha and mental electric energy of Manomaya kosha. Together they constitute and generate the energy of bio electromagnetic field of a living being that kick start the bio-chemical reactions in the physical body - the final and the most gross sheath, through which the consciousness manifests at its lowest expression – Annamaya kosha.
Annamaya kosha literally meaning “sheath made of food”. It is comprised of tissues and organ systems and bio-chemical reactions between physical elements. It is like a “scafander” - a mechanical apparatus, a suit that the subtle body puts on temporarily in order to enter the gross physical reality with a specific mission. This is the plane that the modern science, including allopathic medicine operates within, tangible to 5 physical senses; considered to be objective reality by those whose perception is limited by these 5 senses. It is in fact a part of bigger expanded reality, which is far from being limited by it.