Understanding Levels of Awareness

The chapter describes four levels of awareness relevant to therapeutic sessions: ordinary awareness (ego, personality, id, and acquired norms), subtle awareness (direct here-and-now experience of inner and outer dimensions), awake awareness (liberated, infinite energy experienced as loving presence of one's core), and True Self awareness (transpersonal oneness with everything). In gestalt therapy, the awareness continuum—a series of present-moment open questions—helps clients deepen their awareness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Chapter 2, “Understanding Levels of Awareness,” outlines the four levels of awareness and how they relate to what is present in a session. Ordinary awareness is our normal waking consciousness that includes the ego, personality, id, and acquired ideas about how we should be. Subtle awareness is the direct experience of the here and now, characterized by the ability to sense, perceive, and experience the inner and outer dimensions of the human experience. Awake awareness is the liberated and infinite energy of our deepest dimension, which is experienced as the loving presence of the fundamental core of one&s;s being. True Self awareness is the purity of our essence, which is the transpersonal experience of being one with everything. In gestalt, a series of present moment open questions known as the awareness continuum supports clients in increasing their awareness.