1000: The Levels of Consciousness and the Stages of Awakening

By Ramaji and Ananda Devi

"1000" is the 820 page complete guide to LOCs (Levels of Consciousness) and the revolutionary new Map of of the Stages of Awakening by Ramaji and Ananda Devi. It answers the common question "How can I tell if a teacher is enlightened?" A list of the LOCs of more than 400 contemporary non-duality and Advaita teachers is included in the text. Curious about how enlightened Gangaji or Mooji or Byron Katie or Jeff Foster are? Now you can find out. It's all answered by their LOCs. Ramaji and Ananda also provide a list of LOCs for more than 101 famous spiritual personalities such as Jesus, Buddha, Papaji, Osho, Pope Francis and Mother Theresa. "1000" explains how to evaluate teachers by knowing what stage of enlightenment they are at. It accounts for the misconduct of teachers who otherwise appear to be enlightened persons. "1000" is a unique breakthrough book that explains in simple terms the complete spiritual path from beginning to end. Students of meditation, prayer, enlightenment, non-duality, Advaita, yoga, Eastern religion and other spiritual disciplines will find it most illuminating. Serious students of Self-inquiry and Ramana Maharshi will find Ramaji's revelatory experiences of Amrita Nadi and starving the I-thought illuminating. Dedicated devotees of Nisargadatta Maharj and "I Am That" will enjoy new insights into Nisargadatta's distinction between Brahman ("universal consciousness") and Parabrahman ("the Absolute"). Entries from Ramaji's spiritual journals highlight the book. Ramaji never intended for his private diaries to be made public. In order to make "1000" as helpful and powerful as possible, he decided to leave no secrets hidden. All is exposed in the hope that it might help to clear up confusion for the earnest sincere seeker or established spiritual teacher. Ramaji and Ananda Devi has been able to assist many seekers via the RASA transmission in support of non-dual awakening. They document some of the RASA recipients who have stabilized in non-duality and successfully attained enlightenment after receiving RASA in person or online with Ramaji or his teaching partner Ananda Devi. Ramaji gives an overview of the lower levels of consciousness (LOC 30 through LOC 499). He explains the emergence of pure spirituality (versus conventional religion) at LOC 500 through LOC 559. He describes advanced seeker stages (LOC 560 through LOC 589) ready to leap into non-duality. Ramaji covers the non-dual stages in considerable depth. The new non-dual sage goes from local space spontaneity (LOC 600s) to cosmic or universal consciousness (LOC 700s) to divine unknowing (LOC 800s) to, for a few, the hesitant hermit (LOC 900s). Then the sage arrives at and stabilizes in the Self or Absolute (LOC 1000). Ramaji offers case studies, quotes and in-depth research to show how each major non-dual stage is different from the others. He does all he can to describe the nature and experience of the Absolute, helped by quotes from Meister Eckhart, Francis Lucille and Karl Renz. There has never been a book like "1000" before. The complete Map of Awakening with Levels of Consciousness and a condensed Map are included. Complementing the Map of Awakening are studies of 7 traditional spiritual maps of awakening: the Seven Valleys of Sufism, the Five Ranks of Tozan, the 10 Zen Oxherding Pictures, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Stages of Advaita Vedanta, the Major Arcana of the Tarot and the Hero's Journey. "1000" is an unusually spirited, fiercely candid and passionately comprehensive major work. One of their students jokingly referred to "1000" as the "Bible 2.0." You may not agree, but one thing is for sure. You cannot afford to be without YOUR copy of "1000" by Ramaji and Ananda Devi on your spiritual path!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rasa Transmission International Books
• Release date: Apr 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9781393510697

Book preview

Acknowledgments

Although this book was written in a whirlwind in about a year, it was many decades in the making. The seeds were planted when I recorded in my journal my first spiritual experiences as a teenager. At the same time, I began experimenting with methods to assess spiritual development.

First, I must thank my spiritual and life partner Ananda Devi. She is the inspiration and motivation behind this new edition. Her Introduction boldly summarizes the massive changes in our global work with RASA™ since the 2014 edition of 1000.

I want to express my appreciation to the old San Diego satsang group. Individually and collectively, they encouraged me to pursue my LOC (Level of Consciousness) research.

I would especially like to thank Fred Smalley from the San Diego satsang group. Fred gave me a number of interesting names for LOC assessment that I would not have thought of otherwise. He also alerted me to dirty laundry on certain teachers. These insights made the book more entertaining while also clearing up blind spots in my LOC assessments.

I would also like to deeply thank Alex Burtson from the San Diego satsang group for his professional rendering of the Map of Awakening (complete and condensed versions). He was a true pleasure to work with and contributed many good ideas.

I would like to warmly thank Oivind from Norway for reading the manuscript prior to publication. His feedback was wonderfully encouraging as well as uniquely useful.

Finally, I would like to thank the dozens of students who since 2014 have praised 1000 and confirmed its unique value and benefits for the spiritual seeker. They have not been shy in letting me know the extent to which they felt empowered and guided by it. They have validated the choice I made to make it extremely personal, even to the point of sharing my private diaries never intended for publication.

There are now more than 500 people around the world who have been awakened via the RASA™ spiritual transmission!

Introduction

When I was first asked to write a Forward for Ramaji's book 1000 , I hesitated. My hesitancy was not based on anything other than awe and wonder. How on earth could I, Ananda Devi, express within a few paragraphs the majesty and the devotion that I feel towards my beloved partner Ramaji. To be perfectly honest, it is not possible.

Words are not able to accurately transmit this type of deep knowing. I have a complete understanding that defies logic and some may say common sense. It is with this in mind that I request the readers of this book to attempt to feel the inner workings of the author. The book 1000 is, in my opinion, an exceptionally raw and brutally honest account of Ramaji's life path as well as his spiritual awakening.

When I met Ramaji I had already had my own very deep and significant mystical spiritual awakenings. I knew that I had attained the level of LOC 1000 that Ramaji speaks of in his book. Ramaji confirmed my self-assessment on the day of our first meeting.

I had spent years meeting top spiritual teachers in the hopes of finding an enlightened person that I strongly felt was a genuine integrated human being. Believe it or not, it turned out to be quite difficult to find somebody like that. As my quest went on and on I became confused, lonely, disheartened, even desperate.

My heart-felt yearning was to meet a true spiritual friend, a human being, who according to my own extremely high standards, had an in-depth knowing of non-duality that was deeply integrated. He had to be somebody who could meet me here now where I live. And boy did he!

Ramaji and I first met in Alpine, California, in the mountains east of San Diego. Within two minutes of him opening the door, after a handshake and the brief exchange of a few casual words, I was convinced that I had at long last met the spiritual master I was looking for. My prayers were answered.

It was on that day that I received my very first RASA™ which quickly led to my own very intense post-1000 integration. In my naivete, before I met Ramaji, I had actually believed I was fully integrated. I am writing this now three years after meeting Ramaji and four and a half years since my first of several life-changing spiritual awakenings. I can tell you I was not as integrated as I had thought!

Ramaji surprised me during that session by telling me almost immediately that I could teach this and would be an excellent non-duality teacher. He said I was a natural for it.

In all honesty, I had severe reservations about transmissions in general and the RASA™ specifically. I didn't know what RASA™ was nor did I care. I was there to meet the man who called himself Ramaji and find out if he was the real deal or not!

Due to the fact that my awakenings that began when I was a teenager were spontaneous, profoundly mystical and not involving a teacher of any kind, I really didn't expect the RASA™ to do anything for me. Frankly, I wondered if Ramaji with his RASA™ transmission thing had simply lost the plot!

I had no idea what was about to happen. When our session was nearly over, Ramaji asked if he could give me RASA™. I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I said yes. But what I was thinking was Why? I don't need it!

As it turned out, the RASA™ was instrumental in helping me unify, integrate and absorb the overwhelming impact of my multiple awakenings. Soon after our first meeting I began to teach alongside Ramaji. Even though Ramaji had taught me how to give RASA™, I remained skeptical. It took me a year of watching Ramaji and observing the results from RASA™ with dozens of students for me to embrace becoming a RASA™ giver myself.

After I embraced the RASA™, I began to do group satsangs with Ramaji as well as work with my own one on one students. I am often astounded at the incredible acceleration that the RASA™ provides for spiritual awakening into non-duality. It also helps with the challenges of post-awakening integration.

Our journey together became very interesting once we started doing group satsangs together. As the saying goes, Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. I was shocked and disappointed to see several prominent established spiritual teachers attempt to copy what we were doing. The ultimate outcome of this odd travesty was that RASA™ was once again validated as the premier spiritual transmission on the planet.

Thanks to my unique business background, I convinced Ramaji to incorporate and create a more professional site. Ramaji.org became RasaTransmissionInternational.com. In 2017, the global RASA™ mission was transformed from a mom and pop style operation to the California corporation Rasa Transmission International, Inc.

The information in this book is very much a seeker's friendly guide to help them familiarize themselves with their own level of consciousness (LOC). In this way, the seeker gains the ability to own their own process. This book gives a clear and concise account of the LOCs of many well-known spiritual teachers according to Ramaji's spiritual map. Ramaji and I use the same methodology to evaluate LOCs. The beautiful reality of LOCs when applied in live one on one sessions with me or Ramaji is that we do not just hand out LOCs. We insist that the student evaluate themselves. If it is true that a person, for example, has jumped into non-duality, it should be obvious to them as well as to us.

Your discovery of this spiritual map is priceless because it enables you the seeker to prepare yourself and understand your own unique existential awakening. It will encourage you and give you the skills to evaluate and make sense of your own inner transformation. It will inevitably lead you to a simple pristine clarity. Once the art of making these LOC determinations becomes clear to you, then it can be used as a means to accurately evaluate most spiritual teachers whatever your personal LOC.

Ramaji and I share the same perspective regarding spiritual awakening and how to help spiritual seekers. We supply the mirror that a seeker needs because we know that the most we can do is provide them with a reflection of their essence, their purity of being and their natural true Self. This true Self is hidden yet miraculously here waiting for when the seeker's consciousness is clear enough to fully comprehend its own nature.

We think of ourselves as normal genuine human beings. We do not think of ourselves as sages, gurus or spiritual teachers. We think of ourselves as spiritual activists who are dedicated to providing as quickly as possible a deep authentic spiritual awakening that will stand the tests and trials of daily life.

Ramaji and I both know that there is no reason for any human being to be left wanting and craving the spiritual awakening that is her birthright. Most seekers spend their time chasing true Self reading book after book, attending satsang after satsang, following teacher after teacher, only to realize years later that they are helplessly stuck on a hamster's wheel.

There are many flaws in the old paradigm of the guru who has it and the lowly student who does not. As a result the typical outcome is no results no matter how much how much they have invested. Ramaji and I burn with the desire to bring an end to this outmoded outdated ineffective paradigm.

Our mission is to awaken thousands of people around the world. We live in an Internet age with instant downloads. RASA™ combined with our unique one on one coaching methods enables easy accelerated awakening. The typical student takes approximately one year to reach LOC 1000. If they are already in non-duality when they come to us, reaching this goal may take them only three months.

It is with these words of gratitude, love and compassion that I will leave the reader to revel in the consciousness of a true master. May each sentence in this book lead you to the very truth that you are. This truth is unmistakable, obvious and awaiting your revelation. It is your birthright.

Love and Light, Ananda Devi

San Diego, California

The Levels of Consciousness and the Complete Map of Awakening (Chart)

A Condensed Map of the Stages of Awakening

From Spiritual Emergence to Supreme Self

LOC 500  Spirituality Emerges

LOC 560  Spiritual Seeking Begins

LOC 570  Spiritual Seeking Intensifies

LOC 580  Effortless Thought Free Meditation

LOC 590  First Spiritual Shock (Ego Death)

LOC 600  PURE FEELING OF BEING (No Self)

LOC 690  Second Spiritual Shock (Cosmic Expansion)

LOC 700  FEELING OF BEING THE UNIVERSE (Cosmic Self)

LOC 790  Third Spiritual Shock (Great Void Passage)

LOC 800  DIVINE UNION (Not Knowing)

LOC 890  Transfiguration (Radical Illumination)

LOC 900  NATURAL STATE (Stabilization in No Self)

LOC 1000  THE ABSOLUTE (Supreme Self – This is it!)

What Is Level of Consciousness? (LOC)

The idea that different people, including spiritual teachers, are at different levels of consciousness, or at various stages of spiritual development, is a familiar one. Even so, evaluating their level of consciousness (LOC) remains controversial.

While there are spiritual diagnostic methods that yield good results in the hands of an experienced user, such as astrology, radionics, pendulum and intuitive assessment of the human energy field, these methods tend to break down when they are applied to the enlightened person (someone who is stabilized in non-duality).

The method presented in this book is a form of biokinesiology (also called applied kinesiology or muscle testing). When it occurred to me to write this book, I had already worked with this method for many years in its holistic health applications.

I refined and redesigned this popular method for the specific purpose of assessing enlightened people. The results of my research are presented in this book.

The Map of Awakening makes it easy to understand what a person's LOC means in terms of spiritual development. The LOC number is similar to the grade of a student in school.

The LOC number is even more accurate as it will show where they are located within their grade. My Map of Awakening model emphasizes the LOCs from 500 up to 1000. LOC 500 is where pure spirituality, as opposed to organized religion, begins to emerge. Most of my readers will be in that range.

How This Book 1000 Came About

It is important to note that the model or Map of Awakening that makes up the majority of this book was not my starting point. My original purpose was simply to assess and record the LOCs of some well-known modern spiritual teachers in order to satisfy my own curiosity about them.

After I had recorded the LOCs of several hundred spiritual teachers, I happened to notice that the results were bunched together. The teachers at different main LOC ranges or stages (600s, 700s, 800s, 900s, 1000) had noticeable similarities. These similarities included patterns in teaching content, style of teaching and reputation (evidence of misconduct or not).

I believe this is important. Had I obtained my main data after developing my model, it would make sense that I could have been influenced by my own model. Instead, what happened is I recorded most of my assessments well before I had the idea to write a book about my results.

The theoretical model appeared in spite of myself. The model impressed me even further when I found that it described my own spiritual journey with unerring accuracy. It became clear to me that my Map of Awakening was meant to be shared.

I define non-duality as an empirical understanding that transcends dualistic confusion. The ordinary person is each day besieged by traumatic ongoing conflict, a rock-like sense of separation and the harsh burden of doership. These issues are resolved when a non-dual experience of life is secured.

The main thesis of this book is twofold. First, that not all non-dual realizations are equal.  Second, that the great non-dual spiritual quest does have a conclusion (LOC 1000).

In this book, that final stage of fulfillment is called realizing the Self, stabilizing in the Absolute, achieving the stateless state or living in the natural state (Sanskrit: sahaja). Life is allowed to be itself as it is. Both duality and non-duality are transcended. This is understood when this stage is realized.

Unique Approach to Levels of Consciousness in This Book

In this book, I will cover the full range of the levels of human consciousness. I will start at 30 and work my way up to 1000. LOC 1000 is the highest level achieved by human beings. I start at LOC 30 because this is the lowest human LOC that I encountered. This is extremely low as the average domestic dog is at LOC 90 and the average house cat is at LOC 110.

For maximum accuracy, whenever possible my interpretations of LOCs are based on actual people I know. My focus is on spiritual emergence at LOC 500 and above. The consciousness range between 30 and 499 is summarized in one long chapter. LOCs from 500 and above are given more detailed attention.

This book explains the gradual intensification of non-dual awareness in terms of LOC starting with LOC 500. This information has not been published before. My conclusions are based on my direct observations and LOC assessments of spiritual teachers, students and seekers. I have made use of my personal experience of people I know as much as possible.

Because I have known many spiritual aspirants personally over time, I have been able to assess the significance of LOCs in terms of describable, concrete, quantifiable readiness for non-dual awakening. I have observed favorable changes and found that they are accurately reflected in the person's LOC.

I have met and evaluated in person only a handful of the 400 enlightened spiritual teachers on my list. Whether or not I had met the teacher in person, I took my task of assessing their LOC quite seriously. I watched interviews, read books, studied reviews and researched personal histories online.

Of the teachers on my list, I have had the good fortune to be in the physical presence of Shinzen Young, Ramesh Balsekar, Namkhai Norbu Chen, Muktananda, Jean Klein, Chetananda, Satchidananda, Wayne Liquorman, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Gangaji, Chinmayananda, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Aja Acharya Thomas, Anandi Ma, Andrew Cohen, Catherine Ingram, Joko Beck, the Dalai Lama, Franklin Jones (Adi Da Samraj), Hale Dwoskin, Master Charles, Namgyal Rinpoche, Ram Dass, Robert Hover, Saniel Bonder and Satyananda Saraswati.

LOCs 560 to 585: Methodical Preparation for Non-Duality

The movement from LOC 500 to LOC 560 is spiritually significant but serious engagement with non-dual groups, teachers and teachings is not likely until the student enters the 560 range. Starting from the 560s there is a gradual orderly ascent up into the 570s and then into the 580s. The student in the LOC 580s is in position for a leap into non-duality.

Individuals who are primed for enlightenment and the leap into the non-dual ranges LOC 600 and above are typically established somewhere between 581 and 589. This person is able to easily and effortlessly rest in the thought-free state.

LOC 580s as Stabilized Preparation for Non-Dual Ascent

Since being able to abide in the effortless thought-free state is the strongest indicator of readiness for non-dual awakening, this is profoundly significant. At the same time, the natural ease of their state leads many in the 580s to become spiritual teachers from that level.

They make valuable contributions to spiritual culture from this vantage point, but they have missed a golden opportunity to reach the top of the mountain. This is their destiny. I believe that this book will help readers in the 580s to grasp the non-dual potential of their state. I am inviting them to go beyond their comfort zone. When they are ready, they will do so.

The 580s, especially the mid-range of 582 to 585, functions as a springboard or launching pad into non-duality (LOC 600 and above). If the individual starts to move above the LOC 585 staging area, a new process is activated which then sucks them into the 590s. It is in the 590s zone that the first deconstruction of the ego (empirical self) takes place.

Fear of Dying and the 590s Transitional Zone

The seeker may pass quickly through the transitional 590s or they may get stuck there. If they get stuck, it is usually due to fear of death arising.

To be precise, they are afraid of letting go of their identification with the physical body. The only reason they fear death is that they still believe I am the body.

This idea, thought or belief of I am the body is a clever and formidable opponent. I know an Australian seeker living in Thailand who stayed in the 590s for several years. Each time he felt himself being pulled into the 600s, he would experience severe panic and feel as if he was having a heart attack.

When asked about the location of this apparent heart attack, he told me that it was physically located on the right side of his chest. This matched reports from other students and my own experiences of similar activity by the ego (I-thought) in the region of the Heart on the right as taught by Ramana Maharshi. I told the Australian as firmly as I could that he was on the verge of enlightenment. Plunge boldly forward!

This formidable drama staged by the ego (I-thought) was just a strategy to intimidate this aspirant and strike fear into him. Its purpose was to terrify him so much with the thought of dying that he would give up his quest. The physical pain was just thought-based intensification of sensations by the ego.

Unfortunately, the seeker did not follow my advice to plunge forward and ignore the frightening sensations of heat and pain. Instead, he capitulated to ego I-thought intimidation. He tumbled all the way back down to the 570s. This setback was only temporary. He is back to LOC 583 ready for another go.

Chances are that this time he will not buy into the deception created by the ego I-thought. After all, it was just thought intensively contracted to produce momentary localized pain.

The Four Levels of Non-Dual Enlightenment Explained

Beyond this original description of the stages of preparation for non-dual ascent (the 560s through the 590s), the other main contribution of this guide is to elaborate in loving detail the four primary levels of non-dual (enlightened) consciousness. These are 600 to 699, 700 to 799, 800 to 899, and 900 to 1000.

As outlined in the Map of Awakening in this book, sages in the LOC 600s range are focused on the local empty no self, sages in the LOC 700s range are invested in an expanded cosmic self, sages in the LOC 800s range are stuck in the sweet honey of non-dual devotion, and sages in the LOC 900s are refusing to embrace the world as it is warts and all.

The LOC 1000 sage has completed the non-dual journey. He is stabilized in the no mind of the Absolute. We are fortunate at this time in history to have many people who are stabilized at LOC 1000 teaching publicly. This book identifies the ones I know of at this time.

At the same time, it is made clear that the best teacher for a student may not be the one with the highest LOC. The best teacher will be the one where teacher and student are aligned in trust, understanding and mutual warm positive regard.

More on How This Book 1000 Was Born

I experienced my non-dual awakening in 1992 following a transmission of Grace from Ramesh Balsekar in 1989. After that, my process became a prolonged transformational journey through the non-dual stages elucidated in this book.

In the course of my post-awakening sadhana, I concluded that Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj offered the highest and purest teachings available in modern times.

It was clear to me that they were at the same level of realization. To further refine my understanding, I studied the teachings of both masters and accessed their satsang via photographs, videos, prayer, meditation and visions.

I made a special effort to find and study reports about their demeanor and behavior. It became abundantly clear that both sages lived impeccable exemplary lives. This served to further confirm my conviction that these two incredible men had indeed achieved the supreme pinnacle of spiritual greatness.

I came across a book by a respected spiritual authority in which he stated that a teacher's level of consciousness can be objectively evaluated using biokinesiology (also known as muscle testing). I eagerly turned to the page where he had provided his evaluation of Ramana and Nisargadatta.

Learning that the highest level of consciousness (LOC) that could be reached by a human being was 1000, it made sense to me to assume that Ramana and Nisargadatta would be rated by this highly regarded expert at LOC 1000. I was stunned to find that this writer had placed both of them at only LOC 720!¹

Confirmed: Ramana and Nisargadatta Are Both LOC 1000

On the spot, I did my own evaluation. I was right. Both Ramana and Nisargadatta were at LOC 1000!

This kind of intuitive evaluation was not new to me. Inspired by the book Touch for Health by John Thie and other pioneers, I began experimenting with biokinesiology about 20 years ago.²

There was no doubt for me. The intuitive muscle response was massively precise and clear. There was nothing to figure out. Since the available information in every way pointed to both sages being at LOC 1000, the results of this spontaneous test became my benchmarks as I explored this exciting frontier.

A New Model for Non-Dual Preparation and Realization

A fire had been lit in my psyche that would not be easily quenched. I began doing my own biokinesthetic (muscle testing) evaluations. I found major discrepancies between my intuitive LOC assessments of spiritual figures and those of this prominent author in his books. At the same time, there were numerous examples of teachers where my results matched or came very close to those reported by this respected expert.

As my data accumulated, meaningful patterns began to emerge that I had not seen or heard of before. I received a warm reception for these ideas when I shared them with students and friends. I decided to publish my findings and conclusions. This book is the result.

This book is designed to explain the variations that will be encountered in people who are approaching enlightenment. In broad terms, the ascent begins at LOC 500 with the emergence of pure spirituality. In practice, the effective range where the attainment of enlightenment is a strong possibility begins at LOC 560 and goes up to LOC 585 (rarely, to LOC 589).

To be even more specific, enlightenment becomes likely when the LOC 580s are reached. As the seeker abides more and more in the thought-free state in the LOC 580s, they become purified in preparation for the great leap into non-duality.

The work done in the LOC 560s and LOC 570s is to get to the LOC 580s. Once the aspirant arrives at the LOC 580s, they work to deepen the thought-free state and access the pure silence and stillness of the natural state or pure awareness.

The No Man's Land Between LOC 590 and LOC 600

This book also explains the no man's land zone between body-identification (below LOC 590) and non-duality (LOC 600). This is the LOC range from 590 to 599. There is only one person in the world that I have found who is staying stable in this profoundly transitional 590 range.

That individual is David Godman, the well-known and highly esteemed translator of Ramana Maharshi's works. I will get into why I believe he is in this special LOC position later on.

For everyone else, this unique range functions as a black hole that you go into but don't come out of. It is very similar to the transition known as the near death experience.

Why Should You Read This Book?

I am sharing my discoveries with you in the hope that it will help you to understand where you, your friends and your teachers are spiritually stabilized according to the LOC model.

THE HIGHER THE LOC, the more the person has purified the mind. The lower the LOC, the more they are a prisoner of thought and a slave of the mind. According to the model in this book, LOC 1000 corresponds to transcending the mind.

You do not need to know how to evaluate a person's LOC in order to benefit from this book. By understanding the new model of consciousness presented in this guide, you will be in a position to assess a person's spiritual level based on their behavior, their teachings and their teaching methods.

If they are deeply integrated and realized, then their behavior will reflect the knowledge that You are my very own beloved Self. While this behavior usually expresses in what is labeled as loving, it may not appear that way on the surface.

For example, Nisargadatta Maharaj was known to yell and shout at many of the people who came to him. On the surface this does not sound loving, but students reported that being on the receiving end of his dramatic outbursts was a blessing.

One of the biggest challenges for a spiritual seeker is how to evaluate various teachers. Whether or not you are able to do your own intuitive LOC evaluations, this book should serve you in at least three ways.

First, you will have a new appreciation of the differences in levels of consciousness even among enlightened teachers. This has never before been clarified with this degree of precision.

Second, you will be better informed regarding how to assess LOCs. You will know that the attainment of enlightenment in and of itself is not the end of the process.

The journey goes on in the form of mental and emotional purification until the person reaches the level of total dedication to service. The mature sage regards all as his Self.

Third, you will be able to discern the basic LOC range of an enlightened teacher or guru (600 to 699, 700 to 799, 800 to 899 or 900 to 1000) based on the identifying markers in their teaching style and content. Each range has its own unique flavor and orientation. I will go into that in much more detail.

Why Is the Author Qualified to Evaluate Other Teachers?

You may feel like asking me Who are you to presume to evaluate other spiritual teachers?

The answer is simple.

Now that there are so many non-duality teachers writing books and giving public satsang in the West, it is time for us to start a lively dialog about the quality and level of these contributions. Somebody has to get this discussion going!

I believe that I have found a convenient reliable way to evaluate the LOC of a person at any level, whether they are a teacher or not. This is the method that I use every day.

Some readers may find that they have the ability to assess the LOCs of spiritual students and teachers. Other readers will discover that they cannot evaluate LOCs or that results are hit or miss. Either way, the reader will be served by this new knowledge about the levels of human spiritual attainment.

As for my spiritual qualifications, since my awakening in 1992 I have worked tirelessly to fulfill my spiritual potential in this lifetime. I have studied the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and Nisargdatta Maharaj in great depth. I have personally logged many hours following their practical meditation disciplines.

I have used descriptions by Ramana and Nisargadatta of their state of consciousness and of the supreme state as empirical benchmarks for evaluating my own levels of consciousness. It has been my routine for many years to assess my own LOC. I have observed how each of my spiritual breakthroughs was matched by a corresponding jump in my LOC number.

The time has come for this uniquely useful information to be revealed. This book began with a simple heartfelt desire to set the record straight with regard to Ramana and Nisargadatta. I thought that would be it, but it was not.

The project surprised me with its passion to grow and expand. After more than a year of hard work fueled by the sincere desire to help as many people as possible become free by becoming who they truly are, my original desire to set the record straight about the LOCs of my gurus Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj blossomed into this big book.

How to Evaluate a Person's LOC Using Whole Body Intuitive Resonance

While this book is not a how-to guide for assessing, recording and interpreting the LOCs of prominent non-dual teachers and other people of note, it makes sense for me to explain my method to you. You may or may not be able to do it yourself. It is extremely simple for me, nonetheless.

LOC means Level Of Consciousness. Every person on the planet has a level of consciousness or LOC. For most people, it tends to stay the same. For some people, it moves up. A rise of five points in the course of a lifetime is significant.

For a few people, it moves way up very quickly. When this happens and the person stabilizes at a LOC level above 600 on the LOC scale, this corresponds to enlightenment.

How to Evaluate a Person's LOC From a Distance

It is ideal to have a picture of the person available. If they are on YouTube, you can watch a video of them talking. These steps will help you get a feel for the person.

Now close your eyes and think of the person. Reach out with your consciousness and make energetic contact with them.

You do not want any thoughts, expectations or desire impinging on this reaching out. If your intuitive ability is open, you will know when you have made contact.

It may have a tangible tactile quality to it. The knowledge that you have made this contact is self-evident and self-validating.

When you make this contact, you will feel a degree of density, thickness or heaviness surrounding them. This density is the tangible tactile indicator of their level of consciousness.

In the average person, there is a feeling of heavy thickness and density. It is like they have a body or wall of armor around them. This may be felt especially strong around their head.

This density is the accumulated thought patterns that this person is not conscious of and has not eliminated. In the enlightened person, there is a feeling of lightness. The higher up the LOC scale of enlightenment, the lighter the person will feel.

The Finger Ring Muscle Testing Technique

The feeling contact step is the first step and the most valuable step. As you get more tuned in, it can be enough in itself. The numerical evaluation is just a label for what your intuition is telling you about this person's LOC.

The final step is to put a number to your intuitive impression. This is the biokinesiology step. This is also called muscle testing or applied kinesiology. There are differences between these concepts, but the main idea remains the same.

Our favorite method is the Ring Finger method. Make a ring with your thumb and index finger with both hands.

If you are right-handed, put that ring inside the ring created by your left hand. If you are left-handed, put your ring inside your right hand. Here's a link to a video on YouTube that shows you exactly what doing this method looks like.³

How to Get Their Unique LOC Number

Now start asking a series of questions like this: Is this person at LOC 0 or above? At 100 or above? At 200 or above? At 300 or above? At 400 or above? At 500 or above? At 600 or above?

Unless they are enlightened and in non-duality, their LOC will be between 0 (zero) and 599. When you ask the question, if it is true then you will feel that your yin or passive finger ring is strong.

If you are right-handed, you will be pulling against the point where your left thumb and left index finger join. You will feel the muscular strength as well as the intuitive feeling strength.

Let's say the person you are checking the LOC for is at 512 LOC. You will feel strength until you ask the question Is this person's LOC at 600 or higher?

There will be a feeling of weakness in the left finger ring and the right finger ring will easily break through the fingers there. When this happens, go back to the previous question.

If this person at 500 LOC or higher? You get a strong yes.

Now go up in tens. Is he at 510 or higher? Since he is at 512 LOC, you will get another yes response.

Now go up another ten. "Is he at 520 LOC? Now you will get a no response. The left-hand ring will weaken. Since you got a weak no response, go back to 510 again.

Now go up by single units. First, restate your verified position which is that his LOC is at least 510.

Is he at 510? The answer is yes.

Is he at 511? The answer is yes.

Is he at 512? The answer is yes.

Is he at 513? The answer is no.

Go back to 512 and repeat the question.

Is he at 512 LOC? Yes.

You are finished. You have now evaluated this person and found them to be living at a LOC of 512.

How I First Started Evaluating the LOCs of People

I was introduced to the technique of muscle testing many years ago. I became interested in evaluating the levels of spiritual teachers. Because I had been studying the human energy field since my Kundalini awakening at the age of 16, I was already well schooled in the art of evaluating teachers.

Prior to biokinesiology testing, I had studied the auras of dozens of individuals reputed to be enlightened (above LOC 600). My experience while doing so was intensely empathic.

I was able to identify a visual pattern that all of these saints and sages had in common. The Crown chakra was radiant with light. It was wide open and unobstructed.

The average person is mostly closed at the Crown chakra. The Crown chakra of the spiritually advanced seeker in the LOC 500s will be partially or even mostly open. I see a wide open Crown chakra blazing with light in enlightened people only.

Since my spiritual awakening in 1992 after receiving Grace from Ramesh Balsekar, I have noticed that the average body-identified person has a thick hard energy wall with the density of concrete or metal around their head. This wall is their accumulated thoughts. They are not aware of this wall.

In contrast, the enlightened people that I have met feel like they have a great deal of lightness around them. Their thought density is much less. I have noticed that the more spiritually enlightened the person is, the lighter they feel to me.

I found that when I think of people alive or dead, I have the same experience. They don't need to be physically present. I get an immediate and precise sense of their thought density.

Although people seem to make a big deal about the muscle testing technique itself, my experience is that using the physical hands is not really needed. It is all in the feeling.

It may sound like I am saying that when you evaluate LOC the number is the objective, but that is not correct. The goal is to have a conscious clear empathic connection that is purely intuitive. It will not work if it is thought based.

I am operating from pure feeling. As a result, I can via direct perception evaluate the degree of thought density that surrounds the person. When this thought density has been fully resolved and the person is no longer struggling with the mind, then their LOC will register at 1000 for me.

When I think of someone, I instantly have intuitive feeling-knowing regarding that person, their thought density and their LOC. I still do the Finger Ring Circle test in order to confirm their LOC number, but it is a confirmation of what was already known. Once again, the key is in the feeling.

I automatically have a sense of the thought density of any person I put my attention on because I can feel it as a tangible coating, almost like it is a physical object. Since my sensitivity to this aspect of a person is so acute, I can easily distinguish between the thought densities found around a person in the LOC 580s versus a person in the 600s, 700s, 800s, 900s or at 1000.

While the density gets progressively less and less at each higher level, only the LOC 1000 will feel to me to be totally free of this concrete thought density. Even the LOC 900s present a very fine detectible layer of residual mental density.

When you are doing a LOC assessment, be aware that any thoughts you have will interfere. You must have no thoughts, otherwise you will be reading your thoughts, not the person.

When this happens, when thoughts interfere, you will notice, meaning you will feel, a subtle change in the energy. This is the kind of attunement needed. There is no doubting and no guessing. There is intuitive knowing. It cannot be understood intellectually. It must be experienced to be fully appreciated.

LOC ASSESSMENT BASED on 1000 Book Knowledge

It is always a pleasure to work with a student who has read 1000. I have been told many times by students that by reading and studying this book they were able to accurately assess their own LOC and often that of their friends. Some found that they were able to accurately arrive at the LOC of some of the well-known teachers that I myself assess in this book.

If the intuitive approach does not work for you, it is perfectly fine to approach the challenge with logic and rationality. In medicine, this approach is called differential diagnosis.

In theory, this methodology is quite simple. You are looking for an either/or situation. You are asking yourself Is this person this or that? So how does this work?

First of all, a person is either in non-duality or they are not. That is your first difference finding. Having concluded which major group is a good fit for them, you then take the unique character of each major subgroup and ask the same basic question.

Let’s say you’ve concluded they are in non-duality. Your next question is Are they in the 600s or not? From this book, you know that if they are a LOC 600s person that they are probably myopically focused on no self or on the absence of a self.

If this is true of them, then you can conclude that they are in the 600s. By the way, identifying which major subgroup, e.g. 570s or 700s, is enough. You now know where they live.

2019 Update: Consistently Accurate Assessment of LOCs Is Much More Difficult Than We Anticipated

Now that we have nine years of research and experience with the art of accurately assessing LOCs (2011-2019), we want to sound a cautionary note. We have found is that very few people have the natural ability required to consistently arrive at an accurate spiritual Level of Consciousness (LOC) number.

This skill can be cultivated to a professional level by students who are coached and trained by us. But as a natural talent, it is apparently rare even for talented intuitives and empaths.

Ananda Devi and I are both deep empaths and expert intuitives. Even with these advantages, we have found that it is absolutely essential that LOCs be assessed online face to face in a live session with the student.

The old approach described in this chapter that relies on just the photo or a video of the person is simply not enough! Not only do we engage the student in live conversation in order to get to know them as a person, we have precisely targeted questions that we use to get to the essence and LOC of the person.

The most reliable approach is not to use intuition or even the biokinesiology finger ring method. The best approach is to become very familiar with the different levels as described in this book. Here is how to do it.

First of all, there are two kinds of people. The biggest question to ask is this: Is this person in non-duality or not? If they are in non-duality, then they are in the 600s or higher.

If they are in duality and a spiritual seeker who is seriously studying non-duality, then they are almost certainly in the 560s, 570s, 580s or 590s. Each of these dualistic stages is different with unique characteristics. The non-dual stages are of course also different with unique characteristics.

In sum, you don't need to know the persons exact LOC. If you have concluded that they are, for example, in the 570s, then you know what you need to know about their spiritual level.

If you know that they are in the 700s and not in the 600s or 800s, then again you know what you need to know. There is not much difference between somebody in the low 700s and the high 700s. But there is a very big and easily identified difference between somebody in the 700s and somebody in the 600s or the 800s.

This approach to LOCs will be a great way to get the most out of this book. One of the goals of this book is to empower you, the seeker-reader, with the special knowledge of LOCs that will enable you to evaluate awakened spiritual teachers as well as your fells students.

If you are already an awakened individual, whether you are a teacher or not, you will be able to use this book to identify where you are stuck and how to proceed from where you are to finishing at LOC 1000 (final liberation and Self-realization).

101 Spiritual Giants

W e are not a drop in the ocean. We are the ocean in a drop. — Rumi ¹⁰

While the focus of this book is on contemporary spiritual teachers, I have had numerous requests to evaluate the LOCs of historical figures. The vast majority are famous spiritual figures. It will come as no surprise that these well-known names were enlightened. Be on the lookout for a few geniuses that made the cut, too.

Abraham LOC 823

Abraham Lincoln LOC 682

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prahbhupad LOC 1000

Ajahn Chah LOC 838

Alan W. Watts LOC 723

Aleister Crowley LOC 665.8 (666?)

Alice Bailey LOC 732

Anandamayi Ma LOC 1000

Anthony de Mello LOC 774

Atmananda (Krishna Menon) LOC 1000

Aurobindo LOC 873

Bahá'u'lláh LOC 1000

Bede Griffiths LOC 744

Bodhidharma LOC 1000

Brother Lawrence LOC 787

Buddha LOC 1000

Buddhadasa Bhikku LOC 1000

Chinmayananda LOC 855

Chinmoy LOC 1000

Choa Kok Sui LOC 764

Chuang Tzu LOC 1000

Confucius LOC 734

Dadashri LOC 1000

Dalai Lama LOC 1000

Dhyanyogi Madhusudandasji LOC 1000

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche LOC 1000

Dipa Ma LOC 878

Dogen LOC 1000

Eknath Easwaran LOC 1000

Elizabeth Clare Prophet LOC 673

Epictetus LOC 854

Faridu'd-Din 'Attar LOC 887

Flower Newhouse LOC 1000

Francis of Assisi LOC 1000

Franklin Merrell-Wolfe LOC 768

Gandhi LOC 733

Genghis Khan LOC 1000

Gopi Krishna LOC 778

Grigori Rasputin LOC 684

Gurdjieff LOC 648

Guru Nanak LOC 1000

Hakuin LOC 1000

Huang Po LOC 1000

Ikkyu Sojun LOC 1000

Irma Tweedie LOC 1000

Jakob Böhme LOC 688

Jalal al-Din Rumi LOC 1000

Jesus Christ LOC 1000

Jiddu Krishnamurti LOC 844

Jnaneshwar LOC 1000

John the Baptist LOC 847

Joseph Campbell LOC 684

Kirpal Singh LOC 1000

Krishna LOC 1000

Lao Tzu LOC 1000

Lee Lozowick LOC 878

Leonardo da Vinci LOC 676

Lester Levenson LOC 1000

Madam Blavatsky LOC 881

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi LOC 1000

Mahashi Sayadaw LOC 1000

Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati LOC 1000

Mansur Al-Hallaj LOC 1000

Mark Prophet LOC 743

Mark Twain LOC 686

Meher Baba LOC 1000

Meister Eckhart LOC 1000

Mikao Usui LOC 753

Moses LOC 1000

Mother Niruma LOC 1000

Mother Theresa LOC 878

Muhammad LOC 1000

Muktananda LOC 772

Neem Karoli Baba LOC 1000

Nietzche LOC 684

Nityananda LOC 1000

Nostradamus LOC 735

Ösel Tendzin LOC 683

Osho (Rajneesh) LOC 754

Padmasambhava LOC 1000

Padre Pio LOC 888

Papa Ramdas LOC 1000

Papaji (Poonjaji) LOC 1000

Patanjali LOC 1000

Paul Brunton LOC 678

Peace Pilgrim LOC 848

Peter Ouspensky LOC 673

Philip Kapleau LOC 778

Plato LOC 687

Plotinus LOC 674

Pope Francis LOC 548

P. R. Sarkar LOC 1000

Ramakrishna LOC 1000

Rama Tirtha LOC 1000

Ranjit Maharaj LOC 1000

Robert Aitken LOC 844

Robert Monroe LOC  694

St. John of the Cross LOC 878

St. Teresa of Avila LOC 840

Satchidananda LOC 1000

Sathya Sai Baba LOC 1000

Seung Sahn LOC 1000

Shankaracharya LOC 1000

Shirdi Sai Baba LOC 1000

Shivabalayogi Maharaj LOC 1000

Shivananda LOC 1000

Shunryu Suzuki LOC 1000

Siddharameshwar Maharaj LOC 1000

S. N. Goenka LOC 748

Socrates LOC 1000

Swami Rama LOC 933

Swami Shyam LOC 1000

Taizan Maezumi LOC 744

Terence McKenna LOC 684

Thomas Aquinas LOC 678

Thomas Merton LOC 667

Totapuri LOC 1000

U Ba Khin LOC 1000

Vernon Howard LOC 722

Vimala Thakar LOC 1000

Vitvan LOC 727

Vivekananda LOC 848

Wallace Black Elk LOC 943

Walt Whitman LOC 684

Wassily Kandinsky LOC 688

Wei Wu Wei (Terence Gray) LOC 1000

William Blake LOC 924

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart LOC 684

Yogananda LOC 769

Zoroaster LOC 1000

Notes on Assessing Non-Dual Teachers

There are many teachers around the world today offering non-dual spiritual teachings and guidance. Most of the people on the main non-duality teacher list appear here because they say up front that they teach non-duality (or nonduality).

Popular non-dual spiritual teachers aligned with established traditions are included the next chapter also. For example, Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta are well-known non-dual traditions.

You will find some of the better known Theravadan, Zen and Tibetan Buddhist teachers like Jack Kornfield, Stephen Batchelor and Lama Surya Das along with the Dalai Lama. You will also find traditional Advaita Vedanta teachers such as Swami Dayananda and Nanna Guru there.

In some cases, a short bio and a book are provided. This does not imply an endorsement. In this second edition, we focused on providing as many spiritual teacher LOCs as possible.

I apologize in advance for the many gifted non-dual teachers and traditions not represented. I also ask your understanding for the American bias that permeates this material. I live in San Diego, California. Rather than try to represent the world, I decided to talk about the teachers I am most familiar with.

This project, even in this minimalist presentation, has been monumental in scope. Tough decisions had to be made as to who made the cut and who didn't. I make no claim that these decisions are the best ones.

About 10 people helped make these choices. The matter was not taken lightly. Future editions will include suggestions from readers. Please refer to the back of the book for contact information.  I encourage your feedback. I am aware that my LOC project is, and will always be, a work in progress.

About This LOC Model for Non-Dual Assessment

I have made every effort to ensure that the LOCs in this book are accurate within the limits of my ability. No claim is made that they are so precise that they should be written in stone. The LOC of a teacher or student is one more way to assess the overall tonality of a person's being and the degree of purity and refinement with which they express it.

The chief reason for publishing this LOC model is to show the progression of transformational insight and how it unfolds in the upper regions of the spiritual stratosphere. My Map of Awakening makes the natural logic of progress in non-duality transparent. I explain how and why one step leads to the next.

No longer will mystical smoke and mirrors obscure the facts. Non-dual realization is a human attainment. Painters, writers, composers and scientists who achieve recognition for their work are not all at the same level as their peers. Likewise, all non-dual teachers and realizers are not at the same level of realization.

The subject of differences at the non-dual heights has been a forbidden topic or thought to be a matter of personal opinion. It has been thought to be beyond words. That is changing.

By providing a numerical assessment, it becomes possible to discuss in concrete terms that which before was represented by abstract symbols. Thanks to LOC differentiations, we can now discuss in broad strokes the differences in enlightened levels. This enables a type of discourse that previously was not possible.

I do not claim to be the only person who can make accurate LOC assessments. Since it is easy and effortless for me to assess a LOC, I was surprised to discover that most people, even friends of mine who are gifted intuitives, find it difficult.

For this reason, teaching this skill is not the focus of this book. As explained in a previous chapter, the quintessence of the method is pure feeling, not the biokinesiology technique itself.

If the person cannot easily and routinely access the thought-free state and pure unbounded feeling, it is my experience that they will not be able to arrive at accurate LOC assessments. This is not an elitist position. I would very much like it to be a common skill. Perhaps someday it will be. For now, it is not.

Higher Is Not Always Better

The transparent energetic clarity revealed to me by the LOC 1000 person who is lost in the Absolute has no parallel in lower LOC levels. At the same time, since there are many X factors in the delivery of satsang, it is entirely possible that an enlightened teacher at a lower LOC may be presenting just the right quickening of consciousness for his or her students.

It is natural to assume that higher is better. What matters most is the chemistry between the two of you.

A higher LOC would be better for the teacher for their own sake, but it is entirely possible that a teacher with a lower LOC will be better for you. They may be easier to understand.

Best-selling author Deepak Chopra (LOC 755) is established in non-duality. Not only that, he appears to be well integrated. Ananda Devi had a personal meeting with him a few years ago. She was quite impressed by his naturalness and humility.

His teachings have been a great help to many. The consensus is that Chopra has made great contributions to the modern non-duality movement.⁴

As an educator and non-dual teacher who utilizes modern science as his context, Chopra is hard to beat. However, he is not at LOC 1000. Do you need a teacher who is at 1000?

Yes, there is unparalleled value to being in the presence of one who is established in non-duality. For example, Jeff Foster (LOC 678), Scott Kiloby (LOC 754) and Matt Kahn (LOC 878) are examples of accessible compassionate teachers who are well integrated in their realization at various levels. Likewise, both Gangaji (LOC 1000) and Francis Lucille (LOC 1000) offer liberating wisdom in a loving supportive context from a 1000 perspective. In the end, though, the person to work with, provided they are established in non-duality, is the person that you most easily and fully resonate with!

Even though I returned to Ramana Maharshi (LOC 1000) and Nisargadatta Maharaj (LOC 1000) for clarification of many subtle yet critical points, Ramesh Balsekar (LOC 764) was the perfect guru for me in 1989. Ramesh's message, down to the exact words the he spoke in person to me, was precisely what I needed to hear. The alignment itself was what mattered.

My conclusion from my spiritual initiation with Ramesh Balsekar is that the LOC of the teacher is not the most critical factor. Obviously, you want him to be stabilized in non-duality. The transcendental attunement between your awakened guru and you, the sincere disciple, is the key.

The Enlightened Guru and the Golden Standard

The purpose of this book is to elucidate apparent differences between teachers in their presence, behavior and message. When the facts are laid out, it appears that guru misconduct is much more likely with teachers in the 600s and 700s.

The classic forms of misconduct are very familiar to us. Four big areas show up again and again. They are abuse of power, abuse of money, abuse of drugs and abuse of sex.⁵

Of course, these are the same exact areas that exploitation, misconduct and abuse can be found in worldly contexts like politics, sports, business and entertainment. The guilty party is usually a man, but not always. Women seem to be less prone to scandalous behavior, but then they are not as likely to be in a position of authority where misconduct is possible.

There is no simple explanation for this problem. In