First Version
Revised Version
(26 November 2005)
It occured to me that some of the occult levels and worlds described by both Sant Mat and Theon might also be mapped in this ontocline as the the "concentric" psychology, which therefore becomes not so much concentric levels of "inner and outer" as emanation or hypostasis levels from God and the transcendent soul to the physical-material body and world.
Note - the above diagram does not show the "lowermost"/"outermost" levels which represent "negative" consciousness. Instead, the outer ring constitutes the normal waking consciousness.
- Levels of Insight of Consciousness - From Illusory Consciousness to Normal Waking Consciousness to Nondual Enlightenment (and vice versa) - representing consciousness in terms of Insight or Enlightenment, the relative equivalent of Sat (pure Being), which is here the full Enlightenment. There is a radical epistemological (subjective realistation), but not an ontological (objective nature) change with each level.
- Levels of Consciousness as Emanation - From Abnormal/Dysfunctional to Surface Consciousness to Cosmic Shiva-Shakti - representing the levels of limitation or unlimitation of consciousness. This is the relative equivalent of Chit-Tapas (Consciousness and Will; equivalent perhaps to Shiva and Shakti), which is here the most universal level. There is both an epistemological and an ontological change with each level.
- The "Concentric" Series of Worlds - From the "klippotic" husk to the Outer or Mindane reality to the Innermost Spiritual Essence - representing the gross-subtle-causal series of worlds and states. This is the relative equivalent of Ananda (Delight/Bliss/Love), which is here the innermost level. There is both an epistemological and an ontological change with each level.
- The "Vertical" Physical-Noetic Series of Worlds - From Inconscience to normal Physical Matter to Transcendent Spiritual Mind (and vice-versa) - representing the Hierarchy (Great Chain of Being) of Planes of Existence. This is the relative equivalent of Supermind (Noetic Absolute - Truth Consciousness), which is here the highest level. There is a radical ontological change with each level.
Although the various stages are showing matching each other in specific "rings", this is only for diagramatic purposes, and unlike Integral Mandala #1, this should not be considered as indicating any actual correspondences
A complementary and alternative diagram would involve a tree-like diagram, with the trunk as the Absolute, the various ontoclines and dimensions of consciousness as branches, and the various worldds and states of consciousness as nodes where the branches and twigs cross. Two very different representations can be found in Kabbalah and in Sant Mat
Revised Version
(27 November 2005)
- Levels of Insight of Consciousness - From Illusory Consciousness to Normal Waking Consciousness to Nondual Enlightenment (and vice versa) - representing consciousness in terms of Insight or Enlightenment, the relative equivalent of Sat (pure Being), which is here the full Enlightenment. There is a radical epistemological (subjective realistation), but not an ontological (objective nature) change with each level.
- Emanational - Levels of Consciousness as Emanation - From the Gross Consciousness to Cosmic Shiva-Shakti - representing the levels of limitation or unlimitation of consciousness. Originally I identified this ontocline with the Kashmir Shaivite stages of emanation, but then I had an insight that the gross-subtle-causal series of worlds and states as described in Sant Mat cosmology also belong here as well, despite their devotional emphasis on the Soul (obviously they combine or collapse a number of ontoclines into a single hierarchy). This axis is the relative equivalent of Chit-Tapas (Consciousness and Will; equivalent perhaps to Shiva and Shakti), which is here the most universal level. There is both an epistemological and an ontological change with each level.
- The "Concentric" Series of Worlds - From Surface Consciousness or Outer or Mundane reality to the Innermost Spiritual Essence. This is the relative equivalent of Ananda (Delight/Bliss/Love), which is here the innermost level. There is both an epistemological and an ontological change with each level.
- The "Vertical" Physical-Noetic Series of Worlds - From Inconscience to normal Physical Matter to Transcendent Spiritual Mind (and vice-versa) - representing the Hierarchy (Great Chain of Being) of Planes of Existence. This is the relative equivalent of Supermind (Noetic Absolute - Truth Consciousness), which is here the highest level. There is a radical ontological change with each level.

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M.Alan Kazlev
uploaded 25 September 2005, last modified 12 December