Arnold Mindell describes three main modes of awareness (or levels of consciousness). They are parallel worlds, and each has a distinct quality and signal structure.
1. Consensus Reality (CR)
a) Definition:
The everyday, shared world of facts and measurable data. The generally agreed-upon idea of what is “real” within a given community.
b) Signal structure:
- Clear, stable, and measurable “objective” signals
- Observable by most people in the same way
c) Example:
Two people in a room agree there are two meters of distance between th
2. Dreamland
a) Definition:
Non-consensual, subjective experiences and perceptions
b) Signal structure:
- Subjective signals like images from dreams or metaphors for the subjective experiences of symptom
- Experienced differently by different people
c) Example:
Independent of the measurable two meters, one person feels the other is too close or lightyears away
3. Essence / Sentient Level
a) Definition:
A nondual, often disregarded and marginalized level of awareness, comparable to the aboriginal “dreamtime”. A subtle, pre-verbal dimension of experience, often sensed as unity, spaciousness, or deep presence.
b) Signal structure:
- Flickering signals, very subtle and transient, fleeting, cannot be easily verbalized
- Often sensed as atmospheres, or as perceptions before words or images appear
c) Example:
In the same room, both people may feel something like a shared silence or deep connection, independent of physical distance.
Ruth Weyermann