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David R. Hawkins
Power vs. Force Paperback – January 30, 2014
by David R. Hawkins M.D. Ph.D (Author)
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Book 1 of 9: Power vs. Force
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Imagine—what if you had access to a simple yes-or-no answer to any question you wished to ask? A demonstrably true answer. Any question . . . think about it.— from the Foreword
We think we live by forces we control, but in fact we are governed by power from unrevealed sources, power over which we have no control.— from the author’s Preface
The universe holds its breath as we choose, instant by instant, which pathway to follow; for the universe, the very essence of life itself, is highly conscious. Every act, thought, and choice adds to a permanent mosaic; our decisions ripple through the universe of consciousness to affect the lives of all.— from Power vs. Force
"[A] beautiful gift of writing . . . [You] spread joy, love, and compassion through what you write. The fruit of these three is peace, as you know . . ."— Mother Teresa
". . . particularly timely . . . a significant contribution to understanding and dealing with the problems we face today."— Lee Iacocca
"I especially appreciate [the] research and presentation on the attractor patterns of business . . ."— Sam Walton
"Overwhelming! A masterpiece! A lifetime work!"— Sheldon Deal, President, International College of Applied Kinesiology
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Book 1 of 9
Power vs. Force
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416 pages
Language
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Hay House Inc.
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January 30, 2014
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“We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become.”
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“Be kind and forgiving to everything and everyone, including yourself, at all times without exception.”
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That which weakens life energy is to be avoided: shame, guilt, confusion, fear, hatred, pride, hopelessness, and falsehood. That which uplifts life is to be realized: truth, courage, acceptance, reason, love, beauty, joy, and peace.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“[A] beautiful gift of writing . . . [You] spread joy, love, and compassion through what you write. The fruit of these three is peace, as you know . . .”
— Mother Teresa
“. . . particularly timely . . . a significant contribution to understanding and dealing with the problems we face today.”
— Lee Iacocca
“I especially appreciate [the] research and presentation on the attractor patterns of business . . .”
— Sam Walton
“Overwhelming! A masterpiece! A lifetime work!”
— Sheldon Deal, President, International College of Applied Kinesiology
About the Author
David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., is Director of the Institute for Spiritual Research, Inc. He is a widely known authority within the field of consciousness research. He writes and teaches from the unique perspective of an experienced clinician, scientist, and teacher. He has been honored worldwide with many titles. His background is detailed in Who’s Who in the World. Dr. Hawkins has lectured widely at universities including Harvard and Oxford and also to spiritual groups from Westminster Abbey and Notre Dame to Catholic, Protestant, and Buddhist monasteries. His life is devoted to the upliftment of mankind. His spiritual evolution is briefly recounted in the "About the Author" summary at the conclusion of this book.
Product details
Publisher : Hay House Inc. (January 30, 2014)
Language : English
Paperback : 416 pages
ISBN-10 : 1401945074
ISBN-13 : 978-1401945077
Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
Dimensions : 5.38 x 1.08 x 8.34 inchesBest Sellers Rank: #3,572 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)#20 in New Thought
#149 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)
#167 in Personal Transformation Self-HelpCustomer Reviews:
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,550 ratings
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David R. Hawkins
Sir David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. is a nationally renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, spiritual teacher and lecturer. The uniqueness of his contribution to humanity comes from the advanced state of spiritual awareness known as " Enlightenment," "Self–Realization," and "Unio Mystica."Rarely, if ever, has this spiritual state occurred in the life of an accomplished scientist and physician. Therefore, Dr. Hawkins is uniquely qualified to present a spiritual path that is scientifically compelling to modern society.
The classical hallmarks of this state are pristine awareness of Ultimate Reality, compassion for all beings, tireless dedication to alleviate suffering, radiant joy, and humor. People from all walks of life, nationalities, and spiritual orientations honor Dr. Hawkins as a teacher of advanced awareness, exemplified in the title "Rae Ryeong Seon Kak Tosa" (Foremost Teacher of the Way to Enlightenment) bestowed upon him in Korea.
Founding Director of the Institute for Spiritual Research, Inc. (1983) and Founder of the Path of Devotional Nonduality (2003), Dr. Hawkins has lectured widely at such places as Westminster Abbey; Oxford Forum; Universities of Notre Dame, Michigan, Argentina, Fordham and Harvard; University of California (SF) Medical School; Institute of Noetic Sciences; and Agape Spiritual Center (Los Angeles). In addition, he has been an advisor to Catholic, Protestant, and Buddhist monasteries. He has conferred with foreign governments on international diplomacy and has been instrumental in resolving long–standing conflicts that were major threats to world peace.
He is featured in recent documentary films, magazines, and radio interviews (e.g., Oprah Radio and Institute of Noetic Sciences) for his work in the areas of health, healing, recovery, spirituality in modern life, consciousness research, and meditation.
Dr. Hawkins entered the field of medicine to alleviate human pain and distress, and his work as a physician was pioneering. As Medical Director of the North Nassau Mental Health Center (1956–1980) and Director of Research at Brunswick Hospital (1968–1979) on Long Island, his clinic was the largest practice in the United States, including a suite of twenty–five offices, two thousand outpatients, and several research laboratories. In 1973, he co–authored the ground–breaking work, Orthomolecular Psychiatry with Nobel Laureate chemist Linus Pauling, initiating a new field within psychiatry.
His clinical breakthroughs brought appearances on The Today Show, The Barbara Walters Show and The Mcneil/Leher News Hour. In the 1970s, he co–founded several psychiatric organizations, including the Editorial Board of the Journal of Schizophrenia and the Attitudinal Healing Center in New York.
Many awards followed, such as The Huxley Award for the "Inestimable Contribution to the Alleviation of Human Suffering," Physicians Recognition Award by the American Medical Association, 50–Year Distinguished Life Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association, the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame, and a nomination for the prestigious Templeton Prize that honors progress in Science and Religion. In 1995, in a ceremony officiated by the H.H. Prince Valdemar of Schaumburg–Lippe at the San Anselmo Theological Seminary, he became a knight of the Sovereign Order of the Hospitaliers of St. John of Jerusalem (founded in 1077) in recognition of his contributions to humanity.
A trademark of Dr. Hawkins's research is his pioneering, internationally–known and applied "Map of Consciousness," presented in the ever–popular book Power vs. Force (1995), translated into over twenty–five languages. The "Map of Consciousness" incorporates findings from quantum physics and nonlinear dynamics, thereby confirming the classical "stages" of spiritual evolution found in the world’s sacred literature as actual "attractor fields."
These spiritual levels had been delineated by saints, sages, and mystics; yet there had never been a scientific framework by which to understand the inner terrain. The "Map of Consciousness" is clinically sophisticated in its depiction of each level’s emotional tone, view of God, and view of life. For example, "Fear" views God as punitive, whereas "Love" views God as loving.
The "Map of Consciousness" illumines heretofore unknown aspects of consciousness. With each progressive rise in the level of consciousness, the "frequency" or "vibration" of energy increases. Thus, higher consciousness radiates a beneficial and healing effect on the world, verifiable in the human muscle response which stays strong in the presence of love and truth. In contrast, non–true or negative energy fields which "calibrate" below the level of integrity induce a weak muscle response. This stunning discovery of the difference between "power" and "force" has influenced numerous fields of human endeavor: business, advertising, education, psychology, medicine, law, and international relations.
Thus we see that the uniqueness of Dr. Hawkin’s work is that an individual of advanced spiritual consciousness also possesses the intellect and clarity to express and communicate the characteristics of these highly evolved states of awareness that few have experienced.
Dr. Hawkins’s writings constitute the first modern demarcation of the highest levels of human consciousness (SelfRealization, the Void, Nothingness vs. Allness, Full Enlightenment) and their differential phenomena. In his books, he explains each level of consciousness (energy field) in language that is free of dogma, and is inspirational to all walks of life.
He established the Pathway of Devotional Nonduality – a direct course to Enlightenment via clarification of core essentials that merely await activation by decision, intention, and dedication of the will. His book, "Discovery of the Presence of God: Devotional Nonduality," is basically an instruction manual for the serious spiritual devotee, revealing information that is known only by those who have transcended the ego to reach Divine Realization.
He is the author of the best–selling trilogy, Power vs. Force (published in 25 languages); The Eye of the I; and I: Reality and Subjectivity; and seven additional books, including Truth vs. Falsehood; Transcending the Levels of Consciousness: The Stairway to Enlightenment; Discovery of the Presence of God: Devotional Nonduality; Reality, Spirituality and Modern Man; Healing and Recovery, Along the Path to Enlightenment; and Dissolving the Ego, Realizing the Self. released in 2009. His books are published in numerous languages and sold worldwide.
Dr. Hawkins’s honors are vast. His background is detailed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World, and his work has been acclaimed by many world leaders and Nobelists, including Mother Teresa. His life is completely devoted to the upliftment of mankind.
Now in his eighties, Dr. Hawkins maintains a demanding schedule of lectures, radio interviews, and book projects. Similar to other advanced teachers (Mother Teresa, Ramana Maharshi), seekers come from all over the world to be in his presence, stating that the "aura" or "radiance" has a transformative effect via "silent transmission." He insists that what others witness in him is really their own true nature.
The teachings of Devotional Nonduality emphasize the core truths of the world’s great spiritual traditions: kindness and compassion to everything and everyone (including oneself), humility, forgiveness, reverence for all of life, and surrender to God. It is a direct path to Enlightenment in which each internal progression of love and integrity uplifts the whole of existence: "We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become," states Dr. Hawkins.
RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Recent accomplishments include: Speaking Engagements at Mishka Productions/Hay House "Celebrate Your Life" Conference in Phoenix, Arizona in November, 2010; Agape Revelations Conference in Los Angeles headed by Reverend Michael Beckwith; the Hay House "I Can Do It" Conference in Las Vegas in 2007 and 2008 as a featured author and presenter; all–day presentations at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach, California to an audience of 800, and in Cottonwood and Prescott, Arizona to audiences of 900. He conducts regular local seminars and Satsangs (question–and–answer sessions) to sold–out audiences in Arizona and California, and participated in numerous domestic and international film documentaries exploring multifaceted spiritual topics and his current consciousness research findings. The Satsangs have been offered at no charge as a public service to mankind. The seminars reveal data about our technological society and how to live a fulfilled spiritual life within its complexities; titles include: "God vs. Science: Limits of the Mind," "Relativism vs. Reality," "What is Real?", "he Human Dilemma," "Spiritual Survival: Realization of Reality" and "Spirituality: Reason and Faith," to name a few. Seminar attendees include people from numerous countries who travel to the U.S. solely to experience the unique combination of the realization of scientific and spiritual knowingness exemplified by Dr. Hawkins; a contingent of South Koreans, headed by Reverend J. H. Moon of the International Meditation Association, traveled to Sedona in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, exclusively for a seminar and audience with Dr. Hawkins. He recorded a segment entitled "In The World But Not Of It" for a Nightingale–Conant CD set, focusing on integrating spiritual practice in our modern–day world. His most recent CD Set with Nightingale–Conant, recorded in 2010, is a top–selling interview entitled "Healing," which encompasses spiritual principles and applications related to healing; canceling limiting beliefs; practical tools for relief in major crises, stress and illness. He participated in numerous radio interviews, including Oprah Radio and Noetic Sciences. In 2008 Dr. Hawkins completed his book "Reality, Spirituality and Modern Man," based on the revelations of consciousness research, describing how to discern truth from falsehood and the illusion of appearance from the core of inner reality.
His recent book, published in 2009, is entitled "Healing and Recovery," and is based on a group of lectures conducted by the author at the request of spiritual and self–help groups. The book reveals why the body may not respond to traditional medical approaches, and provides specific instructions and guidelines that can result in healing from disease. Our society lives with constant stress, anxiety, fear, pain, suffering, depression, and worry. Alcoholism, drug addiction, obesity, sexual problems and cancer are constantly in the news. This timely book provides information about how to address life’s challenges without necessarily resorting to drugs, surgery or counseling, and explains the importance of including spiritual practices in one’s healing and recovery.
Two additional books published in 2011 by Hay House, Inc. are: Along the Path to Enlightenment: 365 Daily Reflections from David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.; and Dissolving the Ego, Realizing the Self: Contemplations from the Teachings of David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. Along the Path to Enlightenment discusses blocks to spiritual progress, and how we can transcend them. As a mystic, Dr. Hawkins has infused the truths found in the precepts of Western religion with the core of Eastern philosophy, bridging the familiar, physical world with the nonlinear, spiritual domain. The passages in this book, selected from Dr. Hawkins's extensive writings, offer a new contemplation for each day. Any one of these passages, fully understood, can elevate one‘s level of consciousness. Dissolving the Ego, Realizing the Self covers how one traverses the spiritual landscape to move beyond suffering, to experience the peace and love of God, to transcend illusion and realize the state of enlightenment. The reader is reminded of the illusory nature of the ego, along with the direct pathways to transcend its trappings. These pocket editions are reliable companions on the spiritual aspirant's quest toward higher truth.
Two additional books being published in 2011 by Hay House, Inc. are: Along the Path to Enlightenment: 365 Daily Reflections from David R. Hawkins; and Transcending the Self, Realizing the Self: Contemplations from the Teachings of David R. Hawkins.
Dr. Hawkins receives so many requests for projects, radio and film interviews, and speaking engagements, both domestic and international, that he must turn down the vast majority; countries include Canada, Mexico, India, South Korea, Germany, England, Ireland, Japan, Israel and Dubai, as well as from coast to coast in the U.S. Dr. Hawkins is bombarded with daily inquiries from around the world from people who seek answers, and know that the inspiration as well as proven techniques and spiritual practices Dr. Hawkins can provide will set them on the road to authentic and lasting relief.
Education
Milwaukee State Teachers College (now part of University of Wisconsin), 1948
The Medical College of Wisconsin (established as Marquette University School of Medicine), 1953
Columbia Pacific University (Doctor of Philosophy), 1995
Life Events of Interest
Awards and Recognition
Inducted into the 2006 American Psychiatric Association 50–year Distinguished Life Fellows honor
Inducted into the 2006 Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame
Established Devotional Nonduality as a major spiritual pathway and the Science of Consciousness Research
Published numerous articles in spiritual periodicals, 1990 – current
Has appeared on The Today Show, Science, Barbara Walters, the McNeil–Leher News Hour and talk radio shows worldwide, including Oprah Radio
Presents lectures and workshops throughout the U.S. and the world, along with monthly full–day seminars, 2002 – current
Gave annual Landsberg Lecture at the University of California Medical School at San Francisco
Listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World
Appointed consultant to the Unity School of Religious Studies and post–graduate curriculum, including establishment of the Unity School of Consciousness Studies, 2003
Published research on Science of Consciousness in series of books in 14 languages
Establishment of worldwide independent study groups
Nobelists and world leaders accorded recognition in support of world value of research and writings: Dr. Linus Pauling; Mother Teresa; Lee Iacocca; Sam Walton; Bill W. (founder of Alcoholics Anonymous); numerous clergy and businessmen (spirit in business).
Consultant to government leaders, South Korea, 2000
Received title "Tae Ryoung Sun Kak Dosa" (Teacher of Enlightenment), Seoul, Korea, 2000
Knighted by the Sovereign Order of the Hospitaliers of St. John of Jerusalem by authority of the Priory of King Waldemar the Great. The Order was established in 1070 and arrived in Denmark around 1164. The ceremony was conducted by H. H. Prince Waldemar of Schaumburg–Lippe on October 7, 2000. He was elected to the Order in October 1996 and was sponsored by Fernando Flores, then an ambassador to the United Nations. The Danish Order then established a branch in the Americas, which supports humanitarian projects in third–world countries.
Physicians Recognition Award, American Medical Association, 1992
Elected to Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Founded 1077), 1989
Invited to become Commissioner of Mental Health, State of New York, February, 1983
Citation from Medical College of Wisconsin for "Contribution to Medicine"
Taught classes on Advaita
Published articles with Bill W., cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous
Taught classes based on A Course in Miracles
Consultant to clergy, cloistered nuns, Episcopal and Catholic dioceses, the Zen Monastery (NYC), and spiritual groups
North Nassau Mental Health Center Award for "Dedication to the Alleviation of Human Suffering," 1978
Huxley Award for "Inestimable Contribution to the Alleviation of Human Suffering," 1979
Published Orthomolecular Psychiatry with Nobelist Linus Pauling, 1973
Published numerous scientific papers in the American Journal of Psychiatry amongst other fine publications, 1953 – current
Founder and Director, The Mental Health Center (largest practice in New York City), 1958 – 1980
Training Psychoanalysis by Prof. Lionel Oversey, M.D., at Columbia University Psychoanalytic Institute
Supervising Psychiatrist, New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, 1957
Awarded Fellowship in Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York, 1956
Intern, Columbia Hospital, New York School of Psychiatry, 1954
Mosby Book Award for Scholastic Excellence, 1953
Alpha Omega Alpha – National Medical Scholastic Honor Society, 1952
Founded
North Nassau Mental Health Center, Inc., 1958
Federation of Mental Health Centers, 1963
North Nassau Clinical Laboratories, 1970
North Nassau Research Division and Laboratories, 1971
An Integrated System for the Care of Schizophrenics, 1971
Academy of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, 1971
Institute for Applied Spiritual Studies, 1980
Co–Founded
Schizophrenics Anonymous (Board of Directors; Medical Advisor)
Schizophrenia Foundation of New York State (Incorporator; Director)
Schizophrenia Foundation of Long Island (Board of Directors; Medical Advisor)
Institute for Scientific Communications (Incorporator; Board of Directors)
Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry (Editorial Board)
Journal of Schizophrenia (Editorial Board)
St. George’s Day Activities Center (Medical Advisor)
The Attitudinal Healing Center of Long Island (Board of Directors; Medical Advisor)
Christ Church Day Activities Center (Medical Advisor)
The Masters Gallery of Fine Arts (Co–Director)
Mental Health Fairs
The Gateposts Halfway House (Medical Advisor)
Garfield House (Halfway House)
Day Activities Center of Port Washington (Medical Advisor)
Brunswick House (Alcoholism; Psychiatric Consultant)
New York Association of Holistic Health Centers
Life Support Systems (Board of Directors)
Space Form (Ecologic Communities and Low–Energy Housing)
Became Director Emeritus of the North Nassau Mental Health Center in 1980 and gave up psychiatric practice to spend full time on spiritual research.
Membership
American Medical Association (Life Member)
American Psychiatric Association (Life Member)
New York State Medical Society
Nassau County Medical Society
Nassau Physicians Guild
Nassau Academy of Medicine
New York Academy of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
New York State Psychiatric Association
Qualified Psychiatrist, New York State Department of Mental Health
Nassau Psychiatric Society
New York State Clinical Directors Association
American Association of Psychiatric Administrators
Academy of Orthomolecular Psychiatry (Founding President; Chairman of the Board)
International Academy of Preventive Medicine
American Holistic Health Association
The Huxley Institute for Biosocial Research (Board of Directors)
Academy of Religion and Mental Health
New York State Association of the Professions
The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine
Schizophrenia Foundation of New York State (Board of Directors; Medical Advisor)
The Attitudinal Healing Center of Long Island (Board of Directors; Medical Advisor)
North Nassau Mental Health Center (Director Emeritus)
Medical Society of the Brunswick Hospital (Director of Psychiatric Research)
Attending Staff, Gracie Square Hospital
Youth Consultation Services, Episcopal Dioceses, Long Island (Psychiatric Consultant)
Editorial Board, Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry
Editorial Board, Journal of Schizophrenia
Editorial Board, (Alcoholism), Journal of Psychotherapy
American Schizophrenia Association (Scientific Advisory Board)
National Society for Autistic Children (Professional Advisory Board)
Long Island Council on Alcoholism
The Federation of Mental Health Centers (Co–founder)
American Medical Society on Alcoholism
Arizona Medical Society
Arizona Psychiatric Society
Brunswick House (Director of Research, Alcoholism)
The National Acupuncture Research Society
American Geriatric Society
International Council on Applied Nutrition
The Academy of Preventive Medicine
Canadian Psychiatric Association (Associate Member)
American Society for Psychological Research
Monroe Institute for Applied Science
International Kirlian Research Association
National Council on Alcoholism
The Association for the Advancement of Psychotherapy
The Society for the Study of Addictions
American Institute for Scientific Communications (Co–founder)
International Society for General Semantics
Consultant on Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
American Ontoanalytic Association
Consultant, New York Foundling Hospital
New York Paleontological Society
Consultant, Operation Hotline
Non–Medical Memberships
The First Zen Institute of America, 1960
The Institute for Applied Spiritual Studies (Founder, Chairman), 1983
Institute for Advanced Spiritual Research, Inc. [501© (3) Public Charity], 1983
Sovereign Order, St John of Jerusalem, 1995
===
From the United States
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Aaaahah, a Revelation!Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2011
Verified Purchase
The following are my opinions, and thus not subject to lawsuit from Hawkins or his publisher*.
My first surprise in Power vs. Force was to find L. Ron Hubbard's 1950's emotional tone scale (the main Scientology "scale" in use for judging people) slightly re-hashed as a scale of "levels of consciousness". To trust and be hugely taken in by a faulty belief system is devastatingly painful, and the recovery is slow. Now I know how all those ex-Scientologists felt, their lives ruined when their unworkable belief system finally failed them completely. Then there was the glaring error in Hawkins' explanation of his version of the scale being "logarithmic" where he shows "three-hundred to the tenth power" in figures as ten to the three hundredth power.
In the spirit of seeking truth, I rationalised these and other things and forged ahead. But the fact is Applied Kinesiology is phenomenal as a diagnostic tool, but Hawkins' version is not really AK and does not work for finding universal truths. This is (in case you also wondered) why, in the sixteen years since Power vs. Force first appeared, the world has not adopted his method for use in science, law enforcement, justice, business, preventing wars, &c. His anecdotal examples of his method solving crimes, finding missing people, and ferreting out information that could prevent a war can all be better attributed to the latent psychic powers of his testing teams. Unfortunately, these are not available to everyone, although investigating muscle testing as a way to access them might be a worthwhile research project.
If you find yourself thinking you're a little dense because you don't understand his science, it may be because his use of cutting-edge scientific terms is hardly more than dodgy analogy.
Nevertheless, I opened myself trustingly, reasoning that my concept of truth might be entirely faulty. Just be wary that you don't open yourself to be programmed with a bogus belief system of which you will eventually have to labouriously divest yourself.
If you must read a Hawkins book, go straight to Truth vs. Falsehood: How to Tell the Difference while you still have some discernment left. It will dissuade you on its own, and if you're already hooked on Hawkins, it will de-program you. It seems that his "trilogy" was intended to relieve you of whatever you believed in, and this book is meant to then reprogram you as a neo-con. Between its beginning and last token spiritual chapters you will find something surprisingly like the Pravda ploy, the old marketing trick of naming your product as that which it lacks the most ("Pravda" means "truth" in Russian).
He pushes Yay America, the only worthwhile country the world has ever seen, all other countries are inferior and not worth mention except to denegrate and condemn. America is at its greatest only when the Conservative Republicans are in power. And G.W. Bush was one of the noblest, sanest, and most honest Presidents and world saviours the world has ever known; the [physically impossible] official story of the 9/11 attack is "integrous"; and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were the wisest possible courses of action, supposedly to prevent evil low-consciousness Islam from getting nuclear capabilities from Pakistan (which is itself an Islamic country, meaning the evil, sub-animal Muslims already have nuclear weapons of mass destruction). I should think if that were the real reason, it would have made more sense to infiltrate (or invade, if you must) Pakistan and take their nuclear capabilities away from them.
Anyone who questions authority or thinks very far outside the conservative Republican box is very mentally ill, according to Hawkins. In fact, the whole thrust of the book is highly judgemental in the way that a psychiatrist-gone-mad would project all of the mental illnesses in the book upon anyone in the world who doesn't share his views.
If you believe there was ever an object that moved through the air that was not identified (the definition of "UFO"), guess what, you're wrong. This one "calibration" is unequivocally erroneous (and was thrown into a chart of belief-system calibrations rather than being presented as a true/false, fact-or-fiction type of calibration). Beyond the supposedly delusional belief that "UFOs are real", he questions no further on the subject of intelligent life in the universe, let alone whether any of them might have visited us.
There is plenty more of this sort of highly bias-producing selectivity and manipulation of his "data". Glaringly of note is the fact that he actually gives very few calibrations to support his commentary (his opinions). It even begins to appear that his commentary is the real content of the book (and there's lots and lots of it), with an occassional rating number he simply made up himself and called a "calibration". I should think he would make his database of calibrations (if there is one) available to the world in the interests of truth and let it speak for itself.
And more glaringly, he completely omits even the slightest mention of the most pressing issues in life that would be truly illuminating and helpful. Probably none of the things you're really "dying to know" will be found in this book. And if you think there might be some truth to world conspiracies, you are a low-consciousness and sick person. He never calibrated whether there are any such conspiracies, but only the derogatory term "conspiracy theory" (again, calibrated as a belief system rather than fact or fiction).
He never explains how a "logarithmic" scale of consciousness can be adequately used as a truth scale, nor does he add a column of levels of truth to the scale. Wouldn't a simple zero-to-100-percent scale be better, with 50% being the true/false delineation?
He stresses the importance of context (though in his concept of what context is there is no context). And then he doesn't give any clues as to what different contexts his calibrations were made in.
As his teachings slowly crumble away from me, leaving me feeling bereft but refreshingly released, I realise he never said anything about enlightenment that hasn't already been said by the true teachers and leading-edge researchers, some of whose works he has read and referenced. The great hope that kept me going was that someone who claims to be fully enlightened and who has had an infallible truth-detector for thirty-five years would have found the very best expression of spirituality that would shed all error and make it all enlighteningly clear in one simple and elegant statement, or book, or even three books. He didn't.
Perhaps he had the enlightenment experience, but like many, it left him, or like some, it precipitated a psychotic break, or maybe he is only a fraud who was commissioned by the powers-that-be to attempt, under the banner of "infallible truth", to stem the tide of rising consciousness that can see through them.
* Hawkins' publisher is reportedly very litigious and has apparently even used threats to get wikipedia's page on him removed - yet litigiousness calibrates at 140, as does narcissism (all on page 202 in this book). He diagnoses all the most evil people in the world (mostly Muslims) as having a malignant narcissistic messiah complex . . . but it seems like that's what he has. But his isn't malignant and he doesn't advocate killing Americans, only Muslims, so that must make it all right.
I rated it five stars because the crisis these books precipitated provided me with a few valuable revelations.
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Cody Allen
4.0 out of 5 stars the power of ideas always outlasts the force of violenceReviewed in the United States on April 26, 2022
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The founder of behavioral kinesiology, Dr. John Diamond, was a very spiritual man, believing that all human wellness originated from an inner Life Energy akin to the ancient Chinese concept of Qi. He saw that all of us humans are connected via an all-encompassing metaphysical structure of humanity. A spiritual ‘whole,’ that once realized, can be truly metamorphosing. In 1957, Diamond graduated from medical school in Sydney, Australia, with a degree in psychological medicine. It was there that he developed a lot of his theories on human consciousness and connectedness. In the late 1970’s, he founded the field of behavioral kinesiology, the synthesis of his time studying psychological concepts in science and spiritual concepts in life. This connection between body and mind is the basis for Hawkins’ further exploration of these same concepts in Power vs. Force.
Our mind and body perform in tandem in all endeavors; our thoughts affect how our body operates and our body’s relationship to our mind affects it considerably as well. If we think negative thoughts, our body will ‘feel it.’ This is exemplified by the numerous studies done on the impact of stress on the body: it has been proven that mental stress can have profound and long-lasting physical health effects. Similarly, if you force yourself to smile, you will indeed feel happier. Walking into a room with your shoulders back will make you feel more confident in the presence of others. The mind and body work off of each other in both positive and negative ways.
The single practicable idea posited in this book is the ability to ‘test’ ideas as they are received by the body. The test itself is simple: one person holds their arm out straight, parallel to the ground, and a second person applies pressure to their wrist in an attempt to push the arm back down to the first person’s side. When ideas like love, compassion, reason, acceptance, willingness, and courage are held in mind, they will ‘test positive,’ and the first person’s arm will stay strong in the face of resistance. When pride, fear, anger, grief, apathy, or shame are thought of, they will ‘test negative’ and their arm will succumb to pressure and be easily pushed down. It’s that simple. It is not about physical strength, as bodybuilders and grandmothers alike are susceptible to this test; it is the body’s manifestation of ideas in its physicality. “The body can discern, to the finest degree, the difference between that which is supportive of life and that which is not.” This is also true for physical stimulants as well. Putting organic sugar under one’s tongue will test positive and the arm will remain strong, for example, whilst processed sugar will test negative and the arm will go weak.
Once we have accepted this premise, the further differences between power and force can be explored. “Power appeals to that which uplifts, dignifies, and ennobles,” Hawkins says of things that test positive. Force, on the other hand, is descriptive of conflict and condemnation. “Force always creates counterforce; its effect is to polarize rather than to unify.”
Napoleon Bonaparte, looking back over his years of conquest, is reported to have said: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I have built great empires. But upon what did they depend? They depended on force. But centuries ago Jesus started an empire built on love, and even to this day millions will die for him.” The difference between power and force is the difference between Jesus and Napoleon. Napoleon built an ‘empire’ via force, whilst Jesus created a following based on the powerful uplifting sentiments of love and peace. Napoleon came and went in the span of decades. Jesus’ lessons have survived millennia. The same comparison can be made between Hitler and Churchill. Hitler amassed the largest military force the world had ever seen, yet was foiled by the power expressed by Winston Churchill, “who unified the will of his people through [the] principles of freedom and selfless sacrifice.”
Power and force are the two main overarching tools used by those who desire to change the world. The powerful change the world via ideas whilst the forceful change the world via violence. When the two meet, power always eventually succeeds; on a long enough timeline, the power of ideas always outlasts the force of violence. This is because power originates in the mind, whereas force can only manifest itself in the physical world. Through this lens, we can see that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Force creates opposition. Power creates unity. It is not a secret which is more effective, and which we should prefer.
By testing our body’s responses to different stimuli, we can gain a tremendous amount of information both individually and collectively. Holding a specific relationship in mind, for example, can produce surprising results: perhaps our significant other makes us go weak, indicating a problem. “By testing, we can prove that a false premise such as ‘the end justifies the means’ is operationally negative, yet this is a routinely accepted justification for much of human behavior.” While it is not a definitive test, it can tip us off to parts of ourselves we were unaware of. The benefit of realizing that an idea is not as foolproof as we first thought is important. This field of behavioral kinesiology is the crossroads between biology and spirituality, between mind and body, and we would be wise to tap into this knowledge.
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TechSocks
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the three most influential books I've read in my lifeReviewed in the United States on March 27, 2023
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This is a great book, it is one of the three most influential books I've read in my life. This book illustrates what the difference is between good leadership and abusive manipulation. One is healthy, the other is very damaging. However, they can both look like motivation and it can be difficult to define what the difference is. This book walks through human behavior and how it relates to everything else. If more people, and especially leaders, would apply the principle from this book the world would be a better place.
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Edmund Knightley
2.0 out of 5 stars Pseudoscientific New Religious MovementReviewed in the United States on August 13, 2013
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"The International College of Applied Kinesiology and its current and past two presidents, John Diamond and applied kinesiologists in general, as well as scientists and scientific skeptics, do not accept as workable Hawkins applied kinesiology." -Arjuna Aletheia, Secrets of David R. Hawkins: Hawkins Applied Kinesiology
" L. Ron Hubbard's emotional tone scale...may be considered as the most proper genesis of Hawkins' map..." -Arjuna Aletheia, Secrets of David R. Hawkins: Map of Consciousness
"Lee Iacocca, Sam Walton, and Mother Teresa...replied to having received the manuscript [of Power vs. Force]--they did not offer endorsements of it...Hawkins twisted the replies of Walton, Iacocca, and Mother Teresa to make them appear to be endorsements...[T]his was untruthful and unethical...After being introduced to Hawkins' work, many of his students (including myself) stopped questioning. We came to the conclusion that Hawkins had the truth, putting our faith in his calibration method...[Be cautious of] the destructive side of the Devotional Nonduality cult." -Scott Jeffrey, Power vs. Truth: Peering Behind the Teachings of David R. Hawkins (pp. 20-22, 196-97)
"It seems David's not interested in details and the accuracy of his statements...He has a tendency to exaggerate and a flair for the dramatic." -Scott Jeffrey, Doctor of Truth, The Life of David R. Hawkins (p. xiv)
"Terrifically interesting ideas, but caught in subtle reductionism and the myth of the given. All the `hidden determinants' [Hawkins] mentions in the subtitle are monological instead of tetra-logical." -Ken Wilber, Integral Spirituality: A Startling New Role for Religion in the Modern and Postmodern World (p. 286)
"One of the things [Hawkins] does is use [applied] kinesiology, which is muscle testing, to test the truthfulness of statements...making a kind of lie-detector test out of it...The hidden ego hook is that now the student's attention is being put on the wrong place, focused on an illusory test of an illusory thing in an illusory world...[Hawkins] calibrates different teachings at various levels, from 1 to 1,000. People love it...[But] the Course [says]...'Spirit has no levels, and all conflict arises from the concept of levels.'...Enlightenment has no levels...things like tests and calibrations distract the student...and all it really leads to is a lot of wasted time...Add the lie-detector test to the mix and you have a lifetime's worth of distractions...Don't be discouraged by those who borrow from the Course instead of teaching it." -Gary Renard (fellow controversial, Wayne Dyer-endorsed Hay House author), Your Immortal Reality: How to Break the Cycle of Birth and Death (pp. 196-98)
"There is a heavy use of pseudoscience when it fits and leaping to spirituality to fill in the gaps. If you are cautious about the leap, then you just are not sufficiently spiritual. Try a dab of appeal to authority combined with ad hominem to fill in the holes, i.e., the enlightened master has spoken and who are you to challenge these words?" -"Dr. Doctor David Hawkins's AK Quackery," The Skeptic's Dictionary Newsletter 58, August 23, 2005
"Dr. Hawkins has apparently taken a grandiose road less traveled, and...may have morphed into a malignant pied piper." -Peter Olsson, M.D., author, Malignant Pied Pipers of Our Time: A Psychological Study of Destructive Cult Leaders
"Special Thanks to...My spiritual teacher & Lord, Dr. David R. Hawkins...Literally growing up in a community which was deeply routed [sic] on a blind faith of the God of Kinesiology...At one point people would calibrate to form a cult, at another to commit to immoral or even illegal activities because their muscle testing would tell them to do so...[including testing] unlawful things like killing somebody." -Jakob Merchant, Hawkins student, CommunionWithLove.com
Muscle testing (applied kinesiology) "is no more useful than random guessing." -PubMed.gov
"Hawkins uses applied kinesiology, a New Age pseudoscience, to calibrate everyone and everything's level of consciousness in the universe. Jesus is at 1000 in his system, and Hawkins himself calibrates one of his books at 999.8. He believes he is God." -Cults.co.nz
"Hawkins Ph.D...was earned from Columbia Pacific University, an unaccredited diploma mill that was shut down by court order." -Dr. Robert Todd Carroll
"Hawkins...assertion that what he does is AK [applied kinesiology] is akin to suggesting that lancing boils is total medical practice. This type of testing is not part of any `approved AK material'..." -Eric Pierotti, President, International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK)
"Hawkins should certainly be able to use his arm-pressing technique to win our million-dollar prize!...But will he apply? No, of course not. Why? The answer is obvious." -James Randi, James Randi Educational Foundation
"Dr. Hawkins refers to the `absolute replicability of test results,' yet makes no mention that [applied] kinesiology has never been verified by [authentic] double-blind studies..." -Spiritualteachers.org
"David Hawkins attended one seminar of my husband's [John Diamond, M.D.] way back in the mid 1970's and that is it...Hawkins has had no training in Applied Kinesiology..." -Susan Diamond
"[A]ll [experts] consider Dr. Hawkins' version of applied kinesiology to not be true...[Offers] nothing more than his own personal delusions as your objective spiritual truth." -Guruphiliac
"When I heard that Hawkins was claiming to be able to use AK/muscle testing to discern the Truth of A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G, I could instantly find a few major holes in such a proposition." -David Portney, AK expert
"Hawkins...has leaned rather too heavily on what turns out to be a thin stick...and [utilizes] a classic cult invalidation tactic..." -Sarlo's Guru Rating Service
"Hawkins...is a cult [leader] masquerading as a 'scientist' and making a lot of money in the process on his false claims." -quoted by International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
"I'm far from the only one disenchanted with this cult." -Marilyn Gang, Dowsers.info
"[A] truly twisted theory...cleverly [removes] the foundation on which we normally stand to detect deception..." -Mary-Sue Haliburton, PESWiki.com
"Most other cult leaders don't even pretend to be scientific and so they cannot be falsified by science...This is a cynical exploitation of science..." -John Smith
"I would caution against book [sic] as a tool of judgement to 'measure' the consciousness level of other people..." -Ilchi Lee (fellow controversial New Age practitioner, who was endorsed by David Hawkins)
"Hawkins of course is not a cult expert, so finding himself to not be a cult leader while actual cult experts do is a bit self-supporting." -from "David R. Hawkins" at Cult Education Institute Forum
"The New England Institute of Religious Research (NEIRR)...has applied [to Hawkins] Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton's cult and mind control criteria outlined in his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism." -Rev. Robert Pardon (Th.M., Princeton Theological Seminary), NEIRR (paraphrased)
"I have not been as interested in following Dr. Hawkins work...[due to] the more personality oriented following he seems to have developed." -Dr. Jonathan Reams, Gonzaga University
"Whatever use [applied] kinesiology may or may not have, it's [obvious] that it is useless for testing and calibrating historical figures, political documents, and I suspect anything else." -Reverend Keith, PathsToKnowledge.com
"Hawkins... has a way of pulling the Truth out of everything and everybody. Or maybe just pulling his own 'truth' out of his...oh, never mind." -Cosmic Connie, Whirled Musings
"[C]lassic fundamentalism...[A] rejection of Hawkins' philosophy is an affirmation of true spirituality." -EnergyGrid Magazine
"It is proper to doubt in things that are doubtful." -The Buddha
"You are already and eternally That." - Sri Ramana Maharshi
[Updated April 20, 2014]
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Piping Davey
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent.Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2005
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Interesting...
Well. There are two or three ways I could tentatively address Hawkins' major preemptive issues here. And I think we can agree that he has a lot of them; some of which could widely be interpreted as being mildly juxtaposed. As are many. Let me open my remarks by presenting some initial thoughts regarding his primary theories:
Approaching the subject matter candidly yet somewhat selectively, and basing my treatise in part, on a series of lectures given by me at the council on Quantum Higher Fractals at M.I.T. and Cambridge, and also speaking as a NASA advanced theoretical physicist and working with just the raw data, taking into account his historical point of view (post WW II/Cold War) - I personally think that Hawkins' whole book was likely meant to be taken as rather a precursive Nietzscheistick reference to how Krechner's [elusive though none too widely used] Theorem is sometimes a good filler idiom when no other tack really - or at least readily, comes to mind. The manner in which Hawkins hierarchically quantifies most of his earlier solutions in relation to Chopra's treatise on the quantum mechanical body¹ is nevertheless acceptable. This is no myth. Most of the Mensa colleagues I have come across (with some assistance on my part) could generally see this. The "power" couplet [or as is more precisely used, word - noting of course, that most (65 to 85%) autistic genius is generally arrived at by hammering home this very principal] was rather, I think, a Jungian parody on how sometimes, in most Gordian test cases, as the subject approaches nil, the subconscious mind tends towards experiences of childhood (or adulthood) behavior, during which time the renal cropping of the id fuses natally, or rather, the "boomerang effect" comes close to what most experts agree is the process most often times recognized as the catalyst of choice during certain post-operative future tentative salmon angioplasties - normally. This naturally being the causal start of the standardized subjunctive issue in most broad-based test cases. (See Ethics in Government Psychological Operations Act, Title VI, P. L. 95-521, 92 Stat. 1952, as amended). And it might be key to emphasize at this juncture that to imply actualization of Krechner's Theorem via, say, the Phahn Analysis - or by postulating that most evidence of his collaborative studies [not to ignore the Rhaiz Thesis] have not yet been made public by the majority of foreign NATO cooperatives since the arrival of what has been called the nuclear age can summarily be seen as a universal congruent and cannot therefore be taken as axiomatic at all. Not without proof.
Now, on the other hand, after reading Hawkins' book yet a third time, I am ruthlessly reminded of a story a former associate in the NSA confidentially shared with me several nerve-wracking weeks after the free world was assaulted with the "We will bury you" speech by the late Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev [I had occasion to lunch with the late Premier twice...a phobic yet unreasonable man]. Allow me to briefly elaborate...
One sunny afternoon around 2:00pm, Promisebee, the much loved shiny violet humming-bird was chatting with her friend, a 320 lb. wharf rat known in the area as "Munchausen" Eddie and his brother Petrov - a 30 foot Australian crocodile recently out on prison work-release. When suddenly and without warning, Promisebee noticed that Brian was standing nearby behind a telephone pole, drooling and staring lucidly. Realizing the jig was up and that, at this point, her protective coloring was totally useless, Promisebee jumped off a nearby cliff, soon succumbing to quickly dying of fatally self-inflicted fall wounds. At which point Eddie, knowing the police would be arriving soon, and stricken with what the voice inside the orbiting spaceship told him was a bewilderingly complex onslaught of uncontrolled dementia, bit himself and then commenced to put the crocodile in a sloppily executed, yet deadly strangle-hold as Brian stood motionless nearby, smiling quietly to himself.
These [categorically speaking] are just some of my initial thoughts regarding Hawkins' primarily more selective issues.
¹ Moriarity, The Phahn Portal, 1958, ibid., My Brain is in Andromeda, 1972
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Bruce Boatner
5.0 out of 5 stars Ground Breaking Work - A Milestone For Human Consciousness.Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2002
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The new science of Kinesiology ushered in a powerful diagnostic tool called "muscle testing". (Muscle testing is a simple procedure for testing strong/weak responses, such as that of an outstretched arm, in response to questioning). Despite the revolutionary nature of these discoveries, most people are willing to rationalize that something other than the "conscious mind" is at play, something whose function it is to oversee the well-being of the individual and manage the body's myriad complex subsystems. It could then be extrapolated that this benign functionality - "subconscious mind", "field" or whatever - would be willing to communicate with the "outside world" when matters regarding the well-being of its charge were concerned.
Dr. Hawkins, however, has taken a quantum leap with the idea of muscle testing. Rather than simply regarding the field or subconscious mind as the governing mechanism of the individual's body, he applied muscle testing in the context of traditional metaphysical paradigms stating that all things are connected, that all events, actions, thoughts and emotions are written into the unlimited Database of Consciousness, and that as participants in this universe, we all have access to that Database. Thus through muscle testing we have the ability to get the answer to any question we can formulate (except pertaining to the future, which has not yet been written into the record). The implications of this are staggering. Did aliens put a face on Mars? Is the government telling the truth about thus-and-such? We now have the means for direct knowledge.
Most authors would be content to base an entire book solely on these revelations, but surprisingly this is merely the groundwork laid out by Dr. Hawkins for the rest of the book! Based on thousands of studies using these methods, striving for 100% repeatability on the tests, he explains many aspects of human experience including a Scale of Consciousness. Based on a logarithmic scale of 1 to 1000, all ideas, emotions, concepts, thoughts, works of art, literature and science, resonate at some level. Above the level of 200 these energies are considered nurturing, positive and "good" (Power). Below 200 are energies that are destructive, negative and "evil" (Force).
Dr. Hawkins explores how "attractor" energies (mathematics from chaos theory) influence art, science, medicine and sports and examines the specific mechanisms leading to health and disease. He examines the quality of our institutions and discusses the nature of Consciousness and the path to Enlightenment. All concepts are presented with exceptional clarity and lucidity, without any sign of pedantry. Finally, as the title of the book suggests, one may attain a quantitative understanding of the difference between Power and Force.
This book is an absolute must for anyone searching for a better understanding of "how reality works".
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Savy Amazon Shopper
4.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth Reading With Some Warnings...Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2009
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This book is very interesting and has merit from a consciousness theory point of view. I tried the testing technique outlined in the book and it seems to be pretty consistent. However, I feel there is danger in putting too much faith in such a simple test of the subconscious, especially if one does not use it wisely or uses it irresponsibly. One should rely on the Holy Ghost (or the Holy Spirit, the Higher Self or whatever the enlightened individual has come to call it). Prayer and Meditation do wonders for consciousness and for finding truth. Fasting can enhance this also.
This book can enhance one's search for truth with a few warnings.
1. Dr. Hawkins talks about the calibration level of commercial tobacco versus organically grown tobacco. However, he does not say what form the tobacco being calibrated was in. Tobacco in the form of a commercial cigarette and organically grown tobacco in the form of the herb itself (in which use it is not smoked into the lungs) would calibrate at quite different levels since tobacco is an herb that can be used as a compress for bruises and for use on sick cattle. This should be better clarified in the book.
2. Dr. Hawkins talks about "hard drugs" versus "soft drugs." This discussion also did not "ring true" with me since even things as benign as artificial sweeteners present in something that is supposed to be good for you like whole wheat bread calibrates low. It is my feeling that anything that can alter or interfere with your agency or free will will have injurious affects on spiritual well-being, and while it may not cause physical addiction, will cause psychological addiction and a false sense of well-being that is shortly lived. This will hold an individual back from being able to reach his/her highest level of consciousness or enlightenment.
3. Dr. Hawkins indicates that most human beings will not increase their level of consciousness more than 5 points on his 1 to 1000 consciousness scale during a life time. This concept is discouraging if you let it be. While this may be true for most human beings, one must not take this to mean that all individuals are limited to this. We are all on an upward progression or continuum to become more like God with the potential to become one with God and this statement should not allow one's pursuit to reach the highest level of spiritual enlightenment to be discouraged.
With these things in mind, this book is a good vehicle for raising one's level of consciousness. I encourage the truth seeker to read this book while using prayer and meditation to assist you in discerning and gleaning truth. Understand that there may be some things that may not "ring true" for you, but this should not discourage you from reading the book and gleaning what you can from it.
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Axl Gonzalez
5.0 out of 5 stars wow.Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2023
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Phenomenal insight on life. I wish I had read this book when I was younger. It would have definitely helped me understand my place in life a lot faster. Thank you
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Fred Cheyunski
4.0 out of 5 stars A Significant Resource in Plotting Human Attitudes and EmotionsReviewed in the United States on May 30, 2017
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Since I am likely to be the 700th odd reviewer of this book (with a 72% 5 Star rating), “Power vs. Force” by David Hawkins has many positive elements and aspects that may be useful. Like some I was a little put off by its “spiritual” aspects, however despite these reservations, this book remains a significant resource in plotting human attitudes and emotions.
I first learned of the book from someone close to me involved in therapy and seeking a better understanding of emotions, their origin and meaning. Upon looking it over, I was surprised to review the author’s “Map of Consciousness” (see pages 90-91) and the extensive testing and research involved in its development.
More specifically, as indicated in the new forward to this revised edition, “Power vs Force” presents a logically compelling anatomy of human consciousness . . . “It conveys years of study using kinesiology, a science based on the testing of an all-or-none muscle response stimulus, and claims that the techniques described can provide people with the means for calibrating levels of truth and their presence in any situation. The book with its 24 chapters (400+ pages) are divided into three major parts, Part One – Tools, Part Two – Work, and Part Three – Meaning, to present its case and applications. There are also meaty and helpful appendices as well as references, end notes, glossary and information about the author.
As I read through the book, I was fascinated to recall the incorporation of a similar kinesiology test in the demonstrating the benefit from developing a shared vision in workshops with executives and managers and described by Peter Senge (see “The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization”). It was also edifying to see the similarity of Hawkin’s “Map” with Jack Gibb’s “Environmental Quality/Trust Levels” and their implications in organizations (see Gibb’s "Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Focus on Environmental Quality", in Warner Burke’s “The Cutting Edge: Current Theory and Practice in Organization Development”). It also occurred to me the ways that Hawkin’s calibrated scale of emotions could be helpful in plotting positive and negative responses during a series of events or story (see my review of “The Best Seller Code: Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel”). Furthermore, I was curious how this material would line up with other books such as Daniel J. Siegel’s “Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation” (see my review) and Lisa Feldman Barrett’s “How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain” that also delve into these areas with more current research approaches.
For all such reasons, “Power vs. Force” continues to be an important source for examining the efficacy of such ideas and the kind of evidence required to support them.
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Bruce Boatner
5.0 out of 5 stars Ground Breaking Work - A Milestone For Human Consciousness.Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2000
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The new science of kinesiology ushered in a powerful diagnostic tool called "muscle testing". (Muscle testing is a simple procedure for testing strong/weak responses, such as that of an outstretched arm, in response to questioning). Despite the revolutionary nature of these discoveries, most people are willing to rationalize that something other than the "conscious mind" is at play, something whose function it is to oversee the well-being of the individual and manage the body's myriad complex subsystems. It could then be extrapolated that this benign functionality - "subconscious mind", "field" or whatever - would be willing to communicate with the "outside world" when matters regarding the well-being of its charge were concerned.
Dr. Hawkins, however, has taken a quantum leap with the idea of muscle testing. Rather than simply regarding the field or subconscious mind as the governing mechanism of the individual's body, he applied muscle testing in the context of traditional metaphysical paradigms stating that all things are connected, that all events, actions, thoughts and emotions are written into the unlimited Database of Consciousness, and that as participants in this universe, we all have access to that Database. Thus through muscle testing we have the ability to get the answer to any question we can formulate (except pertaining to the future, which has not yet been written into the record). The implications of this are staggering. Did O.J. do it? Is the government telling the truth about thus-and-such? We now have the means for direct knowledge.
Most authors would be content to base an entire book solely on these revelations, but surprisingly this is merely the groundwork laid out by Dr. Hawkins for the rest of the book! Based on thousands of studies using these methods, striving for 100% repeatability on the tests, he explains many aspects of human experience including a Spectrum of Consciousness. Based on a logarithmic scale of 1 to 1000, all ideas, emotions, concepts, thoughts, works of art, literature and science, resonate at some level. Above the level of 200 these energies are considered nurturing, positive and "good" (Power). Below 200 are energies that are destructive, negative and "evil" (Force).
Dr. Hawkins explores how "attractor" energies (mathematics from chaos theory) influence art, science, medicine and sports and examines the specific mechanisms leading to health and disease. He examines the quality of our institutions and discusses the nature of Consciousness and the path to enlightenment. All concepts are presented with exceptional clarity and lucidity, without any sign of pedantry. Finally, as the title of the book suggests, one may attain a quantitative understanding of the difference between Power and Force. (Examine the handling of the Elian Gonzales case based on these criteria).
This book is an absolute must for anyone searching for a better understanding of "how reality works". And so we thank those who calibrate high on the Scale Of Consciousness, who lead the rest of us forward, kicking and screaming, on the path of enlightenment...
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===
Bryan Crumpton
5.0 out of 5 stars The uniqueness of David Hawkin's book, Power vs. ForceReviewed in the United States on December 27, 2013
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Power vs Force
This book, Power vs. Force, can’t be praised highly enough. Any praise will be far beneath the mark in terms of its value. This book will quite literally change one’s life. Its subject is consciousness, with both a capital and a small “C”. Fortunately we no longer hang or burn people at the stake for revolutionary insights because this certainly would have been David Hawkin’s fate. He introduces us to a new paradigm, a greater context with which to look at life. The book by itself might be viewed as simply interesting but not really grabbing because its insights are so new and unique. We have nothing with which to compare it, so it remains an oddity. But this is not true. For serious students of the Bhagavad Gita we may be lucky enough to see that what David Hawkins is making clear here is really a validation of a basic concept of the Gita, that is, the gunas. This is all about consciousness, all about moods and mental states, three basic levels of consciousness, called tamas, rajas, and sattva, and mental states beyond the gunas. Hawkins is validating what the Gita is presenting, and the Gita is validating what Hawkins is presenting as a new paradigm. Each is enforcing the other. It’s a bombshell when you get this. The subject of the gunas is these three levels of consciousness and how these levels manifest in our lives. Implicit is the understanding that we can raise ourselves through these levels and reach enlightenment, the major theme with David Hawkins. This is what our lives are all about.
David Hawkins is what we call a Realized Soul, Self Realized, one who has broken the limitations of human consciousness and become a spiritual being, the whole project we are discovering in Eastern thought . So what we are getting here is the fruit of Hawkin’s breakthrough combined with the value of his past as a well recognized psychiatrist, a life time student of the mind and abnormal psychology. It is a unique gift and blend of insights. He says, reading this book with understanding will raise our level of consciousness considerably. I do not doubt this a bit. It has made a great difference in how I think and see the world.
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Austin Gehm
5.0 out of 5 stars Great except his view on musicReviewed in the United States on March 28, 2021
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This book is phenomenal and deserves to be a classic in spirituality and psychology. I would encourage anyone who is interested to read it.
However, I feel compelled to make the point that he misunderstands music to the point that it's upsetting. He demonizes several genres of music for having negative lyrical content while praising others. He writes that some music puts people into a hypnotic trance that then makes them act out in unconscious ways. That's garbage. If you're acting out in unconscious ways, it's because there's a lot stored up in you that is trying to get worked out. One of the important things that this "demonic" music does is it gives people a medium through which they can feel heard and express their emotions. It isn't caused by the music. Of course, we could just as well start blaming classical music for the world wars, but I don't think anyone is so misguided to genuinely believe that. People are drawn to music because it resonates, so he should be asking why it resonates and what purpose it serves their spiritual and psychological evolution. Some of the kindest people I have ever met listen to aggressive and angry music. It can be a wonderful source of therapy in a world that has repressed and suppressed all people in myriad ways. Would Jesus or Buddha listen to it? I'd be willing to bet yes because such spiritual teachers would see the value that it has for helping people evolve.
That being said, the rest of the book is great.
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TheWildBoy
VINE VOICE
1.0 out of 5 stars Complete non-sense and hocus pocusReviewed in the United States on November 13, 2020
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So this book starts with some big words, some smart one-liners. The author talks about chaos theory, causality, inferences, epistemology, how we come to conclusions, he mentions some big names like Einstein, Boher, Isaac Newton and for those of you who love scientific words, he has sprinkled those at start as well. He has also gotten few big names to write forward for him and last but not least the author himself has PhD and he was a MD. I also love how he mentioned that it took him decades to write this book, using the rhetoric of time to trick the reader.
I had to stop reading after few pages because I couldn't take the hocus pocus the author was getting into. This review could turn into a book of its own if I were to discuss all the tricks/strategies the author has used to trick people into believing him but I will mention few:
1. He associates his ideas to chaos theory and scientific discovery to give it a tone of authority. This is a trick a lot of people use to make others believe their ideas/research is real.
2. He has 10000000s of reasons why results may not show up like his but the results that did show up what he was expecting he doesn't mention anything about those. For instance, if your number doesn't match what he was expecting then you are lying or you are married or you are wearing a ring or that you are controlling your emotions. But what about the people that got the exact number he was expecting weren't some of those married? Weren't some of them lying? Weren't some of them wearing rings or perfume? Yes he mentions having a perfume can distort the result as well but apparently when results are what he was expecting it's not a big deal.
3. There's a lot of scientific jargon which I believe fools a lot of people thinking that what the author is saying is probably real.
4. There are also some fancy quotes like one I read was: "Truth cannot be disproved by falsehood anymore than light can be by darkness." Ya right but you (the author) can prove why others are not truthful by mentioning 100000 reasons why they didn't get the results you were expecting but no reasons why you got results from same people that met all those 100000 reasons which caused results to be negative for others? I could also say that truth cannot be disproved by giving reasons to confirm your bias.
This book is loaded with confirmation bias, and sneaky tactics to make you believe in this bs.
The only good thing about this book is that I like the "Title" and also strategies/tactics the author uses to trick people into believing his bs ideas.
Anyone who thinks this book is worth reading should really spend some time pondering over how they make decisions and how they process information. While I won't get into the epistemology of knowledge or how to use rhetorics to trick and fool people what I do suggest is that people read these two books:
How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life by Thomas Gilovich
Psychology of Intelligence Analysis Paperback by Richards J. Heuer
If you are reading my review after reading few pages of this book then throw it away and get those two books I have suggested it will change your life and how you make decisions. Don't let sunk cost fallacy get to you.
There are far better books. As a great philosopher once said, a tree that falls makes more noise than a forest that grows. These type of books make a lot of noise but that's it, it's NOISE.
109 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, but if it is for you then get it.Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2015
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First a bit about me. I have been on a growth quest for as long as I can remember. I have gone through many books and programs, finding some useful and others to be a waste of time. I am now very picky about what I will go fully into and what I will skim and discard. This is a book I went into fully.
I consider this to be a life changing book for me. While he emphasizes Applied Kinesiology at the beginning of the book it is only so the reader can understand its use as he uses it.as a 'tape measure' for the points he makes throughout the remainder of the book. On one hand he talks about how AK can be used to find the truth of a situation through giving Yes or No responses to specific questions. On the other hand he also talks about truth being fluid. If you live in Canada, the statement "January is a cold month" would be true, but if you live in Australia it would be false. A parent would teach a young child that [playing with] fire is bad, but as the child grows that same parent could teach the child the benefits of building a bonfire and how different woods will cause the flames to change color [playing with fire] is good.
I found the importance of the book to be less about kinesiology and more about the nature of consciousness, and to that end this book is filled with wonderful information, whether you agree with what is being said or not, you will grow just by reading it.
At this point I will say that I did not read this in isolation but was also reading other books on personal growth. It was an amazing experience that my three different books by three different authors on what could be considered three different subjects (though all fell under the umbrella of "personal growth") rather than offering points of contradiction all seemed to line up together to form a complete picture. My analogy would be, one book was a fine lawn, another was a beautiful shade tree, and the third a comfortable bench. Each is complete on its own but when put together they make a wonderful place to sit on a sunny day.
7 people found this helpful
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Raina Casarez
5.0 out of 5 stars Consciousness elevatingReviewed in the United States on December 23, 2022
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As an ACIM longtime student, Sir Dr. Dr.’s work is escalating my understanding of ACIM.
Finally, a non-religious, non-spiritual and wholly scientific thesis on spirituality/consciousness.
This book is a call to awaken and all the reasons why each of us, as we save ourselves by seeking enlightenment, saves the world.
3 people found this helpful
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Sukhbir Singh
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful: You'll only read this when you're ready to.Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2021
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This is a most powerful book that lays before the reader a most simple and direct method to distinguish that which serves the highest good from that which doesn't (regardless of the garb that it wears).
The interesting thing about this book is that you will find the book making what might seem to you to be the MOST OBVIOUS points if you have paid close attention to life and the world that we live in.
While reading, you will realize that what the author writes about is simply obvious, but he is able to break it down in such a clear way that this obvious-ness becomes evident.
Through this book he reveals the workings of Consciousness and the relevance that has for all of us as Consciousness in the human experience.
There is one caveat, you will only find yourself reading this book if you're ready for it. I bought this book many years ago, and have attempted to read it before but never could get through the first chapter. This time. I couldn't put the book down as Truth was revealed so simply.
If you are caught by this book, you will not be the same.
See you on the other side.
9 people found this helpful
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Wayne Burnett
5.0 out of 5 stars Delivery time superbReviewed in the United States on January 9, 2023
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Great delivery time and product description match
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Antonio Brito, LICSW
5.0 out of 5 stars AmazingReviewed in the United States on May 31, 2022
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I have been practicing Buddhism for 15 years and have been a practicing therapist for 7. In all the knowledge I have gained, few works such as this serve to bring clarity to much of the problems with putting effort In places that don’t bear fruit and helping me to develop a better understanding of the effects of my actions. It helped me to understand why some things work and others don’t as well as helping to better discern between healthy and unhealthy influences. I will definitely be buying the next book in the series.
5 people found this helpful
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Paula
3.0 out of 5 stars Hard ReadReviewed in the United States on October 8, 2022
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This is written in a dialogue using a higher level of the English language and is hard to follow because your mind needs to interpret and under the meaning of the words. I don’t know that I believe in everything the author is suggesting, however the map of consciousness is a good way to visualize levels of emotions or conscious states of being. Many subsequent authors have piggy backed on his train of thought, so it is a good read for overall understanding, but a hard read to understand the words and ideas the author is portraying.
2 people found this helpful
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Gypsy Rose
2.0 out of 5 stars So DRYReviewed in the United States on April 30, 2023
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I really want to know the material but the reading is painfully dry and boring. It reminds me of a college professor that speaks in a deadpan monotone. I always had to drop those classes because I knew I wouldn’t be able to absorb the lectures enough to get a good grade.
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Power vs. Force
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Power vs. Force
(Power vs. Force #1)
by David R. Hawkins
4.13 · Rating details · 9,886 ratings · 569 reviews
David R. Hawkins details how anyone may resolve the most crucial of all human dilemmas: how to instantly determine the truth or falsehood of any statement or supposed fact. Dr. Hawkins, who worked as a "healing psychiatrist" during his long and distinguished career, uses theoretical concepts from particle physics, nonlinear dynamics, and chaos theory to support his study of human behavior. This is a fascinating work that will intrigue readers from all walks of life! (less)
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Paperback, 341 pages
Published March 5th 2002 by Hay House (first published June 1st 1985)
Original TitlePower vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior
ISBN1561709336 (ISBN13: 9781561709335)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPower vs. Force #1SettingUnited States of America
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Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior, author's Official Revised Edition
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I'm having trouble processing his writings on Power versus Force, like the example he just of forceful legislation in countries.Our governments are run through Force ,but I don't see how it could be run any other way. You need to have force to keep criminals in check, because without law, a lot more people would do bad stuff right? I cannot envision how Power would overcome force in such a topic as criminals.Thoughts?
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Misha James I used to think the same way/have the same question. However governments commit the most atrocities to people(Russia, China, USA). I'm in the military…more
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Doris
Sep 24, 2007Doris rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: truth seekers
This is the most significant book I have read in a long time. Power Vs. Force explains the connection between individual levels of consciousness and human behavior.
This is important because every decision we make and every action we take is driven by our individual level of consciousness.
Dr. David R. Hawkins uses Applied Kinesiology as a tool for doing consciousness research. Using Applied Kinesiology, he developed a map of consciousness that ranges from 1 to 1000. According to consciousness research, Dr. Hawkins states that anything below 200 level of consciousness is negative, false, weak, Force therefore not life sustaining and anything above 200 is positive, true, Power and life sustaining.
Everything in our environment has an effect on our individual level of consciousness. TV, Books, People, Places, Objects, Food, Thoughts, etc . . .
The overall message of the book is that we have to avoid at all cost the things, people, places, products that fall below the critical level of 200 because they weaken us and they lower own level of consciousness. At the same time we have align ourselves with everything that is positive, true Power and life sustaining.
But how can know what to avoid and what to align with? Well in this book Dr. Hawkins presents a method for knowing that is so reliable its scary! With this method for calibrating the levels of consciousness of anything and anyone you will know the truth about anything you wish to know.
I highly recommend this book. This world needs for more people to develop a higher level of consciousness such as Jesus and Buddha for the benefit of all mankind. (less)
flag86 likes · Like · 9 comments · see review
Kent
Nov 04, 2012Kent rated it did not like it
This book is over-hyped by people who should know better. It supposedly proves that you can tell the truth of something by how much resistance your body puts up ("applied kinesiology") when someone asks you a yes or no question. They say "are you hungry?" and try to push your arm down, and if it holds firm, that means, "yes, time to eat." If your muscles react weakly and your arm falls to your side, that means "dude, I'm stuffed." What?!
Does that sound plausible? No. Common sense says, "this is ridiculous." That is because it is. This is pseudo-science, a waste of time, and not even interesting from the perspective of "hmm some people believe this crap?"
I was going to sell mine back to Amazon, but instead I thought, "this book is taking advantage of the weak-minded" and I tossed it in the trash. (less)
flag49 likes · Like · 10 comments · see review
Mario Tomic
Nov 26, 2014Mario Tomic rated it it was amazing
Brilliant book. It starts a bit slow but then after a couple of chapters it really picks up and unveils absolutely fascinating research on different levels of human consciousness. The book is filled with examples, and I could definitely relate to a lot of things being said about the influences of environments and people around us. This is an evergreen piece of material that people will be as fascinated a 100 years from now as I was reading it in today's time. Highly recommended for those who seek to expand their knowledge of human consciousness and really take your life to the next level. (less)
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Kim Olver
Jul 30, 2010Kim Olver rated it it was amazing
This is an excellent book that speaks of the difference between power and force. Power is quiet and requires no explanation. Force is coercive and creates an automatic counterforce.
This has great applicability for couples, parents and bosses. Standing on the side of truth, justice and all that sustains life is power. This is strength of its own merit. Force represents all that is negative and life destructive.
Whenever you attempt to make someone do something that they don't want to do, you are applying force. We do this through any number of behaviors such as manipulating, blaming, guilting, bribing, complaining, criticizing and coercing. This always creates a counterforce. Whenever you attempt to coerce someone else, you create a measure of resistance. This resistance may not show itself in your presence but it will manifest in the world in some way.
People will undermine your authority, talk behind your back, rally other's support or confront you to your face. You cannot win with force. If you think you have, know that it is only temporary. What goes around comes around. Read the book. Its message is powerful! (less)
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Shannon
Jan 29, 2008Shannon rated it liked it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
flag17 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review
Vivian
Nov 29, 2018Vivian rated it did not like it
Shelves: 2018-odyssey, theory
This book was like a person covered in marshmallow fluff wanting to hug you.
Total fail. I don't know what my brain thought when I saw this and ordered it, but definitely not this. I think some people would categorize this as hippy-dippy, but for me it seemed like a rather disturbing amalgamation from the bits I skimmed. I started with the Preface and went, 'Hmm...'; then moved onto to the Introduction and was like, 'Well, there's that'; and finally, just started reading opening and closing paragraphs of each section, concluding that this was really not a me book. Maybe wayback, like when I was 15.
(less)
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Riley Haas
Dec 16, 2016Riley Haas rated it did not like it
"One of the worst books I have ever read. On par with The Secret and perhaps worse because this guy has an MD and claims to have a PhD (his PhD was acquired from a university later shutdown by the State of California for literally being a degree factory).
Here are some random thoughts because the book makes me too angry to even compose a thoughtful review:
He explains the levels of energy in one chapter (never really explaining how he could possibly measure this stuff), then he discusses cultures based on this same scale. There is no correlation. The sections could be in separate books. He basically implies that industrial societies never go to war...or that industries never exploit, etc. The more modern the society the higher the energy level. This must be comedic gold to anyone who has ever had their life destroyed. A fundamental truth of existence is that all people are flawed; some are better at some things than others and some are worse at some things than others and this is not mutually exclusive. He is separating personality traits as if an angry person is just angry all the time or a person who shows compassion is just compassionate all the time, or as if someone who is prideful can't also, in other circumstances, express acceptance or a willingness to act for others.
Energy Level 500 he calls love. But what he appears to be describing isn't love but the human desire for totality/wholeness/integrity/purity/etc. This may be a reasonable thing for an individual to do (though I doubt it, as it can never succeed) but socially and politically, such a quest has led to more death and unhappiness than any other idea/human desire in history. The argument of essence prior to existence underlies every genocidal/democidal regime in history, as well as all the major institutionalized and violent religions. The reason for this - as far as I can figure - is when you prioritize essence (or the whole) over existence (or specific people, places, things) what does it matter if you break a few eggs? What you are attempting to achieve is far more important than any one person's life. And though most people would at least argue that reason leads to the realization of essence over and above existence, he is trying to get us to ignore reason, which is worse. I get that he is advocating this for individuals, but very few people seem to be good at keeping their ideas and beliefs private any more.
To top it all off, he makes a bizarre scientific claim with absolutely no evidence re endorphins (there is no footnote).
Four pages later, he puts himself in the same energy level category as Jesus when he claims he has knowledge of the energy level of Jesus through his own personal experience. The man is not only a snake oil salesman, he is arrogant beyond anything.
I stopped reading around page 100. I NEVER fail to complete a book. But I just can't take this horseshit any longer. Absolutely horrible in every way." (less)
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Helene
Apr 22, 2016Helene rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
ENLIGHTENED: STRONGLY RECOMMEND FOR THOSE STRUGGLING WITH TRUTH
David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. has established a powerful measure of consciousness .
Substantial conceptualization of human behavior .Fresh view on how your body expounds and reacts to people and objects around us . A intellectual description of aggressive behavior .
A challenging read . But worth the endeavor. Looking forward to reading more from this brilliant man and magnificent writer
THINK: VALOR VS. RAGE
flag13 likes · Like · 9 comments · see review
Byrd Alyssa
Aug 21, 2007Byrd Alyssa rated it really liked it
Recommends it for: peeps who are curious about making tangible life improvements
Shelves: own, booksthatdeeplyaffectedme, selfhelp-inspiration-improvement, nonfiction, psychology
This is an amazing book that details, (from subtitle) "The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior". It is engaging to peek into the psychology, both conscious and subconscious, of the underlying behavior patterns and choices made throughout life. Yes, you may find this book on the self help shelves (shudder!), but in this case, it will actually help many of us to overcome negative behaviors, converting them into positives. As I like to say, we can all use less "nega-thought" and more "posi-thought" in our lives, eh?
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Iona Stewart
Apr 11, 2012Iona Stewart rated it it was amazing
This is a unique book - I’ve never read anything like it before.
The book is worth reading for the preface alone. Here Hawkins discloses his various awakening experiences, beginning at the age of three. At one point, when caught in a blizzard, he enters “a state of peace beyond all description … accompanied by a suffusion of light and a Presence of infinite love”. This was indistinguishable from his own essence. Later in life he enters a permanent state of bliss. He was “an instrument of the Infinite Presence, and … did as it willed”.
His chronic maladies disappear. He heals incurable catatonics and other desperately ill psychotics in an instant just by “loving” them. He sees in each patient “the shining essence of love and beauty” and the patient is healed by his/her own recognition of who he/she really is. He sees that “all pain and suffering arises solely from the ego and not from God”.
This preface is a revelation. Make sure to read it.
But the main content of the book is about the author’s discovery of kinesiology – that the truth or falsehood of any statement can be tested by means of muscle testing. Our bodies in their infinite wisdom know the answer to everything.
Hawking devises a scale of calibration ranging from 0 – 1000. O is presumably death, 700-1000 is enlightenment. Shame, Guilt, Apathy, Grief, Fear, Desire, Anger, Pride range from 20-175. At the 200 level, which is Courage, power first appears.
When subjects are tested at all the energy levels below 200, all go weak. Everyone goes strong at levels above 200.
Neutrality is 250, Willingness is 310, Acceptance is 350, Reason is 400, Love is 500. (The love referred to is “unconditional, unchanging, and permanent”.) Joy is 540, Peace is 600 and, as stated, Enlightenment is 700-1000.
The collective level of consciousness of mankind is currently at 207 (the book first appeared in 1995, so perhaps the average level of consciousness has now increased).
The level of Nobel Prize Winners, great statesmen, Einstein and Freud calibrates at 400. From level 540 up is “the domain of saints --- advanced spiritual students and healers”. The level of 600 is associated with “transcendence, self-realization, and God-consciousness”. “It is extremely rare, attained by only 1 in 10 million people.” Mahatma Gandhi calibrated at 700. Gandhi won in the struggle against the British Empire because his position was one of far greater power. The British Empire represented Force (calibrated at 175) and power always wins against force.
Hawkins has calibrated each sentence and chapter in the book to check for their truth. The calibrated levels of truth of the chapters are given at the back of the book and range from 710 to 890.
I would thus strongly advise everyone to read this book - it may raise your consciousness! (less)
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Bob Nichols
Mar 23, 2012Bob Nichols rated it it was ok
Under his scientific kinesiological system (testing muscle reactions to good and bad stimuli), Hawkins rates human traits on a numeric scale. Most of us (85%) are below 200 because we focus on survival and are preoccupied with negative thoughts and feelings. Those that are in the 200-500 range are increasingly humanitarian in orientation. Descartes, Freud, Einstein were rated at 499 - how they were measured, I can't say right off). Hawkins says currenly that only "twelve persons on the planet" calibrate at 700 or above. Only the rarest individuals in history have reached the fully enlightened spot (e.g., Jesus, Buddha, Krishna) where time is timeless and dimensionless, and existence is continuous and beyond duality, and where divinity is experienced within.
In this hierarchical scale, power increases and force recedes. Power is whole, positive and wholesome. Force is partial, selfish, negative energy and unhealthy. Hawkins pulls everything into his system. His theory he believes is verified by quantum physics (non-linear causality). It explains highly successful business people, artists, sports figures. Everything we do generates an energy field and creates a personal record, and "the ripples we create return to us" (karma). Hawkins believes his system reveals the evolution of consciousness and this will lead to the salvation of humankind.
Hawkins has a story to tell and he does a good job at weaving it all together. No doubt there's much to be said about the power of positive thinking. If this helps people, that's a good thing. He references various 12 step programs as kindred to his own. For doubters, there's not much room for discussion when he asserts that the three dimensional universe is conventional, whereas the universe has "higher dimensional realities." With that perspective, whatever is said from the conventional paradigm is dismissed (or can be placed low on his scale) because there's always this higher truth. There's a beauty in faith and also a danger. (less)
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Hansen Wendlandt
Jul 26, 2011Hansen Wendlandt rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Disclaimer: I read this for a friend, and tried very hard to give it a fair read. And in fact, the primary cosmological argument wasn't as crazy as I suspected, although with all the benefit of the doubt, the epistemic and axiological implications are still dumbfounding.
PvF is not really the self-help para-spirituality that it seems on hearing a review. For instance, Hawkins never gets close to explaining how you can use consciousness to financially invest better, giving credence to his purity of the motivation. And knowing my buddy who lives by this stuff, the life-changing capacity is genuine. But anything, drivel or brilliance, about self-introspection and human value has the capacity (shocking) to get people self-introspective and thinking about values, so PvF's specious argument and ridiculous methods here are window dressing on a manequin of high hopes.
Hawkin's cosmological argument is imprecise, incomplete and ultimately flawed, though reasonable enough at a glance--the conclusion to which is that we united mind-body selves are connected to a wholly interconnected universe. The noetic argument is a bigger stretch--the conclusion to which is that our bodies stand in a knowledge-relation to all parts of the conscious universe. The two fundamental flaws are that relation to the univese does not imply relation to all the things of the universe; and that the nature of our relation to consciousness, namely knowledge, is based on an arbitrary equivocation of 'awareness'. That there is awareness (consciousness) and that we have awareness does not imply that for creatures like us awareness is knowledge; as well, consciousness could meet us in any relation, most directly the simple relation of being aware.
But the 'practical' implications take the cake. For, even if we are connected to the universe, and to things of it, and connected in knowledge ways, Hawkins demands (with appeal to science, though no evidence) that your arm (in the right conditions) serves to ascertain knowledge, and that truth knowledge (now abandoning his non-Western concept for an intentionally simple, Western concept) can yield value measurments with the same method! That your arm is the cable to the consciousness internet is just silly (why not little toe, why not intense meditation of some sort?), and that the same test works for such various ontological commitments as propositions and high order values, is just too good to be realistic at all.
So, ignore the mathematical evaluations, ignore the dream of knowing everything with your simple arm, and ignore the noetic argument about your reation to the universe. But by all means, if it helps you to quantify and categorize values, embrace this one more guess at how to live in a world of spiritual consequences and hierarchies. (less)
flag10 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review
Aeroglifo
Jul 04, 2017Aeroglifo rated it did not like it
This was an interesting read, it's a terrible book, even a Bad book by several standards, but it was interesting to read as a case study. Having read some of the work of Noam Chomsky, and having become sensitive to what he called "institutional blindness," it was interesting recognize it in a fairly typical fashion in, of all places, a self-help book. Which, in retrospect, is not that surprising considering who this kind of literature is marketed to: middle to upper-class Americans and the perspective of the world that they are fed and live in.
I think there is value in self-help books. Eckart Tolle's "The Power of Now" touched me in different times of my life. Now I can see better the "product" aspect of that book. Just a gander at the main page of Eckart Tolle's website treats you to a heavenly airbrushed picture of Tolle's face à la guru littered with suggestions for buying all kinds of products - pretty much the opposite of the message of the book. But that's how marketing goes in America. That book panders to that audience in subtle ways. When the great evils of the world are demonstrated it's always the communists who are used as examples while western crimes are tactfully omitted. However, there is something in the core message of that book that rings true, and Tolle concedes that whatever is written is merely a guidepost and nothing in it should not be taken as set in stone. In "Power vs Force" though, not only is the pandering ramped up considerably, but in contrast to "The Power of Now," David R. Hawkins is adamant that he is speaking the one unambiguous truth.
You need to look no further than the back cover, where pandering begins by displaying unsourced quotes by spiritual symbol and farce Mother Theresa, and business tycoon Lee Iacocca in praise of the book, suggesting that they both read it and took the time to comment on it, which I find very doubtful.
Flipping the book over we get its title in imposing black and white - Power vs. Force - and what an unfortunate title it is. Anyone who deigns to call himself a scientist, such as the author, billed as M.D., Ph.D., with a pretension to expound a scientific work, as he does, would be reticent to use terminology that already has an established use in science, such as Power (measured in watts) and Force (measured in newtons), but one step further, to cast them in opposition to each other, is even more confusing and idiotic. However, all this makes sense in light of the knowledge that this is a pseudoscientifical book, not actual science, so it works as foreshadowing.
I don't want to insult your intelligence by describing the method of the book but, to put it simply, the author claims that if you press down on the wrist of the extended arm of someone else while asking them a strictly Yes or No type question, regardless of whether the answerer knows the answer, they will either "go weak" if it is false, or "go strong" if it is true, and it is exactly on those vague terms that the book explains it, just matter-of-factly enough that you take this ludicrousness as something self-evident.
It would have been one thing if the author had used this as a study of people's biases to wanting something to be true or false, but what he claims is the opposite: he claims that, independently of the type of person and beliefs, literally any person has knowledge in their consciousness unaware to them extractable by this method. Which would mean that the most ardently patriotic German soldier at the height of the Third Reich would need only to have someone test him for the question "Is the Fuhrer a good guy?" to have his wrist "go weak" and be proved of that falsity. The author goes well beyond that though, claiming we can get the truth for everything ever this way. Alright.
Following the explanation of the method, using a combination of other pseudoscientific theories and simpleminded vague extrapolations from the latest physics discoveries it spend quite a few pages portraying this method as having the usual attributes of a Science: demonstrability, repeatability, success in double-blind experimentation. Only to immediately after warn that, like psychics and fortunetellers, it only works if you believe in it or, as they call it, that the experimenters "calibrate" over 200 on their bogus scale. I won't bore you with how they came upon this scale, so ridiculous that it is. If you really want to waste your time, read the book.
What struck me by this time was that, apparently, these tests and calibrations have been done since the 70s till the present day by different groups, demonstrating an astounding example of mass confirmation bias to rival that of the UFO convention people. Again it reminded me of Chomsky when he was talking about that group of researchers who had convinced themselves they had taught apes human sign language, later shown to be an advanced form of conditioning, not language learning. Yet the researchers were convinced they had succeeded, so strong was their confirmation bias. Funnily enough, later on in "Power vs. Force," Hawkins refers to these experiments unabashedly as true, as well as other classically debunked theories such as Kirlian photography showing the "soul" of objects. Everything is possible, when you want to believe.
He goes on to claim that skepticism and atheism and calibrate under 200, and by his own words, things that calibrate under 200 are "negative". So for a book that makes a big point about people's freedom, clearly their right to doubt when searching for the truth is demeaned. Of course, if I was the author, this is exactly what I'd want because it'd be the only way anyone would swallow the compounded silliness of the ideas of this book - strictly if you had no discernment whatsoever.
What follows after the reversal back into pseudoscience forms the bulk of the book: pages and pages of empty ideas about how in every field Power is good and Force is bad. I can describe all this writing with a Chomsky quote: "That's the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody's going to be against, and everybody's going to be for. Nobody knows what it means, because it doesn't mean anything." Basically, it boils down to this: Stalin is Force (or Bad), and Gandhi is Power (or Good), so why not call the book Good vs. Bad, you may ask, and it's a good question, I think it was simply to sound more fancy.
You get my point: the book is silly, it's garbage, but looking through it from Chomsky's perspective was interesting. From his analysis of the media he concluded that "The mass media serve as a system for communicating messages and symbols to the general populace. It is their function to amuse, entertain, and inform, and to inculcate individuals with the values, beliefs, and codes of behavior that will integrate them into the institutional structures of the larger society. In a world of concentrated wealth and major conflicts of class interest, to fulfill this role requires systematic propaganda." I see "Power vs. Force" as the end product of this propaganda. The author's views on many aspects seem almost comically aligned with powerful interests, which is bewildering on such a spiritually slanted kind of book.
Here are some examples:
From Chomsky you learn that the current view of labor unions in America as a bad thing is a relatively recent phenomenon, a product of violent repression and effective propaganda in the past. To Hawkins, a product of this, they are as bad as communism, a mere "refuge for petty politicians."
(p. 176) "It is easy to forget that the initial appeal of communism was idealistic humanitarianism, as was that of the union movement in the United States, until it became a refuge of petty politicians."
According to Chomsky, there should be a pandering of the media to powerful people, for they are the ones in control in the background. Surreally we have this section which precludes any comment.
(p. 226) "When we come to know the powerful men of the world, captains of industry, presidents of banks, Nobel Prize winners, and members of legendary American families, it is striking to see how many are open, warm, sincere, and view success as a responsibility, noblesse oblige. These are truly successful people, notably courteous and considerate to all; whether visiting potentates or talking to servants, they treat everyone as an equal."
And yet a scarce few pages later, in defending some failed paper of his about nutrition:
(p. 233) "The paper was largely ignored in the United States because there was still no paradigm to give it credibility. The medical profession has simply been uninterested in nutrition, and organized medicine has traditionally been less than kind to innovators. It is helpful to remember that it is a foible of human nature to stoutly defend an established position despite overwhelming evidence against it."
It is as if Hawkins knows rationally that people are controlled by propaganda, but completely blind that could be a part of that group:
(p. 256) "It seems that society institutionalizes certain self-propagating levels of consciousness that become an ingrained characteristic of various social strata."
It's important to remember that the book was published in 1985, so one would expect, given the record so far, that Hawkins would expound views uncontroversial to middle-class people of the time, which he does, denouncing heavy metal and videogames as corruptors of children, though we can see now in 2017 how what great vehicles for art and expression they came to be. I think that, had the book been written today, seeing the financial success of these things and their impact on society, he'd have a different view: whatever view would be the popular view today.
I have to mention Hawkins' calibrations of religions. Apparently, the original teaching of Jesus, Buddha and Lord Krishna (which I wasn't aware was a real person) are 1000, "the highest attainable on this plane." The calibrations have faded predictably to lesser levels. Original Judaism calibrated at 985. Pretty good, but just so you know inferior than Christianity. Apparently though, "Modern Judaism" is only 499, the upward limit on Hawkins' "Map of Consciousness ®" for the "Reason" stage, but not enough to get into the "Love" stage, as if to say: "Yeah, Jews are good with worldly stuff like money, but they're a far cry from true spirituality like us Christians."
For Islam, apparently Mohamed s teachings calibrate at 700 proving once again that Jesus is the main dog, and following that there is only mention that fundamentalist movements have dropped that figure to between 90 and 130, well below the threshold level of goodness of 200. This last kind of selection of framing opinions and selective omissions conforms to Chomsky's theory. In this case, to the dogma of American government since the Russians stopped being the scapegoat in the 80s to the present day that the Islamic Middle East is Public Enemy No. 1.
The cherry on top for me is that the so-called "Map of Consciousness" table mentioned before is indeed labeled with the "®" trademark symbol just as I wrote above, revealing in the most simplest way what this book, which apparently "calibrates" at 700 is - a product, empty of content and full of bullshit. There are many more contradictions and senseless stuff I could talk about, but it would be a waste to spend one more minute in talking about this book.
The person who lent me this book did it because, "since I enjoyed 'The Power of Now,' I'd be sure to like this." I'm as flabbergasted at that opinion as I am about all the positive reviews I see about this book on Goodreads. I'm going to return it today and I honestly don't know what to say when he asks "What did you think of it?"
I think I'll go with: "It didn't speak to me." (less)
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