Level 1 Consciousness: The State of Pure Awareness
At birth, we enter the world in a state of complete presence, untouched by programming, identity, or limitation. This is Level 1 Consciousness—a state of pure awareness, where existence is experienced as an unfiltered flow of energy, sensation, and connection. It is the closest most humans will ever come to perceiving reality as it truly is—before the mind overlays filters, before the ego constructs a self, before conditioning sets in.
This level of consciousness is fleeting. It lasts only during infancy and the earliest years of childhood, before the process of socialization begins to mold a child’s perception. Yet, understanding Level 1 is crucial—not only to appreciate where we come from, but to recognize what is possible when we remove the layers of conditioning that obscure our true nature.
The Boundless State of Pure Awareness
In Level 1, there is no concept of separation. An infant does not yet distinguish itself as an independent entity apart from its environment. There is no “I” or “you,” no subject and object—only the experience of being.
A baby does not think about hunger as a separate condition that must be satisfied; it simply experiences the sensation and responds instinctively. A crying infant is not consciously “requesting” attention in a transactional manner—it is simply expressing a need, fully immersed in the moment. Time itself is irrelevant; there is no past, no future, only now.
This state of unfiltered perception aligns with what many spiritual traditions describe as oneness—the idea that we are all expressions of a single infinite consciousness. In this phase, an infant is still connected to Source, still in harmony with the fundamental energy that creates and sustains all existence.
Science and the Nature of Consciousness
Modern physics reinforces this understanding. At a fundamental level, all matter is energy, vibrating at different frequencies. Our bodies, our thoughts, even our emotions are composed of energetic patterns interacting with the world around us. Quantum mechanics suggests that reality itself is not fixed but shaped by perception—just as an infant’s reality is fluid, undefined, and limitless in these early stages.
Even our biology reflects this truth. Studies on infant brain activity show that newborns primarily function in delta and theta brainwave states, the same states associated with deep meditation, hypnosis, and subconscious processing in adults. In other words, infants exist in a highly receptive, expansive state of awareness, absorbing reality without filtering or judging it.
The Absence of Identity and Judgment
One of the defining characteristics of Level 1 is the lack of a constructed self. In this phase, there is no ego, no personal narrative, no comparison or categorization. An infant does not judge experiences as good or bad, right or wrong—it simply experiences.
Imagine the feeling of pure joy when sunlight hits your face or the sensation of warmth when held by a loved one. In adulthood, these moments are often overshadowed by analysis or expectation—“I should enjoy this” or “I wish this feeling could last.” In Level 1, there is no such interference. Pleasure and pain, comfort and discomfort are simply felt in their rawest, purest form, without attachment.
This absence of judgment is why infants express emotions with total honesty. When a baby is joyful, it radiates happiness without hesitation. When it is upset, it cries with full intensity. There is no repression, no shame, no concept of “should” or “shouldn’t.” Everything flows naturally.
The Unspoken Grief of Watching Pure Awareness Fade
While Level 1 is a natural state, it does not last. Slowly, as a child grows, external influences begin shaping its perception. Parents, caregivers, and society start to define what is acceptable and unacceptable, what is real and unreal, what is possible and impossible.
For many parents, especially mothers, there is an unspoken grief in watching this transition unfold. They may not have words for it, but they sense the moment when their child begins to hesitate, when the pure spontaneity of Level 1 starts to fade.
- The first time a child holds back from expressing joy because of an external reaction.
- The first time they show embarrassment instead of uninhibited playfulness.
- The first time they hesitate before reaching for something they desire.
These moments mark the beginning of The Fadeaway—the slow transition into Level 2 consciousness, where conditioning takes root.
Why Most Adults Long for Level 1 (Even If They Don’t Realize It)
Many of the pursuits and distractions in adult life can be traced back to a subconscious longing for Level 1 Consciousness.
Why do people crave travel to remote, untouched places? Why do they seek peak experiences—whether through art, music, nature, or substances? Why do moments of deep love or meditation feel so profoundly healing?
Because, for a fleeting moment, they glimpse something they have lost.
When people describe “feeling alive,” what they are often describing is a return to presence—a momentary shedding of the mental constructs that separate them from pure experience. The child-like wonder, the state of flow, the bliss of being fully engaged in the moment—these are echoes of Level 1.
Many spiritual traditions, from Buddhism to Taoism, emphasize the importance of returning to this state—not through regression, but through conscious awareness. The goal is not to become an infant again but to unlearn the mental limitations that block our natural connection to reality.
Can We Return to Level 1?
The short answer: not exactly—but we can reclaim aspects of it.
While we can never fully erase the conditioning and experiences that shape us, we can consciously strip away the unnecessary layers that separate us from pure presence. Meditation, breathwork, deep self-inquiry, and altered states of consciousness can help dissolve the rigid structures of the mind, allowing us to experience reality with fewer filters.
Some individuals experience this return spontaneously—through moments of profound awe, deep love, or near-death experiences. Others seek it intentionally, devoting themselves to practices that quiet the ego and dissolve the illusion of separation.
But the greatest irony is this: we never actually lost Level 1 Consciousness. It has always been there, beneath the noise of the mind, beneath the identity we constructed. Like a clear sky hidden behind clouds, our pure awareness remains intact—it only needs to be uncovered.
Final Thoughts: Honoring Level 1 and Moving Forward
Level 1 is not something to be mourned or regretted—it is something to be remembered and integrated.
We were never meant to stay in infancy forever. The journey through consciousness is a necessary evolution. Yet, by understanding Level 1, we can better navigate our path forward. We can seek to cultivate presence, openness, and unfiltered experience in our daily lives. We can learn to recognize and dissolve the barriers that separate us from reality.
And perhaps, in doing so, we can carry a piece of Level 1 with us—not as something lost, but as something we now hold with intention.
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