Each level has corresponding effects on a person’s reality. We all have the potential to move up and down on this scale as our moods, emotions, and attitudes change, but the level to which we habitually return is considered our regular consciousness level.

To determine consciousness levels, Hawkins uses a process called kinesiology, which shows the connection between the body, the brain, and its various states of consciousness. He determines the level of a person or object by testing its effect on human musculature. A lower consciousness level will cause muscle to go weak, while a higher consciousness level will strengthen the muscle. Even when the subject is not aware of the object used in the test, consciousness levels calculate consistently. For example, if pictures of Mother Teresa and Adolph Hitler are placed in envelopes, the subject will still demonstrate a higher level of consciousness with the first.