Location 5 – 9
Each range of locations appears to undo the fixations of perception in a particular broad level of the system. Locations 1-4 progressively dissolve the identification with the mental-emotional level of the system, until by Location 4, what remains is very direct, non-conceptual experience. Perception is centered in the pure experience of the senses, without the overlay of concepts or affect. The senses are the actuality of the present moment which is experienced as existence itself.
Deepening in FW involves shifting perception beneath more constructed levels of perception or reality, to increasingly foundational levels. By Location 4, Layer 4, perception is centered beneath the conceptual level that ordinarily constructs perception. Instead, one is experiencing pure existence as itself, which without concepts appears indivisible and beyond all distinctions. It is just the direct non-conceptual revelation of existence itself.
The locations 5 through 9 are concerned with progressively undoing fixations of perception in the sensory level of the system, just like the preceding range of locations dissolved the fixations of perception in the mental-emotional level. This ultimately progresses to the next range of locations (Location 10+), where perception moves beneath the senses as a reference point.
The senses are effectively what produces the experience of an objective material existence. Consequently, the undoing of constructions and fixations in the sensory level of the system results in a progressive dissolution of the subjective perception of an objective, independent, stable existence to objects and the external world. This is the primary change that distinguishes the next range of locations, and the culmination of transitioning through Locations 5-9.
It is possible to stabilize anywhere in this range of locations. Each can also be experienced briefly on the way to a further out location, or can be skipped altogether. Once someone transitions to Location 5, it is possible to progress rapidly through this range of locations, especially if someone’s system is oriented towards the next range of locations or towards continued deepening. Transitions between these later locations can sometimes be intense, particularly to Location 5 and 6.
In addition to the identifying features of each later locations, Locations 5 to 9 have the same characteristics as Location 4: no sense of self, no agency, nonduality, minimal self-referential thought, profound peace, no emotion (with the exception of the Path of Humanity detailed below).
As locations get later, there is also a tendency for increased subjective reports of accurate intuition and mind matter interaction, although these phenomena have not been verified objectively. Those who experience them generally regard these abilities as side effects of their progress in consciousness rather than essential attributes of it. Similar phenomena can also be reported by people in other locations or not in Fundamental Wellbeing, so they are generally not in themselves useful for identifying what location someone is experiencing.
An anomaly of the earlier locations in this range is that there seem to be two distinct ways the experience can manifest: one continues on the trajectory of Location 4, without emotion, while the other involves a return of impersonal love. We refer to these as the Path of Freedom and the Path of Humanity respectively.
On the Path of Freedom, there is no return of emotion and the experience progressively deepens into Layer 4. The process involves shifting the center of perception beneath very foundational components of the sensory level of the system. These components are fixated on as a reference point for perception, and as the fixations fall away, the subjective perception of an objective, stable, material existence diminishes. There is no subjective sense of self at this stage, but the perceptual fixations are the equivalent of self in these locations because they function as reference points for perception. Continuing on the Path of Freedom ultimately leads to Location 10 and later, where perception moves beneath the senses as a reference point.
In contrast, on the Path of Humanity, there is a return of an impersonal form of love as well as access to deep qualities of Layer 3. Location 4 is generally experienced as feeling no longer human, and the shift onto the Path of Humanity in Location 5 can feel like a return to humanity. The majority of Finders who reach Location 5 or 6 on the Path of Humanity feel as if they have reached a kind of completion.
The centeredness of perception in Layer 3 precludes deepening further than Location 6 on the Path of Humanity, and most Finders will remain in one of these locations indefinitely. In rare instances, people may experience Location 5 in the Path of Humanity form, and then switch to the Path of Freedom from Location 6 onwards. This would involve deepening exclusively into Layer 4 and leaving the experience of impersonal love behind.
The love experienced on the Path of Humanity is completely impersonal, universal love. There are no emotions apart from this love and the ‘proto-emotions’ typically experienced in Location 4 and later. The love is experienced as foundational to reality and is the unity of reality itself. It may feel like an all-pervading power or presence that encompasses and is everything. It may also feel like the light from the visual effects in Location 5 is the presence of love manifest as all of existence (see ‘Location 5’ below for more detail).
The following sections will detail the specific characteristics of Location 5 to 9. It is important to note that the descriptions refer to persistent experiences. It is common to have temporary experiences of further locations, or to develop an ability to access aspects of these experiences through practices like meditation. These temporary shifts have the potential to stabilize, but the transformation that occurs in the system as a result of a persistent shift is not comparable to the effects of temporary experiences.
Similarly, the identifying characteristics of each location need to be considered in the context of the composite experience someone is reporting (e.g., no sense of self, no emotion, no agency, been through earlier locations in some way, may recognize earlier points where a statement like “there is only the universe looking out of my eyes” may have seemed true, but that this is of another order entirely, etc.). The core features of each location are only significant when experienced together with the general cluster of late location characteristics.
Identifying features of Locations 5–9 :
Location 5 | |
Location 6 | Sensory and/or motor system glitches; |
Location 7 | Sense perceptions seem faded to the background and the dominant experience is undifferentiated reality, “there is only the universe / infinite / reality”; |
Location 8 | Undifferentiated reality functioning directly through the visual system, “there is only the universe / infinite / reality looking out of my eyes” |
Location 9 | Undifferentiated reality experiencing itself directly through all the senses of the body |
Location 5
The primary change that occurs with transitioning to Location 5 is a change in the visual system involving how objects and light are perceived. Everything appears to glow or have an inner luminescence. It may shimmer or appear unstable or vibrational visually. It may seem like it is never truly dark or someone may experience significantly improved night vision.
The changes seem to be related to the falling away of filters on direct perception. From an early age we observed how things become visible when the sun comes out or the light is turned on; that light is shining on objects, and then we see them. This produces the belief that there are external self-existent objects there on which the light can shine, and the objective existence of things is confirmed by the other senses. This sensory-based representation of reality is wired into perception from infancy, and is later confirmed by what we learn about visual perception in our schooling – light is reflecting off objects, and into our eyes, which send a signal to the brain, which interprets the input.
The fixation of perception in the senses and the sensory-based representation of reality is what the locations 5-9 are progressively dissolving, beginning with this component of the visual system in Location 5. From the perspective of pure subjectivity, there are actually no objective things in direct visual perception, only images. In contrast to darkness, these images are literally self-illuminated and what is perceived is composed of light. Light is what is falling into our eyes. This is organized into the appearance of individual things, but the raw sensory data is light. When this process of object construction begins falling away in the visual system, there is a direct visual perception of everything being self-luminescent.
There will often be temporary or localized experiences of this kind of visual change before transitioning fully to Location 5. Someone in Location 4 might be walking outside and perceive that all the flowers appear to be glowing, but have no idea what to make of it—are they really glowing or is it the sunlight? Are they hallucinating, or is it all just very bright?
These types of localized and temporary experiences are not yet Location 5, but can be an indication of a transition being imminent. When the transition is complete, the perceptual changes are pervasive and persistent. The environment glows or appears self-illuminating. It can be subtle, but it is unmistakable.
Some experiences not to be confused for Location 5 visual effects include:
Temporary peak type experiences, ‘auras’ or light around objects, perceptions of colored light with eyes open or closed, seeing colors brighter or vision appearing more crisp and vivid, seeing in 2 dimensions, any visual change that doesn’t coincide with the other characteristics of Location 5.
Other characteristics of Location 5 include general late location characteristics such as no self, no agency, profound peace, nonduality, no emotion (with the exception of impersonal love in the case of Path of Humanity), etc.
In addition, on the Path of Freedom, a transition into Location 5 brings about a deeper loss of the sense of self or any reference point compared to Location 4. There is also less distinction between things on a sensory level and further loss of perceptual dimensionality, although focus on the light can make this less evident.
On the Path of Humanity, there is a return of an impersonal form of love as well as access to deep qualities of Layer 3. Location 4 is generally experienced as feeling no longer human, and the shift onto the Path of Humanity in Location 5 can feel like a return to humanity. There is also a return of some perceptual dimensionality with deeper access to Layer 3.
Location 3 versus Location 5 Path of Humanity:
- Both can be very centered in Layer 3, although generally Location 3 centers in the middle range of Layer 3 while Location 5 centers in the deepest parts of Layer 3 usually combined with Layer 4.
- Both have no fully formed personal emotions and instead experience primarily a single positive emotion, although in Location 3 there is considerably more access to reactions in the system on an emotional level (experienced as a tone or flavor within the persistent meta-emotion of love, joy, compassion), while in Location 5 only proto-emotions remain accessible.
- Location 5 is profoundly nondual, while Location 3 has a sense of merging or union with the all-pervading consciousness / divine presence.
- There is no sense of self in Location 5. There is a sense of self or a center in Location 3—that which is in union with the all-pervading presence.
- Location 5 has the visual effects—some visual changes can occur in Location 3, but it is much less consistent
- Location 5 has no sense of agency, (everything feels like it is unfolding spontaneously and actions that one takes are a part of that one movement. Note that one’s mind can still think through actions and decisions as if it has agency, but it is subjectively perceived as equally part of this singular unfolding, not as a separate thing operating independently or under “your” control). In contrast, Location 3 has agency (there is a subjective sense of an individual “you” that is in charge of actions and choices)
Location 6
By the time someone reaches Location 6, the changes occurring in the nervous system are deep enough to cause disturbances in sensory processing and motor functioning. These are typically experienced as “glitches” in the nervous system – temporary malfunctioning of the sensory or motor systems.
What appears to be happening at this stage is the dissolution of components of the individual sense of self that were formed early in development. Since these were established in parallel with learning to use the sensory and motor systems, extricating the sense of self from this depth of the nervous system seems to result in temporary disturbances in their functioning.
The effects of these glitches vary widely between individuals. They may be momentary or more prolonged, lasting hours or days in some cases. They can be can range from mild to severe and have the potential to be dangerous under the wrong circumstances. They generally diminish within a few months of transitioning to Location 6.
Some examples include (all temporary):
Sense perceptions misaligned with the position of the body in space, loss or impairment of vision, breathing problems, abnormalities and distortions in concrete sense perceptions, feeling of needing to re-learn to use aspects of the sensory or motor system, disruptions in normal motor skills or functioning, weakness or paralysis of parts of the body, loss of consciousness, significant gaps in conscious recollection or awareness of the body (wherein it evidently continued functioning), disruptions in object recognition or processing sense perceptions, etc.
Note that many of these experiences can appear in cases unrelated to Location 6, so the composite experience needs to be considered to determine if someone is experiencing Location 6 (e.g., no emotion, no self, no agency, nonduality, profound peace, Location 5 visual effects, etc.)
Please also note that the effects described here can also be symptoms of an underlying medical condition, so please consult a medical professional if it seems appropriate to do so, or if the symptoms don’t improve over time.
Some experiences generally not to be confused for Location 6 glitches include:
Involuntary movements or muscle jerks resulting from deconditioning or meditation practice, psychic or extra-sensory type perceptions, images or colors observed with closed eyes, general memory deficits, concentration or attention issues, energetic sensations or heat in the body, meditation or otherwise induced altered states of perception, out of body experiences, tinnitus or hearing ‘inner sounds’, hallucinations, seeing ‘orbs’ or auras, etc.
In general, ‘kundalini’ related symptoms should also not be mistaken for Location 6 effects, unless coinciding with a probable transition to Location 6 based on other indications. Kundalini activity can produce a wide range of unusual symptoms which can affect anyone, whether they are in Fundamental Wellbeing or not. We recommend contacting Dr Yvonne Kason at info@spiritualawakeningsinternational.org in the case of problematic symptoms (that are confirmed not to be medical in origin).
In addition to the experience of sensory and/or motor system glitches, Location 6 has all the same qualities of experience as Location 5, although the visual effects can become less prominent as someone deepens past Location 5. In addition, there is a progressive decline of dimensionality and distinctions in sense perceptions, most notably on the Path of Freedom. In their place, there is an increasingly pervasive experience of undifferentiated reality, which becomes the prevailing experience by Location 7. Location 6 typically begins tending in this direction, including temporary experiences that resemble Location 7.
Location 7
The primary characteristic of Location 7 is the dominance in perception of an experience of undifferentiated, indivisible, foundational reality. While an experience of undifferentiated reality would also be reported in Location 4-6, in Location 7 this dominates perception to the extent that it is primary and sense perceptions are secondary. Sense perceptions remain intact and operational, but seem suppressed or faded to the background in subjective experience. The prevailing experience will often be described with statements to the effect of “There is only the universe / infinite / reality”.
This experience involves a profound loss of dimensionality and distinctions in perception, which becomes progressively flat through Location 4 to 7. By Location 7, there is no subjective sense of space or distance remaining, although the one is able to function normally in relation to these on a practical level.
Similarly, any remaining sense of life ‘unfolding’, as it is prominently experienced in Location 4, collapses into a singular unmoving moment. In Location 4, and to a lesser extent Location 5 and 6, there is a dominant experience of the timeless and indivisible unfolding of life. By Location 7, this sense of unfolding is subjectively gone. This results from the primacy of the experience of undifferentiated reality in perception, which itself is changeless and omnipresent. It does not mean that sense perceptions themselves are no longer functioning normally or are unable to detect change and movement. It is just subjective perception that is primarily centered on a more foundational component of experience, which subjectively seems more prominent and real than anything else.
As a consequence of this type of perception, there is no sense of individualized existence to anything. By Location 7, this has dissolved to a degree that diminishes the subjective sense of the objective existence of everything as what it appears to be to the senses. There is only the undifferentiated, indivisible, foundational reality, besides which nothing else exists. Subjectively, this feels absolute and final. As a consequence, Location 7 often feels like an endpoint for Finders.
Other characteristics of Location 7 include general late location characteristics such as no emotion, no self, no agency, Location 5 visual effects, etc. While it is less consistent than in Location 6, there can also be sensory and/or motor system glitches during transitions to Location 7, or during the early stages of deepening in it.
Location 8
By Location 7, the dissolution of individual self as a reference point for perception is extensive and profound, giving way to the perception that “There is only the universe / infinite / reality”. In Location 8 and 9, this shift penetrates the sensory systems at a deeper level, producing a distinct shift in perspective that alters the way sense perceptions are processed and experienced.
In the case of Location 8, this shift affects visual perception, and is subjectively experienced as the undifferentiated foundational reality of Location 7 occupying the visual system and functioning directly through it. It feels as if it is using the eyes of the body and seeing the world through them, and is often described with statements like “There is only the universe / infinite / reality looking through my eyes”.
It should be noted that this statement, “There is only the universe / infinite / reality looking through my eyes”, may seem true at various earlier locations, including in Location 7. In Location 7, there is only the indivisible foundational reality, which implicitly is all that could be looking through one’s eyes, and all that is or could be perceiving anything. However, what distinguishes Location 8 is the sense of the direct functioning of foundational reality through the visual system, as opposed to being that which is perceiving everything in a general way. This can produce a non-spatial type of dimensionality that distinguishes it from the absolute flatness of Location 7.
This shift in perspective can subjectively feel like a reversal or flip in perception, where what was perceived in Location 7 is now perceiving itself directly through the eyes of the body. Note that this experience is in no way dualistic despite how it may be described here. Everything that is experienced from Location 4 onwards feels completely nondual. There are highly subtle dualities which are dissolved through deepening into this region, but these are only recognized in hindsight.
While in principle every transition involves some period of adjustment, Location 8 is generally on the more extreme end of the spectrum, usually requiring a significant period of adjustment to function fully from it. General late location characteristics should also be present in Location 8, including no emotion, no self, no agency, profound peace, Location 5 visual effects, etc. There are generally no nervous system glitches from this point on.
Locations 9
Location 9 involves a continuation of the shift in perspective that occurs in Location 8. As stated previously, by Location 7 the dissolution of individual self as a reference point for perception is extensive and profound, giving way to the perception that “There is only the universe / infinite / reality”. In Location 8 and 9, this shift penetrates the sensory systems at a deeper level, producing a distinct shift in perspective that alters the way sense perceptions are processed and experienced.
In Location 9, the shift extends from the visual system to the entire body and all the senses. It is subjectively experienced as the undifferentiated foundational reality of Location 7 and 8 occupying the entire sensory system and functioning directly through it. It feels as if it is using the senses of the body and experiencing the world / itself through them. The same statements as those made in Location 8 are often used to describe the experience, i.e., “There is only the universe / infinite / reality looking through my eyes” or “experiencing itself through this body”.
As in the case of Location 8, it should be noted that these statements may seem true at various earlier locations, including in Location 7. In Location 7, there is only the indivisible foundational reality, which implicitly is all that could be looking through one’s eyes, and all that is or could be experiencing anything. However, what distinguishes Location 9 is the sense of the direct functioning of foundational reality through the entire body / sensory system, as opposed to being that which is perceiving everything in a general way.
General late location characteristics should also be present in Location 9, including no emotion, no self, no agency, profound peace, nonduality, Location 5 visual effects, etc. There are generally no nervous system glitches by this point.
By Location 9, there can be a prominent experience of a non-spatial type of dimensionality that distinguishes it from the absolute flatness of Location 7. As this deepens, it can lead beyond Layer 4 and past Location 9 into the next range of locations.
At the deeper end of Location 9, there can be the experience of “the universe / infinite / reality” simultaneously creating reality through the senses of the body and perceiving itself through them. This is generally an indication that a transition into the next range of locations is happening.