Dr. David Ramon Hawkins (1927–2012) was an internationally known spiritual teacher, author, and speaker on the subject of advanced spiritual states, consciousness research, and the Realization of the Presence of God as Self.
His published works, as well as recorded lectures, have been widely recognized as unique in that a very advanced state of spiritual awareness occurred in an individual with a scientific and clinical background who was later able to verbalize and explain the unusual phenomenon in a manner that is clear and comprehensible.
The transition from the normal ego state of mind to its elimination by the Presence is described in the trilogy Power vs. Force (1995, rev. 2012, repub. 2013), which won praise even from Mother Teresa; The Eye of the I: From Which Nothing Is Hidden (2001); and I: Reality and Subjectivity (2003), which have been translated into the major languages of the world. Truth vs. Falsehood: How to Tell the Difference (2005), Transcending the Levels of Consciousness: Stairway to Enlightenment (2006), Discovery of the Presence of God: Devotional Nonduality (2007), and Reality, Spirituality and Modern Man (2008) continue the exploration of the ego’s expressions and inherent limitations and how to transcend them. Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender (2012) reveals a way to remove the obstacles to the experience of the Higher Self. Success Is for You: Using Heart-Centered Principles for Lasting Abundance and Fulfillment (2016) provides a precise method for reaching success in business and other arenas of life.
The trilogy was preceded by research on the Nature of Consciousness and published as the doctoral dissertation, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis and Calibration of the Levels of Human Consciousness (1995), which correlated the seemingly disparate domains of science and spirituality. This was accomplished by the major discovery of a technique that, for the first time in human history, demonstrated a means to discern truth from falsehood.
The importance of the initial work was given recognition by its very favorable and extensive review in Brain/Mind Bulletin and at later presentations such as the International Conference on Science and Consciousness. In response to his observation that much spiritual truth has been misunderstood over the ages due to lack of explanation, Dr. Hawkins presented monthly seminars that provided detailed explanations, which are too lengthy to describe in book format. Recordings are available that end with questions and answers, thus providing additional clarification. The Book of Slides: The Complete Collection Presented at the 2002–2011 Lectures with Clarifications (2018) is the compendium of his lecture slides.
The overall design of his lifetime work, he said, was to recontextualize the human experience in terms of the evolution of consciousness and to integrate a comprehension of both mind and spirit as expressions of the innate Divinity that is the substrate and ongoing source of life and Existence. This dedication is signified by the statement “Gloria in Excelsis Deo!” with which his published works begin and end.