We are more than just our physical bodies and existences – that much is clear, whether we take the scientific perspective or the spiritual one.
We experience different levels of consciousness in our day to day lives through the different brainwave states we are occupy. Two people can experience the exact same event and come to two different conclusions. We can experience different dimensions through practices like meditation, shamanic journeying, astral projection, lucid dreaming etc.
If you have done any metaphysical study you will be familiar with the 3rd, 4th and 5th dimensional level of consciousness. Each successive dimension opens us up to deeper insight and expansion. It is said that as we awaken on a collective level our society will shift accordingly, moving from the 3D to 5D.
In this post I want to explore the differences between 3D, 4D and 5D consciousness, and what each one looks like.
Shifting Between Dimensions
Dimensions of consciousness are often referred to as higher or lower. The lower dimensions consist of denser experiences and emotions like fear and shame while the higher dimensions consist of lighter experiences or emotions like joy and peace.
The lower astral realms which we can access through meditation and different journeying techniques are inhabited by lower-vibrational astral beings who serves their own needs. The higher astral realms are inhabited by higher-vibrational astral beings like angels who have a benevolent purpose.
As we shift into higher levels of consciousness we are able to gain a wider view of things. We can take a negative experience or emotion and see how it serves a deeper purpose, and how to neutralize it.
The dimensions are less like places we can travel to, like how we might take a plane to another country. They are more like the floors we pass on an elevator – we can go up or down.
Most of us are shifting through different levels of consciousness throughout the day because we still have some attachment to our physical lives, identities and routines. Not everyone is here to transcend these ego structures, or live a life outside of society in this way.
Ego isn’t a bad thing, it’s a locator that tells us who we are and where we are placed. However as we move through different levels of consciousness we can experience a decrease or weakening of certain aspects of our ego.
We might still hold onto our earthly identity but not as strongly as we did before. We can acknowledge our humanity, while making space for and embodying deeper aspects of our soul or higher self.
Living In the 3rd Dimension
The third dimension is the one we have the most experience with, it is our physical existence.
No one lives solely in the third dimension, even the most unaware, egotistic of people. There is always a level of awareness in the spiritual or astral planes. These non-physical dimensions are what we are accustomed to before birth and after death.
When we enter into this third dimension we experience an amnesia of sorts, forgetting these otherworldly experiences. As we grow older or become more conditioned (the two often go hand in hand) our memory of these planes becomes duller.
3D is our physical reality, it is where we can feel the weight of karma most strongly. This includes emotions & experiences such as fear, sadness, lack etc.
While I do not believe that anyone lives solely from the 3D as each human has a spiritual anchor, we can operate primarily from the 3D.
This looks like living in survival mode, constantly on the defensive, focused on competition and taking what we can take rather than give. We are blinded by our ego and gain power through controlling and manipulating others.
Living in the 3D means looking at everything in black and white, good and bad terms. There is no gray area, there is no compromise, everything must go our way and align with our motivations.
When we live in 3D it’s very difficult to effect real change in our lives in accordance with our deeper soul purpose. We get carried away with the crowd, becoming apathetic and feeling unfulfilled. The shadow rules.
Living In the 4th Dimension
We always hear about 3D and 5D, but what about the state in-between? Isn’t that important to know about too? It is always curious to me when explanations of 4D consciousness are skipped over.
I have seen others refer to 4D as the ‘rainbow bridge’ between 3D & 5D and have taken to that term.
The 4th dimension is the bridge between these two level of consciousness and one that we’ll experience time and time again, particularly if we are doing any spiritual work.
The 4th dimension is one where time and space become flexible. Whenever we work with our energy and attempt to shift our physical environment through our mental focus, we are shifting in and out of this 4th dimension of consciousness.
4D is a level slightly above 3D, which means it vibrates at a slightly faster or higher frequency. We start to access the 4D through practices such as meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing and creative expression.
When we are inhabiting this realm we become more aware of our multi-dimensional nature. We aren’t solely our identity, our job, our routine, we are much more than that.
When we are shifting into the 4th dimension we might start to experience a purging of heavy energy, buried emotions and attachments. This is the space in-between 3D & 5D and so we can do a lot of evolving or regressing from this space.
The key to entering the 4th dimension is to release fear. Anytime we attempt to face aspects of ego we are met with fear – fear of the unknown beyond what we are accustomed to.
Living In the 5th Dimension
Then there is 5D. There are a lot of ways to conceptualize the fifth dimension however most simply, this is a space we enter when we are completely focused on the NOW.
5D is above 4D, it vibrates at a slightly faster or higher frequency still. This is a space of unconditional love, present moment awareness and non-duality. Most people (myself included) do not inhabit 5D all of the time.
Living in the 5th dimension all the time would require that we also inhabit physical structures that align with this. It’s just not ‘practical’ to always be focused on the present, beyond identities, structures and schedules in most of our communities.
Instead 5D acts as a space we shift in and out of, so we can bring back the insight that comes from this detached and neutral space. We might not always be able to be present, but we can incorporate that present moment awareness deeper and deeper into our daily lives.
When we are in 5D there is no competition; we lack nothing and there is enough to go around for everyone. A society where everyone was in 5D consciousness would look like an equal distribution of resources with no hierarchies.
This is a highly intuitive space where we aren’t concerned with getting from “A” to “B” but in deepening our awareness of the present.
Further Reading: What Is 5D Consciousness?
In conclusion
I think it’s important to remember that just because we are inhabiting a higher dimension of awareness, doesn’t make us “better” or “worse” than anyone else. In fact, it’s quite easy to start creating hierarchies that bring us out of these higher states and into competition.
Higher dimensions open us up to a wider spectrum of information, which we can integrate and put to practice in our daily lives.