The concept of the “three levels of reality” — essence, dreaming, and consensus reality — is most closely associated with Arnold Mindell, a physicist and psychotherapist who founded Process Oriented Psychology (or Process Work). Mindell introduced this framework as part of his work on exploring human consciousness, dreaming, and collective social experiences.
- Essence reality refers to the deepest level, connected to formless energy, intuition, and a sense of oneness.
- Dreaming reality represents the symbolic or non-material world, where emotions, metaphors, and images dominate (often connected with our dream experiences and deeper psyche).
- Consensus reality is the agreed-upon “normal” shared by society, governed by physical laws, social norms, and common perceptions.
