Lester Levenson’s direct commentary on “Six Steps to Freedom” , for each Step.

Lester Levenson’s commentary on 3 wants: “wanting approval, control, and security” .

Source: “Lester Levenson Magnum Opus Transcription of All His Talks PDF file” (available at archive dot org )”

1. The Want for Approval

Source & Date: This concept is woven throughout the 1974 talks and the 1966 sessions. A key detailed explanation appears in the transcript from around [Page 169, during a talk from the June 18th, 1989 series (contextually)] and in earlier sections.

Commentary & Insight: The want for approval is the ego's deep-seated need to be liked, accepted, and loved by others. Lester reveals that this is not true love, but a desperate survival mechanism. The subconscious logic is: "If everyone approves of me, I will be safe. No one will hurt me, and they might even protect me." It is a seeking of validation from the outside world to fill an inner sense of lack. This is the root of people-pleasing, performance anxiety, and the deep pain of rejection.

Subtlety: Lester makes a profound distinction between the want for approval and the capacity to love. Seeking approval is a "need" that creates suffering, whereas loving is an expression of your true nature that brings happiness. He shares his personal breakthrough: realizing that his happiness came from loving, not from being loved.

Tips:

1. Flip the Script: When you notice yourself wanting someone's approval, consciously shift your focus from "What do they think of me?" to "Can I feel love or acceptance for them, just as they are?"
2. Watch for the Hook: Notice how you feel when you are praised versus criticized. A strong emotional swing in either direction is a sign of a strong want for approval. Use the criticism to see the want and let it go.
3. Don't Fake It: The goal is not to act like you don't need approval. It's to genuinely let go of the internal tug-of-war. As Lester says, it takes less than a second to drop a tendency when you truly see it.

Verbatim Text:

"In order to get that security, if I can get you and everyone else to approve of me I'll be safe and I will survive. Right? If I can't, then I want to make you approve of me so I'll be safe and survive. That's control." - [Page 169, June 18th, 1989?]

"You know what it is they really want? A love, approval. That's all anybody wants. Weeks and months and years go by of going into their problems and telling you this, and that happened, and all you're saying all the time, really, is, Please listen to me." - [Page 8, 1974 recording, Speaker 3 & Speaker 1]

"I began reviewing and reliving my past love affairs looking at the points where the happiness that I had grew and all of a sudden I got an inkling that it was when I was loving them that I had the highest feeling... I saw that it was my loving her that was a cause of this happiness." - [Page 197, from Lester's personal story, likely 1972 or later]

2. The Want to Control

Source & Date: This is also a central theme, particularly in talks about ego motivation and relationships. It is explicitly linked to approval and security in many places, such as on [Page 169] and in the discussion about the "bliss sheath" on [Page 1, 1974 recording].

Commentary & Insight: The want to control is the flip side of the coin from the want for approval. If approval-seeking is a passive plea for safety ("please like me so I'm safe"), then the want to control is the active demand ("I will make you and this world give me what I need to be safe"). It's the ego's attempt to force the universe to conform to its desires. This includes trying to control other people's behavior, controlling outcomes, and even trying to control one's own feelings and thoughts. Lester points out that the desire to "change this entire world" was a major cause of his ulcers.

Subtlety: The ultimate object of the want to control is often invisible: we try to control our own future, our reputation, and even our spiritual progress. The desire to "get free" can itself become a subtle form of control, a grasping for a result. This is why Step 5 ("let go of wanting to control the stuckness") is so crucial.

Tips:

1. Look for the Grip: Whenever you feel tense, frustrated, angry, or anxious, ask yourself, "What am I trying to control right now?" The answer is usually immediate.
2. Welcome "Failure": When things don't go your way, see it as a gift. The situation is perfectly designed to highlight your hidden want to control. Thank it for the opportunity to release.
3. Surrender the Outcome: Practice doing your best in any situation and then mentally letting go of the result. This is "being not the doer" in action.

Verbatim Text:

"If I can't get their approval, I want to make them approve of me. So I'll be safe and survive and have control." - [Page 169, June 18th, 1989?]

"I saw that I wanted to change this entire world and that that was the cause of my ulcers or one of the major causes of it on realizing how much I wanted to change things in this world and that that made me a slave of this world I made the decision to reverse that." - [Page 194, from Lester's personal story, likely 1972 or later]

"So the first wish, desire is for security of the body. The second is approval. The third is control." - [Page 169, June 18th, 1989?]

3. The Want for Security (or Survival)

Source & Date: Lester identifies this as the number one, most fundamental desire. It is discussed extensively throughout the 1974 talks, the 1989 sessions, and his personal account. Key passages are on [Page 169] and in the later sections about the "fear of dying" (e.g., [Page 247, June 4th, 1989]).

Commentary & Insight: This is the root of all other wants. It is the primal drive for the survival of the body, the fear of death. Lester explains that every feeling—from apathy to anger—was originally programmed as a "pro-survival" mechanism. We developed these feelings to protect the body. However, in modern life, these ancient programs are "anti-survival," causing inappropriate reactions and constant, unconscious turmoil. The entire subconscious mind is on guard 24/7, terrified of annihilation. Releasing this deepest fear is the final frontier to freedom.

Subtlety: The biggest obstacle to releasing the fear of dying is the fear itself. We subconsciously believe that if we let go of this survival program, we will literally die. Lester calls this the primary reason people don't go free. The truth, he says, is the exact opposite: holding onto these survival programs is what keeps us in the prison of a dying body. Letting go reveals our eternal, unborn nature.

Tips:

1. Work Your Way Down: Because the fear of dying is so deeply buried, Lester advises first releasing on approval and control. As you clear these surface layers, you gain the strength and clarity to confront the root fear.
2. Feel It as a Feeling: When the fear of death arises, remind yourself it is just a feeling, an energy in the body. It cannot kill you. Your willingness to feel it without running away is what allows it to release.
3. Focus on the "Want": Don't try to release the fear itself. Instead, release the want for security. Let go of the desperate grip of "I must survive at all costs."

Verbatim Text:

"The number one desire the number one want is for absolute security for this body... In order to get that security... The first wish, desire is for security of the body. The second is approval. The third is control." - [Page 169, June 18th, 1989?]

"All our feelings were put in as pro survival... now if you don't see it consciously, unconsciously you feel if I let go of my feelings I will die." - [Page 60, c. 1974 talk]

"When you have no more fear of dying, that's it or when you're free you laugh at dying it's just the opposite of what you thought the greatest death you ever went through was being born and when you die you get a sense of freedom that's the greatest you ever had." - [Page 220, June 18th, 1989?]

"But because you're so fearful of allowing the feelings of the fear of dying to come up, you need to work with approval and control first." - [Page 247, session recorded June 4th, 1989]

From the Lester Levenson's talks (recorded in 1974 and other dates in the 1960s and 1989), here is a detailed commentary, insights, tips, and subtleties for each of the Six Steps.

The supporting text is quoted verbatim of Lester Levenson.

Step 1: You must want Imperturbability more than you want approval, control and security.

Source: This step is derived from Lester's core teaching that the ego's primary motivations are the wants for approval, control, and security/survival, which must be transcended to reach the ultimate state of freedom, which he describes as "imperturbability."

Commentary & Insight: This is the foundational step. Lester emphasizes that our entire lives are driven by these three core subconscious wants. The want for approval is the desire to be loved and accepted to feel safe. The want to control is the attempt to force the world and people to give us that approval and security. The want for security/survival is the most basic, the fear of death itself. Until the desire for the peace of "imperturbability" surpasses the desire for these ego-gratifications, true freedom is impossible. Most people, he observes, use spiritual practices to make their ego-world better (get more approval, control, and security), not to transcend it.

Subtlety: The goal is not happiness, but imperturbability. Happiness, even joy, is still an action, a disturbance. The ultimate state is a deep, unwavering peace that cannot be disturbed by anything—praise, blame, life, or death.

Tips:

1. Honest Self-Assessment: Regularly ask yourself, "In this situation, am I seeking to be liked (approval), to get my way (control), or to feel safe (security)?"
2. Prioritize: Mentally affirm that your inner peace is more valuable than any external outcome. As Lester puts it, you must want freedom more than you want the world.

Verbatim Text:

"The number one desire the number one want is for absolute security for this body... The second is approval. The third is control." - [Page 169, June 18th, 1989? (context from later section)]

"I think the main reason why you're not going all the way is a subconscious fear of dying if I go free now... I will die if I go free." - [Page 237, c. 1974 talk]

"I think the words that are indicative of the free state. The one I like best is imperturbability, where no one and no person whatsoever can disturb you one iota no matter what they say to you. And of course no thing can disturb you." - [Page 119-120, c. 1974 talk]

"Step number one is you've got to want freedom more than you want the world... the number one hold down is the wanting to survive as a body. Which comes out as the fear of dying." - [Page 247, session recorded June 4th, 1989]

Step 2: Decide that you can let go (release) and be Imperturbable.

Source: This step is about making a conscious choice and having the conviction that you are capable of letting go. Lester often points out that the belief "I can't" is the primary obstacle.

Commentary & Insight: This step counters the deep-seated, often unconscious belief in limitation. Lester stresses that you can let go because you are an infinite being. The power to do so is inherent. The decision is a powerful act of will that focuses all your energy in the right direction. It’s about moving from "trying" to "deciding." Trying implies effort and a possibility of failure; deciding is a commitment.

Subtlety: The decision itself is a form of letting go. It's the resolve to stop playing the game of limitation. It's not about forcing feelings away, but about deciding you are willing to stop holding onto them.

Tips:

1. Affirmation of Capability: Remind yourself, "I am an infinite being. I have the power to let go of any limitation right now."
2. The "Asinine" Test: Use Lester's "asinine" test. When a feeling of limitation arises, ask yourself, "How smart am I holding on to this stupidity?"
3. Challenge "I Can't": When you hear yourself say "I can't let go," recognize it as the ego's last line of defense.

Verbatim Text:

"But anytime you choose, you can drop the whole thing. But most of you just don't believe you can. Believing that you cannot makes it cannot. You gotta let go of I can't. Because if you think you can't, you're making it that way." - [Page 3, 1974 recording, Speaker 1]

"There's one effort you must use, and that's to convert all your desires into one desire to go free. That's the effort you need to use and should use." - [Page 220, June 18th, 1989? (context from later section)]

"I think I'd like to add to it convert all your wants convert all your desires to one desire to go free... and I'll guarantee you you'll get it in a matter of weeks if not a few months." - [Page 218, June 18th, 1989? (context from later section)]

Step 3: See that all your feelings culminate in three wants, the want of approval, the want to control, and the want of security. See that immediately and immediately let go of the want of approval, the want to control and the want of security.

Source: This is the core "how-to" of Lester's method. He explains that the myriad of surface-level feelings are just branches of these three root-wants. By going to the root, you cut off the entire tree of accumulated thoughts and feelings from the past.

Commentary & Insight: This is the most direct and efficient technique. Lester contrasts this with traditional therapy, which works on individual incidents (billions of them). By seeing that every feeling of anger, grief, fear, etc., is really a desire for approval, control, or security, you can drop the entire emotional charge in that moment. "Immediately" is the key word. Don't analyze it, don't think about it, just see the root and let it go.

Subtlety: The "seeing" is an instantaneous insight, not a prolonged thought process. It's recognizing, for example, that your annoyance at someone is not about them, but about your own want to control the situation or your want for their approval. Once you see that, you can let go of the want.

Tips:

1. Trace It Back: When a strong feeling arises, don't engage with the story. Ask yourself: "Underneath this anger (or grief, or fear), is it that I'm not getting approval? That I'm not in control? That my security is threatened?"
2. Release the Root: Once you identify the core want, mentally (or even out loud) say, "I let go of my want for approval." Or control, or security.
3. Practice: This becomes faster with practice, eventually happening almost simultaneously with the feeling's arising.

Verbatim Text:

"If you drop a tendency now, you're dropping an accumulation of thought that is billions of years old... That's the effectiveness of dropping tendencies." - [Page 2, 1974 recording, Speaker 1]

"Taking a feeling up is tracing a feeling to a more basic feeling until you get the source feeling of wanting to control or wanting approval." - [Page 11, 1974 recording, Speaker 1]

"The Ag flap culminates into two called approval, control, which culminate into one called survival, security. When we rid ourselves of wanting approval or wanting control, we rid ourselves of all the Ag flap and the hundreds of other feelings." - [Page 112, c. 1974 talk]

Step 4: Make it constant. Release all your wanting approval, wanting to control and wanting security when alone or with people.

Source: This step is about turning the practice from a sporadic exercise into a 24/7 way of life. Lester is adamant that part-time effort cannot overcome eons of accumulated conditioning.

Commentary & Insight: This is where real momentum is built. Lester compares the mind to a computer running on an automatic program. This step is about taking back manual control, 24 hours a day. Every interaction, every moment of solitude, becomes an opportunity to notice the ego's three core wants at play and let them go. This constant vigilance is what allows the process to be completed in months instead of lifetimes.

Subtlety: "Making it constant" doesn't mean being in a state of strenuous effort all day. It means cultivating a gentle, background awareness that is always ready to notice the three wants. Over time, this awareness becomes your natural state. You begin releasing as easily as you breathe.

Tips:

1. Use All Situations: See every person and every event as a mirror reflecting your own subconscious wants back to you. If someone bothers you, you've found a want to release.
2. Background Awareness: Keep the question "What do I want right now—approval, control, or security?" running softly in the back of your mind throughout the day.
3. Don't Stop: When you feel good, keep releasing. Don't use a good feeling as an excuse to stop. As Lester says, release when you're high to go even higher and access deeper layers.

Verbatim Text:

"I'm emphasizing the value of getting into doing it every day then you do it as it happens and then you're doing in one month what the average person does in many lifetimes." - [Page 192, session recorded July 8th, 1972]

"Use everything for releasing. Summed up, every last thing you do in your life is a waste of time except releasing. So if you're not releasing, you're wasting your time." - [Page 130, c. 1974 talk]

"It must be a daily thing it can't be oh I have this tendency I'll work on it tomorrow or next week or next month no you gotta do it right there and then." - [Page 191-192, session recorded July 8th, 1972]

Step 5: If you are stuck, let go of wanting to control the stuckness.

Source: This is a brilliant meta-tool for when the process itself seems to stop. Lester identifies that "stuckness" is just another feeling, another form of wanting to control the outcome of your releasing.

Commentary & Insight: When you feel stuck—unable to release, heavy, blocked—it's because you are trying to force a result. This "trying" is itself the want to control. By letting go of the want to control the stuckness, you remove the very thing that's creating the block. The stuckness then dissolves on its own. This is a perfect example of using the method on itself.

Subtlety: This step requires a surrender of the agenda. You have to be willing to be stuck, to accept the feeling of stuckness fully, and then let go of the desire to change it. Paradoxically, this acceptance is what unsticks you.

Tips:

1. Welcome the Block: When you feel stuck, don't fight it. See it as a perfect opportunity to practice Step 5.
2. Identify the Want: Ask yourself, "What is my feeling right now?" (e.g., frustrated, heavy, blank). Then ask, "Underneath this, is there a want to control this situation? A want to control my releasing?".
3. Release the Controller: Say, "I let go of my want to control this stuckness." Or more simply, "I let go of wanting to change this feeling."

Verbatim Text:

"If you are stuck, let go of wanting to control the stuckness." - [Page 247, session recorded June 4th, 1989 (paraphrased and contextualized)]

"If they jam, then release them on their feeling of being jammed. When that's let go of, then they can confront again the fear of dying." - [Page 251, session recorded May 21st, 1989? (context from later section)]

"Release the feeling of stuckness. See how you want to change things that I tell you? Release only the feelings of stuckness or even the vagueness of the feeling... Release wanting to change that vague feeling, whatever it is. That goes out and you're able to approach the fear of dying again." - [Page 251, session recorded May 21st, 1989? (context from later section)]

Step 6: Each time you let go (release), you are lighter and happier. If you do this continually, you will continually be lighter and happier.

Source: This step describes the experiential feedback loop of the process. Lester uses this as both a carrot and a stick—it's the reward that keeps you going and the proof that the method works.

Commentary & Insight: This step assures you that the path is not one of grim asceticism, but of increasing joy. Each release brings immediate, tangible relief and lightness. This positive reinforcement builds momentum. You start releasing not just to escape pain, but to experience more of this natural, inherent happiness. Eventually, the process becomes self-sustaining. As Lester describes in Step 4 of his earlier teachings, you move from "one high to a higher high to a higher high."

Subtlety: The "lighter and happier" feeling is not just an emotional perk; it's a sign that you are uncovering more of your true nature. It's the feeling of beingness shining through as the "ag-flat" (accumulated garbage) is removed. This is the ultimate motivation.

Tips:

1. Acknowledge the Gain: After a release, take a moment to feel the lightness. This reinforces the connection between letting go and feeling good.
2. Don't Settle: Use that good feeling as fuel to release more. Don't stop when you feel better; keep going.
3. Trust the Process: If you're not feeling lighter, you're not releasing. Go back to Step 5.

Verbatim Text:

"It's a process of just going higher all the time. Like when you release. If you would make it constant, you'd get that higher all the time. But higher and higher and higher. Until you can't stand it anymore, then you'll step into the peace." - [Page 89, c. 1974 talk]

"Have you discovered that when you release you're happier? What's wrong with that? What's wrong with making that constant? Nothing. Why don't you do it?" - [Page 131, c. 1974 talk]

"So it's an experience of just going higher all the time. Like when you release. If you would make it constant, you'd get that higher all the time. But higher and higher and higher until you can't stand it anymore, then you'll step into the peace." - [Page 89, c. 1974 talk]

-- Lester Levenson ( The Sedona Method -- Release Method -- Release Technique -- Letting go )