The seven states of consciousness are (1) beings such as humans and heavenly beings, and beings living in suffering, who are different in body and perception; (2) beings who are the first-born gods of the Brahmā world, beings who are different in body but equal in perception; (3) beings who are equal in body but different in perception, such as the Radiant Gods; (4) beings who are equal in body and equal in perception, such as the All-Illuminating Gods; (5) beings reborn in the sphere of boundless space;(6) beings reborn in the sphere of boundless consciousness; and (7) beings reborn in the sphere of nothingness.