Implementing the state pattern with Java and EclipseLink

I would like to implement the state pattern in java for the following scenario:

• The whole story is persisted with EclipseLink

• A Person has a SecurityState (= Security Level).

• Depending on a persons previous SecurityState, an operation changeSecurityLevel (and probably other operations too) will have different behaviour.

Person Class

@Entity
public class Person extends DatabaseObject{
    // .... lots of properties....
    @ManyToOne(fetch=FetchType.LAZY)
    private SecurityState securityState;

    public changeSecurityState(SecurityState newState){
       securityState.changeSecurityState(newState);
    }  

}

SecurityState:

@Entity
public abstract class SecurityState extends DatabaseObject{
    private int level;   // 1 = low, 2 = medium, 3 = high
    private Person person;  

    public SecurityState(Person p){
        this.person = p;
    }

    public changeSecurityState(SecurityState newState){
       // not implemented
    }        

    public void someOtherOperation(){
    }

    // getter and setter

}

For example the HighSecurityState:

@Entity
public class HighSecurityState extends SecurityState {
    private int level = 3;

    public changeSecurityState(SecurityState newState){
        if(newState.getLevel() == 1){
           // do specific stuff for High-to-Low status changes

           person.securityState = new LowSecurityState();
        }else if(newState.getLevel() == 2){
           person.securityState = new MediumSecurityState();
        }else{ }
    }  
}

Questions: - Is the state-pattern more or less correctly implemented? I don't like the if-else somehow, this doesn't really feel right.

• Which table should be persisted in the database? The abstract SecurityState? Or the concrete state classes?