For Beginners: What is Enlightenment? Lifting the veil of illusion. How do you define enlightenment and how do you know someone is enlightened?
Enlightenment is a central concept in many spiritual traditions and spiritual beliefs. It describes a state of deep understanding and complete clarity achieved through liberation from the limitations of the ego and mind. Enlightened people experience the world with a new perspective, free from everyday illusions, interpretations of the mind and distortions.
Different paths to enlightenment
There are many different paths to enlightenment, which can vary from tradition to tradition.
Some ways are:
- Meditation: Meditation can calm the mind and heighten awareness, which can lead to deep insight into the nature of reality.
- Spiritual dissociation: By temporarily and controlled switching off the mind and imagination, one frees oneself from all limiting beliefs and views and gradually achieves enlightenment.
- Yoga: Yoga connects the body, mind and spirit and can help release the blockages that prevent enlightenment.
- Bhakti Yoga: Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion and love for God. Through this devotion the devotee can experience unity with the divine.
- Jnana Yoga: Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge and insight. Through study and self-reflection, the Jnana Yogi can realize the true nature of the self.
Mark of enlightenment
Enlightenment is a profound and transformative experience that can impact all aspects of a person’s life.
The hallmarks of enlightenment include:
- Deep peace and serenity: Enlightened people are free from fear and worry and experience deep inner peace.
- Unconditional Love and Compassion: Enlightened people feel limitless love and compassion for all living beings.
- Clarity and Wisdom: Enlightened people have a clear and penetrating view of the world and have deep wisdom.
- Unity experience: Enlightened people experience the unity of all being and feel connected to the divine.
Classic enlightenment in everyday life
Enlightenment is not just a distant goal, but can also be experienced in everyday life. By making ourselves present in the here and now, acting with mindfulness and treating our fellow human beings with love and compassion, we can experience moments of enlightenment in everyday life.
Enlightenment is a gift that is available to every person. It is a path of liberation and transformation that leads us to our true being.
Enlightenment in the Matrix
Enlightenment is also explained as taking a look behind the scenes of the matrix and realizing how everyday life is actually structured. You see through all the manipulations and “awaken”. One realizes that one is in a dream that is being lived and experienced at this moment, i.e. the whole life has been an ongoing dream, which ends as soon as one realizes this and begins one’s journey to achieve the wholeness of one’s self, the higher Himself.
How do you know that someone is enlightened?
There are many people who believe that they are enlightened. Unfortunately, this cannot be measured, tested or determined precisely because enlightenment is a purely personal experience. Once a yogi or other person declares that they are enlightened, one can only rely on their personal judgment. An outsider cannot check or verify this statement at all. For this reason, declaring that one is enlightened is more of a profiling and self-congratulation than a fact.
How does one achieve enlightenment?
Enlightenment is usually achieved through ongoing meditation or through the technique of spiritual dissociation. Some people also achieved enlightenment through a drastic experience in their personal reality, such as a Near Death Experience (NDE).
But taking mind-expanding substances has also led some people to enlightenment. LSD, psilocybin or DMT were mentioned here.
See also:
Jonathan Dilas book “Spiritual Dissociation”
How do you use dissociation as a beginner?