Several users of entheogens have claimed spiritual enlightenment as a result of their usage, and its use and prevalence throughout history has been well documented and continues now. In recent years, there has been a surge in interest in these techniques, such as Ayahuasca. Scientific research has been conducted on the psychological impacts of these chemicals in order to better understand their physiological foundation. While entheogens do produce glimpses of higher spiritual states, they are always fleeting, dissipating as the substance's effects wear off. Making persistent changes in your consciousness is required for permanent enlightenment.
Before You Continue...
Do you know what is your soul number? Take this quick quiz to find out! Get a personalized numerology report, and discover how you can unlock your fullest spiritual potential. Start the quiz now!
What happens when you spiritually awaken?
As Kaiser argues, this is the start of your spiritual journey, as you begin to doubt everything you previously believed. You begin to purge certain aspects of your life (habits, relationships, and outdated belief systems) in order to make room for new, more meaningful experiences. You may sense that something is lacking, but you aren't sure what it is. It's common to feel disoriented, confused, and down during this time.
What does spiritual enlightenment feel like?
Spiritual enlightenment, also known as self-realization, frees you from the hedonic treadmill. Because you finally find the completion or ultimate fulfillment you've been looking for. Suddenly, psychological time comes to a halt. You're no longer looking forward to the future. As a result, neither worldly fulfillment nor enlightenment are your goals. Because every search is looking for something that will happen in the future. The past and future collide in the present as a result of self-realization. You don't even feel as if you've traveled all the way back in time to get there. You have the impression that you have always been there. Do you believe you can imagine yourself in this situation? You can't do it!
You also remove the psychological barriers that separate you from existence. You can usually tell the difference between being alone and being in a room with someone else. Your consciousness is stuck inside an idea of being a person or an entity that is unique from the ‘others,' and you can feel it in your bones. After self-realization, however, you no longer perceive the ‘other' in this manner! The psychological barrier that separates you from the other crumbles and dissolves, immersing you in a sea of oneness. This is referred to as God's oneness.
It's as if the world and your life are a movie, and you're just playing your part without even realizing it (as a person or an entity). In reality, rather than being an experiential identifier of your body and mind, the word “I” has become a point of reference. You no longer feel like a character in a life story who is personally experiencing it.
When you haven't discovered it yet, it may appear to be tedious, but it is actually incredibly satisfying, similar to how you feel at the finish of a movie. You don't lament the end of a movie; similarly, enlightenment isn't something that will appear out of nowhere in your life. It happens as a natural reaction to the end of the game or the end of the drama.
How do you feel now that you've taken off a tight shoe that's been hurting your toes for the previous three hours while you've been walking? The notion of a distinct self is like a tight shoe that puts a lot of strain on you. You aren't aware of it because it has been your way of life since the beginning. But it's only when the pressure is gone that you realize how much stress, strain, and weight you were under. You now have the feeling of being a free bird.
When someone who is free tries to express it, however, words can undoubtedly betray the true meaning intended. This is incredible!
You have a light inside of you. Simply follow it, walk where it leads, and one day you will discover the source of the light.
Seven-fold logic, also known as saptangivada, is a particular type of logic that is used when discussing such delicate issues. You may find out more about it here: An Overview of Anekantavada, Saptabhangivada (Seven Valued Logic), and Syadvada of Jainism's Logic and Spiritual Enlightenment
If you're looking for information, I've put together a guide with a series of articles: A Spiritual Enlightenment Handbook
How can you tell if someone is enlightened?
The enlightened individual is perceptive and open-minded. He has a unique ability to observe the world with tremendous clarity, free of preconceived notions about people, places, and things. He is able to view the world without leaping to conclusions as a result of this.
Does Nirvana last forever?
Nirvana is the Buddhist term for this state, which the Buddha couldn't describe in words. The word means “to extinguish” in Sanskrit. It implies to put an end to ignorance, hatred, and earthly misery in this circumstance. Though it's most closely linked with Buddhism, it's also used to describe a comparable concept in Hinduism (as we'll discover later).
You can escape samsara, the cycle of reincarnation that both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in, by obtaining nirvana. A soul is punished or rewarded in each incarnation based on its previous activities, or karma, from this life and previous lives (which also include lives as animals). It's vital to emphasize that the law of karma isn't based on a divine assessment of a person's actions; rather, it's based on Newton's law of motion, which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It happens on its own, without prompting.
You stop accruing bad karma when you reach nirvana since you've transcended it. You spend the rest of your life, and sometimes even future lifetimes, “paying off” your negative karma.
In the afterlife, you achieve parinirvana, or final nirvana, once you have totally exited the karmic cycle. Souls who have attained parinirvana, like Hindu nirvana, are free of the cycle of rebirth. The Buddha never described what it was like to reach parinirvana. It is beyond normal human perception, according to Buddhist thinking.
We'll learn what the Buddha recommended for obtaining nirvana on earth and parinirvana in the hereafter in the next segment.
What are the stages of spiritual awakening?
The hero's journey, an evolutionary process of growth and transformation woven into all great myths and stories, was outlined by renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell: “A genuinely heroic shift of awareness occurs when we stop worrying about ourselves and our own self-preservation.”
The primary pushing off point for any hero's quest is known as the call to adventure. The call to adventure is a break from regular life, a signal that comes from deep inside, grabs your attention, and drives you in a new direction. The spark that sets off a spiritual awakening is a call to adventure. Every life has a moment that, if grasped, will change it forever. The call to adventure is a reawakening experience, a shift in perspective that forces you to reconsider your perspective on life. A travel to a strange location, the loss of innocence, an illness, a challenge, the death of a close friend, a near-death experience, or the loss of a job are all examples of spiritual experiences. Regardless of the specifics, the experience alters your perspective and causes you to see the world through fresh eyes. You've been given the task of living an ordinary life in an extraordinary way.
At this critical juncture, Joseph Campbell advises that you must choose whether or not to accept the call to adventure. In truth, though, ignoring the call isn't an option because your soul is inviting you to change on a deeper level. If you ignore the call, the opportunity will recycle itself like a skip on a record, patiently waiting for you to embrace the call to a new existence, thanks to your unique karmic influences. Furthermore, there is no going back once a transforming and deeply waking incident has occurred. Your eyes have been opened, and no matter how much you try to reject it, you can't turn away from the image of a greater reality calling to you.
You enter a broader universe once you've answered the call to adventure. You take an active role in your spiritual development and advancement. As you begin to manage your life toward chances that enhance your knowledge, responsibility becomes the operative word. Everything feels the same and weirdly different at the same time, thanks to a tiny alteration in perspective.
Has anyone reached nirvana?
Buddhas, or awakened ones, are Buddhists who achieve nirvana on their own (this is different from “the Buddha,” the specific buddha who was incarnated as Siddhartha). When other buddhas become enlightened, they attain omniscience, just like the Buddha. Buddhists who attain nirvana with the assistance of a buddha guide are known as arhats, or enlightened but not omniscient beings.
While everyone can achieve nirvana, monks are the only ones who attempt it in most Buddhist groups. Instead, lay Buddhists (those who do not belong to a monastic community) seek for a better existence in the next life. They aim to accumulate good Karma by following the Noble Eightfold Path and helping others. They are striving toward nirvana in this sense because they are preparing for a future life in which they may reach nirvana.
