‘Enlightenment’ is an awakening in which an individual transcends the physical realm. Rooted in both Buddhism and Hinduism, spiritual enlightenment first came to the Western world through 19th century translations written by Max Müller, a German scholar. After undergoing necessary discipline and a series of significant experiences, a person becomes enlightened, finding the ultimate truth. How does the quest for enlightenment thrive in this modern age? How do you become enlightened?
Relevance
Thanks to the media-particularly social media-spirituality draws in more people everyday. Even skeptics develop interest. Compared to younger generations of the past, a huge number of millennials today are open to spiritual matters. They don’t just confine themselves to their parents’ beliefs or to a single faith. For instance, they relate to some eastern religious principles and see their application as convenient and even enjoyable for everyday life.
What Is Spiritual Awakening?
The notion of enlightenment has existed for centuries. Enlightenment starts the moment you wake with a new sense of existence. You obtain complete self-awareness in the present moment. You reach higher states of consciousness.
Practices
There are several ways toward spiritual enlightenment. Before getting into one, you must prepare to immerse yourself in a process: be self-aware, be humble, forgive (including yourself), and embrace your fears. You can’t reach enlightenment without handling your issues. Once you’ve done that, you’re set to do any of these methods:
Meditation
- involves obtaining inner peace by focusing your mind and tuning out external distractions. You sit in silence and let your body relax as you reflect. Meditation comes in various types such as breath awareness, zen, transcendental, and mindfulness.
Chanting
- rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds. Often used for aligning internal spiritual energy with the divine, chants range from a simple melody to highly complex musical structures including repetition of mantras, sacred text, the name of God or a spirit, etc. You can do it on your own or with others.
Yoga
- birthed from Hindu tradition, this method uses the combination of training the mind to focus on the body and the body’s exhaustion during the activity, to create an environment for enlightenment to occur. The yogic movements’ repetitive nature keeps you from thinking about what you’re doing. Physical stress on the body helps stop conscious thought, catalyzing the release of chemicals in the brain which cause the enlightenment experience.
Dance
- also a form of physical activity that aids in focusing your mind. Like ritualistic dancing, movements you make lead you to awakening. Quakers (religious group) got their name from being known to shake their bodies to communicate with God.
Fasting
- most religions and traditions practice this. Fasting is going without food for a certain period of time. Jesus and Siddartha Gautama, the first recorded Buddha, both fasted. Islam’s Ramadan requires fasting, as does Judaism during Yom Kippur. Because indulging in food gives us pleasure, depriving ourselves of it brings us closer to our god.
Prayer
- a means of communication with a higher being, it’s a common method that can usher you towards enlightenment. The concentration and contemplation involved serve as a strong bridge. For example, the beads Catholics use to aid in counting repetitive recitation of their prayer help calm and focus the mind.
Pilgrimages
- visiting sacred places induce a greater sense of meaning and purpose than familiar surroundings. Many people travel to Jerusalem, visit Mecca, or climb mountains to sit inside holy temples. Going on a pilgrimage doesn’t necessarily remove conscious thought, but it does rid you of your self-centered thoughts, which you may not achieve in your regular environment.
What Does Enlightenment Feel Like?
Most people who have experienced enlightenment describes it as pure bliss. Like you’re weightless. You’re still the same person with the same problems, but more free. Your awareness and inner peace helps your soul be fully still and present. You don’t feel the rush to understand or become anything. Just staying in the moment. You can see and hear reality, but you’re grounded. Deep joy and wisdom finds you.
How Do You Become Spiritually Enlightened?
The path of enlightenment is long and arduous for the human soul . You need to practice courage, vulnerability and honesty. Here are some simple steps you need to follow in the process of enlightenment:
Increase Your Compassion
Spiritual awakening happens when people start to feel true empathy. Compassion both for yourself and for others. You need to know and feel pure compassion and act on it.
Add Mindfulness To Your Daily Life
Practice awareness. Notice your own feelings and those of others. Be in the moment. Meditation and yoga can help you do this. Learning how to live within the moment is the key to enlightenment.
Expand Your Knowledge
Spiritual enlightenment requires wisdom. Read. Research. Learn how other people have achieved enlightenment. There are a lot of spiritual leaders who can guide you.
Surrender
Release old, unhelpful beliefs. It may be hard, but it’s the only way to make spiritual progress. Let go of people or habits that hold you back from pursuing your spiritual journey.
Signs of Spiritual Awakening
“There is a natural human state of awareness that has traditionally been called enlightenment where one’s sense of “I” is known and experienced as the ever-present and unlimited awareness that it is. This awareness is experienced as free from the mind and body’s limits in time and space. That recognition of its true status is an awakening or enlightening. This process of self-realization represents our full, natural human potential, because in this state we experience and express joy, love, peace and wisdom in everything we do.” – Deepak Chopra
You’ve re-evaluated your beliefs.
When you’re enlightened, you finally get to understand the truth about your old beliefs. How they affect you. Now, you have new ones that are right for you. New beliefs that are better for you and your human life and spiritual life.
You have a newfound curiosity.
Having deep curiosity is a sign of spiritual awakening. You always want to see beneath the surface. You know that so much more goes on beyond the obvious.
You want to be of service.
You feel called to serve humanity, animals and the environment. You want to have one purpose in life that can make everything better. It may not be about changing your position. You may feel the need to serve from wherever you are.
You experience more synchronicities and déjà vu.
In some instances, you might experience occasional synchronicities that you randomly come into contact with. Experiencing déjà vu is also common.
You realize everyone is on their own path.
Things like winning arguments and convincing someone of your personal views no longer matter. As you develop your spiritual life, you gain a better understanding that everyone is on their own spiritual path. Everyone has their own personal spiritual journey.
Your teachers find you.
Spiritual teachers might be strangers in your local store or supernatural friends that you met by chance. They may also be spiritual-or religious-wise teachers who may appear at whatever time you choose.
Your dreams are more vivid.
Because you’ve reached a higher state of consciousness, your dreams may be enhanced. You need to understand what your dreams mean and how they can relate to your spiritual life.
You feel more connected to the natural world.
While you might initially not feel as connected to your friends as before, you’ll probably feel more connected to nature. From plants to animals and the rest of the world, you’ll feel a deep sense of connection.
Your senses are heightened.
If your awareness of physical, emotional and energetic stimuli has increased, it’s a huge sign. You can now feel and experience more than you could before.
You’re more intuitive.
The intuition that was buried beneath your ego has now come out. You’re more wise about your personal growth, your daily life, and your consciousness.
You can sense inauthenticity and manipulation.
When something doesn’t feel right, you can feel it. You’re sensitive to fake people and any form of deceit. An enlightened person finds it hard to do things that compromises their integrity.
Your view of the world feels different.
Spiritual awakening and the realization of ego-destroying ideas leads to awareness. Medial stuff don’t satisfy you. This is a sign even those around you can notice right away.
You may have more bodily sensations.
Being enlightened can cause you to experience other physical sensations. Your brain sends signals to your body even without any normal triggers.
You feel spirituality becoming an important part of your life.
When you’re spiritually awakened, it’s hard to ignore a spiritual sign or call. Your spirituality has become a huge priority. You now aim to maintain a zen life instead of holding on to an empty personal philosophy.
There’s a sudden change in your habits and routine.
Your spiritual life transforms your day-to-day life. Unlike before, you may find yourself doing things like meditation, spending more time in nature, doing yoga, or simply being in the moment.
All things considered, people of today continue to seek spiritual enlightenment. Whether they desire freedom from life’s bitterness or they long to know the answer to every question there is, spiritual individuals are the reason why this belief endures throughout generations. The process of enlightenment is good for the human mind and soul. It brings inner peace, wisdom, joy, good mental health and helps you see your true self. It doesn’t hurt to practice spirituality. You can choose whatever path you want and how you want to walk your spiritual journey. No matter what beliefs or personal reasons you have, it’s your life. You’re free to go where your soul can experience growth, truth and peace.
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