On occasion, when speaking with people about The Unity Project, I realize that sometimes they assume that my motivation for studying enlightenment, epiphanies, and awakenings, is so that I can get information or ideas to help ME achieve enlightenment.

It is a natural assumption. However, that is not the case.

There are several reasons that “I am NOT seeking enlightenment”:

1.  I am not really motivated to achieve enlightenment.

I am not unhappy with my life at all, and am not “driven” in any way to change my outlook at this time. I might say, that I am a “truth seeker”, in a way. That is, I am driven to find out about things, and to uncover the true nature of life and the universe.  I love to always learn, and broaden my outlook and understanding of life. So, you might say that I am driven to learn and grow, but not from pain or negativity, only from curiosity and love of life. It may sound funny, but there is no deep motivation for me to fundamentally change the way I am now.
( Some others I know might disagree, but I won’t go into that now!)

2.  To “Seek” enlightenment would block any chance of it happening.

This is what I have heard referred to as “the paradox of spiritual effort”. 
Nitin Trasi, in his book “The Science of Enlightenment” sums this up well;

“Actually it is not very surprising that Enlightenment should occur so rarely.
Enlightenment, as it has already been explained, is the actual perception or realization
(not belief or mere intellectual understanding) that one is not a separate entity. 
Therefore, the very pursuit of this as a goal to be ‘attained’ by a ‘me’ will be counter-productive,
because the very effort will reinforce the conviction in the existence of a ‘me’ as a separte entity.
As this is the exact opposite of the result desired, the aspirant will be moving around in circles.”
The Science of Enlightenment, p. 38.

In many cases, it is when a person “gives up” on “spiritual pursuits”, that they make the most progress. I am not motivated to achieve enlightenment, and if I were, I would realize that to “seek” it would be to destroy my chances of achieving it.

Eckhart Tolle, in a video online titled “Enlightenment”, says this;

“You cannot make – whether you call it the ego-less state, or whether you call it enlightenment – you cannot make it into a goal.  Goal implies future. Because the very entry point into the ego-less state, or the enlightened state, is the present moment. If you make it into a goal, that you want to achieve, you MISS the entry point, because you’re looking to the future, because “goal” implies future. That is the dilemma of all spiritual seekers.”

 3.  I am open to enlightenment, awakenings and epiphanies.

Though I am not actively “seeking” enlightenment, I am fully open to the possibility that it COULD happen to me, at any time.  This is also true for any other awakenings or epiphanies. (In fact, I have smaller level epiphanies quite often.)

This is part of ideas I have developed in The Unity Project, relating to the following items;

• You would likely never achieve enlightenment, or awakenings, if you actively thought that you were NOT capable of it, or if you thought that it would never happen to you.
• You must entertain the possibility that enlightenment could happen to you. That is, you must not actively “block” your possibilities by your attitudes.
• To be open to experiencing awakenings and epiphanies, at any time, is necessary. Even though you are open to the possibility of it happening, you must also be open to it happening AT ANY TIME. Some may believe that they could become enlightened, but that it would happen “out there”, sometime “in the future”, or even in “another lifetime” etc. What I mean here, is to be open to these experiences at any moment.

WHY STUDY ENLIGHTENMENT, EPIPHANIES, AND AWAKENINGS?

Though I am not actively seeking enlightenment myself, I am still extremely interested in these subjects.

Enlightenment, awakenings and epiphanies are extremely interesting to me for the following reasons:

* They involve a “sudden” insight that has the power to transform our lives.
Unlike an automobile accident, or winning the lottery, this sudden transformation comes from within. When I refer to “enlightenment” and “awakenings” or “epiphanies”, what I am generally referring to are experiences that are PROFOUND… potentially life changing.  What interests me is how our consciousness could create a situation where an entirely new perspective is experienced, where our life is profoundly changed in a positive way. HOW does this happen, and WHY?

* There is a “light switch” character to these transformations.
There most often seems to be a strong distinction between the moment BEFORE an awakening or epiphany, and the moment AFTER. In addition, once this threshold is crossed, there is no going back. This is fascinating to me. How does a permanent change in our makeup take place? What happens in the brain, and in our mental makeup, to have a shift like this possible?

* This is the cutting edge of consciousness studies.
Enlightenment, awakenings, and epiphanies are unique phenomena. They are dealing with the highest levels of brain functioning and mind, and their relative rarity makes them even more important to study. I have found a fairly wide crossover of these topics with other studies involving ESP, Near Death Experiences, and the mystery of sleep. So these phenomenon can point to areas of understanding that may have applications in other aspects of consciousness studies.

* There might be a way to facilitate the occurrence of these experiences.
Aside from Buddhism, there doesn’t seem to be much practical advice one can take to learn how to have, or to facilitate these experiences. I know that, as far as enlightenment is concerned, there are some who will say; “Just practice Buddhism, this will lead to enlightenment”. While I agree that practicing Buddhism has that potential, I think that it is, what I have termed, “The Long Hard Road” method of doing it. I believe there may be OTHER ways of achieving enlightenment today that are more conducive to our modern way of life and thinking. It seems that a new, fresh look at this whole topic is in order.

* Studying these experiences will likely lead to unexpected surprises.
Focusing in on awakenings, epiphanies, and enlightenment will likely lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of consciousness, and perhaps even lead to practical applications that can actually make a difference in people’s lives. What IF there were methods available that could facilitate profound awakenings or epiphanies? We don’t know what we will find in these studies, but I believe that, due to the profound and complex nature of these phenomena, that we will find something very important – something that could potentially change the lives of many people in a positive direction.

* Awakenings and epiphanies are linked to creativity.
I think that it is likely that the findings of these studies will improve the odds of people being able to make huge leaps in creativity. Most profound insights lead to renewed energy and excitement, and are often followed up by healthy and joyful activity. Renewed creativity and quantum leaps in insight could have exponentially large positive outcomes. For example, if that creativity were to result in things like new answers to energy problems, environmental issues, and  other major life factors for the future of our planet and our species.

All of these points are inherently fascinating to me.

I would study them even if there were no chance at all that I would personally reap the benefits in practical terms. Just the sheer enjoyment of studying and learning about these experiences and how they are possible is motivating enough for me.

In fact, I HAVE thought about the dilemma of actually achieving enlightenment, or a profound awakening in my life. I have wondered how that might change my study of these issues.

It seems, at first, that it would be a very strong advantage to actually experience these things first hand before writing about them. But I am not so sure about that.

I think what I would prefer is to study as much about these topics as I can for some good period of time… and THEN experience a profound awakening.

That way, I could put the “icing on the cake” and tell what could not be told before, about the actual experience.  In addition, if these studies lead to methods that could facilitate an awakening, I would need to be able to experience THAT process in order to know it from the inside out.

Another way of putting it, is that sometimes I think I need to “think like an unenlightened person”, in order to develop what will work for everyone who IS unenlightened. I am fairly sure that there will be many people who disagree with me on this point, thinking even that it is a logical inconsistency.

But let me just say, that since I am in no big hurry to experience enlightenment or an awakening, I can use this time to delve as deeply into it as I can… from the perspective of an ordinary, “unenlightened” individual.

I better get back to work on this project… if I become enlightened too soon it could ruin the whole thing!

I might just turn into one of those people who say; “you can’t talk about it”, “it is something that words just can’t describe”, “you can never get there by thinking about it”, etc.  – I might just turn away with a blissful look on my face and say; “this study is ended”.

In Unity,
AJ

This first part will examine epiphanies from the standpoint of what is happening when we have one. Subsequent parts will focus on the introspective nature of epiphany, the appreciation of epiphany as an ongoing process, why they feel so profound, how to have more of them, and the connection between epiphany and enlightenment.

Part 1 – the nature of epiphany

Chances are, you’ve heard the famous question “what is the sound of one hand clapping?” This is perhaps the most well-known Zen koan. A koan is a story-telling tool used in the practice of Zen Buddhism and is often structured in terms of one who is unenlightened receiving a surprising nugget of wisdom from one who is enlightened.

Here is another example of a koan:

Two monks were arguing about a flag. One said: `The flag is moving.’

The other said: `The wind is moving.’

The sixth patriach happened to be passing by. He told them: `Not the wind, not the flag; mind is moving.’

The zen master’s answer is often absurd or nonsensical on its face, unless one has already had the insight that renders meaning to it. Trying to find meaning in a koan can usefully challenge one’s mental models, or taken-for-granted ways of making sense of the world. Often, koans end with an unenlightened monk becoming enlightened as a result of hearing the master’s response. This sudden moment of enlightenment is an epiphany.

Epiphanies are sudden profound insights, reflecting large-scale transformations of our mental models. Such radical cognitive restructuring is a necessary part of the organic process that leads to enlightenment, because enlightenment entails radical changes to the way we relate to the world.

Mental Models

Before we can get into what the nature of epiphany is, we need to look at what it means to have “taken-for-granted ways of making sense of the world”, or mental models.

Mental models are patterns in our mind that help us navigate and derive meaning from our world. If you can navigate your house blindfolded, that is because you have a well-developed model of your house in your mind. You can imagine walking through it. Any act of imagination, in fact, entails the use of a mental model.

Our mental models are representations of our world that allow us to predict what will happen as we go about our day. When you cross a busy intersection, you employ your model of a traffic light, plus behavioral models of how people will behave as they drive, bike, and walk through it. Your models give you the confidence to cross the street without getting hit by a bus. The usefulness of these models lies in how they make the world predictable, and how they allow for our actions to become automatic, freeing up mental resources for more important problems. We can cross that intersection while thinking about an upcoming exam or presentation, even as vehicles weighing several thousand pounds are speeding by you.

As you learn new skills and knowledge, you are developing your mental models. When you learn how to drive a car, for example, you are developing several models at once. First, you develop your model of how a car is operated. As you do this, you must concentrate your full awareness on the mechanics of driving. Soon, however, the process becomes automatic. Your model has become developed enough to free your mind for developing other models, such as learning how to drive with other people on the road. Your mental models are considered to be well developed when they are automatic. That is, you are not devoting any significant mental energy to using them – you are not even aware of doing so.

But no matter how well developed your models are, they are wrong to some degree, because they always simplify what they model. Models abstract away details. In my shower, for instance, the fixture that controls the temperature of the water is a single handle that you rotate. My mental model of that fixture is devoted to quickly finding that hair’s-width range between screaming hot and bone-chilling cold. My model could include how the fixture actually mixes the hot and cold water sources together, but it doesn’t. I don’t really care. It’s an important point: all models are wrong, even if they work.

Of course, sometimes models can be very, very wrong. When I was a little boy I thought that traffic lights worked because little mice inside the traffic light held up colored sponges at the appropriate times. Now I know better… the mice switch on colored lights, not sponges.

But seriously, my flawed traffic light model shows how models must be brought into agreement with other models. As my mental model of a mouse became more sophisticated, I would have realized that they are simple animals that would not be able to carry out the important task of synchronizing traffic at an intersection. Not to mention, how would you keep them alive in there for any length of time? The mouse theory of traffic lights is easy for you to demolish, but only because you already have sophisticated mental models that allow you to find flaws with it.

So as we go about our lives, we are, mostly unconsciously, employing and improving a vast network of interconnected mental models. If our models are good, we do not need to waste our mental resources on simple tasks like driving or brushing teeth. We easily grasp situations we are familiar with and can make effective plans to accomplish goals. If they are not so good, we are more likely to see the world as confusing, unpredictable, and threatening. It is hard to act effectively when our models are not good.

Epiphanies and Mental Models

Epiphanies ultimately spring out of what happens when our mental models are wrong or inadequate, and we make an effort to improve them. The understanding that comes with an epiphany reflects that we have found a superior way of modeling the world.

There are several basic ways we can change our mental models, but only one corresponds with epiphanies. We can get rid of old models that don’t work (“Oh, I thought ‘string theory’ was about how to tie knots”); we can get add to or improve existing models (“Wow, I didn’t realize Ralph had a prosthetic leg”); and we create new models as we learn altogether new things.

But there is a special kind of transformation that underlies epiphanies – the joining of two separate models. This transformation is what I refer to as a “map-congealing moment”:

Imagine you have moved to a new town, and though you’ve been there for a little while, you are still getting to know the area. One day you are going further down one street than you normally go, only to suddenly realize you have arrived at an unexpectedly familiar place. You didn’t realize, until just then, that that street takes you to that place. A-ha! You have just had a “map-congealing moment”. You had two maps – one that included the familiar street, and one that included the familiar place – and suddenly, those two maps fused into one. They were separate before, and now they have become joined. They have congealed.

The a-ha! of that experience is rooted in the surprise of the two maps being connected in a way that we didn’t see before. It is inherently rewarding to join maps, in the same way it is rewarding to solve a jigsaw puzzle. Beyond that inherent satisfaction, there is the reward of simplifying our maps. It makes life easier when we can use one map instead of two.

This kind of transformation doesn’t just occur with spatial maps. It actually happens all the time. Anytime we “put the pieces together” and figure something out, we are joining mental models together. Here are some examples:

1. you figure out how you know some familiar person you just bumped into
2. you realize that the burger you’re eating came from a real live cow
3. you realize that you eat too much because it covers up feelings of emotional distress

In the first example, you run into someone and it’s obvious to both of you that you know each other, but you cannot remember how. Suddenly one of you makes the connection, a-ha! It’s a tiny version of an epiphany, but you make the connection between the mental model of the person standing in front of you, and the model of that person you already had, prior to running into them. They become one and the same model. If you have the misfortune of not realizing how you know the person, you will probably devote significant effort to figuring it out, even after you part company.

The second example may seem completely obvious, but probably most of us can relate to a sense of realization at some point in our lives that the meat we consume has to be grown in the form of living animals. In this example, our model of the food we eat joins with the model we have of cows, chickens, and so on, in a way they weren’t connected before. That realization turns some people into vegetarians – and we would not be surprised to hear such folks describe this as an epiphany.

In the third example, an introspective insight connects a model of one’s behavior as an undisciplined eater with a model of how one deals with anxiety. This troubling aspect of one’s behavior (“I don’t understand why I can’t stop myself”) is rendered predictable and less mysterious, once one connects the dots. Two maps become one.

The word epiphany is usually reserved for profound, even life-altering insights. In future installments, we will examine the process that leads to epiphany, and see why we experience epiphanies as sudden and dramatic. We will see how we can increase the likelihood of having an epiphany, and how they relate to enlightenment.

Post by Terren Suydam.

The initial efforts of the project will be to gather information about epiphanies, enlightenment, awakenings, and other “life changing” experiences of a profound nature. More particularly, these experiences should be such that they have a significantly positive influence on the person as a result.

-

The Unity Project will act as a clearing house, or gathering point, for this information. We will review information about these experiences with the purpose of finding commonalities and similar characteristics which might point to methods of creating or reproducing those experiences.

This process began with my own contributions and ideas.

I am happy to announce that The Unity Project has a new “contributor”.

Terren Suydam has been participating in this forum so far by providing cogent and well thought out views via comments on this blog, as well as private emails to me personally.

Since his input has been considered, well-balanced, and clearly stated I have asked him if he would like to contribute to the project.

He has agreed.

Terren will make available a series of articles relating to “epiphanies” very soon. I am looking forward to reading what he has to say.

At this point, a “Contributor” is someone who is willing to contribute their own theories and points of view related to the focus of our investigation, i.e. enlightenment, epiphanies, and awakenings.

If you would like to contribute to this project, please contact me and we can discuss this. Or, you can start by contributing your comments to our blog on a regular basis.

Please welcome Terren Suydam to The Unity Project!

In Unity,
AJ

One of my first posts in this blog dealt with the problem of defining enlightenment. (See “A Little Background – Definitions“).

The more I study this subject, the more definitions I find.

After thinking for some time about exactly “what is enlightenment”, I have come up with MY OWN definition of enlightenment. 

Following my definition of enlightenment I will present some other definitions that I have come across recently, so that you can compare.

This is my current definition of enlightenment, subject to change without notice…

ENLIGHTENMENT: A state of consciousness that experiences reality unfiltered through any
mental, physical, or psychological distortions.

In my view, enlightenment is an ability to experience the world WITHOUT any personal perceptual filters.

By perceptual filters I mean the following (among others):

• the false idea of a “self”
• beliefs
• expectations
• desires
• values
• languages

In other words, enlightenment is a DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF REALITY.

Before I break down my definition of enlightenment into its separate parts, I would like to address the question of “What is REALITY?”

======================
*  WHAT IS ”REALITY”?
======================

When I refer to enlightenment as “the direct experience of reality”, I can imagine that some readers may have questions or objections about what I may mean by ”reality”.

It is not my purpose to define “reality” here, but I will list some of the objections that may arise in this context:

1. You cannot define reality.  It is not definable.
2. There is no such thing as “one” reality – reality is a subjective experience, different for each consciousness.
3. There is no ”one” reality - reality exists on many levels.

These are all valid points.

When you look up “REALITY” in the dictionary you will find definitions like this:

Reality: “The state of being actual or real; A real entity, event or other fact; The entirety of all that is real; An individual observer’s own subjective perception of that which is real”
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reality

In other words, most definitions say that reality is the state of being real… which really doesn’t tell you much. There are various definitions, but many of them go around in circles without really defining it.

And in a larger sense, to verify something as “real” may seem simple, but can actually be far more problematic than might first be evident. How to verify “reality” is beyond the scope of this post, but is a very interesting topic in itself.

So, in some sense the first objection, that one cannot define reality, is valid.

As to the second objection, that reality is a subjective experience - this can also be true.

Our own EXPERIENCE of reality is subjective, and each person’s is somewhat different. This is AN aspect of reality, but the subjective aspect is only one aspect of reality. Because most of us experience reality subjectively, does not mean that it cannot be experienced objectively. 

And finally, the third objection, that reality exists on many levels, may also be true. There is the macro level, the micro level, the quantum level, the cosmic level, the material level, the seen, the unseen, and on ad infinitum.

When I use the word reality in this definition of enlightenment, what I mean is this:
REALITY IS ALL OF THAT.

Reality is indefinable, it is subjective, and it is multi-level. My definition of reality means that it is EVERYTHING THAT IS, including the contradictory and problematic states of indefinability, subjectivity, and multiplicity.

Enlightenment signifies the ability to see through the “subjective” aspect of our experience of reality, as much as is humanly possible.

My definition proposes that enlightenment is a “state of consciousness”, that “experiences reality” UNFILTERED “through any mental, physical, or psychological distortions”.

===========================
*  UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS
===========================

There are several underlying assumptions here.

1. There is a “reality” that can be fully experienced by a state of consciousness.
2. That reality is normally “filtered” before it is experienced by our consciousness.
3. Those filters are mental, physical, and psychological.
4. Those filters “distort” reality, in such a manner as to change our consciousness of it.
5. It is possible to experience reality in an unfiltered, undistorted manner through human consciousness.

The “filters” that distort reality for most of us consist of mental, physical, and psychological filters.

I hope to write about this more in the future, but here I will give a very brief overview of these distorting filters.

========================
*  ABOUT THESE “FILTERS”
========================

In putting forth these ideas about how these “filters” alter our perception of reality, I am not overly concerned with the quantification of these points.

That is, it doesn’t really matter exactly what filters what, or how it filters it, at this point.

What I am driving at is that our perception of reality IS FILTERED.

If you, or anyone you know, can present me with a better, more exact or verifiable model of filters and how they work, I would welcome your input and feedback. In the future all of these filters of reality could be looked at in detail, parsed, categorized, and refined.

My main point here, at this time, is that these filters exist, and that it is possible to see reality with a minimum of interference from them – in a state we call enlightenment.

+ +  MENTAL FILTERS -

Your brain is flooded with information every second. Much of that information is filtered out of your conscious awareness from moment to moment.

A mental filter is, in broad terms, a filter that acts primarily through the subconscious, or pre-conscious mind.

Here is an example - If I ask you what your right foot feels like you can tell me. However, before I asked, you probably weren’t consciously aware of the feelings coming from your foot.  That feeling and consciousness of your foot has been filtered out of your primary experience, by what I am calling a “mental filter”.

Another example of how this works might be in driving. Have you ever noticed someone else driving the same model of car as the one that you are driving? Your mental filter normally filters out most of the other cars around you. But when you see a car similar to, or the same as your make and model, your awareness picks it out of all of the other cars and calls your attention to it. This happens automatically, and unconsciously.

Our mental filters significantly change what we see and what we notice about our selves and our surroundings.

For more information, here is an article titled “How Thought Creates Reality“, that touches on some of these ideas.

+ +  PHYSICAL FILTERS -

When using the term “physical filters” I am speaking primarily about any physical impairment, or alteration, that changes our perception of reality.

Some examples of physical filters may be:

• Drugs or other chemical stimulants
• Alcohol
• Prescription drugs that alter perceptions
• Other physical impairments

I am not a doctor or a scientist, so I cannot scientifically prove these points at this time.

However, it seems very likely that there ARE physical filters that could PREVENT the conditions of enlightenment.

It is an interesting question. Exactly which physical changes or impairments would prevent enlightenment, and which would not?

For example, it seems to me that one could be blind or deaf, and experience enlightenment. On the other hand, if certain parts of the brain were impaired or removed that would likely preclude the possibility of enlightenment.

In Buddhism, use of drugs or stimulants is strongly discouraged.

I believe that the brain (and body) should be as free as is possible from all unnatural conditions, in order to be prepared for enlightenment.

It is hard to imagine one becoming enlightened while on a cocaine high, or drunk on alcohol.

If you have any information about ”physical filters”, or impairments, that would impact or prevent the occurrence of enlightenment, I invite you to contact me so that we might present accurate and credible information on this website.

+ +  PSYCHOLOGICAL FILTERS -

Here is an entry in Wikipedia about  “Reality Tunnel“.  This entry points to the type of “psychological filters” I am talking about; 

Every kind of ignorance in the world all results from not realizing that our perceptions are gambles. We believe what we see and then we believe our interpretation of it, we don’t even know we are making an interpretation most of the time. We think this is reality.
– Robert Anton Wilson

“The idea does not necessarily imply that there is no objective truth; rather that our access to it is mediated through our senses, experience, conditioning, prior beliefs, and other non-objective factors. The individual world each person occupies is said to be their reality tunnel. The term can also apply to groups of people united by beliefs: we can speak of the fundamentalist Christian reality tunnel or the scientific materialist reality tunnel.”

“A parallel can be seen in the psychological concept of confirmation bias—our tendency to notice and assign significance to observations that confirm our beliefs, while filtering out or rationalizing away observations that do not fit with our prior beliefs and expectations. This helps to explain why reality tunnels are usually transparent to their inhabitants. While it seems most people take their beliefs to correspond to the ‘one true objective reality’, Robert Anton Wilson emphasizes that each person’s reality tunnel is their own artistic creation, whether they realize it or not.”
(End quote.)

There are MANY psychological filters.

Our environment, our upbringing, our natural tendencies, our past experiences - all of these contribute to psychological factors that filter our experience of “reality”.

For the sake of understanding and insight, these psychological factors could be identified, categorized, and prioritized in more detail in the future.

For now, I would suggest that our “picture” of reality is flawed by a whole collection of factors, most of them going almost entirely unnoticed by the average person.

To peel these filters away can lead to enlightenment -
to experience reality WITHOUT them, IS enlightenment.

============================= 
* ENLIGHTENMENT AS “TRUTH”
=============================

When I asked a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka whether it was possible for someone entirely ignorant of Buddhist principles and ideas to become enlightened, he immediately, and unequivocally said; YES.

When I asked him why, he said; “BECAUSE IT IS THE TRUTH”.

This is one of the ideas that lead me to my definition of enlightenment.

I thought: “If enlightenment is TRUTH, then it is REALITY”.

Truth: ” Ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience:
the basic truths of life.”
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/truth

It seems to me that enlightenment is seeing “truth”, which is seeing “reality”.

The difference between enlightened experience of reality, and our “normal” experience of reality, is that enlightenment is a state of consciousness that experiences reality without our normal subjective, unconsciously created filters and distortions.

When we see reality “as it is”, we see the “truth”.

When we can see the truth, in this manner, we are said to be “enlightened”.

+++

===============================================================
DEFINITIONS OF ENLIGHTENMENT / DESCRIPTIONS OF ENLIGHTENMENT
===============================================================

David Smith, in his book “A Record of Awakening”, says this; 
“We Buddhists have decided, when reality is fully seen and known, to call that enlightenment or awakening.” (p. 122)
—————————-
Nitin Trasi defines enlightenment in this way;
“Enlightenment is defined as the intuitive understanding that one is not a separate entity.”
(p.5 The Science of Enlightenment.)

In his chapter on “Enlightenment” (p. 53) he defines enlightenment in this way;
“Enlightenment can be defined as the clear and deep intuitive perception (‘apperception’) or intuitive understanding (not just belief or intellectual comprehension) of the entire situation, that is, of the unity of Consciousness and of the  absence of the ‘me’ or ‘I’ as a separate, autonomous entity.”

Mr. Trasi also lists these synonyms at the top of the chapter: Realization; self-realization; awakening; satori; jnana; gyana.
—————————-
Jill Bolte Taylor, in her book “My Stroke of Insight”, quotes Dr. Kat Domingo  as saying;
“Enlightenment is not a process of learning, it is a process of unlearning.”  (p. 169)
—————————-
“It is, according to Buddha, the end of suffering. Physical pain is still experienced but it is no longer compounded by worries and fears, by mental suffering, which has ended. Enlightenment is the ability to see things as they really are, to accept that what is is, and to say ‘yes’ to all of life. This is done, not out of naivete or denial, but out of a profound realization of the selfless, interconnected, interdependent unity and oneness of all mental and physical phenomena, of all experience.”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11680701/What-is-Enlightenment
—————————-
“In Buddhism, enlightenment (Bodhi in Sanskrit) refers to a unique experience which wholly transforms the individual from their previous state in samsara.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_(Buddhism)

“(Samsara is the cycle of birth, death and rebirth (i.e. reincarnation) within Hinduism, Buddhism, Bön, Jainism, Sikhism, Vaishnavism and other Indian religions. Colloquially, “Samsara” can also refer to a general state of overt or subtle sufferings that occur in day to day life.)”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara
—————————-
“Enlightenment is essentially realizing the non-dual nature of reality, and for those who understand Hindu philosophy, non-duality is Creation (Param Brahman).”
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-enlightenment.html
—————————-
The Shambhala Dictionary defines enlightenment as -

“Enlightenment -  The word used to translate the Sanskrit term bodhi (lit., “awakened”) and the Japanese satori or kensho. A person awakens to a nowness of emptiness, which he or she is – even as the en­tire universe is emptiness – and which alone en­ables him or her to comprehend the true nature of things. Since enlightenment is repeatedly mis­understood as an experience of light and experi­ences of light wrongly understood as enlighten­ment, the term awakening is preferable, since it more accurately conveys the experience.”
http://www.shambhala.com/html/learn/features/buddhism/glossary/glossary-E-H.cfm#e-link
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“If you look at the Hindu and Buddhist tales of enlightenment you’ll find that they aren’t quite sure what it is. Many words are used to describe it, all of the sounding equally exalted in English. Liberation, perfection, freedom, the ‘cessation of the illusion of self”, “crossing over to the other shore”, “truth – consciousness – bliss” (satchitananda), “the supreme awakening”, “great orgasm” (mahamudra).” – Kevin Murphy
http://www.shaktitechnology.com/enlightenment.htm
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Enlightenment: “A blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana.”
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language)
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Enlightenment:  ”The awakening to ultimate truth by which man is freed from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations
to which all men are otherwise subject.”
(Collins English Dictionary)
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Enlightenment:  ”The beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation; characterized by the extinction of desire and suffering
and individual consciousness.”
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/enlightenment
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“Enlightenment, Buddhism : a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering”
http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/enlightenment
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“Enlightenment can refer to many different concepts. In a secular or non-Buddhist context, the word enlightenment often means “full comprehension of a situation”.  Spiritual enlightenment means to obtain a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, to communicate with or understand the mind of God, to achieve some other type of profound spiritual understanding, or to achieve a fundamentally changed level of existence whereby one’s self is experienced as a nonchanging field of pure consciousness.  Some scientists believe that during meditative states leading up to the subjective experience of enlightenment there are actual physical changes in the brain.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_(spiritual)

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“Enlightenment is awakening to the experience of the world as a unity.” – Terren Suydam
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ENLIGHTENMENT: 
A state of consciousness that experiences reality
unfiltered through any mental, physical, or psychological distortions.
The Unity Project

If you care to have YOUR definition of enlightenment added to this list, send it in to me!

Either use the form below, or go to the contact page by clicking here.

In Unity,
AJ

“The Enlightenment Pill” -- A pill that allows the brain to cut through any illusion or misconception regarding it’s sense of self, and it’s filtering of reality through the distortions of perception and preconceived views.  An enlightenment pill, that peels away like the layers of an onion, any perceptual or mental mechanisms that block our experience of direct “reality”.

What if there were a pill you could take to experience enlightenment? 

In the Diamond Sutra the Buddha said;

Buddhas and disciples are not enlightened by a set method of teachings, but by an internally intuitive process which is spontaneous and is part of their own inner nature.
- Diamond Sutra, Chapter 7

Is it possible that “their own inner nature” could include chemical and biological factors?

If enlightenment is “spontaneous” and “part of their own inner nature”, it seems that a chemical change could be a factor in triggering a person’s experience of a total shift in their perception -- in the direction of viewing reality directly, and without filters of any kind.

Many people may automatically think, “No Way, of course enlightenment is MUCH MORE than just chemistry in the brain!”

In fact, I usually think this way myself. However, I am able to allow myself the ability to concede that, since we don’t know exactly WHAT is involved in this process, we don’t REALLY know that it is impossible to achieve.

That is, with what little we know, how can one categorically rule out the scenario of creating an “enlightenment pill”?

What, exactly, are the reasons that enlightenment could NOT be achievable through chemistry and physiology?
If someone could tell me specifically why an “enlightenment pill” would be impossible, I would like to know.

HISTORY OF THE “ENLIGHTENMENT PILL”

There was research being done in the 1950s and 1960s that focused on the effects of LSD on the brain and perception.

Rather than write out all of the information about that history here, I am including a link to a YouTube video for you to watch if you are interested.

“LSD’s inventor Albert Hofmann called it “medicine for the soul.” The Beatles wrote songs about it. Secret military mind control experiments exploited its hallucinogenic powers. Outlawed in 1966, LSD became a street drug and developed a reputation as the dangerous toy of the counterculture, capable of inspiring either moments of genius, or a descent into madness. Now science is taking a fresh look at LSD, including the first human trials in over 35 years. Using enhanced brain imaging, non-hallucinogenic versions of the drug and information from an underground network of test subjects who suffer from an agonizing condition for which there is no cure, researchers are finding that this “trippy” drug could become the pharmaceutical of the future. Can it enhance our brain power, expand our creativity and cure disease? To find out, Explorer puts LSD under the microscope.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3CbfMuR2YA

National Geographic Inside LSD -
(This segment is only one of several, all highly recommended viewing.)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzq_sBsjbAU

LSD -- The Beyond Within [Part 1 of 9] --  LSD -- The Beyond Within
- A BBC documentary on LSD. Part 2:

I would also point out that hallucinogenic plants and chemicals have been used in religious and spiritual ceremonies for perhaps thousands of years.

“Medicine men, shamans, and other spiritual leaders have used natural hallucinogens found in plants and mushrooms since ancient times, believing in their power to help contact the spiritual world or mystical beings for guidance in serving their people.”
- Hallucinogens and Spirituality

Another reference:

Historically, hallucinogens have been most commonly used in religious or shamanic rituals. In this context they are referred to as entheogens, and they are used to facilitate healing, divination, communication with spirits, and coming-of-age ceremonies. Evidence exists for the use of entheogens in prehistoric times, as well as in numerous ancient cultures, including the Ancient Egyptian, Mycenaean, Ancient Greek, Vedic, Maya, Inca and Aztec cultures. The Upper Amazon is home to the strongest extant entheogenic tradition; the Urarina of Peruvian Amazonia, for instance, continue to practice an elaborate system of ayahuasca shamanism, coupled with an animistic belief system.
- Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants, Wikipedia.

NOTE: I am not recommending using drugs to find enlightenment, but reference this information to show that there is more to this story than the perception that hallucinogens and other mind altering chemicals are merely “dangerous drugs”. There is a history of use and development that continues until today.

Research was being done with various hallucinogenic drugs by universities, and even government agencies at one time. All of that was all lost when the drugs became “recreational” and considered a menace to society. Researchers and chemists had been working on taking out the “bad” parts, the “noise” of the drugs, and zeroing in on aspects of the chemical responses that induced positive, long term results. We don’t hear about these studies now, because the “war on drugs” has made any objective discussion of this topic nearly impossible.

Imagine if there were a focused and concerted effort to find and utilize ANY chemical substances that would particularly effect perceptions normally associated with “enlightenment” and awakenings.

My point here is not to be an advocate for creating an “enlightenment pill”.

But I DO feel that EVERY MEANS AVAILABLE should be used in pursuit of finding ways to achieve awakenings and breakthroughs.

If there IS a chemical or physiological factor involved in epiphanies or enlightenment…  then that should be investigated and utilized to the fullest extent possible.

Here are a couple of my reasons for considering the chemical aspect of enlightenment:

1. What if there WERE a strong chemical component to these experiences, and we did NOT pursue that avenue? -- How much time and effort would be wasted going in the wrong direction, or in ignoring a perfectly valid means of achieving the goal of enlightenment?
2. What if the chemical aspect turned out to be a critical factor in enlightenment, and we were constantly working around that fact? - We would mistakenly be leaving out a key element in finding ways to facilitate awakenings and enlightenment. - It would take far LONGER to achieve enlightenment if this critical factor was removed from the equation.

How many drugs are taken each day for 
conditions related to “mental” issues?

How many people are helped every day by
drugs that help depression?

Imagine a day when you could take an “enlightenment pill”…

Would you take it?

How would you feel about only having to “take a pill” to achieve enlightenment?

Would it diminish the value of enlightenment in any way?

Here is another scenario:

Imagine yourself in a study group, or “clinical trials” for testing the effectiveness of the enlightenment pill.

Imagine that you took the enlightenment pill, and amazingly - 
you actually DID achieve enlightenment!

But, when the trial was over, you found out that -

you had taken a placebo…

In Unity,
AJ

It seems that there must be an exact moment when the fruit falls from the tree… if we could figure out exactly what determines when that moment is, we could understand the whole process of ripening. Wouldn’t it be possible to find out exactly what the factors are that allows for the fruit to fall from the tree, to precipitate that fateful snap when the stem releases from the tree… Though when the exact moment the event happens may remain in mystery, the events leading up to that moment should theoretically be able to be traced and pinpointed to some degree of accuracy and consistency.

What is the measure of preparedness just before a sudden realization?

What conditions need to be in place before enlightenment (or awakening) can take place?

I have said that there is a process where you gather as much relevant information together as you can, you review the issue from every angle, and you do everything you can to understand it as best you can… then you step away from your left brain activity and let your right brain go to work.

Usually you receive the answer or insight you were looking for.

Perhaps, if you pack in the information and perspective, fill yourself with as much relevant information as you can – so you can get a firm foundation to base your results on - perhaps then you are “ripe”…

I am sure that one factor in the ripeness equation is a sufficient amount of information and perspective, but what the others are I am not so sure of.

I believe that one of the factors in the human who is poised for transformation, is the emotional motivation present at the time. I will cover this aspect at another time, but note it here.

If we are full to bursting with preparedness and motivation, shouldn’t we be in range of enlightenment at that point?

So, my overall question is; “When is one ripe for enlightenment?”

The timing of enlightenment strikes me as somehow similar to the timing of an apple ready to fall from the tree… the apple is ready, the conditions right, and something triggers the fall. What is that trigger?

Another image came to me that is related to this metaphor. When the fruit falls from the tree, in that exact moment that the stem releases from the tree… there is an irreversible event. It is a sudden, dramatic, and completely transforming event. It is a complete, and clear break from the past circumstance.

The same is true for enlightenment, epiphanies or awakenings. Once the experience happens there is a clear break from the past, there is a “before” and an “after”. You can’t go back.

Let me know your thoughts on this.

In Unity,
AJ

“Is it possible for a person to experience complete enlightenment, in the Buddhist sense, without ever having heard a single word of Buddhist teachings?”

His answer was, “YES”.

I asked him how this would be possible, and he said;
“Because it is the truth“.

It struck me how simple, and yet powerful this attitude is.

From his answer, it seems that his assumption is that “enlightenment” is a fairly static, or predictable, definable event. That is, that it can be held apart from any particular mindset, or set of teachings. It is a result of understanding, in a complete and total manner, ”the truth”.

Frankly, as I have stated before, it is my present position that Buddhist enlightenment is a result of Buddhist world view and teachings.  (I am open to revision of this opinion if a more compelling argument or experience presents itself to me.)

It is ONE form of enlightenment, perhaps among many.

It seems to me that experiencing Buddhist enlightenment is a result of thoroughly steeping your mind and thoughts in the Buddhist world view, which include the concept and experience of enlightenment.

For example, one of the elements of enlightenment in Buddhism is the loss of the sense of “self”. One’s sense of having a separate, distinct self, disappears in the full realization that the self does not exist… it is an illusion, a fantasy constructed by your mind.

Once the idea that the sense of self is a false illusion is postulated, the concept that you can drop that sense of self in enlightenment becomes possible. Once it becomes possible, it can be achieved.

So, is this aspect of enlightenment a universal element of realization that happens every time?

In my view the realization of the loss of self may be a purely psychological realization. It is a change in perspective that involves instantly deconstructing an accumulation of false constructs.

Buddhism raises this point of the “no-self”, and its relationship to enlightenment, to a fairly high status of importance.  What I am wondering is - is it inevitable that one would discover this idea of “no-self” as being an essential aspect of enlightenment? And further, would one inevitably experience this without ever having even heard of such a concept?

So again, I am back to this question;

Exactly what IS Buddhist enlightenment?

My next point is this -

If you don’t have to be Buddhist to experience complete enlightenment,
there may be ANOTHER way…

One of the things I am pursuing here in the Unity Project is whether there are practices, or modes of understanding, that can lead to “enlightenment”… that do not require years of practice, meditation, and study.

I am not looking for a “quick fix”, or magical pill to take… but the idea that the only path to enlightenment is a Buddhist one, or one that inevitably takes years of dedication and sacrifice etc. – somehow that idea has never seemed completely right to me.

I know much of the theory of why this is so, why Buddhism works so well, and why it is necessary to go through persistent and focused effort, but I still think that it is possible that this view (the “long, hard road view”) is perhaps only an ASSUMPTION in itself. 

It is a belief.

The idea that the experience of enlightenment can be achieved without reference to Buddhism, or Buddhist thoughts and concepts, is a powerful one.

If this is true, then I wonder what else might exist that can come up with the same result… how does one achieve enlightenment without the Buddha’s teachings?

I realize the response of some people may be; “Well, if Buddhism will lead you to enlightenment, why do you need to worry about another way to get there?”

There are two reasons.

One, from a purely hypothetical stand point, it is a fascinating topic.

It calls into question exactly what enlightenment is.

Is enlightenment a more-or-less “static” event that follows predictable and patterned outcomes, or is it fluid and different for each person?

How similar is the experience of enlightenment for each individual, since each individual is uniquely different?

The second reason for asking this question is more practical, and that is that, other methods and ideas can come out of this investigation that may lead to quicker results.

If there is more than one way to enlightenment, perhaps the other way, or other ways, might be more efficient… might require less effort, and might increase the value of your life experience with less “wasted time” to get to the same result.

If you have a moment, feel free to leave your comments here or contact me directly via my contact page. I would be happy to hear your thoughts and input into this conversation.

In Unity,
AJ

I feel that this information may somehow be related to the subject of epiphanies and awakenings. This is because of the relationship of the dreaming brain to rational thought (commonly referred to as a “left brain function”).

During dreaming there is only one part of the brain that virtually shuts down, and that is our logic center.

This seems significant. For the brain to actually develop a mechanism within itself that purposely, and actively, SHUTS DOWN rational thought is amazing.

It seems logical that the brain is doing this for some particular reason, and that reason must be that the logic center of the brain might “interfere” somehow with the important activities that take place in the brain during sleep.

It doesn’t seem to me that the brain would actively force the shutting down of a particular function (logic), if that function was incidental, or would not interfere with the purpose of the overall functioning of the brain at the time of sleep.

The overall activity of the brain during sleep actually increases significantly.  During REM sleep our brain grows so busy that blood flow to it nearly doubles.

Here are a few other facts about dreaming that may, or may not, be related to our study here:

• We dream in “bursts”, a few minutes at a time
• Dreams store memories, perhaps by sifting through the days experiences somehow, discarding non-essentials… filing things that are important, discarding those that aren’t
• REM sleep is “almost like a filing system” – (Michael Salemi)
• Events occurring while we’re awake are only stored in temporarily memory. In dreams we throw away irrelevant material and file useful information into permanent storage
• “Study and then sleep, you will do better on the test”
• Sleep is critical for memory and learning
• During sleep there is no logic to impose order, so “thoughts can collide, unleashing creativity, and generating fresh ideas”
• Scientific discoveries and other breakthroughs and insights are regularly reported to be linked to dreams

And finally there is a story I came across that ties this together in a way -

Bruce Damer is a NASA designer, and founder of DigitalSpace. At one time he was working for months on a big problem that had been perplexing him and seemed to have no solution.

Then one night he consciously said to himself; “Ok, everything is in there, go for it! – boot up the dream processor, and give me SOMETHING!”

The next morning when he woke up he began sketching. He had found an idea that put everything together, and had a concept that would work. He presented his idea to his colleagues at work and they thought the idea was intriguing.

“The NASA civil servants have written reports about how innovative the work is, and how forward thinking it is – and I credit this to, sort of the, unfettered world of dreaming.”

Unhindered by the rational, compulsive mind, the brain can process information in a more efficient, perhaps more holistic way during sleep.

Perhaps this overarching principle could play a part in our search for significant factors relating to breakthroughs, epiphanies and awakenings.

I may get back to this in the future if it has a role to play. For now I think it is interesting to note these fascinating characteristics of the sleeping, dreaming brain.

I was attempting to find out more about the left brain and how it may influence (or block) our potential for having an epiphany or awakening.

** SAVANTS

The definition of savant is: “a person of profound or extensive learning; learned scholar”.

Linked to that definition was the definition for “idiot savant”, now more commonly referred to as just “savant”;

“a mentally defective person with an exceptional skill or talent in a special field, as a highly developed ability to play music or to solve complex mathematical problems mentally at great speed.”  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/idiot+savant

Savants can possess truly amazing powers of memory, mathematical, musical, or artistic ability.

Here are some points relating to savants:

* Art, math, and musical abilities – primarily the characteristics of right brain activity – are “the domain of savants”. (Darold Treffert, MD)

* Savants often suffer other consequences of their condition, resulting from left brain damage sustained either in development, or from an injury. In early stages of development in the fetal brain the right hemisphere often finishes development ahead of the left hemisphere. This leaves the left hemisphere more vulnerable to damage at that time. (A factor in some cases involves a too high level of testosterone).  As the left hemisphere is compromised, the right hemisphere compensates.

* Dr. Darold Treffert, a Wisconsin psychiatrist, who has been studying Savant Syndrome for over 40 years, stated that we live in “sort of a left brain society”. He also said, “Until we can explain the savant, I don’t think we can explain ourselves. No model of brain function is complete until we can fully account for the savant”. For more information see http://www.daroldtreffert.com/

* Professor Allan Snyder, of Sydney Australia, is recognised for groundbreaking discoveries covering the fields of visual neurobiology, communications, optical physics and the mind sciences.

He has developed a method he calls Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) that shoots a magnetic pulse into the left side of the brain to “scramble” the electrical impulses there for short periods of time. He conducts before and after tests on a series of tasks relating to artistic ability, language ability and math.

After “shutting down” the left hemisphere, he sees noticeable improvement in 40% of subjects. The effects disappear within an hour.

Here are a few quotes from Professor Snyder that I thought might apply here:

• Referring to savants he said: “What intrigued me most, is why we all can’t do this – and its not by having better brains, its by having something less… by having some sort of brain impairment”.
• “You can look at the hemispheres as a struggle, there’s a kind of tension between them, with the left normally oppressing, or suppressing the right… and by inhibiting the left we dis-inhibit, we free up, the right.”

You can find out more about Professor Snyder and his studies here http://www.centreforthemind.com/director/index.cfm.
Here is a link directly to information about the suppression of the left brain to “dis-inhibit” the right brain: “Savant-like skills exposed in normal people by supressing the left fronto-temporal lobe”

* Kim Peek – one of the most famous of the savants, popularized in the movie “Rain Man”, had some interesting brain anomalies.

The left half of his cerebellum was smaller, and he did not have a corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is the large bundle of nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain. This connection allows the two halves of the brain to “talk” to each other. This condition is normally only seen in “split brain” patients, like epileptics.

So, putting this type of evidence together, it seems to me to point in the direction that savants experience exceptional brain power in what is normally considered to be “right brain activity”, as a result of, or related to a decrease in functioning, or damage to the left hemisphere.

** DREAMING

Some of the characteristics of the brain and dreaming are very interesting, and relate to the left brain issue in a round-about way.

During dreaming there is only one part of our brain that virtually shuts down, and that is our logic center.

During REM sleep our brain is so busy that blood flow to it nearly doubles.

So this mean that while our brain kicks into high activity, requiring nearly double the blood flow, it “shuts off” our logical, rational thinking abilities.

Why would it do that?

Why would our own brain want to forcibly shut down our logical, rational thinking?

I think it might be so that the brain is freed up to use other parts of itself that are required for the tasks that it is fulfilling. Those tasks are critical to our being. We can’t live without sleep… and we sleep a significant block of time in our life span. I will write more about sleep and dreaming in my next post.

For now, let me conclude by saying that, I think it may be highly significant that our brains forcibly shut down our logic centers during sleep.

** GENERAL FUNCTIONING

Below is a quote I found on this website: http://viewzone2.com/bicamx.html. This seems to show, in a general way, where the broad generalizations of left brain / right brain functioning comes from.

Quote:

Further studies showed that various functions of thought are physically separated and localized to a specific area on either the left or right side of the human brain. This functional map is consistent for an estimated 70 to 95 percent of us.

The main theme to emerge… is that there appear to be two modes of thinking, verbal and nonverbal, represented rather separately in left and right hemispheres respectively and that our education system, as well as science in general, tends to neglect the nonverbal form of intellect. What it comes down to is that modern society discriminates against the right hemisphere.-Roger Sperry (1973)
 

Upon completing the map, it was becoming clear to researchers that each side of the brain had a characteristic way that it both interpreted the world and reacted to it. The chart below will help illustrate the characteristics which are known to reside on each side of our brains.

Our personality can be thought of as a result of the degree to which these left and right brains interact, or, in some cases, do not interact. It is a simplification to identify “left brain” types who are very analytical and orderly. We likewise certainly know of the artistic, unpredictability and creativity of “right brain” types. But each of us draws upon specific sides of our brain for a variety of daily functions, depending on such things as our age, education and life experiences. The choices of which brain is in control of which situations is what forges our personalities and determines our character.Experiments show that most children rank highly creative (right brain) before entering school. Because our educational systems place a higher value on left brain skills such as mathematics, logic and language than it does on drawing or using our imagination, only ten percent of these same children will rank highly creative by age 7. By the time we are adults, high creativity remains in only 2 percent of the population. 

 End Quote.

Another factor pointing to the “overall dominance of left brain thinking” seems to be the dramatically lopsided emphasis that our educational institutions put on logic, and language.

Send me your feedback or input on this and let me know what you think.

In Unity,
AJ

I have since realized that the main problem I was facing was one of scope. That is, I need to clarify what I am talking about when I am using the terms “left brain” and “right brain”. To remind you of my references about left brain / right brain, read my earlier post on “Left Brain / Right Brain Refresher” .

The reason I ran into some setbacks on this subject is because I believe I was trying to answer questions about right brain left brain without clarifying what “level” of brain I was talking about.

So, here are some clarifications.
“Left Brain / Right Brain”, how I use these terms.

1. I am only using these terms as “broad generalizations”, in terms that the average layperson (like myself) can easily grasp.

I had taken some time to see how far down into brain activity I could track these generalizations, and found that it wasn’t too far. I believe that there is a functional difference, in a broad and general sense, but (not being a brain scientist) I can’t prove that.

Perhaps I was led down this road because of my interpretation of Jill Taylor Bolte, who IS a brain scientist, and her comments about both the topics of left brain /right brain function, and her own personal experience of what happened to her when her left brain was physically shut down.

One of the factors contributing to my dilemma was a comment left by a reader. Here is his comment:

Unless you were able to point to research that validates that model, I would hope that your ideas don’t depend on left/brain dominance or “imbalance”, at least from a neurology point of view. If it’s just a metaphor for how we think, I guess that would be ok but I would still be bothered that articulating it as such reinforces the popular misconception that some of us use one side of our brains more than the other side.

He makes an excellent point here. If it is a misconception I don’t want to feed into that.

2. Even if these terms are not 100% factually correct or provable, they define general characteristics that are commonly assumed to exist.

Common usage, factually provable or not, points to a general understanding of the larger issues. If someone can show me that these generalizations are wrong, I would revise my thinking entirely. Even though they are simple generalizations of characteristic brain functioning, everyone knows what I am talking about when I use these terms.

3. I am looking for the “practical” results of these generalizations, not scientific verification.

These references and concepts are used as tools. Ultimately I would like to find ways to back up my hypothesis and findings in a scientific way, with data and studies to prove the points. But my main purpose here is to find tools to use in facilitating and stimulating epiphanies and awakenings.

 4. “Left Brain /Right Brain” refers to brain functioning in a general, commonly used sense. “Left Hemisphere / Right Hemisphere” refers to the actual brain or brain physiology.

I normally refer to “brain” in terms of brain functioning – brain functioning in the sense of the broad results and experiences of using the brain. References to “hemisphere” relates to a more restricted, physiologically related functioning.

That is, “left brain” functioning would include activities and responses relating to logic, analytical thought, or science – whereas “left hemisphere” functioning might refer to actual physiological processes going on within the brain.

So I hope these clarifications clear up my position on these issues around left brain / right brain.

The dominance of the left brain over right brain functions in many of us may play an important role in facilitating the occurrence of an epiphany or awakening.

It is my contention that our left brain blocks our potential for epiphanies and awakenings. I also claim that left brain characteristics, in a general sense, dominate most of us in modern society.

Since my first entry into this blog, and my first steps on this project, it has been a goal of mine to define the terms I am using, and to speak as clearly as possible about these subjects.

It is also my goal to back up as much of my thought as is possible with scientific, rational and reasoned thought. (Did you notice how I am in the grip of the dominance of my left brain by focusing so much on scientific validity as a priority?!)

I will be able to move on now with my further conclusions in the near future. Before I move on though, I will present some of my findings in studying the left brain /right brain topic. I will do this to share that information with you, and to show just how my thinking and reasoning leads to my conclusions.

In Unity,
AJ

As in all other mysteries of the universe that are probed deeply, the more one learns about this topic the more difficult it becomes. I mean difficult in the sense of deep, complex, far from clear cut answers, more questions than answers… that kind of difficult.

I am going to continue soon with my main thoughts on this topic, but am researching more information and attempting to make sure that I don’t put out ideas in this area that are not  backed up by something other than my own “opinions”.

As one comment left by a thoughtful reader pointed out - the issue and difference of neurology and physical characteristics of the right brain / left brain topic is NOT being covered here. So, part of talking about this is to clarify exactly what areas we ARE talking about.

The human brain is multi-dimensional, dynamic, and stunningly complex. For as much as we know about the brain, and as much as we have learned in the last decade or so,  it still seems to me that the vast majority of how the brain works is completely unknown.

In talking about the brain and brain studies, it is important to know which “level” of the brain and functioning we are talking about.

So, I have been balancing the problem of wanting to cover this issue in some depth, but then finding that the depth is so deep that it would take a lifetime! On the other hand, I don’t want it to be so superficial that there is not acceptable agreement on most of the basic scientific facts.

I believe I will need to just throw my ideas out there and hope for the best. Some of my thoughts may not be able to be backed up by scientific fact… but I am in the same boat as many other people in this regard.

So, my left brain / right brain studies will end in the very near future, and I hope to have some more information posted to move us along on our path to achieving awakenings and enlightenment!

In Unity,
AJ

It seems to me that the left brain has a significant dominance in most people in our modern society.

There are several factors that go into this assumption, and among them are the following:

* the importance and dominance of language in life today
* the stresses of modern living which emphasise organization of daily life
* the significance of the structure of time, and it’s organization, to live in today’s society
* the predominance of technology and science in daily living
* the fragmentation of social life, in part due to pressures of time constraints combined with the use of the Internet. This includes the dominance of Television in many peoples lives today.

Let me take a moment to point out that these ideas of mine are only hypothetical. I am not presenting these ideas as fact, but as raw generalizations that may be true. It is extremely difficult to pinpoint any of these things with any accuracy, but my overall perception of people today is that the balance is shifted to left brain dominance.

LEFT BRAIN / RIGHT BRAIN DOMINANCE IN INDIVIDUALS

What I am addressing in this post is not the issue of whether an individual is left brain or right brain dominant, but rather, whether, ON THE WHOLE people in our modern society are MORE left brain oriented than right brain.

Every person has a particular balance, or rather imbalance, of tendencies towards right brain activity or left brain activity. For example, they may be more “scientific” or “math” oriented, or more “music” or “artistically” oriented.

What I am discussing here is not this issue. What I am discussing is a general trend, or general preponderance of a “type” of thinking in the brain, which leans to the left brain.

It seems to me that the individual can swing one way or the other in their personal tendencies, but that overall, most people today are in the grip of left brain activity rather than right brain.

The structure, and character of modern society would lend itself to this generalization.

VARIABLES AND QUESTIONS

Some areas that may come into play that I am not able to fully deal with in this broad, general discussion are these:

* The role of “culture”: that is, IS there a difference in left brain / right brain dominance, OVERALL, related to cultural differences?. In the broadest sense,  is there a difference in hemispheric dominance issues relating to Eastern versus Western cultures?

* The role of language: what part does language play in this whole picture? Language affects thinking and “world view”, so how does it affect issues of left brain / right brain dominance?

* Age: is there a difference between generations?

* Technology: what role does technology play in the overall effect of how people think, and  consequently, which hemisphere they tend to use more dominantly? I include in this Television, media, and multi media – including the Internet and social networking.

OPEN TO YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND ARGUMENTS

In subsequent postings you will see where I am going with this argument, and more detailed reasons behind it.

However, this is a relatively unknown, new area of study and understanding. My opinions are based on the knowledge that I have at this point, and I welcome any new insight into this area.

If you have opinions, or specific knowledge of any of these areas, and wish to contribute to this topic in any way, I would welcome your feedback and input.

Just leave your comments here and I will get back to you.  I am not here to dictate my opinions in an autocratic way, but to explore this subject in as much detail as I can, while still making progress in my overall goal of finding better ways to facilitate the increase in abilities to achieve profound awakenings and epiphanies.

In Unity,
AJ

There has been a prolonged absence from this blog and writing while I was occupied with planning the trip and taking care of other concerns.

If you are interested in India you can get more information from my blog that tracked my adventures to the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar, located at http://www.kmp2010.com/blog - I went with my friend David Brunn, and there are many good photos there and some descriptions of our experiences.

My mind and body are back now… and ready to pick up where I left off.

I will have more entries here soon, so check back if you are interested.

Some time was needed for my ideas to germinate and mature. I did not find enlightenment in India… perhaps because I wasn’t looking for it there. However, I DID step out of my normal reality here, and stepped far into my “right brain” – with many experiences that defy description.

My plan is to pick up on the topic of “Left Brain Dominance” in the near future.

In Unity,
AJ

Before I get to some of the observations I have about the two sides of the brain and how they relate to awakenings and enlightenment, I wanted to do a quick review of what is generally meant by these terms.

The best way may be through a couple of graphic illustrations I found.

Here is the first:

And here is a more graphic version:

And for those of you who are text oriented, here is another version:

LEFT BRAIN
Logical
Sequential
Rational
Analytical
Objective
Looks at parts

RIGHT BRAIN
Random
Intuitive
Holistic
Synthesizing
Subjective
Looks at wholes

So, I hope that helps in the future.

For myself, I like to think of it in broad terms that -

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

LEFT brain is LOGICAL and ANALYTICAL, whereas
RIGHT brain is INTUITIVE and SPIRITUAL.

These are the basic guidelines we will use in any future discussions about left brain / right brain differences and functions.

If you really want to know the full difference between how the two halves of the brain work and what the practical effects of that are – I highly recommend Dr. Taylor’s book “My Stroke of Insight”. It is easy to read, and pretty short, but you can learn a lot about the brain by reading it.

I will leave you with this thought – these are clear differences that exist in the brain. The brain can re-wire and change if damaged somehow, but naturally existing, these differences between the right brain functions and left brain functions are fairly clear cut.

That is, it is not just a “matter of convenience” that we talk about these 2 different areas of the brain… this is the way the brain functions, the way it works. The right brain carries out different functions than the left brain, and the two are clearly separate, but join together in full functioning.

The point where the two brain hemispheres merge is where I will pick up soon. Next, I will discuss what it might mean to have a fully balanced brain…

In Unity,
AJ

This process of thinking for me was triggered by the book “My Stroke of Insight“, by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.  – subtitled, “A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey“.

I had seen an interview with her a couple of years ago and recently ran across another one on the Charlie Rose show. In the latest interview I was profoundly struck by how her descriptions of her experience of her right brain during her stroke, matched up so precisely with many of the descriptions of enlightenment and unity consciousness.

In order for me to proceed with my further observations on Ms Taylor’s experiences and conclusions, I will need to give you a little background into her situation, and some quotes from her book that will serve to lay the framework for the next steps.

Here is a bit of the basic background for the book.

From the back cover of the 2009 paperback edition:

“On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life – all within four hours – Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. It would take her eight years to fully recover.”

 

“For Taylor, the stroke was a blessing and a revelation. It taught her that by ‘stepping to the right’ of our left brains, we can all uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by ‘brain chatter.’ In ‘My stroke of Insight’, Taylor provides a valuable recovery guide for those touched by brain injury and an inspiring testimony that inner peace is accessible to anyone.”

One thing I like to remember about Ms. Taylor and her experience, is that she is a brain scientist. She is not a “New Age Guru”, or a soft headed believer in anything that comes along… she is a trained scientist, previously not much concerned with these types of “spiritual” matters.  So, when you read her comments, it helps to realize that this is a scientist speaking, not an Indian Sadhu.

Here is the first quote, from page 116, which kind of sums up her experience for her.

“I realized that the blessing I had received from this experience was the knowledge that deep internal peace is accessible to anyone at any time. I believe the experience of Nirvana exists in the consciousness of our right hemisphere, and that at any moment we can choose to hook into that part of our brain.”

 

“My stroke of insight would be: Peace is only a thought away, and all we have to do to access it is silence the voice of our dominating left mind.“

Notice her use of the word “Nirvana”. She doesn’t say much about HOW to “hook into that part of our brain”, but I will discuss that in more detail later.

Next, I will take in page order, a few of her other passages that touch on some interesting points. These points will surface later in my discussions, and are set down here for some background, in her own words.

Page  71 -

“My entire self-concept shifted as I no longer perceived my self as a single, a solid, an entity with boundaries that separated me from the entities around me. I understood that at the most elementary level, I am a fluid. Of course I am a fluid! Everything around us, about us, among us, within us, and between us is made up of atoms and molecules vibrating in space. Although the ego center of our language center prefers defining our self as individual and solid, most of us are aware that we are made up of trillions of cells, gallons of water, and ultimately everything about us exists in a constant and dynamic state of activity. My left hemisphere had been trained to perceive myself as a solid, separate from others. Now, released from that restrictive circuitry, my right hemisphere relished in its attachment to the eternal flow. I was no longer isolated and alone. My soul was as big as the universe and frolicked with glee in a boundless sea.”

 

“For many of us, thinking about ourselves as fluid, or with souls as big as the universe, connected to the energy flow of all that is, slips us out just beyond our comfort zone. But without the judgment of my left brain saying that I am a solid, my perception of myself returned to this natural state of fluidity.”

Page 72 -

“Prior to this morning, when I had experienced myself as a solid, I had possessed the ability to experience loss – either physical loss via death or injury, or emotional loss through heartache. But in this shifted perception, it was impossible for me to perceive either physical or emotional loss because I was not capable of experiencing separation or individuality. Despite my neurological trauma, an unforgettable sense of peace pervaded my entire being and I felt calm.”

Page 73 -

“Although I rejoiced in my perception of connection to all that is, I shuddered at the awareness that I was no longer a normal human being. How on earth would I exist as a member of the human race with this heightened perception that we are each part of it all, and that the life force energy within each of us contains the power of the universe? How could I fit in with our society when I walk the earth with no fear? I was, by anyone’s standard, no longer normal. In my own unique way, I had become severely mentally ill. And I must say, there was both freedom and challenge for me in recognizing that our perception of the external world, and our relationship to it, is a product of our neurological circuitry. For all those years of my life, I really had been a figment of my own imagination!“

Page 74 -

“The now offline intellectual mind of my left hemisphere no longer inhibited my innate awareness that I was the miraculous power of life. I know I was different now – but never once did my right mind indicate that I was ‘less than’ what I had been before. I was simply a being of light radiating life into the world. Regardless of whether or not I had a body or brain that could connect me to the world of others, I saw myself as a cellular masterpiece. In the absence of my left hemisphere’s negative judgment, I perceived myself as perfect, whole, and beautiful just the way I was.”

Page 84 -

“Honestly, there were certain aspects of my new existence that I preferred over the way I had been before. I was not willing to compromise my new insights in the name of recovery. I liked knowing I was a fluid. I loved knowing my spirit was at one with the universe and in the flow with everything around me. I found it fascinating to be so tuned in to energy dynamics and body language. But most of all, I loved the feeling of deep inner peace that flooded the core of my very being.”

It is striking to me how this resonates with other descriptions of spiritual experiences and revelations, and how it sounds so much like some of the core aspects of “enlightenment”.

I will follow up with more detail on my observations and insights around this topic in the near future.

The whole question of what role the brain plays in awakenings, enlightenment, and unity consciousness is an important and intriguing one. I think it will be significant in the outcome of this endeavor.

In Unity,
AJ

“He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.”
Buddha, 563-483 B.C.

 ”It is a magnificent feeling to recognize the unity of complex phenomena which appear to be things quite apart from the direct visible truth.”
Albert Einstein

“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and the spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.”
Albert Einstein

“Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things.”
Dogen (Japanese Buddhist monk and philosopher 1200-1253)

In Unity,
AJ

Here is a quote I once read:

When Isaac Newton was asked how he discovered the law of Gravity, he is reported to have said;

“By always thinking about it”…

That is an example of what I was talking about in my last blog entry, and must have been one of the things lurking in the background of my subconscious somewhere!

Thank you Sir Isaac Newton for your further insight…

In Unity,
AJ

In Buddhist terms, “enlightenment” is the result that happens when a person’s subconscious mind absorbs and works with the content of Buddhism, and then “solves” that problem, or comes up with a solution to the “riddle” in the form of a sudden realization of what all that prior information means.

I have been wondering lately, “Can one experience enlightenment WITHOUT knowledge of Buddhism?”. It occurred to me that, it is most likely that enlightenment is the RESULT of a thorough understanding and absorption of Buddhist thought… I know that sounds obvious, but I am talking about something deeper than the surface relationship. Study of Buddhism and meditation etc. prepares the mind for enlightenment… just like study and immersion in a specific area of scientific research could prepare one for a breakthrough insight relating to that discipline.

What I mean is that, you don’t just study Buddhism and then, by chance, experience enlightenment that may, or may not be related to what you studied… the enlightenment that you experience will be exactly predicted by the precise information that you fed into and absorbed in your mind.

And further, other epiphanies in general, are the direct result of the ruminations of the subconscious mind. The specific nature of the input determines the exact nature of the output.

I thought of this in regards to the concept touched on earlier in this blog, that perhaps awakenings take place shortly after the subconscious mind had a chance to work on its own without interference from the conscious, rational, mind – i.e. awakenings often take place in the early morning around the time of recent sleep, or a lack of sleep, depending on the circumstance.

I began to think about this because it occurred to me that many scientific discoveries and insights must happen in a sudden, satori like manner. It seemed to me that the subconscious mind must take the massive amounts of information that a scientist puts in his brain about his area of interest… and the subconscious mind then puts it together into a whole. When the scientist realizes the picture, or concept, of the whole, they have a sudden burst of insight that makes everything become clear.

Any “problem” can be solved by the subconscious mind. I don’t know how, and that is not the purpose of this inquiry at this point, but it seems like input goes into the mind, and a sudden burst of insight comes out as a result.

I think nearly everyone can relate to this experience if they think about it. After thinking about something over and over, looking at it from all angles, dwelling on it, focusing on it… obsessing over it even in some cases, suddenly a flash of insight about the whole thing comes to you.

You might be standing in the shower, washing your hands in the sink, brushing your teeth, any kind of activity where you are NOT actually thinking about the subject… and BOOM! There is the answer!

Back to enlightenment. It seemed to me logical that, if you input enough information, enough examples, enough explanations and visualizations… if you meditated enough and absorbed enough of these ideas, concepts and experiences relating directly to the Buddhist teachings… that in the end, if you stand back and let it do its work without interference, that the subconscious mind will kick out the “answer” or synthesis of the totality in the form of enlightenment.

And to the second part, awakenings and epiphanies of any kind seem to happen when you “step out” of the picture and let your subconscious mind do its work, AFTER you have given it sufficient information and experience to work with.

The key here for me is the relationship of epiphanies, awakenings, and enlightenment, to the age old process of “feed the mind information, let the subconscious do its work”.

So, in a sense, I am saying that, awakenings may be the result of giving the mind the proper information and/or experiences, and then standing back while the subconscious mind gives you the resultant epiphany.

Feeding into this process, and part of it, is the expectation that your mind will do this for you. You hold a belief that this is bound to happen at any time, because that is the way your mind works.

Looking at it from another angle, it is the process of giving the left brain enough information that it needs, and perhaps stimulating the right brain in an appropriate manner at the same time … and then give it a chance to fuse everything into one, interconnected whole, that emerges as a sudden “flash” of insight.

When this happens, it usually seems like it came from nowhere, or “out of the blue”.

It just popped in “on its own”!

So, when the two parts of the brain work together in an optimal manner, it can produce an outcome that far transcends the original information and experience. Or, in other words, the whole is more than the sum of the parts.

And finally, it dawned on me that, this insight I experienced today, this most recent synthesis of my ideas and knowledge about awakenings, epiphanies, and enlightenment… this latest insight of mine is ITSELF an example of this process!

Walking by the river, out of the blue, this insight hit me. I have been thinking about these issues, studying them, experiencing them, and living with them for some time now. As I talk and think about them I file them away in my brain.

Later, while entirely absorbed into another experience, a sudden insight into the nature of these things occurs to me. Watching leaves fall into the river and float away, my subconscious mind was doing it’s work!

As to the point of ”expectation” playing a role in this overall process, let me just say that my walks by the river to experience the fall leaves and the beauty of the water… are not an accident.

I have known about this process for some time, but only today did it intuitively tie into everything I have been talking about and considering here in this project.

In the past I thought, “that’s great, but this process leaves the whole thing to chance”. I knew that you could feed information into your mind and stand back and let it process that information, but I thought, what’s the use? You can’t really control this process. What if you don’t give it enough information? What if you don’t wait long enough? What if the information isn’t the right kind?

Those kinds of questions made me think that this process was too indeterminate, not controlled enough to be of practical, reliable use.

Now, I am thinking differently. Now, I am thinking that it may be a key factor in a more “controlled” process.

I believe this principle will be folded into, and be part of much of what is to come in this project.

Two more key factors are added into the mix here:

1.  It is probable that a balance between the two sides of the brain may be important in this process.
2. Part of the process may be in standing aside and allowing the subconscious mind to synthesize the information and experiences for you, into an overall, organic whole… where the whole is more than the sum of the parts.

Add to this some of the other factors I have mentioned in the past and you have the shape of things to come.

Other factors that may be important:

• an expectation that an epiphany or awakening will occur
• using a “trick” or koan like device to sidestep the rational mind
• location and surroundings may be part of the catalyst
• the “process” that leads to awakenings can be understood and utilized
• epiphanies and awakenings transform the individual, and the world

My thought today was that enlightenment doesn’t happen on it’s own. It may not be some mysterious, unpredictable phenomenon that defies all logic. In a simple sense, it is the result of proper preparation in the left brain, coupled with appropriate utilization of the right brain and the subconscious mind.

Many questions still remain, but it seems that the type of enlightenment that can be experienced is the direct result of the input fed into the mind. This would also explain the wide variety of different types of enlightenment, and also explain that certain types of Buddhist enlightenment are fairly predictable.

If you are deeply schooled in Buddhist thought and meditation experiences, you should directly experience the resultant enlightenment, which is clearly classified in the literature.

But this is also true for ANY kind of epiphany.

Somehow this all seems self evident when I write it, but I believe that the underlying principle is key.

I will have more on this topic in the future. For now, I will get ready for another walk by the river today…

In Unity,
AJ

Here are some of the links to pages I reference, and the references to the time of the Buddha’s enlightenment:

Page: “The Buddha’s Enlightenment”
http://www.geocities.com/mkoay.rm/buddha_enlightenment.html

“In the last watch of the night he developed the super-normal knowledge with regard to the destruction of passions – Asavakkhaya Nana, and comprehending things they truly are, attained Perfect Enlightenment – Samma Sambodhi.”

Another reference: “The Buddha’s Enlightenment:
The story of Siddhartha Gautama -Shakyamuni Buddha – according to Tibetan teachings.”
http://www.psychics.co.uk/tibet/buddha.htm

 ”Vowing not to get up until he had found the enlightenment he was looking for, he entered a deep state of meditation. As the night wore on he dived deeper and deeper into the nature of reality until at last he achieved a total and direct realisation of the truth.”

 

“As the morning star rose over the eastern horizon his enlightenment was complete and unshakable. Siddhartha Gautama had become the Buddha – a Sanskrit word meaning ‘One who is fully awake.’”

And further down the page there is this:

“At the third watch (2 a.m. to 6 am.) Shakyamuni Buddha attained absolute knowledge and absolute enlightenment. ”

 

“This breakthrough of realisation coincided with the rising of the sun at 6 in the morning. Siddhartha had defeated the forces of Mara, had seen through the illusionary ego and extinguished all mental defilement. The struggle was now over he had realised the everlasting, supreme, bliss and, like the sun he saw rising in the morning sky, had awoken from the dark night of the soul. He had not just glimpsed Truth but had become one with it. He was now the Buddha.”

Next reference:  “Life of Buddha – Attaining Enlightenment”
http://www.aboutbuddha.org/english/life-of-buddha-4.htm/

“Siddhartha then continued with his meditation until dawn, when he attained the varja-like concentration. With this concentration, which is the very last mind of a limited being, he removed the final veils of ignorance from his mind and in the next moment became a Buddha, a fully enlightened being.”

These are representative of most of what I found in my research using the Internet.

So, it seems the Buddha attained his awakening and enlightenment in the early morning hours.

I used to do what I called “pulling an all-nighter”… staying up through the night into the next day. As the years go on I do less and less of those now – but I am seriously thinking of taking them up again!

In Unity,
AJ

I received a few comments from my last blog posting “Satori in Walmart?” that were worth adding here for consideration.

First, as to location – my friend Chris suggested that, in the case of the Buddha, the fact that he was sitting under this particular, large tree might be significant. He felt that, perhaps, somehow the tree itself may have had an influence on the Buddha and his perception and subsequent enlightenment.

Another friend, Michelle, added that, perhaps the Earth itself, related to that tree as well, might have had something to do with the situation there. There are those who may think this sort of thing is preposterous, but there are others who feel that the Earth itself emanates an influence that directly affects us as biological human beings.

The Buddha sat under a big, powerful tree for days and days … I am not sure if he sat directly on the Earth, but for some reason that seems to me what happened. Could the tree and the Earth have played a part?

Is it possible that the Bodhi Tree and the Earth itself could have played a part in the Buddha’s enlightenment?

Let’s not forget that in my earlier post I noted; “according to Buddhist texts the Buddha, after his Enlightenment, spent a whole week in front of the tree, standing with unblinking eyes, gazing at it with gratitude”.

I can only speculate and take it into consideration at this point. It would be difficult to trace something like this, but I think it is worth keeping in mind.

Second, as to sleep – the proximity to sleep or waking up from sleep to the awakenings I mentioned, has been commented on by a number of people.

Two of the three examples of awakening that I discussed involved the factor of the person either being asleep, or near the time of waking up in the early morning.

Is it possible that the Buddha was asleep, or had just woken up when he achieved his enlightenment?

Those who have mentioned the factor of being near a sleep state have pointed out that the subconscious mind could be more active at this time… with less interference from the rational mind.

So, I am putting these latest observations into the blog now because they seem to be worth remembering and considering in this study.

Any comments are welcome. Note: when commenting on this blog, your comment will be submitted for “review”, so won’t post immediately.

In Unity,
AJ