Updated June 26, 2023
There are no degrees of the Enlightenment of that which is One because it cannot be experienced. However, you can experience glimpses of it in various degrees depending on how much you shut off the outward-facing senses. You see, hear, feel and taste these glimpses via the inward-facing senses. To do that, you do not have to close your eyes or be in a particular place or position. You focus less on the world of the outward senses. Read more about that here. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
ARE THERE DEGREES OF ENLIGHTENMENT?
The answer to the question is both yes and no. In the Enlightenment of that which is One, everything happens simultaneously. Therefore, since no specific elements can be combined into something understandable, it is beyond the senses. Thus impossible to experience and consequently without degrees.
Nevertheless, you can have glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One in various degrees via the inward-facing senses regardless of the body’s state, how and where it is positioned and if you know anything about Enlightenment. It is merely a matter of not focusing on something specific. The more you do that, the less the substantial world of the outward-facing senses blocks the abstractness of the inward-facing senses.
However, like a movie trailer is not the movie, the glimpses of Enlightenment are not the Enlightenment of that which is One. But unlike a movie trailer which does not contain the whole film, glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One has it all. So when you stop distinguishing them, without any transition, the Enlightenment of that which is One set in.
It is as if it comes from out of nowhere through a gap that may look black (see the article The ins and outs of a black hole) to terminate your consciousness quickly. Thus nothing is sucked through a black gap that is gone because there is no awareness to hide, there is no more than that which is One. So if you want to hold onto being someone definitive, somewhere specific, thus denying the formlessness of oneness, you stop the extraction of consciousness by fearing it. Since that requires more than one, you are, without any transition, back in a world where there seems to be more than one.
It takes more than one to have a vision, so no matter how impressive it may be, it is not the Enlightenment of that which is One but a glimpse of it. That is comparable to a movie trailer, a sample of the whole, thus not undivided. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THAT WHICH IS ONE OR GLIMPSES OF IT
Nobody can attest to you having been the Enlightenment of that which is One because it calls for more than one. For the same reason, you only have vague memories of nothing entering the void of antimatter in a gap of light. The memories pop up every time you have glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One, which can be visions of light, celestial music, shivering feelings of total emptiness or tastes of heavenly sweetness. Read more about that in The four aspects of Enlightenment and how to sample them.
You devote yourself to one of these aspects at a time without hanging onto it. So if another replaces that aspect, you go with that. However, never try to mix them.
If you want to return to the Enlightenment of that which is One, you stop distinguishing the glimpses of the aspect you experience. Therefore, since separation is not confirmed, your experience stops. Without any transition, the Enlightenment of that which is One set in to erase all the thoughts used to imagine being outside of oneness.
Unlike the Enlightenment of that which is One, glimpses of it do not wipe out thoughts completely. But you forget to assign them with a specific meaning, thus moving lightly in the material world of the outward-facing senses. At the same time, glimpses of Enlightenment come to you from the abstractness of the inward-facing senses.
When that is over, the focus on the material world of the outward-facing senses is re-established. If you want to look special there, you probably claim to have been awakened by the glimpses, thus being someone who knows how to make the world a better place. But by using glimpses to highlight yourself as somebody instead of undoing the belief in being that, you are imprisoned by the glimpses, not set free.
The world of the outward-facing senses is experienced via seeing, hearing, feeling and tasting/smelling something perceived as material. The world of the inward-facing senses can also be seen, heard, felt and tasted. However, you do not get a sense of something tangible but abstract.
Depending on how much you use the inward-facing senses to perceive your experiences in the world of the outward-fencing senses, you have a pleasant day or glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One. In the latter’s case, you still notice the world of the outward-fencing senses, but it does not mean much to you. In the case of the former, you are much aware of the world of the outward-facing senses. But it looks friendlier, and you feel more relaxed. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
THE INWARD AND OUTWARD-FACING SENSES
As the name suggests, the drive of the inward and the outward-facing senses is not the same. The outward-facing senses are for actively expanding what you appear to be and have. But you do not need that in the world of the inward-facing senses because it is abstract, so you are boundless. You can use that to soften your appearance in the world of the outward-facing senses or have glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One, for example, travelling through lucid worlds of light. That is effortless, but everything in the world of the outward-facing senses requires much effort.
Much devotion to the world of the inward-facing senses probably makes you spaced out in the world of the outward-facing senses. Yet, if you do not have to be present there, you can go with the flow of the inward-facing senses, as if the world outside you stands still. See Alexius in Wonderland.
However, you cannot tone down the outward-facing senses if you want to escape them because what you try to escape you enhance psychologically. On the other hand, the more you wish to get close to reality, the more the outward and inward-facing senses fade out, and the more you are on Highway One. It has no direction, so you are not going anywhere. But the belief in being somewhere goes away. Hence there does not appear to be something to hide that which is One.
But suppose you have to do something demanding in the world of the outward-facing senses. In that case, it is best to devote yourself to the outward-facing senses mainly so the abstractness of the inward-facing senses does not space you out but makes it easier to do something demanding joyfully.
Syncing the inward and outward-facing senses in the correct ratio per your present situation is less complicated if you leave it to the empty breath. See, The empty breath syncs the inward and outward-facing senses.
The body’s healing caused by partly being devoted to the inward-facing senses is a side effect that helps you not worry about its appearance and inevitable end. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
THE INWARD-FACING SENSES AND THE BODY
The inward-facing senses cannot heal your body. However, its abstractness sets the body free from the ideas of wellness you try to inflict on it. Hence the body gets the peace it needs to heal itself. It may not include genetically caused diseases, though. But since they do not generate fear due to the tranquillity of the inward-facing senses, it is easier to deal with them (see Duality Hack #7 Physical & non-physical issues do not mix).
But suppose the body’s well-being is the purpose of devoting yourself to the inward-facing senses. In that case, you focus on something specific, so you do not enter the world of the inward-facing senses. Hence the body does not get the peace it needs to heal itself.
Like a moth cannot help but follow its attraction to the flame, even though it is going to end of it, the purpose of the inward-facing senses is to draw you into their abstract world to undo the belief in being someone definitive.
If you return from the Enlightenment of that which is One to the experience of being someone substantial, your appearance remains the same. That is because it has not been Enlightened. However, due to vague memories of the formlessness of oneness, you do not believe it is real. Hence you are to be compared to the Enlightenment of that which is One. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THAT WHICH IS ONE DOES NOT CHANGE ANYTHING
Visiting the Enlightenment of that which is One by momentarily forgetting what and where you appear to be may at first seem to be a process. As long as that is the case, the experience of you as someone definitive can be recalled. But since it takes more than one to be anything, the reestablished experience does not contain the Enlightenment of that which is One. So although you are to be compared to the Enlightenment of that which is One, nothing has changed except you know there is no more than that which is One.
When the Enlightenment of that which is One does not seem to be a process, you are entirely beyond the senses. Hence there is no one to know about ever having been someone, wherefore there is no return to being a substantial being in a tangible world. Consequently, nobody seems to hide what always has been and always will be, namely, the formlessness of oneness. From this follows, nobody is aware of that since it takes more than one to be conscious of something.
Therefore, if somebody claims to have been transformed by Enlightenment into something better or higher, it is not the Enlightenment of that which is One, but glimpses of it that they use to promote themselves as a superhuman with no negative emotions, only love and compassion. Since everybody wants to be superhuman, it sounds compelling, so you may dismiss the Enlightenment of that which is One if it hits you because you did not become anything at all. And being nobody, you cannot share with anybody because that requires more than One, thus turning you into somebody.
People have extraordinary ideas about Enlightenment. Some think it is pure love, consciousness or the ability to see through all illusions. But seeing or being something requires more than one. Hence the Enlightenment they are dreaming about is not the Enlightenment of that which is One, but something to improve their life in a world where there seems to be more than one, thus fencing off that which is One. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen
IS THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THAT WHICH IS ONE REQUIRED TO UNDO THE BELIEF IN BEING SOMEONE?
The Enlightenment of that which is One can be said to be the last step back to the formlessness of oneness. But as formlessness is endless, you have never left it. Thus it is not about going back but realise the belief in being definitive hides the formlessness of oneness.
As already mentioned, the Enlightenment of that which is One undoes that belief immediately. However, it can also be achieved over time while enjoying the world of the outward-facing senses by applying one or more of Alexius’ Duality Hacks except Hack #10.
Glimpses of Enlightenment are comparable to the sneak peeks Alexius had in his childhood of his family’s Christmas tree when he looked through the door’s keyhole. He was in his normal world but had glimpses of something glorious.
This image could illustrate the last glimpse of the Enlightenment of that which is One before you give up being aware of something. There is no transition from having glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One and being sucked into it. And since it is one perpetual present, you do not know when it extracts all your thoughts about being someone so that nobody is sucked through a black gap and gracefully falls into that which One. Since that is incompatible with appearing as someone in a world where there seems to be more than one, you better stop the extraction of thoughts if you want to continue like someone definitive, for example, by fearing it. Thus you immediately appear as someone in a world where there seems to be more than one. The graphic is grabbed from the web.
WHERE DO GLIMPSES OF ENLIGHTENMENT COME FROM
Physically speaking, glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One seem to originate from a non-defined space behind the frequencies of thoughts near the pineal gland. It is probably here you perceive the world when you are in a state of not-knowing.
The same applies when you pretend to be someone or perceive everything experienced as symbols of oneness. The empty breath – sounding like sohang – is presumably picked up there as well, physically speaking.
You cannot know because you are blown out by those experiences. That is fine because focusing on the pineal will not bring about any of the above. Concentrating on something contracts the energy, so you feel boxed in as someone definitive. On the other hand, defocusing removes restrictions wherefore, you do not feel limited to being someone specific.
NOTE: This article is part of Duality Hack #11 Going without distance to non-duality.
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