I came across this list of characteristics of awakened consciousness from this website (it's the site from the author of The Multidimensional Man, a book c0sm0 had recommended a while back that I'm reading now and really enjoying )

I thought the list was quite good and appropriate, and I feel that it does a good job at demystifying and normalizing the experience of awakening. What do you think?

Quote:

Key characteristic of an awakened consciousness.

• Attention is focused on the present moment.
• Enhanced sense of reality and increased discriminatory powers.
• Persistent feeling of being “Home”, regardless of where we are.
• Enhanced aesthetic appreciation
• Spontaneous peak experiences in everyday life
• Enhanced empathy with fellow men
• Nonjudgemental attitude.
• Increased creativity and joy in engagements which benefit others.
• Awareness of a benevolent presence, which may be referred to as “God”, “Higher Self”, “Guide”, “Guardian Angel” or simply the presence of a universal consciousness.
• No fear of death.
• Detachment from conflicts and enhanced modes of dealing with them.
• Dreams are more coherent and often lucid
• Lack of attachment
• A feeling of Sovereignty over ones life and destiny
• Indifference towards roles in society, such as status, acclaim, fame, position, wealth etc
• Authentic, accessible, benevolent, empathic, sense of humour, tolerant, perceptive, wise
• Purposeful and rewarding relationships without attachments or dependency
• Perception that every moment is new. Reality is not seen as repetition even though apparent repetitive events occur.
• Disinterest in psychic abilities although they may arise
• Disinterest in following a “spiritual” path
• Regarding dream life as important as  waking life and visa versa.
• Modest and content with the ordinary
• Impartial, detached, peaceful, objective
• Ability to adapt and experience any viewpoint from the viewers perspective.
• Not considering themselves as enlightened

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Quote:

The Loss of Ego Identification

There are many ways to loosen the grip of our egos. One very effective way is by nurturing a feeling of unconditional love or surrendering to the stillness of the moment. The mind can never harbour two feelings or two thoughts simultaneously so we are free to make a decision. By focusing attention on unconditional love, our preoccupation with our inner drama will quite simply dissolve because it no longer receives the life blood of our attention. With meditation and practice we will cease to be the involuntary participants of our internal dialogue, the idle chatter of our thoughts and their obsession to pay homage to our past and irrational concerns for the future.

Attention focused on unconditional love is one way to free us to embrace the present and harvest its rich fruits which can be found in the stillness of the moment. Though there are many other ways and it is up to the individual to pick out the most suitable path which suits the individual’s temperament. To suggest a practice is beyond the scope of this website. The reason I picked on unconditional love is that to me it best expresses what it feels like to live in an awakened state. Others may choose “surrender” or “appreciation”, the key point is our attitude which draws attention away from thought

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c0sm0nautt said:

Glad you are enjoying that book deff, to this day it is still one of my favorites.

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oh btw c0sm0... he's coming out with a sequel in a couple months called 'Vistas of Infinity'

deff said:

i agree with you in that i think an enlightened/awakened being would be able to recognize that indeed they are awakened (by their own criteria). however, i don't think they would have the desire to make other people aware of that fact

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deff said:

yes I agree that the methods to achieve such an awakening are of great importance of course there are many such methods, just as there are many traditions that are designed to elicit realization.

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