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Are You Enlightened? 7 Ways That You Can Tell

Updated: Jan 25

INTRODUCTION


Welcome to the sixth blog post in my series on Transformative Life Coaching (TLC) and everything related to personal development and enlightenment. My education and training can be found at the bottom of this blog post. I received my training in TLC in London, England. I've been on a personal growth journey. I've had significant changes in my ways of BEing and so DOing. I work as a Transformative Life Coach full-time.


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I believe so strongly in the transformative potential of coaching that I have had, and continue to have, a number of Transformative Life Coaches. I would like everyone to be able to experience enlightenment. This is my purpose - to have maximal impact on the world by sharing this with one person at a time. This will stir you to do the same, so the results will be exponential. Therefore, I do not do 'discovery calls', hard sell or use any sales tactics at all. I simply offer you a free one hour coaching session without expectation so that you can get a sense of the internal shift that can be achieved. We will not even discuss booking future sessions. I am offering an experience of coaching at no charge rather than selling the concept through a discovery call. Below I will set out how you can access bliss any time you desire.


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Enlightenment means awakening. To become self aware: To become fully awake. Enlightenment means to become a Buddha – the pinnacle of human development and potential – and it is the ultimate lofty aim in Buddhism. However, it is something that every single being on earth has the potential to achieve. Enlightenment is accessible to all. So much so, that it has made it into the urban Dictionary: Enlightenment is defined as “Spiritually aware of the Universe and its direct metaphysical connection to one’s own being and the connection it has to all life forces.”


All traditions agree, whether Buddhist, Yoga, Sufi, Vedanta, or Western Christian inspired salvation, transformation and resurrection, that enlightenment is: Permanent (cannot be lost once attained); It involves transcending the ego; It is the end of all forms of suffering. Ramana Maharshi said "There are levels of experience. There are no levels of Realisation." Many of the traditions agree that enlightenment is already here and now, and that it is our true nature – or the true nature of reality. It is not that we have to achieve it or become it, but rather we need to remove the obstacles to its expression. Carl Rogers, the psychologist said that humans have a natural tendency to self actualise; it is not out of anyone's reach: "The actualising tendency can, of course, be thwarted or warped, but it cannot be destroyed without destroying the organism. I remember that in my boyhood, the bin in which we stored our winter's supply of potatoes was in the basement, several feet below a small window. The conditions were unfavourable, but the potatoes would begin to sprout—pale white sprouts, so unlike the healthy green shoots they sent up when planted in the soil in the spring. But these sad, spindly sprouts would grow 2 or 3 feet in length as they reached toward the distant light of the window. The sprouts were, in their bizarre, futile growth, a sort of desperate expression of the directional tendency I have been describing. They would never become plants, never mature, never fulfill their real potential. But under the most adverse circumstances, they were striving to become. Life would not give up, even if it could not flourish. In dealing with clients whose lives have been terribly warped, in working with men and women on the back wards of state hospitals, I often think of those potato sprouts. So unfavourable have been the conditions in which these people have developed that their lives often seem abnormal, twisted, scarcely human. Yet, the directional tendency in them can be trusted. The clue to understanding their behaviour is that they are striving, in the only ways that they perceive as available to them, to move toward growth, toward becoming. To healthy persons, the results may seem bizarre and futile, but they are life's desperate attempt to become itself. This potent constructive tendency is an underlying basis of the person-centred approach." This is the essence of coaching, creating the space for the acorn to become the oak. "At these moments it seems that my inner spirit has reached out and touched the inner spirit of the other. Our relationship transcends itself and has become something larger" (Carl Rogers).


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Enlightenment is accessible to all, not a lofty intellectual concept


Enlightenment is a state of elevated awareness and consciousness, with psychological and emotional ease, and acceptance of one's life circumstances. An enlightened person feels that they understand fundamental truths about life. Therefore, enlightenment is a state of complete understanding and complete compassion with acceptance of others. According to Deepak Chopra, awakening happens when you are no longer living in a dream world where you filter everything through your ego and focusing on the future and the past. Instead, you have an almost simultaneous awareness of your individual self and the connection between that and everything else. Take, for example, the metaphor of a wave in the ocean. You are the wave, and you are the ocean. The ability to maintain both separation and connection seems to indicate a different level of spiritual evolution. People who model being spiritually awake but not perfect are what is needed to make being awakened feel possible. As Eckhart Tolle says, “You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realising who you are at the deepest level.” Spend time focused on becoming yourself fully.


"My GIFT is to be YOUR GUIDE" Olly Alexander MA PhD

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How do you know when you become enlightened? 7 Ways that you can tell:

Table of Contents

  1. ​Unconditional love for your self and others

2. Total compassion for self and others

3. Synchronicity

4. You vibrate at a higher frequency

5. Equanimity

6. Presence

7. You become fearless


1. Unconditional love for your self and others

Connection comes from shared humanity: You feel a sense of deep connection. You become caring, loving and kind. Carl Rogers, psychologist and father of modern coaching said "In my early professional years I was asking the question: How can I treat, or cure, or change this person? Now I would phrase the question in this way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his own personal growth?... The degree to which I can create relationships, which facilitate the growth of others as separate persons, is a measure of the growth I have achieved in myself." He also wrote “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change."

2. Total compassion for self and others

Empathy is your ability to feel what others are feeling, to try on a new perspective. Carl Rogers said "When the other person is hurting, confused, troubled, anxious, alienated, terrified; or when he or she is doubtful of self-worth, uncertain as to identity, then understanding is called for. The gentle and sensitive companionship of an empathic stance… provides illumination and healing. In such situations deep understanding is, I believe, the most precious gift one can give to another... To be with another in this [empathic] way means that for the time being, you lay aside your own views and values in order to enter another's world without prejudice. In some sense it means that you lay aside your self; this can only be done by persons who are secure enough in themselves that they know they will not get lost in what may turn out to be the strange or bizarre world of the other, and that they can comfortably return to their own world when they wish. Perhaps this description makes clear that being empathic is a complex, demanding, and strong - yet subtle and gentle - way of BEing." Authenticity is key "In my relationships with persons I have found that it does not help, in the long run, to act as though I were something that I am not" (Carl Rogers). Compassion is an action that is inspired by your empathy. It literally means “to suffer with.” People who are in the process of a spiritual awakening begin to notice both a more all-encompassing empathy and a more action-oriented compassion that feels normal, natural, and fulfilling. For example, has anyone ever truly listened to you as you share a problem? This person listened without trying to fix your problem, and this person wasn’t relating it back to his/her own life or emotions. He/she listened without judgment. The simple act of listening with your full presence can be one of the most compassionate acts you can offer. Unfortunately, compassionate listening has become increasingly rare as technology and busy lives may pull our attention away from each other. Listening with presence is the basis of great coaching. Carl Rogers said “When a person realizes he has been deeply heard, his eyes moisten. I think in some real sense he is weeping for joy. It is as though he were saying, "Thank God, somebody heard me. Someone knows what it's like to be me... the more I can keep a relationship free of judgment and evaluation, the more this will permit the other person to reach the point where he recognizes that the locus of evaluation, the centre of responsibility, lies within himself... True empathy is always free of any evaluative or diagnostic quality. This comes across to the recipient with some surprise. "If I am not being judged, perhaps I am not so evil or abnormal as I have thought.”


One area of compassion that is often forgotten is self-compassion. According to Kristin Neff, self-compassion researcher, self-compassion is composed of three main components:

  • Self-kindness

  • A sense of common humanity

  • Mindfulness

Don’t take it from me, though. The Dalai Lama famously said in the book "The Art of Happiness", “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” You become altruistic, dropping away from ego as your definition of self. You become humble and modest.


Your self care encompasses all aspects of your health - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The enlightened person is mindful of his health -- physical, mental, and emotional. He knows that his mind, body, and spirit must be in harmony in order to maintain his spiritual condition. He has developed an understanding of physical and mental health, and doesn't blindly depend on others for his health.


The enlightened person is emotionally stable because he no longer has an ego that needs validation for its existence. He is not hurt because there is no ego to hurt. He does not get angry because he is understanding and compassionate toward those who are not as far along the spiritual path.

3. Synchronicity

There is a feeling that the universe is conspiring to make something happen. Paul Coelho wrote in "The Alchemist" "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."


Some might call this coincidence, but others believe that subtle signs are guiding you. We need to listen in the silence.

4. You vibrate at a higher frequency

So you keep seeing people who vibrate at the same frequency as you: Those that vibrate at a lower frequency disappear. It's not that you don't let people with dysfunctional habits who are asleep steal your joy : They disappear completely; you filter them out. You love and respect your self enough to choose subconsciously what truly serves you.


Intuition

You become intuitive, insightful, and open-minded. Have you ever thought of an old friend from high school only to run into them in an airport the next day? Have you ever heard your phone ring and known it was your mother before looking? Have you ever felt an immediate and irrational dislike for someone or experienced the feeling when first meeting someone that you already know them? These are all signs of intuition. If thoughts, objects, and individuals all have energy, spiritually awoken human beings seem more apt to connect with this energy on a regular basis.


Flourishing

Awakened people have a level of well-being that seems to be more consistent. You know that there is a mind-body connection, which translates to people who are happier are also healthier. It is interesting to note that research in the field of positive psychology is very similar to studies of awakened individuals. In positive psychology, the domains of the theoretical model of happiness called PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments) are all strengths of the awakened. Likewise, one researcher, Sonya Lyubomirsky, found a deep connection between happiness and success across multiple life domains, including marriage, friendship, income, work performance, and health. In science, this is known as flourishing. You become happier, more joyful in everything you do, brimming with optimism. You become filled with an inner strength. You develop clear awareness, a calm concentration, uncluttered by thoughts.


Humility

The enlightened person is humble. Since he knows his place in the universe, he doesn't need validation from others. He understands that he has unique talents, but that everyone else does too. Therefore, he has nothing to prove to anyone, including himself. His humble nature allows him to be kind and gentle, and be open to everyone he encounters.


Inner strength

The enlightened person has great inner strength. He has learned healthy ways of connecting with the sources of spiritual nourishment -- through healthy interactions with people, and within. He no longer has a need for the power struggles that most of us engage in.

5. Equanimity

Equanimity is to accept reality as-it-is without craving or aversion. You become peaceful and serene.


You let go of attachments

You become emotionally sober: Your happiness no longer depends on people, places, or things. Your happiness comes from within. You no longer need labels, external validation, or love from others to feel happy. Every belief that defines you from outside becomes a cloak - once you become aware of it, the cloak becomes transparent. This adds to your invincibility. Your labels 'die' in importance and you become reborn.

Deep down in people's minds, there is an underlying dissatisfaction with the way things are. People want many things to be different from the way they actually are. There is a craving for becoming something that one is not and there is a resistance to the way things are. Everyone is moving towards a goal, a destination that is in the future. The hopes of arriving at that destination seem to give some solace and if those hopes and dreams are threatened, we tend to suffer. This burning uneasiness and dissatisfaction can be likened to a fire that is burning. The extinction of this fire is enlightenment. The word ‘Nirvana’ means extinction or "blowing out". It is used to refer to the extinction of desire, hatred, and ignorance and, ultimately, of suffering and rebirth. Literally, it means “blowing out” or “becoming extinguished,” as when a flame is blown out or a fire burns out.


Increasing authenticity

With an awakening comes confidence and a deep sense of self-worth. Gone is the need to conform to cultural norms or remain politically correct. Instead, a real complete sense of satisfaction with who you are and the choices you make abounds. The act of being your self is one of the most appealing traits that you can have. With the recognition that it is not your job to please others, to avoid stating unpopular opinions, or to tread gently around the way others choose to feel comes an energy that is attractive and feels secure to be around.


Amor Fati

Think of inner peace as being unflappable. It doesn’t mean that things don’t go wrong in your life, it just means that when things do go badly, you aren’t on an emotional roller coaster of anger, frustration, or despair. The Stoics call this Amor Fati love your fate. You become calm, peaceful, and serene. You experience relaxation and tranquility of both body and mind.



Stoicism's formula for human greatness: Amor Fati, by Ryan Holiday, from his book "The Obstacle Is The way."

In my favourite poem "If" by Kipling: he says we should treat triumph and disaster "just the same":

If...

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:


If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!


If, by Rudyard Kipling, read by Sir Michael Caine.


6. Presence

For my detailed explanation of feeling presence click here


It works like this: You have on average around 60,000 thoughts per day: 90 percent of them are repetitive, and 80-90 percent are negative. That's around 45,000 negative repetitive thoughts per day. You latch on to some of the thoughts, which become your ‘thinking’. These negative thoughts cause negative emotions, which are simply the body’s way of commenting on the quality of those thoughts. It is best to simply note the thoughts and the feelings and let them pass: This is the basis of meditation and mindfulness.



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Meditation and presence


Then you will feel bliss, which is your truth, the formless energy that you feel when you are aligned to your purpose, totally present, and when you are in nature (as described in the last section) - connection to pure potentially, without the fog of thinking. That energy is clean and is pure energy and truth. You have access to it any time and anywhere. When you become enlightened know that it will not depend on people, places or things, it can't. And with your thoughts you create your world. So you can access the bliss of enlightenment at any time? Yes. Try it. This is the 'sudden approach' to gaining enlightenment - described by Eckhart Tolle, enquiring into your true nature, not identifying with intrusive thoughts, and simply living in the present with non-attachment. It is accessible now.


7. You become fearless

A wise teacher, Barry (Bears) Kaufman, once said that all fear is really a fear of death. All fear decreases generally as an individual becomes more awakened. This might be due to the lack of attachment. Your own demise seems less tragic when you focus on living in the present and stop worrying so much about the future or regretting the past. When consciousness is seen as transcending a physical body, the loss of this body feels less tragic. Seeing death as inevitable, as part of your process, allows for peace and removes fear.


You become free of anxiety because you understand that freedom from suffering comes from within, and not from material possessions, people, or events.


You experience a conscious rebirth. Sadhguru says: "In India, enlightened beings have been referred to as Dwijas. Dwija means twice-born. Once, you were born out of your mother’s womb; it happened unconsciously. You did not make it happen – nature did it for you. When you were born, you came with a certain innocence and blissfulness. A child is innocent and blissful by himself. But since this blissfulness did not happen consciously, anybody can corrupt it in no time. In no time, they will take it away... For some of you, it was taken away by the time you were 12 or 13 years of age; for many it was already taken away when they were 5 to 6. Children are becoming tense at 5 to 6 years of age today because their innocence gets corrupted in no time, depending upon the volume of influence that people around have on them. Now, if you have to be born once again, you must die first. If you are not willing to die, the question of being reborn doesn’t arise. This does not mean dying physically. If you leave this body, some other nonsense will be waiting for you. But if you die the way you are, if you destroy everything that you called “myself,” then you are born once again. This kind of birth happens 100% consciously. Once again you become blissful and innocent, but fully aware. Now, this blissfulness cannot be taken away by anybody. So, what you call “enlightenment” means a conscious self-annihilation." From concepts of inner child, this means that we are born whole, and through unvalidated childhoods we become our ego - the frightened inner child using coping strategies and defence mechanisms to live in an adult world. If you consciously destroy everything that you called “myself,” then you are born once again, without ego, as your intuitive, ever present adult self, untainted by ego, and ready to love unconditionally love your inner child, yet always keep a watchful eye over them, tapping into their joyful creative energy. A Yin and Yang of safety, energy and joy. then you become truly abundant and successful, living in line with your true purpose. Sadly our current chaotic world is run by frightened spiritually sick asleep inner children masquerading as leaders.


As Sadhguru says, "So if enlightenment happens, how do we know it has happened? You can not miss it. It will be clearer than daylight. You will not miss it... Birth will happen many times - this will happen only once."


How do I know I am Enlightened? By Sadhguru


By discovering your spiritual magnificence, you will become a better leader, developing your ideal business and career, having the joyful life of your dreams, achieving all of your desires, unlocking your full potential, and becoming truly successful, based on fulfilment of your purpose in line with your core values.


As Carl Rogers wrote: “I believe it will have become evident why, for me, adjectives such as happy, contented, blissful, enjoyable, do not seem quite appropriate to any general description of this process I have called the good life, even though the person in this process would experience each one of these at the appropriate times. But adjectives which seem more generally fitting are adjectives such as enriching, exciting, rewarding, challenging, meaningful. This process of the good life is not, I am convinced, a life for the faint-fainthearted. It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more of one's potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching oneself fully into the stream of life. Yet the deeply exciting thing about human beings is that when the individual is inwardly free, he chooses as the good life this process of becoming.” Recovery, coaching, and enlightenment all share the common aspect of transformation that one intuitively develops a programme for living. Carl Rogers famously said "There is direction but there is no destination." The common destination seems to be to develop a commitment to helping others find peace. You become happy, joyful, kind, loving, and insightful. You want to share your joy with others.


The enlightened person is loving, kind, and compassionate for two main reasons:

  1. He genuinely cares about other people, regardless of whether they care about him

  2. He knows that other people provide him with the spiritual nourishment he needs to continue growing

The enlightened person is not self-centred, because he has lost the sense of a separate self. He can see the interconnected nature of our existence. To him, this is not just a concept, but a reality. He realises that all physical manifestations (humans, animals, plants, etc.) depend on each other for their survival. Therefore, he remains spiritually open to everyone. The enlightened person is a leader. Having awakened to the point of understanding the nature of suffering, he realises his duty to help other people find freedom from suffering. He leads by example, rather than control. People follow him because of who he is and what he stands for. The enlightened person never forgets how he achieved enlightenment. He is also aware that it takes continuous effort to remain that way. It takes a great deal of spiritual nourishment to help others along their path, so he's aware that he needs to replenish his spiritual strength on a daily basis. Otherwise, he'll lose his effectiveness as a spiritual messenger. Overall, the enlightened person is mindful of himself, and the world around him. Furthermore, he is curious and willing to continue learning. He is aware that even though he can see with great clarity, developing an understanding of the true nature of our existence takes time to observe and investigate.


As one of my colleagues so kindly called me, a "heart-led servant". Amen to being on that path.


Namaste.


Sending you love, light, and blessings brothers.


Olly



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Hello,

I am delighted and enchanted to meet you. I coach men with 'Deep Coaching', 'Supercoaching', and Transformative Life Coaching (TLC). Thank you for reading this far. I very much look forward to connecting with the highest version of you, to seeing your highest possibility, and to our conversations. Please do contact me via my email for a free connection call and a free experience of coaching on Zoom or in person. 


“Transformative life coaching uniquely creates and holds the space for you to see your self afresh, with clarity, and step into new ways of BEing, which will transform how you perceive and intuitively create your world. My work is to guide you to raise your own conscious awareness to the level that you want to achieve.”







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I have a Bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity College, Cambridge; a Master's Degree in Philosophy from Trinity College, Cambridge; a PhD Doctorate in Scientific Research from University College London (UCL); a Medical Degree (MD/MBBS) from The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London and have been a doctor and reconstructive trauma and cancer surgeon in London for 20 years. I have a number of other higher qualifications in science and surgery. I have published over 50 peer reviewed PubMed cited scientific journal articles, have been an associate editor and frequent scientific faculty member, and am the author of several scientific books. I have been awarded my Diploma in Transformative Life Coaching in London, which has International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accreditation, as well as the UK Association for Coaching (AC), and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I have been on my own transformative journey full time for over five years and I am ready to be your guide to you finding out who you really are and how the world works.




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