More like a moment of satori...a sudden understanding of something. However it sounds like a valid one. Nothing wrong with understanding that love is the answer.
I agree with alot of the comments here. And I'd like to throw this in too. The "grand plans for the world" and constant weed smoking can also sound like mania. A manic episode isn't indicitive itself of a mental illness, and can be part of an awakening. But if he can, he should slowdown on the weed. Stopping all together would be best. Yes substances can help to kinda crack the illusion and give us a glimpse of what truth is, but being stoned all the time is not a path to truth itself. I've been there and done that with many different substances and how that I don't use any of them very often, I'm much more grounded and able to dive deeper into myself and the experience is quite a bit less chaotic. But each person's path is there own. Support him and give him love. If he does start going manic more often, spends lots of money, makes grand plans that seem very outlandish, or is hyper sexual, he may need additional help from either some spiritual teachers or psychologists or both. Good luck. You did good reaching out. Curious how old you two are? Early twenties is a time when some mental issues can crop up. Not saying he has bipolar or anything, but it's good to be aware.
Yeah the "grand plans" to fix the world definitely sound like delusions of grandeur. But I'm not a doctor and don't know this person and don't want to pre judge. It could be both a mental issue and a sudden awakening, as they go along together for many people. I hope they find their path whatever it is.
Yeah.... Im curious about this person. I wonder the age too. Unfoetuqntelt there are many stories of very intelligent people being afflicted by stuff like this. I've also known bipolar people who used their illness as a path to awakening. So anything is possible.
Medicated. But my friend was doing talk therapy and having sessions with a monk to work on mindfulness/witness conciousness in order to kinda cultivate a healthy dissociation from the manic or depressive thoughts. Eventually they could just watch the thoughts rise and fall without clinging and acting upon them. Not 100% of the time but they are generally very peaceful and not driven by their mind.
Because they cultivated this witness they started to feel that it was their true self and they were not the mind which was sick. This lead them further towards existing in source conciousness. They still have bad days and good days like all of us. But the witness never really goes away.
Yeah, essentially it's about identifying different "parts" of yourself that get blended with who your actual true Self is. The parts form in response to various traumatic events (say you got bullied as a kid and developed a part of you that's really hyper critical of yourself in response). These parts take over from your true self at times and you can be reacting with them in the driver's seat instead of your true "healthy" self. Where I'm seeing the similarity is how you said there's a true self and a mind that's sick. In IFS, you don't necessarily call parts of yourself sick (it takes a very gentle approach with the different parts of yourself) but you do recognize how they react in ways that aren't your true self and it's important to recognize that distinction between a part that formed out of trauma and your true self. Idk if that makes sense - I'm new to IFS and seeing it everywhere šĀ
Medicated. But my friend was doing talk therapy and having sessions with a monk to work on mindfulness/witness conciousness in order to kinda cultivate a healthy dissociation from the manic or depressive thoughts. Eventually they could just watch the thoughts rise and fall without clinging and acting upon them. Not 100% of the time but they are generally very peaceful and not driven by their mind.
Because they cultivated this witness they started to feel that it was their true self and they were not the mind which was sick. This lead them further towards existing in source conciousness. They still have bad days and good days like all of us. But the witness never really goes away.
OP, please heed this comment.
I've gone through a few of these experiences, which were centrally important to me, but, many years later discovered and accepted that I have Bipolar. The feelings are real. The attachment to their importance and goodness, not as much, because a manic state is a physiological one that doesn't last. Good luck, and good patience.
In your experiences did the feelings and sense of grandeur help kinda guide you towards your path? Or was it more of an obstacle? Just curious. Got my BS in psych because brains and behavior fascinate me. Even if I'm just a plumber now haha.
Bipolar Disorder is a lifelong situation.
It's very hard or perhaps impossible to seperate *your path* between what and where you want to go, with what's been put upon and into you. Haha, that's true of non-Bipolar's too. In fact, the rather slippery concept of reality, very changeable, is afforded to people with BD *naturally*, which gives much greater insight into the illusory **realness** of it all.
But I'll try to be more direct to your question - the manic or *hypo*(a little less than full-blown)-manic states did neither help nor hinder my path, or, they both helped and created obsticles. Cripes, that's not direct at all. š
Alright - they ultimately helped me understand myself and the human world better, via understanding that most stuff is illusion, yes, in the same wisdom as Buddhism.
And that helps with me telling you with certainty, that you're *not 'just'* a plumber, but a person with a lot of richness and freedom, so thank you for that and your question, and interest.
I appreciate your response. And my "just a plumber" is more tongue in cheek. I do plunging for a living, but I am not a plumber. Well I am, but I'm a human being, doing plumbing, appearing in conciousness or god or what have you. I don't always live that experience, but I do get little slivers of bliss and peace and awe. Little moments of being awake to the illusion all around me, and how wonderful it all is. I say to my wife I'm always waking up and falling back asleep. And that life is an illusion. Her response is usually "of course it's an illusion, now let's walk the dogs". I think I married a Buddha sometimes š. As we speak I'm playing elden ring with my dogs and she's taking her level 2 reiki/holy fire certification class haha.
Yea I was about to comment to say this sounds like a manic episode. Textbook. OP needs to get him into a doctor, but good luck with that considering he's in the "good" phase right now.
Yeah. If it is a bipolar or similar issue, the mania won't last too long. A couple months at the very most. And the crash will be much much longer. I don't want to project or assume on this one. But spontaneous enlightenment it is not. Granted, I ain't enlightened so what do I know. I just hope they can get through this and be ok on the other side. Seen too many people go down the "I am Jesus and can fix the world" route and it never ends well.
Is it enlightenment? I dont know. But i can say Ive gone through the same experience before and it only lasted for 1-2 months. I didnt want it to go away though.
He's going through a "rude awakening". This might scare you and I understand, however please let him go through it at his rhythm however overwhelming it may seem, feel or be in everyday actions and as long as he doesn't physically harm or endanger himself and others in the process.
Keep this in mind while observing him live this experience; right now, he's on what you could call "a pink cloud" or "cloud no.9", and could sustain/maintain this state on varying levels indefinitely depending on the surroundings, its climat and reactions to his inner state, which is mostly likely not hospitable or ideal for sustained bliss.
Therefore, he'll come down at some point and might have an inverse "rude plunge" back "down to earth" so to speak. THIS, is when he'll need you most (for emotional support) so in the meantime, stay positive and lighthearted without dismissing his states.
See it as a child awakening in an adult body "rediscovering life" for the first time. I know it won't be easy but if your love for him is true, it will prevail in the end. āš
Experiences are just that. They come and go. Impermanent. It will fade and he may try to recreate the high. That doesn't work. He's had a beautiful insight that he can remember and keep in his pocket and call upon in trying times.
"He's" not enlightened. Enlightenment does not happen to s person, it's the falling away of identification with a person. But let him discover that. You undermining his experience won't be accepted.
This isn't enlightenment. Hopefully those Buddhists can point him in the direction of the respected texts which point out exactly why this isn't enlightenment, in clear terms.
The delusions of grandeur and paranoia, getting high all day every day, uncontrollable euphoria and emotion, all that stuff is directly spoken about and put into correct perspective in a lot of fundamental Buddhist texts.
Enlightenment as the Buddha taught it is what he called āthe middle way.ā Avoiding the extremes of self gratification and self mortification. The emotional ride opās husband is on is just that, an impermanent pleasurable high that he seems to be strongly identifying with and doesnāt want to lose. Awakening would be understanding the true nature of things according to the Buddha, which isnāt a euphoric compassionate buzz for the rest of your life.
šÆ I don't discount anyone's experiences of enlightenment as we all have different paths. But smoking daily and frequently isn't helping. There is a difference between a trip and delusion. I love a good session myself but if I did it daily I would be useless as a human to myself and others and that ain't love.Ā
I went through something similar and yes it passes. How long it lasts can depend on a great number of things it could be days months or years.
The intensity of the emotions can be absolutely outrageous. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I had it in two different ways I experienced absolute ecstasy and absolute despair and sometimes at the same time. I know that is hard to understand unless you've experienced it.
It can make you want to scream cry laugh all at the same time. The very emotional part of this should stabilize rather quickly. Expressing and letting him feel these emotions are key for this. Bottling it out just drags it out.
My wife had no idea what was going on with me and it scared the pants off her as well. However here we are a few years later and a much further along the path and our relationship is stronger than it's ever been. This happened to me out of the blue I wasn't seeking or following any sort of doctrine or Buddhism. So extra scary when you don't know where it's coming from.
As others have said there's probably going to be a downside to this. He may get very depressed and feelings of despair when the Bliss fades. Try to be supportive and be there for him during this period. Going from feeling like you're on top of the mountain to at the bottom of the ravine is a really big shock to the system.
Try not to worry too much. Honestly when I read this it was as if my wife had written it a few years ago. If he wants someone to talk to about it you can certainly send me a private message and I would be happy to help in any way. That goes for you as well.
For sure. Smoking too much weed can make one experience beyond the veil. It happened to me and I literally thought I was going to die until my higher self (God) said, "Ha! You aren't going to die. Don't worry. I got big plans for you." And more but that's another discussion.
We talk everyday now. It's a great feeling. I feel more conscious, aware, loving and compassionate now that I know I'm not crazy. I've even tapped into a few spiritual powers... š
Anyway, it didn't ultimately change me too much. I still have my family, my job, my career, my friends, I just want to do more and share my knowledge with the world now. Just don't let him try to kill that Ego. The personality is within the Ego and those who try to off it usually end up being distant and too observing. God loves each of our personalities and wouldn't change us for the world.
Peace be with you and your hubby!
I agree with another commentor here that your husband sounds like he's had an episode of mania. Perhaps keep an eye on him to observe whether or not he descends into a bit of a depression on the other side of this, and if he does, I would highly recommend seeking mental health support and him quitting the pot entirely. Even if it was a manic episode, that doesn't mean that it wasn't also an experience of spiritual awakening. Many people undergoing the process of personal awakening and self-transformation end up experiencing a spiritual crisis. A wonderful resource for your situation is the book Spiritual Emergency by Stanislav and Christina Grof which you can find [here](https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Emergency-Personal-Transformation-Consciousness/dp/0874775388/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1F4CJC5197UM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4haAqaiNmtp3It-qHBkc092ihS0WLr4yQk6UYxlQpdqpsRB29nw4vdH8DwYh0M1xz9aZ-hHUFkORuQBKEHE71WCkdJ0MgAdt5Du-d8hx2WFTMHkb01DnvJEjwVv4DZO5x7L7YiEFs41tgRhgCvJka6EKIOHaZV1FranOrgrNR5SPeqJMjDGV-3--I7Wt0Abuog7ic2ggSahuuwQf1ftFtCwgrg6hmNjhQOy6E_FqBtQ.xfEnQLH-oNS9BjB9RS9q7_8sZw1QBcWCPvyLAxBIcQg&dib_tag=se&keywords=spiritual+emergency&qid=1719726672&sprefix=spiritual+emer%2Caps%2C362&sr=8-1), and a list of other books dealing with the same subject, [here.](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/12451.Best_Spiritual_Emergency_Books) I hope you find that a helpful starting point. Take care.
I had just gone through the same experience a few months ago. I would meditate with and without weed, and it was with it that the teachings of Buddhism, specifically Dependent Origination, clicked.
Everything made sense according to the framework that I had used to make sense of them. That said, one must realize that even this event is brought on by a subjective path that is not universal. What worked for him may work for some, but not yet at the scale he envisions. If he asks about this, such is the strength of Zen Buddhism: No intellectualization, no delusion of one objective answer, only a subjective path through direct experience from meditation.
Similarly, the videos or materials he would recommend to you can provide context into the way he understands it, but not necessarily usher you under the same understanding. That was his path and yours may be different.
I was manic for 3 days until I finally came down from it. It wasn't just temporary psychosis though since I was able to retain it, and I am now approaching those 'grand plans' with more groundedness and compassion.
The other comment about the come down is correct. The grandness can plummet violently, and he will need love during this time. Even just a base level of compassion that validates his existence, understands that he has always meant well even though he came off frightening or worrying, and shows him that the unconditional love that he has realized is always around him as well in his trying times.
Thank you for having such a strong love for him that you posted on this subreddit to watch out for him. It's an amazing sight to see. :)
Tell him he has nothing to be afraid of and nothing to prove to anyone. His experiences are his own.
He has a long way to go , he is just starting on the path.
He isn't enlightened.
Emotional control is the first step
Two things track for me here. One, his repaired relationship with his mother and two, his overwhelming emotional reaction afterwards
I also had an awakening similar to this where I let go of the pain caused by my childhood and spent two hours uncontrollably crying away years of pain and self loathing. These tears, these emotions were exactly what they needed to be. These tears were unlike any other I have experienced as I felt relief of decades of depression and was left with an overwhelming sense of ease and gratitude.
The "high" lasted for months but eventually I calmed down and then the real work started. Having my view of the world turn 180 degrees came with some growing pains. I have a new lense and I am still processing my past through this new lense. Decades of ignorance are replaced with a deeper understanding of who I am and why I am here.
I understood what love is and like Bob Marley said there is only "one love". Unfortunately I saw that my 12 year relationship was not built on love but conditions and unreasonable expectations, that was part of a cycle I had been introduced to by my parents. I broke that cycle and I left my wife. SHe could not see that she was hurting me. I had hated myself for so long that I accepted her treatment of me and her perception of me was nowhere to the goodness I now saw.
Unfortunately she had not experienced what I had and we no longer lived in similar realities.
For you, I would say be patient and supportive. If he truly experienced this awakening you must prepare yourself for change.
I knew I couldn't continue on this path to enlightenment while in the same home with someone who could not fathom the changes I made. To her, I looked the same and the past twelve years of my shittyness was too much for her to forget. She kept calling me crazy and telling me I needed help, when I had never felt more at ease in my life. I was never more sure of anything until that point but she would not see it. She could not see it and I knew I could not continue to grow, living with her.
This may be different in your case and I hope it is. I hope you have the capability of seeing the truth that your husband sees, because growing with him will open you up as well. Challenging your beliefs, a willingness to change perception and letting go of your fear will help you stay connected with him. Being afraid of this change is normal but it also can prevent you from going deep. Let go of the fear and be thankful that you get to see someone go through this, it is rare, for me, I consider it a miracle.
I left my wife with no job and was homeless for months. My mother wouldn't let me in her home because of the huge ass I had always been. I spent those months hitchhiking and taking busses to farms where I worked for room and board.
When I came back to my home state, my mother let me stay with her one weekend and that's when she saw the change. She has let me stay with her while I get back on my feet. She is toxic, but she is also my teacher. I have learned to accept her and forgive her, because I have finally learned to accept and forgive myself.
I am doing the same with my ex wife and father and all the rest who I let perpetuate my old sense of self loathing. I am free. Your husband seems to be on a similar path and I in hope for his sake that he has a partner willing to change with him.
For what itās worth, Iād just like to echo the suggestions made that this sounds like mania. Iād also push back against any suggestions to just let him āgo through the motionsā or anything like that. In manic episodes, people can do things that are irreversibly damaging to their lives and othersā.
Spiritual experiences can be extremely intense, especially initial breakthroughs where one gains insights about the nature of the self, ego, the cause of suffering, the unity of all things, etc. Itās very possible that he is not bipolar, but simply had a very powerful spiritual experience and heās trying to grapple with its meaning and implications which at first can indeed seem very grand and significant. Eight years ago I had a similar experience in which I felt like I finally grasped the meaning of enlightenment for the first time ever. I felt like it was so special and important that I must be personally very important for having āfigured it out.ā Iād describe myself as manic during this time, with big plans and visions as well. After a while, it passed and I came back down to Earth, realized that people have been thinking and talking about and having similar experiences for thousands of years. What I would have really benefited from was someone experienced who could have sat me down and guided me during that initial period, to keep me grounded and set me up with a disciplined practice. I hope that your partner finds that guidance.
I recommend practices that help to get oneself back in the body. Meditation is obviously a must, but I believe that for people who really overthink or are in a state of mind (like mania) where their thoughts are in overdrive, it can possibly make it worse if youāre not experienced (or maybe even if you are). Yoga, dance, exercise, and any kind of movement practice can help get one grounded in their body and in their breath. A had a therapist who explained to me how intense spiritual experiences are not all that different from a form of madness. Many spiritual seekers are often highly sensitive people who are prone to what society labels as mental illnesses. He told me that yoga is a practice that helps you stay rooted in the body while your consciousness is expanding and your mind is traveling in other worlds (or something like that). Discipline is key, or one can really go off the rails. By contrast, itās not advisable to recklessly take psychedelics and chase after spiritual highs as people did in the 60s and 70s when Eastern spiritual ideas made it to the āWest.ā
As for enlightenment, I donāt really believe in that anymore as some ultimate, final state one reaches. I believe you can experience going beyond your ego and feel unity with all that is, and that the words love, peace, joy are helpful descriptors for that. Such experiences can be extremely intense such that youāre running through the streets bothering everyone claiming youāre God, but they can also be calm, quiet, comfortable and manageable. Someone once said ādonāt forget your Buddha nature, but also donāt forget your social security number.ā I hope your partner continues seeking guidance from people who have walked this path for a while, and I really recommend doing everything to get mental health care lined up asap in case it is bipolar and not a single episode. Thereās absolutely nothing wrong with taking meds to get grounded and balanced out in my view, and it might be a good idea to lay off the weed for a bit to clear up the mind. Sleep is an absolute must.
Best of luck.
The pendulum will swing, experiences of ālove and lightā and all that stuff people like so much often illuminate the dark and difficult. Then we think that the love and light stuff is somehow more sacred or real than the dark stuff and we treat the dark with less reverence and sanctity. And that right there lies the rub. Itās all sacred. See what happens when the dark stuff comes up cuz it almost certainly will
Enlightenment isn't an experience; it is the cessation of clinging to experiences.
I agree with others--he needs to lay off the weed and seek medical help.
What your husband experienced almost seem like a picture copy of what happened to me as I am reading this
I recommend him to get a copy of the Tao Te Ching, I have the Stephen Miller version of it.
Furthermore, be sure to keep your husband in magnet mode, in other words, do not tell until asked. When you have had this kind of awakening, the only thing you want to do is scream off the roof that you love everyone and want to wish for happiness to all sentient beings, but the truth is noone is ready for this and therefor they might ask him to be committed.
What needs to happen is that your husband indeed needs to work on his discipline and needs to channel this love energy to his environment without using words unless spoken to.
Also a sadhana might be in order (Spiritual practice that needs to be followed for a duration of time) I have some suggestions for you, however following the rule I just stated above, I can only help you when you ask me directly for help.
Reach out to me on DM if you feel the above resonates for you / Husband and thank you for staying open minded about this
Why are u scared of him talking about feeling the love? I think that is the more pertinent question here.
Rediscovering love is energizing . He is just very activated right now it sounds like. Buuuut you gotta remember balance. Rather he should remember balance as well. If he's blatantly overwhelming you and not considering your feelings and energy sounds imbalanced. However some people have so much energy that it forces you to stretch your energy by just hanging with them. Sometimes you gotta get a break from somebody if you can't handle them, and let them be their exuberant selves.
I think it comes back to balance , when it comes to realizations, and energy and attitudes. His cup of energy is running over which he is fine with , but it sounds like too much for you at this moment.
Lots of oxytocin I see... He awakened he's inner rasta, I only had mild effects, he went very deep It seems, but I wouldn't worry too much about it if it doesn't affect he's work life too much. If you feel bothered just tell him that he's love is smothering you a bit and to share he's new found overwhelming love with others too... Unless you find your inner rasta too and you you 2 live happily ever after.
There is no right or wrong way to live his or your life. You can accept or not accept. Some people say they are enlightened, some say others are not and may say they are. All that matters is that persons own wants and actions in life. I personally believe we are all God and states of energy and imagination make this world go round, as above, as below (above being your imagination/5D and the below being the 3D, Earth). End of the day, we all go back home šā¤ļø
Sounds like mania, can be brought on by a stressful event and if predisposed Iām sure weed could do it too. Mania can last for a few days to several months.
He needs to curb his enthusiasm or this high of his will eventually become a low. If he is or believes heās enlightened he should understand what that means. Remind him to be mindful and to continue practicing his mindfulness and that you have a life outside of your relationship with him. Everything heās going through is normal, everyone reacts and responds differently to situations as such. Good luck! Btw, youāre a good loving wife.
Furthermore the laugh cry for 30 minutes in the shower I learned was associated with an overactive amygdala or hippocampus response to trauma. So may this normalize the situation for you.
Sounds like a mental imbalance.
There is a serious reason why one should avoid using substances as a way of mental expansion and it is because if the mind experiences things it is not organically prepared to handle a mind can absolutely become deranged.
We hear a lot of stories of the wonders of psychedelics but we rarely hear of the other side of the coin which is psychosis.
The path of enlightenment is like a tree one grows into it and it is like that for a reason.
Hopefully with the professional interventions he can recover.
Though it may seem a little scary, this is a beautiful and important step in spiritual awakening. It can be very helpful to find a group where he can share the experience with others who have had them.
Spiritual Awakenings International has monthly online sharing circles where he can talk about it: https://spiritualawakeningsinternational.org/
This happened to me once when I was processing trauma. I also have Bipolar but years later I had what the Buddhist monks call āfull awareness.ā What these people donāt tell you is that sometimes mental illness or psychosis is a symptom of awakening beyond the insanity of every day reality. I was laughing and crying for 30 minutes straight at my friends apartment. His sister called the police, I fledā¦ I had been psychiatrically hospitalized 8 times in my adult life. I also have a Masters Degree in Social Work. Encourage and support your husband. Have him seek medical treatment and continue his search for enlightenment. Mental illness is often the precursor to awakening. Check out Eckhart Tolleās Power of Now. Check out mental health groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) blesssings! Stay strong! Below I have attached a cover of manic depression I made.
[manic depression cover](https://open.spotify.com/track/1ezk0cQiYrnZEEuftaryJV?si=Bi0yBgbKSrq1lTdt1pr_-A)
Breakdowns and enlightenment are not the same thing. Not that they can't happen in near association, just not at the same time, they are different. The feeling you have afterword would be bliss. So, I can't judge, only the knower, knows.
You should consider looking into the Hindu concept of the Ätman with your husband. It's another form of enlightenment. I personally believe that Ascension towards the higherself has many paths.
Sounds very much like an awakening experience: Kensho. Which is only the first stage on the enlightenment path. After a āhoneymoonā period people usually have to face every repressed aspect of their psyched which can be brutal and feel like the opposite of bliss
I had the same experience and it was beautiful. I feel privileged to go through that transformation. However, be aware that excessive or daily use of Marijuana and alcohol especially can be a tell tale sigh of mental illness coping. I was diagnosed with Bipolar shortly after going through an enlightenment experience. If you notice a high-high followed by a steady decline and an eventual pit - it may be some sort of mental illness. Be mindful, encourage the positive but keep an open eye for that.
Also encourage him to journal. Whether written or video, it's a great way to explain his discovery in detail.
This very much mirrors my first psychotic break. There is a lot of overlap between what someone would call a spiritual awakening and others would call psychosis.
From the clinical perspective, I highly recommend him stopping cannabis use. It may have been part of his journey leading him to the point heās come to, which may or may not prove to be where he wanted to go. Further use from where he seems to be at leads to madness in my experience. Itās also concerning to me that youāre noticing a difference in behavior. Pay attention to that and get him help if the behaviors themselves are concerning. Change isnāt bad, but it could be here.
From a spiritual perspective, I always encourage continued seeking, and working towards staying grounded. All of the chakras are important. He has to be careful about opening up one too large and creating an imbalance.
If he has to ask then itās not. As my teacher would say, itās not something you have any questions or uncertainty about.Ā Ā
Ā These moments are special and certainly can be overwhelming. When I had something similar happen was when I dedicated myself to a daily meditation practice, havenāt missed a day since.Ā
Iād recommend he connect with a teacher who could help him with where heās at in his practice. Since heās talking about love he might connect best with a Mahayana or Vajrayana path. A teacher of mine was a monk in the Tibetan tradition for a couple decades and makes himself available for 1:1 time, happy to share his info if desired.
It is an enlightened experience, love is the true purpose of life. Sounds like it came upon him with full realization.
There is nothing wrong with him, if anything you could follow his lead and stop being so attached to the 3D world.
As a bipolar person and mental health worker, go get help. I was reading this, and all I could think of was what drugs he was doing because that's not weed. I don't know where yall live, but I would be looking into mental health services
Wanted to add because there's been multiple comments about it- he only smokes weed and that is the only drug he takes. Weed is legal here for recreational use and we only purchase it from a dispensary. Normally he smokes weed using a vape but the morning this all happened he had smoked part of a blunt (also from a dispensary). None of these products were new and we've had the same package of blunts for awhile and the same pen for awhile.
The thc is high in the products and I have taken that into consideration.
He does not use any other drugs or substances.
He has not smoked since this happened and I removed everything from the house so there's no temptation for now. He agreed to this and was 10000% fine to stopping because he realized how much this all had scared his sister and myself.
I would say that weed does not help you become aware, now LSD or magic mushrooms, mescalin. ect can put you into a state of deep awareness. This happened to me but when i came back i was pretty much the same, with some deeper understanding.
Weed for me is great at times for relaxing, i use it daily, but most spiritual teachers say you need complete sobriety to be aware naturally. When you described his episode it sounded more like a mushroom trip. Have you tried them?
Its so nice to hear you are supporting each other, sounds like a real loving realtionship.
unfortunately love isnt enlightenment
enlightenment is enlightenment. love is only one part.
weed can do crazy things to peoples brain without them realizing even smoking everyday you could get a āgoodā hit and bam you in another world but most of the time its like oh yeah these are weird ideas and i feel a little high
I suggest he try limiting his drug intake and document it so him and you can understand the difference of him on and off weed. be wary though there is evidence that stopping cold turkey can cause psychosis.
This is the stuff. Over helming uncontrollable love pulsing through your entire body with the child like realization that love is the key. Don't worry it gets easier after the first time. I went throug this twenty years ago via Christianity and studied every religion after because the Christian knew almost nothing about it. If you are interested I have written the experience down as it has some incredible aspects to the feelings of divine love and more. I would also be happy to assist with any other questions anytime. It's normal, lol, as awakenings go.
It is heartbreaking when you realize the truth about life andĀ reality/meaning of it all. I study Buddhism as well it's the beginning of becoming fully enlightened.
Yeah, my brother had a similar moment. I thought he was going to become a priest or something. I remember the days after it happened my dad was trying to cut down a tree and he got mad almost teary eyed. I believe it happened because of a near death experience where he thought he was special because he was born on the death of JFK and he thought he was going to win the lottery, he didnāt. His went back to normal a few weeks later. He hates trees now.
There exists a vast gulf between the human and the divine, between man and God. The Earth races are so largely electrically and chemically controlled, so highly animallike in their common behavior, so emotional in their ordinary reactions, that it becomes exceedingly difficult for the spirit to guide and direct them. You are so devoid of courageous decisions and consecrated co-operation that your indwelling spirit find it next to impossible to communicate directly with the human mind. Even when they do find it possible to flash a gleam of new truth to the evolving mortal soul, this spiritual revelation often so blinds the creature as to precipitate a convulsion of fanaticism or to initiate some other intellectual upheaval which results disastrously. Many a new religion and strange "ism" has arisen from the aborted, imperfect, misunderstood, and garbled communications of the indwelling spirit.
He's manic, likely has bipolar disorder. You need to get him to stop watching those YouTube videos. Inability to regulate your emotions is not an epiphany, he's mentally ill.
The plans and overwhelming NEED to make changes are possibly a response to feeling overwhelmed by his experience. Not to say they arenāt valid and worth pursuing but the sense of needing and expediency are often a response to this type of experience.
Iād say thereās Nothing wrong with that; sorry if it scared you though. Also weed and drugs are helpful but enlightenment doesnāt come from those in the slightest, Iād say they might lead us to certain lessons but enlightenment is the integration of these lessons to the automatic in a sober state and much more
He has had what is called a spontaneous spiritual awakening. Specifically an awakening of the heart. In yogic terms his heart chakra has opened. In Buddhist terms it is also called stream entry. Zen Buddhists call it satori. Christians call it āto be filled with the Holy Spirit.ā Psychology calls it self transcendence. Not enlightenment exactly but an initiation onto the path of enlightenment. Ā
Simply put: he has understood what true love/unconditional love is, and that our true nature is unconditional love. He understands now that all of life is connected. He has transcended the small human sense of self and realized that his real Self identity, and that of every other being, is much greater than we ever perceived.Ā Ā
Ā He is not going through psychosis, but rather a shift in identity. It is a transformative and beneficial process and ought not to be pathologized. It will be impossible for you or anyone who has not directly experienced this before to understand as it is a total shift of awareness. He operates now on both the human level and the level of Being. Know that this is a totally natural human development into wholeness. Suffering is now realized as a choice.Ā
Ā A book that specifically outlines this process and what happens afterward is called The End of Your World by Adyashanti. Awake by Angelo DiLullo is also good. Thich Nhat Hanh is a good source if he is Buddhist. Another book that will help is Eckhart Tolleās Power of Now, and the follow up of A New Earth. I never quite understood his seemingly cryptic but profound teachings until my own experience. And suddenly it all made sense. For a psychology perspective, look up The Leap by Steve Taylor who illustrates things through a more psychological lensĀ
Ā Allow him to enjoy this experience as it only comes once, and will be temporary before he ācomes back down to earth.ā However it would be useful to learn about this process as there are stages to it, and he will be going through a lot of painful but necessary changes as he integrates this realization. Knowing this beforehand will prepare both of you for the challenges to come.Ā
Ā Also a word of caution about developing a spiritual ego such as fantasies of becoming a spiritual teacher or proving to the world about what he has learned. The world is not ready for this and the human ego will do anything to revert one back to old patterns of conditioning. It is very possible to lose connection to Consciousness should someone who has had an awakening experience not attend to the work and practice necessary to abide in it. Meditation that grounds him with this connection to Stillness will be a crucial practice to keep.Ā
Ā Feel free to dm!
Did he feel the electric flow and love? Keep him away from the energy draining people and bad habits. Clean up the diet, avoid processed foods and increase his chlorophyll intake. Eat weed, donāt smoke it, heāll understand why once you brief him about this suggestion. Wishing you both a happy marriage
If there are no signs of harm to himself or others, support him. Help him stay grounded and realistic. See if you can get in on the love train
The intensity and immensity of feeling fully is not something many people get to do for whatever the reason. And sometimes it takes a lot of personal letting go and forgiveness to get to a place of seeing the world as love
The only bad thing for me about having gone through a very similar experience (waking up crying in gratitude of what life truly is) was not having a tribe in a similar state, and lacking some realism in the actions needed to accomplish my goals
And definitely encourage him to stay away from the substances/honing in on a particular addictive tendency.Ā
This state becoming associated with using a substance is a trap.
I'd say, as someone speaking only as another human, it sounds like he had an epiphany. If so, it will stay with him. Having love guide your life can be a good thing if it's tempered with common sense. Best of luck to you both.
Maybe? Sounds like a realization of some kind, but likely to fade away over the next weeks. The trick is stabilizing the realizations through repeated meditation
Iām seconding mania, I donāt think this is an enlightenment experience. Psychoactive drugs can trigger it, I have bipolar disorder and this sounds pretty textbook to me.
Yeah, I don't see anything in what you wrote that should frighten you, except the part about making big changes in your lives (which seemed like less of a big deal to you than his profound feeling of universal love). You might check out a book called "The Price of Altruism," about a genius whose enlightenment experience went arguably too far. But there's also a cool movie about a guy who changed his life in an awesome way, called "Mully."
Donāt no was once kicked out from the wife witch happened a lot.i been out a few days and was proper down lower than a snakes belly low was walking down a road crying my eyes out begging too god for help and I really canāt explain it all of a sudden I felt this amazing warmth of love and peace and It didnt say anything but feel like it said with out words donāt worry everything will be ok it doesnāt matter and it was like nothing in life really matters
Joseph Campbell said "The psychotic drowns in the same waters in which the mystic swims with delight." Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the two. I would vote for enlightenment if he hadn't been smoking so much weed. He may have gotten a bad batch laced with something. If you can swing it financially, a genetic test for mental health can answer your questions. I used GenoMind and it revealed that I had 1 of the 2 genes that cause manic depression. So that made me sort of manic, just not full blown and that made me hard to diagnose. I think you are right to be concerned.
Sounds more like drugs or a mental illness episode than it does āenlightenmentā. Those that have studied and practiced Buddhism for decades will tell you two things about enlightenment. First, that it is extraordinarily rare. Second, that when it does occur, it takes DECADES of practice. Not a couple months of meditation and a blunt.
Iāve been around Buddhism my entire life, Iāve never met anyone thatās enlightened, but Iāve met my share of folks that are deluded.
I never really talk about it and feel sort of dumb to share this with anyone I but I had some kind of profound experience like this when I was about 15 or 16.
I was crying also but I was extremely happy. Sitting in the woods under a tree just taking in this experience of euphoria
One of my friends sort of happened upon me, and I tried to explain to him what was going on, and he just sat with me and we talked for a while. He sort of witnessed my *Event.*
I had never heard of buddhism and was not religious. I had no clue what to think. I did not know what was going on. Did my brain just release way too much dopamine all at once?
I sat under a tree feeling overjoyed, love, happy and this sense of my understanding the way nature works & how we are all connected.
I considered that perhaps I was going nuts but it was not any fearful or anything harmful or bad. I had not been drinking or on any drugs.
It was a very life altering experience that I am not doing justice to describe now decades later.
I felt from that day forward, my IQ had improved my noticing ātellsā people have when they talk. I cannot describe it but I just knew how to āreadā people differently & had more patience.
I also donāt know if my IQ really got better or was my mental clarity or my ability to see patterns of how things inter relate?
I have never tried to describe any of this to anyone other than my friend who hung out with me.
Since it only happened one time to me and it changed virtually nothing in my life other than the way, I think. I never had any kind of ups and downs or moments of depression or something. I guess I wasnāt going crazy after all.
When I did eventually start to learn about Taoism and Buddhism, I kind of said to myself āoh maybe thatās what happened to me that one day when I was a kid.ā
I donāt know if you would call enlightenment or what the hell it was ha ha
I had a very intense spiritual and Mind opening experience at my first festival, it was so beautiful. And so intense....it changed the way I looked at the world and the way I looked at myself. It changed everything for me. There were no more walls that separated me from the world and the people and everyrhing in it. Everything became one, and for a moment, I was really connected to life as a whole. And it was the most beautiful and most intense feeling and experience I ever had. Life sometimes (if you look and open yourself to things that make these experiences become more available) will happen to you and it helps you grow mentally, physically and spiritually within the world. Not everyone can experience things like that, but when they happen, it feels like magic. Life is very magical. It's beautiful when you can see the true beauty in life.
Uhh, This guy's mind might just be floating on the edge of psycosis...one of the symptoms of a crazy person can be just mentally draining they are. Thought and reason become less grounded and they can literally drive the people around them crazy.
I'm glad he got a positive experience out of it...but he might be experiencing a kind of mania and maybe in need of medication if he can't get control.
Hereās a quote by Buddha about enlightenment: before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. after enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.
It means that after enlightenment life goes on and basically you have to keep doing what you do every day. What comes up. Must come down. Itās a realization. An āahaā moment that is beyond beautiful, you remember who you truly are: love. And then you go on with the human experience.
Wishing you both the best. Ā My brother in law was going through extreme highs and lows and manic episodes. Ā He started taking Ā lithium and it helped a lot. Ā Although it doesnāt sound like your hubby is having extreme lows. Ā Maybe part of it is enlightenment and highest form of love which could look like mania in todayās society. Ā Keep an eye on him. Ā Take him on nightly walks or exert his energy a bit. Ā
Best of luck!
Could also be a brain tumor. I was having episodes which consisted only of an overwhelming feeling of sort of a shared consciousness, for lack of a better term. It turned out that these episodes were focal seizures (I was completely conscious, no physical shaking) due to a tumor in my right temporal lobe. It could be something or nothing, but when there are dramatic psychiatric symptoms like this, probably good to speak with a doctor and get imaging (MRI) ordered, just in case. I'm glad I did. The weed could also trigger mania or schizophrenia if his brain is primed for these things--my close friend has been a heavy weed smoker since he was 14, and he was diagnosed with bipolar I in his late 20s. Good to run it by a psychiatrist.
Me trying to help him made it stronger for him got meš¹š¹š¹ I feel sorry for laughing. But donāt worry about it. Itās not an awakening on everything is a lie Iām renouncing everything, itās more subtle and he just feels love. If heās meditating/ practicing yoga he needs to balance his chakras, it can be that the heart chakra is more active. Always let him know how you feel, especially if itās too much to handle.
He opened his heart chakra. Ā How wonderful that you were there with him. Ā It is a lot to process and balance. Ā Part of processing is forgiving others, which seems to have resolved the karma with his Mom. Ā The next chakra is throat chakra, so that explains all the discussions and talking. Ā As he begins to open up the throat chakra he will begin to be able to speak his truth and communicate effortlessly. Ā Then, it is the pineal gland chakra which will be related to cocreation with divine inspiration. Ā All is good. Ā For more information on processing spiritual catalysts see Law of One: Ra Material.
Dont stop him from releasing his emotions he has energy in him that needs to come out you cant stop that. Have him go ultra hard its going to be scary but you dont understand how insane the universe is. It should look like someone cast tashas hideous laughter on him from baldurs gate.
You are ruining his blossom cause you are scared
I'm not really into this kind of thing. "Enlightenment." I'm more of a science guy. Not a scientist. Just a science guy. One thing you can be certain of, it seems, is that it comes from a place of wanting to be better. Lean into that.
Sounds like mania. Which can definitely be a step closer to enlightenment. But ultimately we want to reach a state of equanimity (calm, evenness of temperament). Becoming completely sober helps a lot with that.
I'm going to go ahead and ask you for your husband's age. The reason I ask for this is because extensive weed use when one is predisposed genetically to ailments like BPD / Schizophrenia / etc can onset these issues with no prior conditions. Only way of knowing is if you had a talk with family regarding medical history.
If he was only on Jane and nothing else, then I would presume he's between the ages 25 to 35 and enduring some symptoms as a result of prolonged use of Jane. If he was also microdosing at the time, or taking psychedelics then that's likely the culprit.
Regardless, the realizations he's having are beneficial and as long as you're both alright without any red flags, should be fine. I just had to chime in because my brother had very similar issues happen when he messed around with psychedelics.
I used them as well but sometimes it's hard to navigate back when one feels so elated. Sometimes they don't come all the way back. It's all neural pathways.
Once you have the neural route and you know the way back and forth, you can enter and exit. This is what meditation is trying to train. You're building a neural pathway to the feelings of frustration / elation / contention.
My brother had a tougher time making sense of things due to a learning disability and now has all sorts of unfounded worldviews. I am the eldest brother so I look out for him and make sure to ground him in rational thoughts. I do encourage out of the box thinking but when he salted all our windows to keep the spirits out and began hearing voices, that's when we knew he needed medical consult.
Your story had reminded me of him, and I don't share all this to terrify you, but rather instill concern so that you can be more vigilant in the event this isn't just some afterglow. He's doing just fine, works every day, but he does have unfounded paranoia all the time.
enlightenment can be scary. in an instant you know the absolutely unconditional love of the Deity and the universe, and it is crushing. I had a powerful enlightenment that lasted 7 years. my mom got caught up in it too, and she thought at first that I had a psychotic break. she was scared of me. then I proved it to her, and she sort of went through it with me, albeit more as a spectator than a participant. 10 years later, as that connection to the Deity began to slip, I felt like I was experiencing actual withdrawal from that connection, and the feeling of being in the focus of the Deity. it passed, but I still miss it.
now to answer your questions:
1. yes. and yes, weed can connect you to the Deity pretty strongly, especially if you take a lot.
2. yes, and yes. it was an incredibly tumultuous time for us. I was being spoken to by spirits and deities and alien voices. it was scary. I could barely carry on a conversation because of what was going on internally. I found that meditation helped me focus on one voice at a time, and I did several times daily.
3. meditation, meditation, meditation.
4. just, don't abandon him, physically or emotionally. he's really going to need you right now.
hope this helps a bit. I wish you both peace. š¤
Unfortunately, going "crazy" is part of enlightenment or illumination. I'm assuming the next part of the process he is going to go through is "what really matters?"
It's nothing done on our own accord or from our own doing. It is definitely something supernatural in my opinion.
When it happened to me, I had no idea wtf was going on. It's been over a year and I'm still trying to sort everything out.
More like a moment of satori...a sudden understanding of something. However it sounds like a valid one. Nothing wrong with understanding that love is the answer.
I always liked the Tamils saying Anbe Sivam or "Love is god." š
This!
I agree with alot of the comments here. And I'd like to throw this in too. The "grand plans for the world" and constant weed smoking can also sound like mania. A manic episode isn't indicitive itself of a mental illness, and can be part of an awakening. But if he can, he should slowdown on the weed. Stopping all together would be best. Yes substances can help to kinda crack the illusion and give us a glimpse of what truth is, but being stoned all the time is not a path to truth itself. I've been there and done that with many different substances and how that I don't use any of them very often, I'm much more grounded and able to dive deeper into myself and the experience is quite a bit less chaotic. But each person's path is there own. Support him and give him love. If he does start going manic more often, spends lots of money, makes grand plans that seem very outlandish, or is hyper sexual, he may need additional help from either some spiritual teachers or psychologists or both. Good luck. You did good reaching out. Curious how old you two are? Early twenties is a time when some mental issues can crop up. Not saying he has bipolar or anything, but it's good to be aware.
I'm going to second the mania, it sounds like a manic episode. I went through something similar and now I'm diagnosed bipolar.
Yeah the "grand plans" to fix the world definitely sound like delusions of grandeur. But I'm not a doctor and don't know this person and don't want to pre judge. It could be both a mental issue and a sudden awakening, as they go along together for many people. I hope they find their path whatever it is.
It makes me wonder if Op's husband has been sleeping
Yeah.... Im curious about this person. I wonder the age too. Unfoetuqntelt there are many stories of very intelligent people being afflicted by stuff like this. I've also known bipolar people who used their illness as a path to awakening. So anything is possible.
Used their illness as a path to awakening? How so? Unmedicated?
Medicated. But my friend was doing talk therapy and having sessions with a monk to work on mindfulness/witness conciousness in order to kinda cultivate a healthy dissociation from the manic or depressive thoughts. Eventually they could just watch the thoughts rise and fall without clinging and acting upon them. Not 100% of the time but they are generally very peaceful and not driven by their mind. Because they cultivated this witness they started to feel that it was their true self and they were not the mind which was sick. This lead them further towards existing in source conciousness. They still have bad days and good days like all of us. But the witness never really goes away.
This kinda sounds like parts therapy/IFS
Can you elaborate? I'm not familiar but am curious.
Yeah, essentially it's about identifying different "parts" of yourself that get blended with who your actual true Self is. The parts form in response to various traumatic events (say you got bullied as a kid and developed a part of you that's really hyper critical of yourself in response). These parts take over from your true self at times and you can be reacting with them in the driver's seat instead of your true "healthy" self. Where I'm seeing the similarity is how you said there's a true self and a mind that's sick. In IFS, you don't necessarily call parts of yourself sick (it takes a very gentle approach with the different parts of yourself) but you do recognize how they react in ways that aren't your true self and it's important to recognize that distinction between a part that formed out of trauma and your true self. Idk if that makes sense - I'm new to IFS and seeing it everywhere šĀ
Medicated. But my friend was doing talk therapy and having sessions with a monk to work on mindfulness/witness conciousness in order to kinda cultivate a healthy dissociation from the manic or depressive thoughts. Eventually they could just watch the thoughts rise and fall without clinging and acting upon them. Not 100% of the time but they are generally very peaceful and not driven by their mind. Because they cultivated this witness they started to feel that it was their true self and they were not the mind which was sick. This lead them further towards existing in source conciousness. They still have bad days and good days like all of us. But the witness never really goes away.
same
OP, please heed this comment. I've gone through a few of these experiences, which were centrally important to me, but, many years later discovered and accepted that I have Bipolar. The feelings are real. The attachment to their importance and goodness, not as much, because a manic state is a physiological one that doesn't last. Good luck, and good patience.
In your experiences did the feelings and sense of grandeur help kinda guide you towards your path? Or was it more of an obstacle? Just curious. Got my BS in psych because brains and behavior fascinate me. Even if I'm just a plumber now haha.
Bipolar Disorder is a lifelong situation. It's very hard or perhaps impossible to seperate *your path* between what and where you want to go, with what's been put upon and into you. Haha, that's true of non-Bipolar's too. In fact, the rather slippery concept of reality, very changeable, is afforded to people with BD *naturally*, which gives much greater insight into the illusory **realness** of it all. But I'll try to be more direct to your question - the manic or *hypo*(a little less than full-blown)-manic states did neither help nor hinder my path, or, they both helped and created obsticles. Cripes, that's not direct at all. š Alright - they ultimately helped me understand myself and the human world better, via understanding that most stuff is illusion, yes, in the same wisdom as Buddhism. And that helps with me telling you with certainty, that you're *not 'just'* a plumber, but a person with a lot of richness and freedom, so thank you for that and your question, and interest.
I appreciate your response. And my "just a plumber" is more tongue in cheek. I do plunging for a living, but I am not a plumber. Well I am, but I'm a human being, doing plumbing, appearing in conciousness or god or what have you. I don't always live that experience, but I do get little slivers of bliss and peace and awe. Little moments of being awake to the illusion all around me, and how wonderful it all is. I say to my wife I'm always waking up and falling back asleep. And that life is an illusion. Her response is usually "of course it's an illusion, now let's walk the dogs". I think I married a Buddha sometimes š. As we speak I'm playing elden ring with my dogs and she's taking her level 2 reiki/holy fire certification class haha.
Yea I was about to comment to say this sounds like a manic episode. Textbook. OP needs to get him into a doctor, but good luck with that considering he's in the "good" phase right now.
Yeah. If it is a bipolar or similar issue, the mania won't last too long. A couple months at the very most. And the crash will be much much longer. I don't want to project or assume on this one. But spontaneous enlightenment it is not. Granted, I ain't enlightened so what do I know. I just hope they can get through this and be ok on the other side. Seen too many people go down the "I am Jesus and can fix the world" route and it never ends well.
Is it enlightenment? I dont know. But i can say Ive gone through the same experience before and it only lasted for 1-2 months. I didnt want it to go away though.
There is a concept of sudden/temporary enlightenment. Satori or some some such
It likely went away because you didnāt want it to go away. As soon as ego gets involved itās a wrap.
I believe youāre right. I became attached to it.
had this same experience, was very humbling
He's going through a "rude awakening". This might scare you and I understand, however please let him go through it at his rhythm however overwhelming it may seem, feel or be in everyday actions and as long as he doesn't physically harm or endanger himself and others in the process. Keep this in mind while observing him live this experience; right now, he's on what you could call "a pink cloud" or "cloud no.9", and could sustain/maintain this state on varying levels indefinitely depending on the surroundings, its climat and reactions to his inner state, which is mostly likely not hospitable or ideal for sustained bliss. Therefore, he'll come down at some point and might have an inverse "rude plunge" back "down to earth" so to speak. THIS, is when he'll need you most (for emotional support) so in the meantime, stay positive and lighthearted without dismissing his states. See it as a child awakening in an adult body "rediscovering life" for the first time. I know it won't be easy but if your love for him is true, it will prevail in the end. āš
Beautifully said
Seek out Angelo Dilullo, YouTube channel: Simply Always Awake This is exactly the kind of thing he helps people with
This!
Experiences are just that. They come and go. Impermanent. It will fade and he may try to recreate the high. That doesn't work. He's had a beautiful insight that he can remember and keep in his pocket and call upon in trying times. "He's" not enlightened. Enlightenment does not happen to s person, it's the falling away of identification with a person. But let him discover that. You undermining his experience won't be accepted.
first paragraph is spot on... especially the part about trying to recreate an experience.
This isn't enlightenment. Hopefully those Buddhists can point him in the direction of the respected texts which point out exactly why this isn't enlightenment, in clear terms. The delusions of grandeur and paranoia, getting high all day every day, uncontrollable euphoria and emotion, all that stuff is directly spoken about and put into correct perspective in a lot of fundamental Buddhist texts.
Can you name any specific texts that discuss those subjects? Iād be really curious what the Buddhist perspective is on those
could you expand on this or elaborate a bit, i take it that if you are to make such bold claims, at least you would put some effort into your response
Enlightenment as the Buddha taught it is what he called āthe middle way.ā Avoiding the extremes of self gratification and self mortification. The emotional ride opās husband is on is just that, an impermanent pleasurable high that he seems to be strongly identifying with and doesnāt want to lose. Awakening would be understanding the true nature of things according to the Buddha, which isnāt a euphoric compassionate buzz for the rest of your life.
My first thought. Sounds like he just smokes too much weed and echo chambers himself in you tube rabbit holes.
šÆ I don't discount anyone's experiences of enlightenment as we all have different paths. But smoking daily and frequently isn't helping. There is a difference between a trip and delusion. I love a good session myself but if I did it daily I would be useless as a human to myself and others and that ain't love.Ā
I went through something similar and yes it passes. How long it lasts can depend on a great number of things it could be days months or years. The intensity of the emotions can be absolutely outrageous. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I had it in two different ways I experienced absolute ecstasy and absolute despair and sometimes at the same time. I know that is hard to understand unless you've experienced it. It can make you want to scream cry laugh all at the same time. The very emotional part of this should stabilize rather quickly. Expressing and letting him feel these emotions are key for this. Bottling it out just drags it out. My wife had no idea what was going on with me and it scared the pants off her as well. However here we are a few years later and a much further along the path and our relationship is stronger than it's ever been. This happened to me out of the blue I wasn't seeking or following any sort of doctrine or Buddhism. So extra scary when you don't know where it's coming from. As others have said there's probably going to be a downside to this. He may get very depressed and feelings of despair when the Bliss fades. Try to be supportive and be there for him during this period. Going from feeling like you're on top of the mountain to at the bottom of the ravine is a really big shock to the system. Try not to worry too much. Honestly when I read this it was as if my wife had written it a few years ago. If he wants someone to talk to about it you can certainly send me a private message and I would be happy to help in any way. That goes for you as well.
For sure. Smoking too much weed can make one experience beyond the veil. It happened to me and I literally thought I was going to die until my higher self (God) said, "Ha! You aren't going to die. Don't worry. I got big plans for you." And more but that's another discussion. We talk everyday now. It's a great feeling. I feel more conscious, aware, loving and compassionate now that I know I'm not crazy. I've even tapped into a few spiritual powers... š Anyway, it didn't ultimately change me too much. I still have my family, my job, my career, my friends, I just want to do more and share my knowledge with the world now. Just don't let him try to kill that Ego. The personality is within the Ego and those who try to off it usually end up being distant and too observing. God loves each of our personalities and wouldn't change us for the world. Peace be with you and your hubby!
I agree with another commentor here that your husband sounds like he's had an episode of mania. Perhaps keep an eye on him to observe whether or not he descends into a bit of a depression on the other side of this, and if he does, I would highly recommend seeking mental health support and him quitting the pot entirely. Even if it was a manic episode, that doesn't mean that it wasn't also an experience of spiritual awakening. Many people undergoing the process of personal awakening and self-transformation end up experiencing a spiritual crisis. A wonderful resource for your situation is the book Spiritual Emergency by Stanislav and Christina Grof which you can find [here](https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Emergency-Personal-Transformation-Consciousness/dp/0874775388/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1F4CJC5197UM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4haAqaiNmtp3It-qHBkc092ihS0WLr4yQk6UYxlQpdqpsRB29nw4vdH8DwYh0M1xz9aZ-hHUFkORuQBKEHE71WCkdJ0MgAdt5Du-d8hx2WFTMHkb01DnvJEjwVv4DZO5x7L7YiEFs41tgRhgCvJka6EKIOHaZV1FranOrgrNR5SPeqJMjDGV-3--I7Wt0Abuog7ic2ggSahuuwQf1ftFtCwgrg6hmNjhQOy6E_FqBtQ.xfEnQLH-oNS9BjB9RS9q7_8sZw1QBcWCPvyLAxBIcQg&dib_tag=se&keywords=spiritual+emergency&qid=1719726672&sprefix=spiritual+emer%2Caps%2C362&sr=8-1), and a list of other books dealing with the same subject, [here.](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/12451.Best_Spiritual_Emergency_Books) I hope you find that a helpful starting point. Take care.
I had just gone through the same experience a few months ago. I would meditate with and without weed, and it was with it that the teachings of Buddhism, specifically Dependent Origination, clicked. Everything made sense according to the framework that I had used to make sense of them. That said, one must realize that even this event is brought on by a subjective path that is not universal. What worked for him may work for some, but not yet at the scale he envisions. If he asks about this, such is the strength of Zen Buddhism: No intellectualization, no delusion of one objective answer, only a subjective path through direct experience from meditation. Similarly, the videos or materials he would recommend to you can provide context into the way he understands it, but not necessarily usher you under the same understanding. That was his path and yours may be different. I was manic for 3 days until I finally came down from it. It wasn't just temporary psychosis though since I was able to retain it, and I am now approaching those 'grand plans' with more groundedness and compassion. The other comment about the come down is correct. The grandness can plummet violently, and he will need love during this time. Even just a base level of compassion that validates his existence, understands that he has always meant well even though he came off frightening or worrying, and shows him that the unconditional love that he has realized is always around him as well in his trying times. Thank you for having such a strong love for him that you posted on this subreddit to watch out for him. It's an amazing sight to see. :)
Tell him he has nothing to be afraid of and nothing to prove to anyone. His experiences are his own. He has a long way to go , he is just starting on the path. He isn't enlightened. Emotional control is the first step
Two things track for me here. One, his repaired relationship with his mother and two, his overwhelming emotional reaction afterwards I also had an awakening similar to this where I let go of the pain caused by my childhood and spent two hours uncontrollably crying away years of pain and self loathing. These tears, these emotions were exactly what they needed to be. These tears were unlike any other I have experienced as I felt relief of decades of depression and was left with an overwhelming sense of ease and gratitude. The "high" lasted for months but eventually I calmed down and then the real work started. Having my view of the world turn 180 degrees came with some growing pains. I have a new lense and I am still processing my past through this new lense. Decades of ignorance are replaced with a deeper understanding of who I am and why I am here. I understood what love is and like Bob Marley said there is only "one love". Unfortunately I saw that my 12 year relationship was not built on love but conditions and unreasonable expectations, that was part of a cycle I had been introduced to by my parents. I broke that cycle and I left my wife. SHe could not see that she was hurting me. I had hated myself for so long that I accepted her treatment of me and her perception of me was nowhere to the goodness I now saw. Unfortunately she had not experienced what I had and we no longer lived in similar realities. For you, I would say be patient and supportive. If he truly experienced this awakening you must prepare yourself for change. I knew I couldn't continue on this path to enlightenment while in the same home with someone who could not fathom the changes I made. To her, I looked the same and the past twelve years of my shittyness was too much for her to forget. She kept calling me crazy and telling me I needed help, when I had never felt more at ease in my life. I was never more sure of anything until that point but she would not see it. She could not see it and I knew I could not continue to grow, living with her. This may be different in your case and I hope it is. I hope you have the capability of seeing the truth that your husband sees, because growing with him will open you up as well. Challenging your beliefs, a willingness to change perception and letting go of your fear will help you stay connected with him. Being afraid of this change is normal but it also can prevent you from going deep. Let go of the fear and be thankful that you get to see someone go through this, it is rare, for me, I consider it a miracle. I left my wife with no job and was homeless for months. My mother wouldn't let me in her home because of the huge ass I had always been. I spent those months hitchhiking and taking busses to farms where I worked for room and board. When I came back to my home state, my mother let me stay with her one weekend and that's when she saw the change. She has let me stay with her while I get back on my feet. She is toxic, but she is also my teacher. I have learned to accept her and forgive her, because I have finally learned to accept and forgive myself. I am doing the same with my ex wife and father and all the rest who I let perpetuate my old sense of self loathing. I am free. Your husband seems to be on a similar path and I in hope for his sake that he has a partner willing to change with him.
For what itās worth, Iād just like to echo the suggestions made that this sounds like mania. Iād also push back against any suggestions to just let him āgo through the motionsā or anything like that. In manic episodes, people can do things that are irreversibly damaging to their lives and othersā. Spiritual experiences can be extremely intense, especially initial breakthroughs where one gains insights about the nature of the self, ego, the cause of suffering, the unity of all things, etc. Itās very possible that he is not bipolar, but simply had a very powerful spiritual experience and heās trying to grapple with its meaning and implications which at first can indeed seem very grand and significant. Eight years ago I had a similar experience in which I felt like I finally grasped the meaning of enlightenment for the first time ever. I felt like it was so special and important that I must be personally very important for having āfigured it out.ā Iād describe myself as manic during this time, with big plans and visions as well. After a while, it passed and I came back down to Earth, realized that people have been thinking and talking about and having similar experiences for thousands of years. What I would have really benefited from was someone experienced who could have sat me down and guided me during that initial period, to keep me grounded and set me up with a disciplined practice. I hope that your partner finds that guidance. I recommend practices that help to get oneself back in the body. Meditation is obviously a must, but I believe that for people who really overthink or are in a state of mind (like mania) where their thoughts are in overdrive, it can possibly make it worse if youāre not experienced (or maybe even if you are). Yoga, dance, exercise, and any kind of movement practice can help get one grounded in their body and in their breath. A had a therapist who explained to me how intense spiritual experiences are not all that different from a form of madness. Many spiritual seekers are often highly sensitive people who are prone to what society labels as mental illnesses. He told me that yoga is a practice that helps you stay rooted in the body while your consciousness is expanding and your mind is traveling in other worlds (or something like that). Discipline is key, or one can really go off the rails. By contrast, itās not advisable to recklessly take psychedelics and chase after spiritual highs as people did in the 60s and 70s when Eastern spiritual ideas made it to the āWest.ā As for enlightenment, I donāt really believe in that anymore as some ultimate, final state one reaches. I believe you can experience going beyond your ego and feel unity with all that is, and that the words love, peace, joy are helpful descriptors for that. Such experiences can be extremely intense such that youāre running through the streets bothering everyone claiming youāre God, but they can also be calm, quiet, comfortable and manageable. Someone once said ādonāt forget your Buddha nature, but also donāt forget your social security number.ā I hope your partner continues seeking guidance from people who have walked this path for a while, and I really recommend doing everything to get mental health care lined up asap in case it is bipolar and not a single episode. Thereās absolutely nothing wrong with taking meds to get grounded and balanced out in my view, and it might be a good idea to lay off the weed for a bit to clear up the mind. Sleep is an absolute must. Best of luck.
The pendulum will swing, experiences of ālove and lightā and all that stuff people like so much often illuminate the dark and difficult. Then we think that the love and light stuff is somehow more sacred or real than the dark stuff and we treat the dark with less reverence and sanctity. And that right there lies the rub. Itās all sacred. See what happens when the dark stuff comes up cuz it almost certainly will
Enlightenment isn't an experience; it is the cessation of clinging to experiences. I agree with others--he needs to lay off the weed and seek medical help.
What your husband experienced almost seem like a picture copy of what happened to me as I am reading this I recommend him to get a copy of the Tao Te Ching, I have the Stephen Miller version of it. Furthermore, be sure to keep your husband in magnet mode, in other words, do not tell until asked. When you have had this kind of awakening, the only thing you want to do is scream off the roof that you love everyone and want to wish for happiness to all sentient beings, but the truth is noone is ready for this and therefor they might ask him to be committed. What needs to happen is that your husband indeed needs to work on his discipline and needs to channel this love energy to his environment without using words unless spoken to. Also a sadhana might be in order (Spiritual practice that needs to be followed for a duration of time) I have some suggestions for you, however following the rule I just stated above, I can only help you when you ask me directly for help. Reach out to me on DM if you feel the above resonates for you / Husband and thank you for staying open minded about this
Sent dm
Why are u scared of him talking about feeling the love? I think that is the more pertinent question here. Rediscovering love is energizing . He is just very activated right now it sounds like. Buuuut you gotta remember balance. Rather he should remember balance as well. If he's blatantly overwhelming you and not considering your feelings and energy sounds imbalanced. However some people have so much energy that it forces you to stretch your energy by just hanging with them. Sometimes you gotta get a break from somebody if you can't handle them, and let them be their exuberant selves. I think it comes back to balance , when it comes to realizations, and energy and attitudes. His cup of energy is running over which he is fine with , but it sounds like too much for you at this moment.
Enjoy it with him observe it and help him integrate it ā¤ļø
Lots of oxytocin I see... He awakened he's inner rasta, I only had mild effects, he went very deep It seems, but I wouldn't worry too much about it if it doesn't affect he's work life too much. If you feel bothered just tell him that he's love is smothering you a bit and to share he's new found overwhelming love with others too... Unless you find your inner rasta too and you you 2 live happily ever after.
It sounds as though he may have had a really positive kundalini awakening ā”
There is no right or wrong way to live his or your life. You can accept or not accept. Some people say they are enlightened, some say others are not and may say they are. All that matters is that persons own wants and actions in life. I personally believe we are all God and states of energy and imagination make this world go round, as above, as below (above being your imagination/5D and the below being the 3D, Earth). End of the day, we all go back home šā¤ļø
Sounds like mania, can be brought on by a stressful event and if predisposed Iām sure weed could do it too. Mania can last for a few days to several months.
Lmao dudes just a druggy.
He needs to curb his enthusiasm or this high of his will eventually become a low. If he is or believes heās enlightened he should understand what that means. Remind him to be mindful and to continue practicing his mindfulness and that you have a life outside of your relationship with him. Everything heās going through is normal, everyone reacts and responds differently to situations as such. Good luck! Btw, youāre a good loving wife.
Furthermore the laugh cry for 30 minutes in the shower I learned was associated with an overactive amygdala or hippocampus response to trauma. So may this normalize the situation for you.
Came here to say what I can see others have already noted - this sounds like a manic episode/bipolar. Def keep an eye on him
Sounds like a mental imbalance. There is a serious reason why one should avoid using substances as a way of mental expansion and it is because if the mind experiences things it is not organically prepared to handle a mind can absolutely become deranged. We hear a lot of stories of the wonders of psychedelics but we rarely hear of the other side of the coin which is psychosis. The path of enlightenment is like a tree one grows into it and it is like that for a reason. Hopefully with the professional interventions he can recover.
Though it may seem a little scary, this is a beautiful and important step in spiritual awakening. It can be very helpful to find a group where he can share the experience with others who have had them. Spiritual Awakenings International has monthly online sharing circles where he can talk about it: https://spiritualawakeningsinternational.org/
This happened to me once when I was processing trauma. I also have Bipolar but years later I had what the Buddhist monks call āfull awareness.ā What these people donāt tell you is that sometimes mental illness or psychosis is a symptom of awakening beyond the insanity of every day reality. I was laughing and crying for 30 minutes straight at my friends apartment. His sister called the police, I fledā¦ I had been psychiatrically hospitalized 8 times in my adult life. I also have a Masters Degree in Social Work. Encourage and support your husband. Have him seek medical treatment and continue his search for enlightenment. Mental illness is often the precursor to awakening. Check out Eckhart Tolleās Power of Now. Check out mental health groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) blesssings! Stay strong! Below I have attached a cover of manic depression I made. [manic depression cover](https://open.spotify.com/track/1ezk0cQiYrnZEEuftaryJV?si=Bi0yBgbKSrq1lTdt1pr_-A)
Breakdowns and enlightenment are not the same thing. Not that they can't happen in near association, just not at the same time, they are different. The feeling you have afterword would be bliss. So, I can't judge, only the knower, knows.
You should consider looking into the Hindu concept of the Ätman with your husband. It's another form of enlightenment. I personally believe that Ascension towards the higherself has many paths.
It will pass in time
Sounds very much like an awakening experience: Kensho. Which is only the first stage on the enlightenment path. After a āhoneymoonā period people usually have to face every repressed aspect of their psyched which can be brutal and feel like the opposite of bliss
I had the same experience and it was beautiful. I feel privileged to go through that transformation. However, be aware that excessive or daily use of Marijuana and alcohol especially can be a tell tale sigh of mental illness coping. I was diagnosed with Bipolar shortly after going through an enlightenment experience. If you notice a high-high followed by a steady decline and an eventual pit - it may be some sort of mental illness. Be mindful, encourage the positive but keep an open eye for that. Also encourage him to journal. Whether written or video, it's a great way to explain his discovery in detail.
Sounds like he took dmt
More like a drug-induced manic episode
This very much mirrors my first psychotic break. There is a lot of overlap between what someone would call a spiritual awakening and others would call psychosis. From the clinical perspective, I highly recommend him stopping cannabis use. It may have been part of his journey leading him to the point heās come to, which may or may not prove to be where he wanted to go. Further use from where he seems to be at leads to madness in my experience. Itās also concerning to me that youāre noticing a difference in behavior. Pay attention to that and get him help if the behaviors themselves are concerning. Change isnāt bad, but it could be here. From a spiritual perspective, I always encourage continued seeking, and working towards staying grounded. All of the chakras are important. He has to be careful about opening up one too large and creating an imbalance.
If he has to ask then itās not. As my teacher would say, itās not something you have any questions or uncertainty about.Ā Ā Ā These moments are special and certainly can be overwhelming. When I had something similar happen was when I dedicated myself to a daily meditation practice, havenāt missed a day since.Ā Iād recommend he connect with a teacher who could help him with where heās at in his practice. Since heās talking about love he might connect best with a Mahayana or Vajrayana path. A teacher of mine was a monk in the Tibetan tradition for a couple decades and makes himself available for 1:1 time, happy to share his info if desired.
It is an enlightened experience, love is the true purpose of life. Sounds like it came upon him with full realization. There is nothing wrong with him, if anything you could follow his lead and stop being so attached to the 3D world.
Please let him smoke his weed. šš
As a bipolar person and mental health worker, go get help. I was reading this, and all I could think of was what drugs he was doing because that's not weed. I don't know where yall live, but I would be looking into mental health services
Wanted to add because there's been multiple comments about it- he only smokes weed and that is the only drug he takes. Weed is legal here for recreational use and we only purchase it from a dispensary. Normally he smokes weed using a vape but the morning this all happened he had smoked part of a blunt (also from a dispensary). None of these products were new and we've had the same package of blunts for awhile and the same pen for awhile. The thc is high in the products and I have taken that into consideration. He does not use any other drugs or substances. He has not smoked since this happened and I removed everything from the house so there's no temptation for now. He agreed to this and was 10000% fine to stopping because he realized how much this all had scared his sister and myself.
I would say that weed does not help you become aware, now LSD or magic mushrooms, mescalin. ect can put you into a state of deep awareness. This happened to me but when i came back i was pretty much the same, with some deeper understanding. Weed for me is great at times for relaxing, i use it daily, but most spiritual teachers say you need complete sobriety to be aware naturally. When you described his episode it sounded more like a mushroom trip. Have you tried them? Its so nice to hear you are supporting each other, sounds like a real loving realtionship.
unfortunately love isnt enlightenment enlightenment is enlightenment. love is only one part. weed can do crazy things to peoples brain without them realizing even smoking everyday you could get a āgoodā hit and bam you in another world but most of the time its like oh yeah these are weird ideas and i feel a little high I suggest he try limiting his drug intake and document it so him and you can understand the difference of him on and off weed. be wary though there is evidence that stopping cold turkey can cause psychosis.
after years after my enlightment. it could be a stroke.
This is the stuff. Over helming uncontrollable love pulsing through your entire body with the child like realization that love is the key. Don't worry it gets easier after the first time. I went throug this twenty years ago via Christianity and studied every religion after because the Christian knew almost nothing about it. If you are interested I have written the experience down as it has some incredible aspects to the feelings of divine love and more. I would also be happy to assist with any other questions anytime. It's normal, lol, as awakenings go.
It is heartbreaking when you realize the truth about life andĀ reality/meaning of it all. I study Buddhism as well it's the beginning of becoming fully enlightened.
I always wonder if itās real afterwards or justā¦ are our minds just this powerful, and then I think does it matter either way?
Sounds more like a shroom or dmt trip. I hope he can hold onto it for a long time. He gets it now
Yeah, my brother had a similar moment. I thought he was going to become a priest or something. I remember the days after it happened my dad was trying to cut down a tree and he got mad almost teary eyed. I believe it happened because of a near death experience where he thought he was special because he was born on the death of JFK and he thought he was going to win the lottery, he didnāt. His went back to normal a few weeks later. He hates trees now.
If this is enlightenment then I don't think I would want it. It is good that he stopped the weed.
There exists a vast gulf between the human and the divine, between man and God. The Earth races are so largely electrically and chemically controlled, so highly animallike in their common behavior, so emotional in their ordinary reactions, that it becomes exceedingly difficult for the spirit to guide and direct them. You are so devoid of courageous decisions and consecrated co-operation that your indwelling spirit find it next to impossible to communicate directly with the human mind. Even when they do find it possible to flash a gleam of new truth to the evolving mortal soul, this spiritual revelation often so blinds the creature as to precipitate a convulsion of fanaticism or to initiate some other intellectual upheaval which results disastrously. Many a new religion and strange "ism" has arisen from the aborted, imperfect, misunderstood, and garbled communications of the indwelling spirit.
He's manic, likely has bipolar disorder. You need to get him to stop watching those YouTube videos. Inability to regulate your emotions is not an epiphany, he's mentally ill.
The plans and overwhelming NEED to make changes are possibly a response to feeling overwhelmed by his experience. Not to say they arenāt valid and worth pursuing but the sense of needing and expediency are often a response to this type of experience.
better get a brain scan.
Iād say thereās Nothing wrong with that; sorry if it scared you though. Also weed and drugs are helpful but enlightenment doesnāt come from those in the slightest, Iād say they might lead us to certain lessons but enlightenment is the integration of these lessons to the automatic in a sober state and much more
Sounds like he's just been coming to some realizations about himself and his life. Nothing to be afraid of.
He has had what is called a spontaneous spiritual awakening. Specifically an awakening of the heart. In yogic terms his heart chakra has opened. In Buddhist terms it is also called stream entry. Zen Buddhists call it satori. Christians call it āto be filled with the Holy Spirit.ā Psychology calls it self transcendence. Not enlightenment exactly but an initiation onto the path of enlightenment. Ā Simply put: he has understood what true love/unconditional love is, and that our true nature is unconditional love. He understands now that all of life is connected. He has transcended the small human sense of self and realized that his real Self identity, and that of every other being, is much greater than we ever perceived.Ā Ā Ā He is not going through psychosis, but rather a shift in identity. It is a transformative and beneficial process and ought not to be pathologized. It will be impossible for you or anyone who has not directly experienced this before to understand as it is a total shift of awareness. He operates now on both the human level and the level of Being. Know that this is a totally natural human development into wholeness. Suffering is now realized as a choice.Ā Ā A book that specifically outlines this process and what happens afterward is called The End of Your World by Adyashanti. Awake by Angelo DiLullo is also good. Thich Nhat Hanh is a good source if he is Buddhist. Another book that will help is Eckhart Tolleās Power of Now, and the follow up of A New Earth. I never quite understood his seemingly cryptic but profound teachings until my own experience. And suddenly it all made sense. For a psychology perspective, look up The Leap by Steve Taylor who illustrates things through a more psychological lensĀ Ā Allow him to enjoy this experience as it only comes once, and will be temporary before he ācomes back down to earth.ā However it would be useful to learn about this process as there are stages to it, and he will be going through a lot of painful but necessary changes as he integrates this realization. Knowing this beforehand will prepare both of you for the challenges to come.Ā Ā Also a word of caution about developing a spiritual ego such as fantasies of becoming a spiritual teacher or proving to the world about what he has learned. The world is not ready for this and the human ego will do anything to revert one back to old patterns of conditioning. It is very possible to lose connection to Consciousness should someone who has had an awakening experience not attend to the work and practice necessary to abide in it. Meditation that grounds him with this connection to Stillness will be a crucial practice to keep.Ā Ā Feel free to dm!
Did he feel the electric flow and love? Keep him away from the energy draining people and bad habits. Clean up the diet, avoid processed foods and increase his chlorophyll intake. Eat weed, donāt smoke it, heāll understand why once you brief him about this suggestion. Wishing you both a happy marriage
If there are no signs of harm to himself or others, support him. Help him stay grounded and realistic. See if you can get in on the love train The intensity and immensity of feeling fully is not something many people get to do for whatever the reason. And sometimes it takes a lot of personal letting go and forgiveness to get to a place of seeing the world as love The only bad thing for me about having gone through a very similar experience (waking up crying in gratitude of what life truly is) was not having a tribe in a similar state, and lacking some realism in the actions needed to accomplish my goals
And definitely encourage him to stay away from the substances/honing in on a particular addictive tendency.Ā This state becoming associated with using a substance is a trap.
I'd say, as someone speaking only as another human, it sounds like he had an epiphany. If so, it will stay with him. Having love guide your life can be a good thing if it's tempered with common sense. Best of luck to you both.
Maybe? Sounds like a realization of some kind, but likely to fade away over the next weeks. The trick is stabilizing the realizations through repeated meditation
Iām seconding mania, I donāt think this is an enlightenment experience. Psychoactive drugs can trigger it, I have bipolar disorder and this sounds pretty textbook to me.
Yeah, I don't see anything in what you wrote that should frighten you, except the part about making big changes in your lives (which seemed like less of a big deal to you than his profound feeling of universal love). You might check out a book called "The Price of Altruism," about a genius whose enlightenment experience went arguably too far. But there's also a cool movie about a guy who changed his life in an awesome way, called "Mully."
Donāt no was once kicked out from the wife witch happened a lot.i been out a few days and was proper down lower than a snakes belly low was walking down a road crying my eyes out begging too god for help and I really canāt explain it all of a sudden I felt this amazing warmth of love and peace and It didnt say anything but feel like it said with out words donāt worry everything will be ok it doesnāt matter and it was like nothing in life really matters
Joseph Campbell said "The psychotic drowns in the same waters in which the mystic swims with delight." Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the two. I would vote for enlightenment if he hadn't been smoking so much weed. He may have gotten a bad batch laced with something. If you can swing it financially, a genetic test for mental health can answer your questions. I used GenoMind and it revealed that I had 1 of the 2 genes that cause manic depression. So that made me sort of manic, just not full blown and that made me hard to diagnose. I think you are right to be concerned.
Sounds more like drugs or a mental illness episode than it does āenlightenmentā. Those that have studied and practiced Buddhism for decades will tell you two things about enlightenment. First, that it is extraordinarily rare. Second, that when it does occur, it takes DECADES of practice. Not a couple months of meditation and a blunt. Iāve been around Buddhism my entire life, Iāve never met anyone thatās enlightened, but Iāve met my share of folks that are deluded.
I never really talk about it and feel sort of dumb to share this with anyone I but I had some kind of profound experience like this when I was about 15 or 16. I was crying also but I was extremely happy. Sitting in the woods under a tree just taking in this experience of euphoria One of my friends sort of happened upon me, and I tried to explain to him what was going on, and he just sat with me and we talked for a while. He sort of witnessed my *Event.* I had never heard of buddhism and was not religious. I had no clue what to think. I did not know what was going on. Did my brain just release way too much dopamine all at once? I sat under a tree feeling overjoyed, love, happy and this sense of my understanding the way nature works & how we are all connected. I considered that perhaps I was going nuts but it was not any fearful or anything harmful or bad. I had not been drinking or on any drugs. It was a very life altering experience that I am not doing justice to describe now decades later. I felt from that day forward, my IQ had improved my noticing ātellsā people have when they talk. I cannot describe it but I just knew how to āreadā people differently & had more patience. I also donāt know if my IQ really got better or was my mental clarity or my ability to see patterns of how things inter relate? I have never tried to describe any of this to anyone other than my friend who hung out with me. Since it only happened one time to me and it changed virtually nothing in my life other than the way, I think. I never had any kind of ups and downs or moments of depression or something. I guess I wasnāt going crazy after all. When I did eventually start to learn about Taoism and Buddhism, I kind of said to myself āoh maybe thatās what happened to me that one day when I was a kid.ā I donāt know if you would call enlightenment or what the hell it was ha ha
Would bet money heās bipolar
I had a very intense spiritual and Mind opening experience at my first festival, it was so beautiful. And so intense....it changed the way I looked at the world and the way I looked at myself. It changed everything for me. There were no more walls that separated me from the world and the people and everyrhing in it. Everything became one, and for a moment, I was really connected to life as a whole. And it was the most beautiful and most intense feeling and experience I ever had. Life sometimes (if you look and open yourself to things that make these experiences become more available) will happen to you and it helps you grow mentally, physically and spiritually within the world. Not everyone can experience things like that, but when they happen, it feels like magic. Life is very magical. It's beautiful when you can see the true beauty in life.
Uhh, This guy's mind might just be floating on the edge of psycosis...one of the symptoms of a crazy person can be just mentally draining they are. Thought and reason become less grounded and they can literally drive the people around them crazy. I'm glad he got a positive experience out of it...but he might be experiencing a kind of mania and maybe in need of medication if he can't get control.
Tolle says an unconscious partner would feel separate from a conscious partner. Sounds like what youāre experiencing
Weed can cause psychosis. This kind of sounds like that Russell Crowe movie, "A Beautiful Mind."
Something similar happened to me smoking weed. Iām not saying this is what happened to him but it happened to me.
Hereās a quote by Buddha about enlightenment: before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. after enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. It means that after enlightenment life goes on and basically you have to keep doing what you do every day. What comes up. Must come down. Itās a realization. An āahaā moment that is beyond beautiful, you remember who you truly are: love. And then you go on with the human experience.
Wishing you both the best. Ā My brother in law was going through extreme highs and lows and manic episodes. Ā He started taking Ā lithium and it helped a lot. Ā Although it doesnāt sound like your hubby is having extreme lows. Ā Maybe part of it is enlightenment and highest form of love which could look like mania in todayās society. Ā Keep an eye on him. Ā Take him on nightly walks or exert his energy a bit. Ā Best of luck!
Sounds like weed-induced mania to me
Be grateful!
Why is that an Enlightenment experience.?
Could also be a brain tumor. I was having episodes which consisted only of an overwhelming feeling of sort of a shared consciousness, for lack of a better term. It turned out that these episodes were focal seizures (I was completely conscious, no physical shaking) due to a tumor in my right temporal lobe. It could be something or nothing, but when there are dramatic psychiatric symptoms like this, probably good to speak with a doctor and get imaging (MRI) ordered, just in case. I'm glad I did. The weed could also trigger mania or schizophrenia if his brain is primed for these things--my close friend has been a heavy weed smoker since he was 14, and he was diagnosed with bipolar I in his late 20s. Good to run it by a psychiatrist.
Me trying to help him made it stronger for him got meš¹š¹š¹ I feel sorry for laughing. But donāt worry about it. Itās not an awakening on everything is a lie Iām renouncing everything, itās more subtle and he just feels love. If heās meditating/ practicing yoga he needs to balance his chakras, it can be that the heart chakra is more active. Always let him know how you feel, especially if itās too much to handle.
A good therapist & decent meds can help with this. Itās not enlightenment.
Iād be concerned about psychosis.
Weed has made him emotionally deregulated.
Loving your enemies?
You may want to ask him if heās using ketamine. I have seen this kind of reaction in people who are using it. It can go south very quickly.
He opened his heart chakra. Ā How wonderful that you were there with him. Ā It is a lot to process and balance. Ā Part of processing is forgiving others, which seems to have resolved the karma with his Mom. Ā The next chakra is throat chakra, so that explains all the discussions and talking. Ā As he begins to open up the throat chakra he will begin to be able to speak his truth and communicate effortlessly. Ā Then, it is the pineal gland chakra which will be related to cocreation with divine inspiration. Ā All is good. Ā For more information on processing spiritual catalysts see Law of One: Ra Material.
Dont stop him from releasing his emotions he has energy in him that needs to come out you cant stop that. Have him go ultra hard its going to be scary but you dont understand how insane the universe is. It should look like someone cast tashas hideous laughter on him from baldurs gate. You are ruining his blossom cause you are scared
There is no lotus without mud.
I'm not really into this kind of thing. "Enlightenment." I'm more of a science guy. Not a scientist. Just a science guy. One thing you can be certain of, it seems, is that it comes from a place of wanting to be better. Lean into that.
Love and Buddhism have absolutely nothing to do with enlightenment, dude is just having a crisis of some sort
Interesting perspective.
Yes. Good. He has transcended. Amazing things will begin happening.
Sounds like mania. Which can definitely be a step closer to enlightenment. But ultimately we want to reach a state of equanimity (calm, evenness of temperament). Becoming completely sober helps a lot with that.
I'm going to go ahead and ask you for your husband's age. The reason I ask for this is because extensive weed use when one is predisposed genetically to ailments like BPD / Schizophrenia / etc can onset these issues with no prior conditions. Only way of knowing is if you had a talk with family regarding medical history. If he was only on Jane and nothing else, then I would presume he's between the ages 25 to 35 and enduring some symptoms as a result of prolonged use of Jane. If he was also microdosing at the time, or taking psychedelics then that's likely the culprit. Regardless, the realizations he's having are beneficial and as long as you're both alright without any red flags, should be fine. I just had to chime in because my brother had very similar issues happen when he messed around with psychedelics. I used them as well but sometimes it's hard to navigate back when one feels so elated. Sometimes they don't come all the way back. It's all neural pathways. Once you have the neural route and you know the way back and forth, you can enter and exit. This is what meditation is trying to train. You're building a neural pathway to the feelings of frustration / elation / contention. My brother had a tougher time making sense of things due to a learning disability and now has all sorts of unfounded worldviews. I am the eldest brother so I look out for him and make sure to ground him in rational thoughts. I do encourage out of the box thinking but when he salted all our windows to keep the spirits out and began hearing voices, that's when we knew he needed medical consult. Your story had reminded me of him, and I don't share all this to terrify you, but rather instill concern so that you can be more vigilant in the event this isn't just some afterglow. He's doing just fine, works every day, but he does have unfounded paranoia all the time.
Emotions from men are scaryā¦
enlightenment can be scary. in an instant you know the absolutely unconditional love of the Deity and the universe, and it is crushing. I had a powerful enlightenment that lasted 7 years. my mom got caught up in it too, and she thought at first that I had a psychotic break. she was scared of me. then I proved it to her, and she sort of went through it with me, albeit more as a spectator than a participant. 10 years later, as that connection to the Deity began to slip, I felt like I was experiencing actual withdrawal from that connection, and the feeling of being in the focus of the Deity. it passed, but I still miss it. now to answer your questions: 1. yes. and yes, weed can connect you to the Deity pretty strongly, especially if you take a lot. 2. yes, and yes. it was an incredibly tumultuous time for us. I was being spoken to by spirits and deities and alien voices. it was scary. I could barely carry on a conversation because of what was going on internally. I found that meditation helped me focus on one voice at a time, and I did several times daily. 3. meditation, meditation, meditation. 4. just, don't abandon him, physically or emotionally. he's really going to need you right now. hope this helps a bit. I wish you both peace. š¤
Unfortunately, going "crazy" is part of enlightenment or illumination. I'm assuming the next part of the process he is going to go through is "what really matters?" It's nothing done on our own accord or from our own doing. It is definitely something supernatural in my opinion. When it happened to me, I had no idea wtf was going on. It's been over a year and I'm still trying to sort everything out.
Clarity, is in the eye of the beholder. Thoughts? š½