Brief teaser:
Eastern enlightenment is not what you think. I mean, maybe it is. But it’s probably not. There’s a reason it’s so elusive, and there’s a reason that it hasn’t joined western science and the western world the way that curiosity and discovery have as a driving force.
This is the story of my mistake accidentally discovering enlightenment.
February 2017
I was noticing some weird symptoms. I felt cold. Which was strange because I have never been cold. Nicknames include “fire” and “hot hands”, my history includes a lot of bad jokes about how I am definitely on fire. I am known for visiting the snow in shorts and a t-shirt. I hit 70kg, The least fat I have ever had in my life. And that was the only explanation I had. I asked a doctor about it, I did some reading – circulation problems. I don’t have circulation problems at the age of 25. I am more fit than I have ever been in my life. I look into hesperidin (orange peel) and eat myself a few whole oranges including peel. No change. I look into other blood pressure supplements, other capillary modifying supplements… Other ideas to investigate. I decided I couldn’t be missing something because there was nothing to be missing. I would have read it somewhere already. So I settled for the obvious answer. Being skinnier was making me colder.
Flashback to February 2016
This is where it all begins. I move out of my parents house into an apartment with a girl I have been seeing for under 6 months. I weigh around 80kg (that’s 12.5 stones or 176 pounds or 2822 ounces for our imperial friends). Life happens and by March I am on my own. I decide to start running. Make myself a more desirable human.
I taught myself a lot about routines and habits and actually getting myself to run. Running is hard. Actually, running is easy. Leaving the house is hard. But I work that out too.
For the rest of the post please visit: http://bearlamp.com.au/how-i-accidentally-discovered-the-pill-to-enlightenment-but-i-wouldnt-recommend-it/
Interesting post. I can definitely identify with the journey of exercise, supplementation, and spiritual exploration.
I would like to caution you that your connection between the calming effects of vasodialation and enlightenment might be a bit superficial. It seems you have discovered what it is like to be calm, or have equanimity. While being calm is both a prerequisite and downstream effect of enlightenment, it is not to be confused with the deep knowledge of truth (enlightenment). Enlightenment is a deep subconscious insight, that becomes more likely to happen when the mind is calm, clear, and alert.
Enlightenment is also not state dependent. It's often thought of as something you realize and don't forget. It also induces perceptual changes, like those described by Jeffrey Martin. Entering states where your mind is finding profound connections is not enlightenment, but it is a step closer to realizing that insight.
I'm posting this not to tear down your experience, but to urge you on. I'm suggesting that you may think you've sailed the seven seas, where in reality you only saw a picture of a boat. Thinking you've found enlightenment and that it's not great is likely to steer you away from this path, which in my opinion, would be unfortunate.
And how can I be so sure that you didn't find enlightenment? Those who find it don't discredit it. ;)