Note: This document is a work-in-progress and will be improved and supplemented over time.
-----------------------
So you wanna become enlightened, eh?
Good!
That's where this journey starts.
A burning desire for TRUTH is essential to success in this. Don't let people confuse you with talk of how "desire is bad", "seeking is delusion". No! Seeking is essential to breakthrough. Don't burn your ship before you've crossed the ocean! That would be foolish.
Rather than filling your mind with beliefs and ideas about enlightenment, let me give you a bare-bones structure for how to actually make progress towards enlightenment.
There are at least 20 totally different ways that I know for how to get enlightened. What I'm going to share with you here is just ONE way out of dozens. It is however a very direct way. This method is highly effective. It may not work for everyone, but then again, no method works for everyone. I call this method self-observation or Leo's version of self-inquiry. "Self-inquiry" as classically taught by Ramana Maharishi is technically different.
Anyways...
First, let's be very clear what we're talking about when we speak of enlightenment.
So...
What this basically means is that YOU are deeply confused about who you think you are. Right now you think that you're a human being, sitting there, reading this text on your screen. This is false. Pure fantasy. You are in fact not that thing at all. What we have here is a case of mistaken identity. You think you're a body, but you're not. You think you're a mind, but you're not. You think you're an entity living inside your head, but you're not. You think you are a physical object but you are not!
Take a moment to seriously consider the magnitude of my claim. IF I happen to be right, and you happen to be wrong, then what that means is: you are NOT a human being, or even a physical object! Not metaphorically-speaking; not as some philosophical curiosity; but literally!
How could such an outrageous thing be possible??????
How could you be mistaken about what you actually are?????
Very easily actually!
Recall how you've met people in your life who you knew were indoctrinated from birth with silly religious beliefs about Jesus and all sorts of other nonsense. Recall how little children believe that Santa Claus exists because they don't know any better. Recall how terrorists believe they are killing civilians in the name of Allah and will go to heaven with 72 virgins waiting for them. Recall how racists insist they are right for persecuting minorities.
Well... here's something you're not gonna like hearing: that same delusion mechanism which existed in them, is operating FULL-FORCE within you right now! Yup! You too have been indoctrinated by ignorant parents and teachers from birth into believing a fairy-tale. Except in this case, the indoctrinated idea was: you are a human being.
What a mind fuck!
Now, in this work of "self-observation", you will discover -- for yourself -- what you REALLY are.
Important: I am not asking you to believe me. You will have to demonstrate empirically, for yourself, that what I say is accurate. You can be skeptical all you want here. It won't upset me.
"Okay" you say. "So what am I then if I'm not a human being or a physical object?"
Great question!
Sorry to tell you this, but your ENTIRE identity and life story is just a giant optical illusion. Like this non-existent triangle:

There's nothing really there! Although it sure seems convincing, doesn't it?
The problem is that you cannot know what you are rationally or logically because the mind is the source of the confusion. See.... No matter how cleverly or deeply or long you think, all the mind can ever do is symbolize stuff. It can only create maps and models. But you are not a symbol or a map or a model! You are not an idea or a thought! So you have to directly experience what you are. This MAY take months or years of very careful self-investigation.
Note: I am saying that you have NEVER IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ever experienced yourself before! You've only experienced phenomena, none of which is essentially YOU!
So what is this mysterious "essential you"? Let me spoil the surprise because otherwise you will waste YEARS searching in the wrong places, thinking you've found yourself when you really just found another false belief.
So... as directly as possible now: the entity who thinks it's reading this sentence does NOT exist!
Again, please try to fathom the magnitude of what is being said. This is extremely radical (but nevertheless true).
Since you are pure awareness, all your focus goes toward shining "light" on sensory phenomena so it's really hard to "see" yourself. Pure awareness is very subtle, which means you have to develop extraordinary mindfulness abilities to "see" yourself.
"But Leo?! You can't be serious! This sounds like a crazy New Age hippy conspiracy!"
Let me assure you it's not. I am no hippy. I'm probably more rational and logical than you are. But I do recognize the limits of logic and rationality.
The problem here is that you've been so brainwashed by society that what I'm telling you right now sounds crazy. That's okay. Just keep your mind open to the possibility that what I'm claiming can be directly verified by you. Nothing here has to be believed. But you do have to be willing to take it on as a temporary hypothesis to be verified or falsified.
 
Leo's Patented () Step-By-Step Process To Become Enlightened:
Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit alone. (You don't need to sit cross-legged.) Turn off your smart phone and disconnect from all distractions Set a digital timer for 60 minutes Now sit silently and start to genuinely wonder: "What am I if I'm not the body?" Do NOT meditate! Sit and carefully observe your direct experience. Notice that direct experience is THE ONLY THING you have of reality. Nothing else is real. Realizing this should make you very "present". Try to locate yourself within direct experience. Be very specific and clear with yourself: What are you? Are you a foot? A hand? A face? A mind? A brain? The envelop of the skin? The picture of yourself in the mind's eye? A feeling in the chest? What? Seriously! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU????????????? Notice that anything you might point to as being "your true self" cannot be true, because that's just another experience arising. Here's the logic of it: Firstly, it isn't constant. It fades in and out throughout the day, so it cannot be you. Secondly, you are observing it, so it cannot be you because "you" are the one doing the observation. So again, WHAT ARE YOU? Open your mind to the possibility that you are mistaken about being a human body or mind. Just sit there and keep genuinely wondering about what you really could be. Try to locate the one who's perceiving things. Do not philosophize or come up with theories. Focus 100% on what your direct experience is telling you. This is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL!!!!!!!! The bulk of the work happens right here at this step. You have to slowly become aware that all your thoughts and ideas and feelings about "you" are not really you. They are just symbols and stories. For example: notice that the image of your body that you have in your mind is NOT actually your body! It's just an image! And the same goes for the feelings that make up your body. Those feelings are real, but they are not actually you! As any theories arise of what you think you are, notice that what that is, is a thought! And no thought can be you because you are the one perceiving the thought, and also because your existence does not depend on any particular thought's existence. Notice you don't cease to exist in between thoughts. Just sit and keep doing this for 60 minutes without getting distracted in irrelevant thoughts. As your mind wanders off track (and it will wander a lot) don't beat yourself up. Just bring your focus back on the self-observation. After 60 minutes, stop and notice what happened. Notice if your mind feels "elevated" or more aware. Frustration and confusion are OF COURSE going to arise. Do NOT be discouraged by frustration or confusion. Believe it or not, these are signs of progress. Do not expect instant results. You must be very methodical and patient like a crocodile. Repeat this process every day for at least 60 minutes for the next few months. Be very patient. It will take several months just to start to get your bearings straight. And by that I don't mean you will become enlightened. I mean you merely begin to realize the magnitude of your ignorance. In this time span of 3 months -- let's say -- you will get a strong sense that it really isn't possible to locate yourself. This may seem like you've failed, but actually this is a huge advance. Now you've finally started to realize that you've never really met yourself before. Now the journey towards enlightenment can begin in earnest!
Just keep doing the process without discouragement. At some point, your mind will crack and you will surrender to the realization that there's no one home. That life has always run with you. And BAAAAAMMMMM!!!!!!! Enlightenment has occurred! Notice, I did not say YOU got enlightened. Rather, enlightenment has occurred.
So who got enlightened? No one.
 
 
Tips For Self-Observation:
Don't just do this process mechanically, you MUST be genuinely curious about the truth of what you are. Try to establish a daily habit of self-observation. You need to build consistency and momentum. Be very careful about coming up with theories about what you are. We don't care about theories here. Every theory is NOT it. We only care about direct experience. REPEAT: ALL THEORIES AND IDEAS ARE DISTRACTIONS! Spend time asking yourself who you really believe that you are under the conventional worldview. Are you a body or are you the owner of the body? Are you inside the skull? If so, where exactly? The point of doing this is so you're clear and honest about your present beliefs, even if you intellectually know they are false. It's very important to get clear what exactly your false beliefs are. Do not be vague in your answers to the query of What are you? It's vital that you be precise and specific. Answers such as, "Well, I dunno, I'm just in the skull somewhere." are NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!! What EXACTLY are you identifying with? Hint: it will either be a thought, a body sensation, an emotion, a visual perception, or a combination of the above. But all of those cannot be the true you because they are not constant. Create an active sense of doubt that you are a human being or a physical object Any belief, thought, or idea about who you really are is automatically FALSE! Drop it. Any sensory experience about who you really are is automatically FALSE! Drop it. All scientific theories or models are automatically FALSE! Drop it. All spiritual, New Age, or religious ideas about who you really are, are FALSE! Drop it. You are NOT a visible object or "thing" so stop looking for yourself like you would look for a missing dog. You are NOT located in any area of space, so stop looking for yourself as a point or hidden object somewhere. You are NOT located inside "your" head You are NOT located inside "your" body There is nothing magical to discover in this process. You are not some kind of unicorn or fairytale creature. There is nothing hidden. Everything you see before you is exactly what there is, nothing more, nothing less. It is not possible to find yourself, so this process is futile. But you need to realize that through doing the process. Not by believing me. You will get VERY frustrated during this process and want to quit. Just accept the frustration and keep going. This process will surface deep emotional issues from our subconscious mind. You will experience emotional turmoil and anguish. Just accept it and keep going. You will feel depressed at times. Just accept it and keep going. Your mind will use every excuse in the book to distract you and get you to stop looking. Stay vigilant to all these tricks and keep looking. DO NOT GET TRICKED INTO STOPPING! The truth of what you are is ever-present. It is always HERE and NOW. You don't need to go anywhere or do anything to see it. You are you right now! Be prepared for this self-observation process to take several years if necessary. Understand that enlightenment happens always only in the NOW. Never in the future. You can be enlightened RIGHT THIS SECOND! You don't need to wait 3 years. Always intend to become enlightened right now! Enlightenment/Truth is NOT an emotional state. Enlightenment is occurring always, even when you're watching TV or sitting on the toilet. Meditation is NOT enlightenment. A psychedelic high is NOT enlightenment. A powerful energetic experience is NOT enlightenment. A vision or hallucination (however real it may feel) is NOT enlightenment. Enlightenment is what's absolutely true without ever changing. Don't forget the possibility that you may not be a thing! Don't forget the possibility that there might be nothing to find There is no you to become enlightened. When this is realized, that's enlightenment! Hint: it's MUCH simpler than you think. A HUGE HINT:
The thing you're looking for but aren't finding... THAT'S YOU!!! Don't expect it to have any attributes. Don't expect the mind to have anything whatsoever to latch onto.
You cannot grab NOTHINGNESS by the collar.
You can only realize you're already it.
Think of it this way: you are looking for a needle in a haystack, but this is no ordinary needle. In this case the needle is literally the realization there was no needle to begin with!
A cosmic joke! You've been punked by God (yourself).
 
 
Best Self-Observation Questions:
What am I? No, seriously now... WHAT THE FUCK AM I????? No, cut the shit! What am I -- RIGHT NOW -- in my direct experience???? Who is aware of reality? Who is aware of me? Who is perceiving? Who is the owner of the body? Who is the owner of the mind? Who is feeling pain? Who is asking all these questions? What was I before I was born? What am I when I'm in deep sleep? What could I be if I'm not the human body/mind? What connects and unifies all of my different senses? What is true independent of ever-changing sense experience? What is true independent of my life and my death? Why do I believe I'm the body? Why do I believe I'm the mind? Where to do thoughts arise from? If I'm the body, what is everything else that I'm seeing? Why do I trust my feeling that I'm the body? Is a feeling really evidence of TRUTH? Why must I be an object? What if the "perciever" has no attributes or properties? When I close my eyes, where did the world disappear to? Where is sound occurring? Where are thoughts occurring? Where are body sensations occurring? What is the relationship between physical body sensations and my visual field? What if I don't exist? What if I can't locate myself because I am "empty" or without form or attribute? What if I'm addicted to looking only for objects or perceptions, but my true nature is neither of those? What if I'm just an idea? What if my entire paradigm of physical reality is just an idea? Could my body and brain just be ideas? Is any physical object actually permanent according to direct experience? What distinguishes one object from another? Do boundaries between things really exist, or are they ideas? What would happen if I stopped distinguishing existence from non-existence?  
 
How To Tell If You're Enlightened:
This is very simple. Answer the following questions honesty:
Did a major shift in awareness occur? Are you absolutely clear now of what you are? Are you the physical human body you've always thought you were? Do you feel infinite, without boundaries or location? Do you actually understand, or are you in a temporary meditative high? If you answered: "YES! YES! NO! YES! I UNDERSTAND!"  then there's a pretty good chance you're enlightened. If your answers were not: "YES! YES! YES! NO! YES! I UNDERSTAND!"  then chances are you aren't enlightened. Keep trying.

If in doubt, find an enlightened master to help you verify the depth of your realization.
Don't get cocky, remember, there is more than one enlightenment breakthrough to be had. You ain't gonna become Buddha with just a few years of self-observation.
Is it worth the struggle?
Abso-fucking-luty! Awakening is divine.
 
 
Videos Explaining Enlightenment In More Depth:
https://www.actualized.org/articles/spiritual-enlightenment-intro https://www.actualized.org/articles/what-to-do-next-after-learning-about-enlightenment https://www.actualized.org/articles/spiritual-enlightenment-part-2 https://www.actualized.org/articles/spiritual-enlightenment-part-3 https://www.actualized.org/articles/enlightenment-faq-part-1 https://www.actualized.org/articles/enlightenment-faq-part-2 https://www.actualized.org/articles/how-to-become-enlightened https://www.actualized.org/articles/my-enlightenment-experience https://www.actualized.org/articles/being-a-spiritual-seeker-good-or-bad https://www.actualized.org/articles/radical-openmindedness https://www.actualized.org/articles/mindfulness-meditation https://www.actualized.org/articles/understanding-awareness https://www.actualized.org/articles/the-enlightened-self https://www.actualized.org/articles/the-benefits-of-enlightenment https://www.actualized.org/articles/how-your-mind-distorts-reality https://www.actualized.org/articles/enlightenment-guided-inquiry https://www.actualized.org/articles/grasping-the-illusory-nature-of-thought https://www.actualized.org/articles/what-is-god https://www.actualized.org/articles/the-dark-side-of-meditation https://www.actualized.org/articles/mystical-traditions-around-the-world https://www.actualized.org/articles/becoming-a-zen-devil List Of Enlightenment Exercises:
https://www.actualized.org/forum/topic/7587-list-of-enlightenment-exercises/  
 

Vimalananda is probably the lesser-known enlightened man. He didn't like people taking his picture but there's a sketch somewhere...let me check...got it. Not to be rude or anything but he does look kinda scary. Also, might as well read his books - Aghori (3 parts in total)...mentions a lot about other worldly things and beings.

Rajneesh.
 
 
 
He is: " The Most Transcended human I have ever listened to, watched and read". 
Him and only him. Please read his texts. Recommended.
I read and listened to him mostly in Hindi Language. His native tongue. 
Regards.

Sri Anandamayi Ma (There is no me therefore I am what you want me to be)

Neem Karoli baba (Infinite infinity love)

Adidam (Unconditional realization uncausable by any means, just what is always already the case)

Nithyananda ParamaShivoham (The orgasm of all Indian Spirituality, paths, saints, sages, yogis and siddhas)

Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Sainthood)

Shivapuri baba (beyond God singularity)

ug krishnamurti (Perfect wisdom)

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (Master of oneness and duality)

nityananda ganeshpuri (that state which is beyond all states of consciousness)

Leo Gura
Eckhart Tolle
Adyashanti
Oliver Wright
Michael David Larsen
 

I posed this question to ChatGPT
What are all the epistemic problems of abrahamic religions?
ChatGPT's answer:
Epistemic problems of Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) typically involve questions of how knowledge is acquired, justified, and understood within their frameworks. These issues are philosophical in nature and not unique to Abrahamic faiths but are highlighted in discussions of their doctrines, scriptures, and traditions. Here's an overview of key epistemic challenges:
1. Reliance on Revelation
Problem: Abrahamic religions often claim that divine revelation is a primary source of truth. This raises questions about how one can verify the authenticity of such revelations and distinguish them from human invention or misinterpretation. Challenge: What criteria can determine the validity of divine revelations, especially when different religions or sects offer conflicting revelations? 2. Subjectivity of Faith
Problem: Faith is often emphasized as a means of knowing religious truths, but faith is inherently subjective and varies widely between individuals and cultures. Challenge: How can faith provide reliable knowledge if it lacks a universal, objective basis? 3. Interpretation of Sacred Texts
Problem: Scriptures are open to multiple interpretations. Disputes arise over what constitutes the "correct" interpretation. Challenge: Who has the authority to interpret scriptures definitively, and how can one avoid confirmation bias or cultural influence in interpretation?
4. Historical Reliability
Problem: Many foundational claims in Abrahamic religions (e.g., miracles, prophetic events) rely on historical accounts that are difficult to verify with modern historical methods. Challenge: How can one differentiate historical fact from myth or legend in ancient texts, especially when corroborating evidence is lacking? 5. Problem of Religious Pluralism
Problem: Each Abrahamic religion claims exclusive access to certain truths, but they often contradict one another. Challenge: How can one justify the epistemic privileging of one religion's truth claims over another's, especially when all rely on similar epistemic methods (e.g., revelation, scripture)?
6. Circular Reasoning
Problem: Some arguments for the truth of a religion rely on circular reasoning, such as using scripture to prove the validity of scripture. Challenge: How can one avoid circular reasoning and provide independent verification of religious claims? 7. The Problem of Non-Belief
Problem: If God desires that people know and follow Him, why do many remain unaware or unconvinced by religious truths? Challenge: How do epistemic frameworks within these religions address the existence of sincere non-believers and the diversity of belief systems? 8. Miracles and Supernatural Claims
Problem: Miracles and supernatural events are central to many religious claims, but these are often unverifiable or go against established scientific understanding. Challenge: How can one evaluate the epistemic credibility of miraculous claims without undermining natural laws or resorting to special pleading? 9. Epistemic Exclusivity
Problem: Abrahamic religions often claim epistemic exclusivity—that their path to truth is the only valid one. Challenge: How can exclusivist claims be reconciled with the possibility of multiple valid ways of understanding reality? 10. Epistemic Role of Tradition
Problem: Religious traditions often play a significant role in shaping beliefs, but traditions are human constructs influenced by historical and cultural factors. Challenge: How can one differentiate divinely inspired truths from human-made traditions within a religion? 11. Testability and Falsifiability
Problem: Religious claims are often unfalsifiable or not easily subjected to empirical testing. Challenge: How does one epistemically justify belief in claims that cannot be tested or potentially disproven? 12. Problem of Divine Hiddenness
Problem: If God exists and wants to be known, why is evidence for God's existence and will not universally clear and compelling? Challenge: How do religious frameworks address the seeming lack of epistemic access to God for all people? 13. Ethical-Epistemic Tensions
Problem: Certain ethical teachings in scripture may conflict with modern moral intuitions or scientific understanding. Challenge: How should believers reconcile apparent epistemic conflicts between ethical norms derived from revelation and contemporary ethical reasoning? 14. Dependence on Testimony
Problem: Much of religious knowledge depends on the testimony of prophets, religious authorities, or historical communities. Challenge: How reliable is testimony as an epistemic source, particularly when it comes to extraordinary claims?

If what you believe, is true for you. Would it then be fair to say. That what is true, is what you believe? 

You ask questions, instead of making absolutist statements. You can also poke at holes in their logic, but in a subtle way.
If someone says Christianity is only truth, depending on how sensitive they are to criticism, you might be able to say something like "Yeah but you know sometimes I'm doubtful that Christianity might be the ultimate truth, cause of these reasons (list of reasons), but that's just me, I don't know about you. How can you develop so much faith in it?" There is a high chance that they are actually currently contemplating those reasons you list, and have simply pushed them under the rug. This will bring those reasons back to the foreground, and actually make them empathize and listen more closely to where you're coming from, since it is stuff they themselves have probably inevitably contemplated. You wanna be as open-minded and non-assumptive as possible when conversating with them, that will make them feel more comfortable talking with you and giving you reasons. You gotta be genuine.
They might answer with a proper retort. You don't have to prove them wrong in that moment, you just need to plant seeds in their mind. They might say something like "Oh because I've seen it for myself". You can just answer "Oh ok, cause you've seen it for yourself. Interesting". That's all you have to do. After the conversation they will most likely be contemplating everything you said anyways, you don't need to keep pushing it or prolong the conversation.
But yeah, overall, you need to ask them high quality questions. Questions they are willing to contemplate, questions that are relatable to them. Also you can be intuitive with it, pay attention to their emotional state during the conversation.

When someone expresses an opinion, just ask "can you tell me how you came to that conclusion?"
Keep asking it over and over until you get to the bottom of their epistemology and worldview .. then they might be able to see as just that .. a partial worldview, not absolute Truth.

Tried to integrate a number of teachings into one diagram in a simplistic way, drawing on all core themes. It’s a model to map an array of introspective, existentialist-type, non-dualist teachings. Not sure if it’s clear for someone reading, if it makes sense or just my own journalling that is more like my own individual study notes. Keen to put it out to this community to get some feedback.