Affirmations And Enlightenment

[drelamore]

I was curious, after seeing a post about affirmations, if making affirmations like: "I'm enlightened", gonna help you with your enlightenment work.

What do you think? 

[Azrael]

4 hours ago, drelamore said:

I was curious, after seeing a post about affirmations, if making affirmations like: "I'm enlightened", gonna help you with your enlightenment work.

That's an interesting question. Affirmations are basically great to infuse some thoughts into you so that your unconscious begins on its own to make you think thoughts around your affirmation. So I use this e. g. to get me thinking about my life purpose. My head just on its own pops up more thoughts about this, how I could do my projects and so on. For that - affirmation and contemplation is real good.

It probably isn't the best tool to awaken. Because to awaken most people need to grind through a lot of their fake beliefs, through that they see how their reality changes in front of their eyes and then you go even deeper and deeper on that. So it takes some real work, some looking into things and letting things go. Also to accept the journey.

So I wouldn't use affirmations in the classic sense for enlightenment work. More for creative stuff. But if you look at the Self-Inquiry process, that uses affirmation and contemplation in an advanced way. But it helps to really get a sense of what is happening and not just lulling more words into your mind to make it think about that.

But I might be wrong. I think however there are better ways.

[drelamore]

1 minute ago, Arik said:

But if you look at the Self-Inquiry process, that uses affirmation and contemplation in an advanced way

Could you elaborate more on this? because i don't see a connection between self-inquiry and affirmations

[Neo]

My initial response is, aren't affirmations what you use for the ego to talk deep down to itself to lay down a strong belief system? Saying, "I'm enlightened" is actually affirming the existence of "I".

[Azrael]

1 minute ago, drelamore said:

Could you elaborate more on this? because i don't see a connection between self-inquiry and affirmations

As you say to yourself "Who am I?", "What am I?", "Who is perceiving this" and then looking for the real you this kind of triggers your unconscious mind to come up with knew shit it gives you. First you go and argue a lot with your thoughts and then maybe the first realization comes. And then the second.

So in kind of the same way as with affirmations you trigger yourself and ask it over and over again until you finally know. Classic affirmations are however generally more concerned with getting a key phrase into you - so that this triggers certain new thoughts and behavior patterns.

Can you see the connection?

[drelamore]

@Neo That was my first thought too, but then again in order to do enlightement work, having a "positive ecosystem in your head" per se (or a healthy ego, if you prefer) is gonna help with this process. So, maybe "i'm enlightened" is a bit out of place, but something like: "I experience Truth", could maybe help? 

I don't know too, it was a question out of the blue 

[drelamore]

@Arik Yeah i see what you mean now, thanks! 

[Toby]

Affirmations are usually used to create certain states of consciousness or evoke certain states. Enlightenment is not about states of consciousness, because every state is impermanent.

However, some traditions work with mantras, visualisations, contemplation  of certain phrases that resonate with your true self and penetrate your ego-structure and give you tastes of essential qualities of your being although they in themself are not ultimate truth. At least that is as far as I understand it.

[OlgaK]

19 hours ago, drelamore said:

I was curious, after seeing a post about affirmations, if making affirmations like: "I'm enlightened", gonna help you with your enlightenment work.

What do you think? 

You will become what your mind believes.

That's why it's a great practice to speak out affirmations. We have a lot of limiting believes that hold us back. By speaking out positive affirmations we give ourselves freedom to be. So....maybe instead of saying "I'm enlightened" you can say something like

" I except to be the light"

This is what I say and practice. I'm not a professional or anything but I do❤️metaphysics and spirituality.

A great way to also use affirmations is when you are meditating. When one is in a state of openness and oneness with the "Spirit of Life" our words have great power. You just have to be still and listen to yourself, to your intuition....especially when you feel a certain resistance in your being. That's ware you have to do the most work.

So! Have fun!