Awesomelyglorious wrote:
Enlightenment is a term for people who want to feel special, it usually relates to the perceived increase in knowledge or existence of important knowledge.
That being said, if you are cynical and skeptical enough, you will probably rarely use that term in a non-mocking manner.
Hey there party pooper. What have you got in that bag there? Party poop?
Nihilist. Cynical, skeptical nihilist.
Sand wrote:
Why must it be either or?
I am not sure if it must be, but makes more sense to me that way. I have trouble seeing how it can be different for each person, but still be a general concept for all people. I have understood enlightenment in a spiritual context to be some sort of place, a state of mind and understanding with a path leading to it, which would be different than simply gaining knowledge.
Sand wrote:
To me enlightenment is a matter of disentangling a confused and misunderstood area which had been confused. Naturally there is a feeling of relief from the discomfort which is part of the original confusion.
I have also had this experience with things I felt I had no confusion, was searching for no answer. I find this type of experience to be different than what you described because it was like shedding light. The relief you have described is like lifting weight, becoming lighter. Although I do agree they could both be considered enlightenment, and perhaps both could be considered not.