Hi Jim,
Thank you for sharing. Yes, “I am enlightened.” never happens, because there is no “I”. It is only the Consciousness/Being who wakes up to itself, and it becomes obvious that “I” is only a character, one of many embodied by the One. The character “I” continues to play its role on the stage of the world, but the identity is shifted to the Being. It is absurd that any “I” might take credit for any attainment, but it happens - and it makes for a good play. The same way that the actors on the stage of the world forget that they are only actors, start to identify themselves with their roles, and a lot of drama unfolds. What a marvelous play!
When an iceberg melts fully into the ocean of which it’s always been composed, where does one pin the medal for this achievement? 
But it’s going too far to claim there is no “I”. Of course there is! “I” is an ongoing project, as you know very well. Considerable near-obsessive work goes into making it real. However, the maker confuses himself with the “I”. And it’s deliberate confusion!
Just as we all love getting lost at the movies, Awareness enjoys getting lost in pretending. It’s a feature, not a bug. Remembering, then forgetting again, is the cosmic dance; the drama “unfolding”, as you say! Stillness is boring and literally unremarkable. Ever wonder why so many people with sedately comfortable lives create optional drama (i.e. “rich world problems”) for themselves? It’s the exact same impulse!
But if you’re looking skyward (or even inward) for the Creator, for truth, and for your damned Rainbow Body or whatever, that means perspective remains frozen in identifying with the pretended - in the persona and its dramatic narrative. Remove personhood from the equation (by flipping perspective back to pretender, rather than pretended) and there’s only silent awareness, with no complications whatsoever.
In that scenario, what happens next? Fresh complications are created, of course! A return to the absorbing and entertaining “I” project! What fun!
The only problem in all this is that Awareness is so adept at immersion and identification with storylines, and gets so lost in the pretending, that the world’s rollercoasters start feeling like oppressors, rather than fun rides for sheer entertainment. Horror films are meant to titillate, not torture, but if you’ve frozen into tight identification with the protagonist, this entertaining experience can feel oppressive. So it’s best if the pretending - the identification - is worn somewhat lightly. For that, spiritual practice, e.g. AYP, is the answer.
That’s what spiritual practice is for. Not to cease all pretending and freeze perspective upon one’s true nature as omnipresent silent awareness without an object, denying that “I” is even an option. Nor to soup up our fake narrative persona with awesome superpowers and rainbow bodies. But simply to wear it all as lightly and playfully as originally intended. Keep perspective lithe!
If you’ll reread the above posting, you’ll notice that it’s written from the perspective of Awareness. That’s why it’s straight-ahead and avoids the usual tangle of dramatic spiritual hooey - holiness, exaltation, journeys, transformation, etc…That stuff’s a head fake. It’s dream talk.
When you approach from the perspective of dramatic personhood, this is a triumphant “evolution” of “becoming God”. Wow! Understandably, people get completely unbearable with that crap. It’s why I can’t stand to read these forums, or most “spiritual” writings.
99% of spiritual material comes from people frozen into identification with their persona (see my stage #3, where some level of truth is glimpsed - your persona’s ENLIGHTENED!!! - but perspective has not budged). A simple flip of perspective, when it happens, is nothing exalted or holy. It doesn’t enhance this character you’re pretending to be playing, it just makes the pretending more loose and playful for a while. A shake of the arm to remember it’s only a movie. You chose this ride!
So, for sanity’s sake, PLEASE try to restrain the urge to dramatize the process of shaking momentarily free of drama.
I’ve been stewing over this thread for several years now, unable to express my issue with it. But that’s it right there: there’s no need to dramatize one’s de-dramatization. It’s the bane of “spiritual” people. That’s why it’s best to stay away from the hoo-ha, and just quietly, dutifully do your practices (to maintain a lithe perspective) and not get distracted by notions of augmenting your persona, like chintzy video game power-ups. There’s nothing useful in that mindset, just deeper freezing.
Hello Jim
Yes, there is a stage when the I gets enthusiastic about “becoming God”. Is that such a bad thing though? Wouldn’t the opposite be worse? If the I took a dislike to the spiritual destination, wouldn’t the practitioners abandon their practice before they got anywhere near stage 8?
When we understand that each of us goes through the 8 stages you described in your post above, doesn’t that also lead to some tolerance towards what we later come to see as naive glorification of enlightenment? I guess this question was prompted by the phrase: “people get completely unbearable with that crap”. Also by your statement that you can’t stand reading these forums. You are here though. Perhaps the disapproving tone in your words echoes in my ears stronger than you have intended.
You know as well as the rest of us that “a shake of the arm” will not lead to the realisation that this is a movie. You refer to the importance of meditation yourself. The “ho-ha” may be a useful aid in keeping people motivated to keep up the practice over the years or decades. Is shooting it down such a good thing?
Just an opinion of course.
Yes, it is. By remaining frozen in persona-identification while assuming you’ve transcended personhood, you compound the problem you were hoping to solve - relieving the oppression of frozen perspective - by doubling down on that same perspective. What’s more, these are the folks who define and personify spirituality for the billions who understandably would like to relieve some of their feeling of oppression. Newbies are impressed by their lofty proclamation of enlightened attainment, so these folks wind up leading the way.
Also: there is no “spiritual destination”.
I’m not here because I like it, I’m here because, as I said, this thread has bugged me for years, and I finally figured out how to express it. I felt obliged to do so, knowing full well that I wouldn’t enjoy the fallout. Truth vs piety is always uncomfortable and volatile (sometimes even deadly). The message could be softened, sure, but then it loses the power to penetrate complacency and groupthink and stuckedness, which is obviously my main intention.
I understand many people don’t come here for that sort of thing, but I’d be surprised if those who prefer the normal soothing tone of this forum got past my first few sentences. If you chose to keep reading despite my obvious forthright impiety, that’s on you, not me. My tone’s clear from the get-go. And if you also choose to engage with me, as you have, you’ve invited exposure to yet more of my tone. Please examine your ambivalence. It’s not my job to talk the way you like, it’s your job to listen to what you want to hear.
Just throwing this out there: if you’d spend more than a quick moment considering what took me 45 years of contemplation to express, you’d be less prone to misinterpreting my words, as you did here.
I’m happy to engage with anyone trying to thoughtfully process my postings. Otherwise, from this point I’ll “listen off the radio”", as they say…
I am learning from your posts, Jim. Thanks!
There need not be any fallout, Jim. We are just expressing opinions here, aren’t we? I’m fully aware of the possibility that some months or years down the line I might read my posts and disagree with half the things I’ve written.
I’m reading your posts with curiosity more than anything else, so I’ll just ask one more question:
Do you really think that words have “the power to penetrate complacency”? It has been my impression that only practice and growing up from the inside (for want of a better expression) brings each of us to a position where we are comfortable letting go of our illusions. Do you think any stern words have the power to propel people from stage 3 into later stages?
Why? Before we get somewhere, we are on our way, and every step takes us closer to our home. Shaking free of drama may be transitory before it becomes established. Where is the problem? Before we arrive to the top of the mountain, we imagine the view from the top, and this inspires us to continue. It might not be the right view, it almost certainly is not the true view, but whatever view it is keeps us going. Some of us are quiet, some are loud, and some are in between. Yes, you are right, the key is to focus on the process, not on the result.
Besides practice, non-attachment is the other essesntial practice. Expecting that things should be a certain way is a mark for attachment. Progressing on the path is not about getting to a right-and-final-stage or a correct view. Progression is about how many things and ideas we can let go.
Just an opinion, and definitely not the final one 
It seems like there is a lot of projection with the term attainment and ego.
I have found a lot of truth in the stages as mentioned by the OP.
Isn’t attainment really nothing more than the clearing away of our obstructions? If one is filled with ego that is an obstruction and would prevent one from any such attainments.
I.e. if you desire a state of being or some ability it is that desire/obstruction that will keep it ever out of reach.
We are much more than just some silent observer. The Witness is just the first stage of realizing silence in daily life. There is much more beyond that.
Powers, abilities are a result of a deeper realization, of moving ever deeper for instance to the realization that One is like Siva and as Kashmir Shaivism mentions with such a realization one has the powers of creation.
Can they also be a trap? Absolutely. I see it often with 3rd eye types but to believe they are not part of the process is to deceive oneself and others.
Remember silence isn’t the goal and to think so would be very limiting to ones spiritual growth.
these posts are the fruits of practice please post more
surely jim its taken the universe billions of years to reach this level of contemplation and through us or our form expresses and experiences itself, maybe in another part of the universe in a different form its flipped the other way instead of dissolving like your iceberg its formed into the berg and purpose is found no medal of achievement just movement .
Kumar. Long live your poetry, and the poetry that is yet to come.
long live our satsang 
I would love to.
The stages have been expanded upon but if you have any questions about them as an aspect of the mind and or being I would love to provide my experience.
For instance:
Like when one integrates the inside and outside, the boundaries drop away and you can Energetically be with others. Very easy to tell if you are just fooling yourself or not in your mind.
You are not an obsturcted persona evolving toward pure awareness. You are pure awareness pretending to be an obstructed persona.
If you want to pretend to be an individual clearing obstructions and gathering attainments, that’s fine by me. It’s as good any other activity awareness might occupy itself with within this fantasy of separate personhood (e.g. learning french, binge viewing The Wire, masturbating, etc). But there’s something loopy about making an egoic mission out of the effort to transcend ego.
[quote=“Jim and His Karma”]
You can say “You are pure awareness pretending to be an obstructed persona.” or you have obstructions that keep pure awareness from being realized.
Really the same thing, either way the view is obstructed.
The important part is when one integrates the inside and outside, the boundaries drop away and you can Energetically be with others. Very easy to tell if you are just fooling yourself or not in your mind.
All the best,
Tom
something wonderful about self realisation
Adding to the topic with regard to attainments with a couple of quotes.
Psalms 82:5-6
5They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Finally, if you prefer a more yoga (Kasmir Shaivism) description regarding “magical powers”, Abhinavagupta states…
The question is thus appropriate because contentment (enlightenment) is not possible without a conscious realization. Contentment is of two kinds. The first is effected by means of absorption (samavesa) and consists of magical powers. The second is attained by reaching a condition of conscious heart-felt realization, and it is the state of being liberated while still alive.
Very useful thank you Jeff