Spirituality, Existentialism

Satori in Arlanda: the beginning of the journey towards true Self

How the experience of spiritual enlightenment becomes your guide to actual reality

If you have yet to experience satori, then I wish you that. If you have had this experience, let me call you my spiritual brother or sister.

I say these words without fear of being misunderstood, embarrassing, or confusing you. Because if this had happened to you, you would have been in the same reality as me.

In that reality, the closest connection spontaneously arises between people’s souls. People crave this, even if many are afraid or embarrassed to admit it to themselves.

It happened to me, and I know that moments like these become the epical milestones of our lives.

Several years ago, around mid-October, I stood near the passenger checkpoint at Arlanda airport. It was about 5 PM, and the day was cloudy and cool. It felt uncomfortable and chilly, although the temperature, humidity, and air conditioning were regular.

There were people of different nationalities, ages, and skin tones around, speaking various languages and dressed in different ways: a typical picture for an international airport.

I could hear shreds of their conversations, but I didn’t understand anything. I remember a couple of faces — masks moving their lips.

I felt empty. This occurs when life reaches a point of stagnancy, transforming into a chrysalis from which a beautiful butterfly will never emerge. Everything disappears somewhere, and you find yourself in stillness. The world is discolored, and you feel nothing but a sticky and unsettling numbness.

Why does this happen to us?

One will shrug their shoulders and say that this is our natural state and there is no evidence that life should be different. Most likely, we have no choice but to go with the flow. We are being pulled by the current in which we find ourselves involuntarily, and we cannot change it.

But now I know this is not what we are destined for. This is what we are accustomed to.

We consider this to be a reality, but this belief is erroneous.

It is erroneous; I say this because what happens around us for most of our lives is not reality. In true, not false, reality, you are not a random particle of the physical world; you are connected to it by mutual causality.

And if this connection suddenly manifests itself, if you get synchronized with the rest of the world and move from pseudo-reality to true reality, then this transition is impossible not to recognize.

That is precisely what happened to me in Arlanda, surrounded by other people next to the passengers’ checkout. Completely suddenly and for no apparent reason.

This state came from somewhere, but it’s hard to say where. I only remembered that it had a direction.

The feeling was extraordinarily bright and inexpressible in depth. Everything was saturated with light: it unfolded from somewhere inside delicately but dynamically, like a flower unfolding from a bud in fast motion.

The faces of people sharply outlined and approached. I realized that I was looking into the eyes of each of them simultaneously, and each of them was looking into my eyes.

I could distinguish the texture of their clothing, the color of their eyes and hair, the shape of their eyebrows, and the pores of their skin. I saw their pupils focus on me.

And I realized that I could easily approach any of them and talk about anything and precisely what needs to be talked about here and now, and we will unmistakably understand each other, no matter what language this conversation is in.

But no language was needed. Because when you can communicate with the essence of a person directly, no additional means are required.

I did not speak to anyone; I just learned everything I needed to know about each person there. A particle of each of them got inside me and remained there forever. That’s what I felt.

The feeling of enlightenment didn’t leave me during most of the flight. Closer to home, the exaltation gave way to deep tranquility and continued for several days. Of course, everyday worries had to come to the forefront sooner or later. Still, now I have gained something valuable that I didn’t have before.

If this has happened to you too, then I am convinced that, like in my case, this experience has changed your personality and, most likely, your life.

I think this way because we all have the same essential problem — the inability to make sense of the world that has become too complex. This causes anxiety and fear; we feel that we must go somewhere and do something to find our true “self,” but we don’t know which direction to choose and what to put our efforts into. We are afraid to waste what we have.

Our time is shrinking inexorably, but we need to get closer to solving this problem. This makes things even worse. Everything repeats day after day, circle after circle.

How to break this vicious cycle in a world where everything is upside down? It may never happen, but you have been given a chance if you have experienced spiritual enlightenment. Satori connects you to your true Self that everyone yearns to attain.

Yes, it is a chance, not a free gift, and this path still needs to be taken. But you’ve seen it. You’ve figured out where to go.

This awareness gets rid of the root causes of anxiety and fear. Those who have known you for a long time will be surprised to discover that you have become different, and you will immediately feel a change in their attitude toward you.

So, if you have experienced what I have, you know I am telling the truth.

But even if you haven’t, you will be able to understand me.

Everyone who has truly loved will understand me because the love that has risen to the level of direct spiritual connection is a phenomenon of the same order; satori is absolute love for everybody, the moment of merging with the human Cosmos.

When you love, you open up a new dimension of intimacy with another person. Spiritual enlightenment gives you an infinite number of such dimensions. It points you in the direction you need to move to integrate reality into your life.

The reality, I insist, is where you find your purpose.

You can see the door leading there if you want to.

Whether to get there or not is a matter of your personal choice. And no circumstances will be able to prevent you anymore.

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