ABSTRACT
The Buddha claimed to have ‘woken up’, describing a way to end suffering by seeing all phenomena as impermanent and letting go of desire and the illusory self. Many others have described awakening, but do they all undergo the same changes in self and consciousness? Buddhism has interacted more closely with science and psychotherapy than other religions, perhaps because of its relative lack of doctrine and emphasis on personal practice and change. But whereas therapy usually aims to create a coherent sense of self, Buddhist practice aims to transcend it. This chapter explores a variety of methods and spiritual paths with effects on the sense of self, free will, compassion, kindness, and insight. Some people have awoken spontaneously, as in Harding’s ‘headless way’ or mystical experiences close to death; others awake after long practice on a spiritual path. So is there a path to ‘enlightenment’? These varied practices and the science of consciousness all claim to be seeking the truth and breaking out of illusion, but do they mean the same illusions? If so, can we learn to let them go? And what happens when we do?
