‘Transmutation Of Self’

12” x 24” Acrylic on canvas, 2024
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Moments of sudden illumination are described as brief yet extremely transformative in almost all accounts across many traditions throughout history.

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Daoist texts like the Zhuangzi depict effortless union with the Dao, flashes of timeless clarity where self and nature merge.

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In the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, yogis glimpse liberation (moksha) or absorption (samadhi) which is a realization that Atman and Brahman are one, often summed up in the phrase “Tat Tvam Asi” (“Thou art That”). Similarly, Buddhist texts recount the Buddha’s awakening and describe flashes of insight such as kensho or rigpawhich is fleeting recognitions of one’s true nature.

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The greek mysteries share a similar story in which initiates were promised visions of immortality, possibly aided by the kykeon drink, leaving them forever changed in their view of death. In Christian mysticism, writers like Meister Eckhart and the author of The Cloud of Unknowing speak of sudden, ineffable union with God that transcends words.

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Shamanic initiations, Native American vision quests, and Amazonian ayahuasca rites—can also reveal brief but life-changing encounters with the spirit world and the web of life.

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Though these experiences rarely last, traditions consistently emphasize their power to reshape one’s life, pointing to them as glimpses of a reality that can be deepened through practice and devotion..