Self-Realization and Other Awakenings

activate all kinds of emotional states which can be
both enthralling, but also frightening and destructive,
leading to all kinds of distracting stoppages.
The path of the void, or of seeking truth, generally
leads one away from the world; while the path of love
maintains that involvement in the world. So much so,
that direct observation or realization of the Self may
be delayed.
We also have to understand that the ties of the
mind are very deep and subtle. We may free ourselves
from fundamentalist Christianity, or fundamentalist
Buddhism, or Muhammadanism, but we may not free
ourselves from family values, or some variant of the
American dream: including even becoming an
academic or professional such as: a doctor,
psychiatrist, psychotherapist, engineer, professor, or a
professional questioner such as a scientist.
We deep down recognize that escape from the
conventional often means ostracism and rejection by
society and crowds of people, leading to a life of living
at the fringes of society. It is extremely hard to escape
from family values and conventionality of behaviors
than to lead a life of luxury or ease. This deters many
from really opting for an "authentic" lifestyle of living
out of oneself as opposed to conventions.