God Realization & Enlightenment
Barry and I also talked some about the complementarity of God realization (F7-F8 in Ken Wilber's framework) and enlightenment (nondual).
God realization is the heart-centeredness and fullness of it, and can always go further - it can always deepen, always be brought more into life. And the nondual awakening - the ground awakening to itself - is the ultimate awakening.
Deity mysticism and dark night of the soul
In an exclusive nature- and deity-mysticism awakening (F7-F8) , there is still a subtle sense of an "I" and thus some attachment to content. It is clear that God is beyond and includes any and all polarities, including that of seeing and seen, but a center of gravity as a subtle "I". There is oneness, but not "no I anywhere".
And as content always changes - and anything in particular, including bliss and insights, eventually goes away - this attachment to "I" and content brings the apparent "I" down as well. The ship sinks, and we sink with it.
This is the dark night of the soul.
It may be at least partially triggered by burn-out from the intensity of the F7-F8 awakening. And the "dryness" of it - the lack of comfort in anything - is an opportunity to find the ground within and as which this all happens - the awareness and all phenomena together.
Nondual to the rescue
The nondual awakening - the ground awakening to itself - is the rescue here. What is, awakens to itself with no "I" anywhere. The ground - emptiness - pops out, comes to the foreground. Everything is revealed as emptiness dancing, independent of the particulars of the content.
Deity mysticism and fullness
And while a nondual awakening is the rescue from the appearance of going down with the ship, the F7-F8 awakening brings fullness and deepening of it. It brings the heart.
Where the nondual is a zero or first person relationship with God, nature- and deity-mysticism awakenings is a second person relationship with God. Together, there is deepening fullness, flow and fluidity.
F1-F8 and deepening
At the F1 through F8 levels, there is continual deepenings and awakenings. There is always further to go.