It is generally accepted in almost all spiritual traditions that enlightenment (Nirvanic experience) doesn’t come out of the blue. There is a distinct prelude to it. In Christianity, St Teresa of Avila called this prelude the Prayer of Quiet, with “prayer” meaning meditative state rather than mere supplication. In the Hindu Vedanta, it’s sometimes called, Brahmajhani, a kind of blanket knowledge of the Divine. Here’s a description from my forthcoming book, COSMOSITY :

In the Summer of 1992 while living in Spain, the first of two major episodes began for me. As an escape from writing, I had taken up a kind of walking meditation. One day, completely out of the blue, I became aware of a subtle alteration in the way I felt. It was as if a grip had been taken on my will-power ~ pleasantly it should be said ~ and was drawing it back into an area of increasing stillness. As this rather strange quietness built, it became more and more tangible, like a definite presence. It wasn’t physical, as far as I could tell; it resembled a warm, yellowish light, a golden glow, even a tingling sensation all around me. This benign condition continued for about half an hour, then mysteriously faded.

Over the next month or so, the state returned virtually every day, at varying levels of intensity. At times I found I could induce it at will merely by walking rhythmically. It was a very comforting presence and I came to look forward to its characteristic onset.

The experiences reached a peak one Sunday morning. This time I was sitting in an armchair reading a book. After a while, the words began to take on a heightened significance and my thought processes slowed right down. I was aware that this was a much deeper experience than anything hitherto. Reading was now difficult, though not impossible. Someone in the room spoke to me. I answered briefly. The person left without comment, so I assume that I was reasonably articulate and to the point. I was enjoying this spiritual immersion, which was how it felt, and after half an hour it left me for good.

I now believe that the presence was continually with me for about a month, with my consciousness of it rising and falling in unpredictable ways.

(See also my post on Nirvanic Experience, which in some cases follows the state described here).