Constant mindfulness is not the ultimate goal of the spiritual life. Even if it were possible to achieve, and it is not, it would not be desireable. I say this even though miindfulness meditation and mindful awareness are some of the most powerful tools I have ever discovered and used as a therapist. But by being constantly mindful, we would miss out on the direct experience of living by always being the observer and always labeling our thoughts and experiences. We would never be "in" our lives. This is NOT enlightenment or awakening.

Mindful awareness or witness consciousness and being fully present in our experiences without comment or observation are complementary processes, like breathing in and breathing out. If we only breath in or only breath out, we die. So reaching a balance between living life and watching ourselves live life is far more healthy and spiritually productive than 24/7/365 mindfulness. But even this balance, once achieved, is not to be mistaken for awakening. It is just a better way to live in this concensual dream we call reality.

Awakening from this dreamworld is a brutal process. It is not all hearts and flowers and fairy kisses of love and compassion. These things just keep us more firmly asleep. Awakening is far more similar to a nervous breakdown and involves the complete dismantling or deconstruction of everything we ever thought was true...about ourselves, our relationshiips, our beliefs, our teachers and mentors, and our world. We do not awaken by meditating for 30 years, or unselfishly serving others, or being more mindful. We awaken by setting fire to your lives and abandoning the ego in the midst of the flames. As Jed McKenna says, fire doesn't make deals and the only thing that doesn't burn is the truth.

No one chooses this kind of awakening. Frankly, you'd have to be crazy to want it. No, some are simply chosen by the process itself. Once chosen, failure is almost certain and victory leaves you feeling like you are falling endlessly through empty space with no points of reference. It's a hell of a deal. No wonder we would prefer to take something like mindfulness or mystical experiences, or alter states and call them enlightenment. Who could blame us?