The Last Moment of Ignorance
Everyone has Self-awareness there is no life without it. The difference between a Self-realized and heart and mind and a heart and mind that is not awake to the Self is very subtle but of immense consequence, in terms of over-all life enrichment. They are so close together that I am constantly amazed why more people do not just naturally fall into the Self. The realized person, on a very quiet level, is constantly aware of who is actually having any experience, the inner Self of the unrealized person is constantly over-shadowed by any experience. Otherwise the experience is the same.
Self-realization is a simple experience that is at first an independent addition to all other experience, over time it evolves into a more unified sense that includes life in general. It is a complete steadiness and permanence of Awareness itself, which comes with its own Self-luminous certainty or deep knowingness. It is not the small-self that has anything to do with last moment of ignorance or the first moment of Self-realization. Even though simple and natural—knowing that you are an infinite, eternal being is a very stabilizing and rewarding experience.