
The textbook definition:
The age of Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that synthesized ideas of God, reason, nature, and humanity. It influenced art, philosophy, and politics with the use and celebration of reason, the power to understand the universe and improve one's condition. Learn about its history, key figures, ideas, results, and legacy.
A more pragmatic definition:
Enlightenment can be considered as seeing the wiring under the board. For example; the accurate perception of the purpose of prayer and celebration. Customs in society which everyone accepts as being important without ever questioning why. The injection of high octane emotional energy into the 'aether' is a concept most would consider to be a bunch of hocus pocus, new age, mumbo jumbo. However there exists incontrovertible evidence which defines the connection between the power of the human psyche and the natural world. All that is required is a mind open enough to accept the evidence. Overcoming the dogmatic narratives enforced by the material reductionist mindset is a fundamental leap in the understanding of our reality. This can take a lifetime and is considered by many religions to be the entire purpose of human life. The good news is that once the mind is opened to the realities of any given enlightened philosophy, the rest follows at pace.