History Main / EnlightenmentSuperpowers

** A guru reveals to [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderAvatarAang Avatar Aang]] that, through spiritual enlightenment and releasing his chakras, he can control the Avatar State and go in and out at will. Before this point, Aang can only go into it if he's scared, angry, or psychically aligned with a vengeful water god.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'': Magic in this world can only be done by those who have some connection to one of the Primal Sources: Sky, Earth, Ocean, Sun, Stars, and Moon. Magical beings, dragons, and elves are born already connected. Humans are not. They need to use what are called Primal Stones, magical items with a connection to these sources and thus the human can use that magic. This leads some humans to use Dark Magic, which drains the life force or uses part of a magical being's essence, to replicate magic. Prince Callum wants to be a mage but won't use Dark Magic. He believes if he can forge his own connection to one of the Primal Sources, he can do magic. [[spoiler:He is right. After a vision quest, where in part he was the sail of a ship he was traveling on, he gains the understanding of Sky magic and can now use it without the need of a Primal Stone or Dark Magic. Another character, a Startouched Elf, is shown having connections to the other five sources, allowing him access to all the other magics]].
** Implied to be the case with [[spoiler: mage wings. Unlike spells such as aspiro, Callum can not conjure wings simply with runes and draconic alone. Only a rare few Skywing elves can grow mage wings]]

* Great Tiger of the ''Videogame/PunchOut'' series, especially in the Wii version.

* ''VideoGame/Nin2Jump'': The BigBad, Namakura, is a Buddha.

* Virgo Shaka of ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' lives in a setting full of {{Charles Atlas Superpower}}s but thanks to his Enlightenment Superpowers is one of the most feared, dangerous adversaries imaginable. He can create deadly illusions that will MindRape enemies from ''miles'' away, send them to {{Hell}} (or {{Heaven}}!), destroy their senses rendering them [[ConvenientComa comatose]], and even [[ThanatosGambit be more dangerous dead than alive]]. It helps that he's the reincarnation of a Buddha.
* All the shamans in ''Manga/ShamanKing'' have this to some degree. Hao, the most enlightened and powerful of all, decided that to [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans create utopia]] all the ignorant humans have to die, leaving only shamans to populate the world.
* After years of contemplation, fallen Buddhist monk Anji of ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' learned the principle that allowed him to develop the Futae no Kiwami attack, a powerful punch that can turn rocks into dust.
* Food Honor in ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'' is this, and is an important part of Toriko's training for the Gourmet World. It involves a rigorous training which focus on "honoring" the food by respecting it when eating. If successful, the trainee can eliminate useless moves when cooking and even fighting. Related is the Food Inmmersion, in which showing gratitude to the food you consume will allow you to grasp its full nutritive capabilities, so much that Toriko had to be truly grateful to every meal he ever had in order to draw the Bubble Fruit and eat it.

* Zanpakuto-based abilities are this in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''. Zanpakutou represent the user's specific talents and strengths, and you must form a bond with them to access all of your hidden powers. The problem is that they also represent your faults and ''weaknesses'', too, and the parts of your personality [[ShadowArchetype you don't want to acknowledge]].
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', the Transparent World is introduced as such when Tanjiro first seeks it, recalling how his father Tanjiro had attained such a perfectly balanced attitude between being peaceful and being ready to fend of any threat against his family at a moment's notice. The first visual cue of the ability is portrayed as a literal universal transparent void of space, where Tanjiro can see through everything he sees, now being perceived as being all in slow motion as well. [[spoiler:Akaza sees it as achieving the pinnacle of martial arts, admitting not even he attained that level]].
* ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': Jujutsu sorcerers and even some cursed spirits can rapidly grow stronger by gaining insight into themselves in special moments either by being [[DeathActivatedSuperpower at the point of death]], or hitting a [[CriticalHit Black Flash]]. Doing both exposes them to the core of cursed energy which allows them to evolve to a higher level in combat.

* ''Anime/VariableGeo'': Yuka achieves this state during the final episode, when she faces [[TheDragon Damian's]] [[spoiler: SuperpoweredEvilSide]] again. She enters an almost Zen-like calm, which enables her to instinctively evade his attack and counter with [[OffhandBackhand a pirouetting backhand]] that sends him flying across the room. And when he tries to kill [[spoiler: Siritahi]], Yuka saves her by channeling all her energy to unleash [[{{Shoryuken}} Soryu Gekki.]]
* In the manga version of ''Manga/SailorMoon'', reaching enlightenment on themselves is how Minako passed from her Sailor V form to her initial Sailor Venus transformation, the other Senshi got the Super form and Artemis obtained the ability to change in human form and, being her partner, obtained ''Minako's'' Super transformation.
* In ''Franchise/FullmetalAlchemist'', Alchemy is performed by GeometricMagic that ranges from complex designs of blueprints for specific transmutations to a simple circle if you're skilled enough. Alchemists who perform human transmutation and enter the Gate of Truth and [[EquivalentExchange survive whatever body part it rips from you]] gain enough knowledge of alchemy that they can perform complex transmutations by clapping their hands, forming a circle with their arms and filling in all the details mentally.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', Mikasa describes [[spoiler:her Ackerman blood awakening]] in terms similar to an epiphany; one minute, she was cowering on the floor, and the next, someone told her to "fight", and she realized that she could do anything. Her words. [[TheAce She never lost a fight after that.]] More darkly, [[spoiler:Eren theorizes that this was the moment her human self died]].

* Likewise known as ''ṛddhi powers'' in UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, which again varies between sources but includes things like flight, teleportation, and going unimpeded by natural barriers (walking on water and passing through walls and ground).

* In ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', many of Sun Wukong's powers, including the shapeshifting, the ability to summon duplicates of himself, and the ability to leap large distances in a single bound, were gained as side-effects of studying the secrets of the universe under the Buddhist sage Subhuti. Subhuti eventually asked him to leave when he realized he was more interested in the superpowers than the enlightenment.

** The Oracle and her weird count because "There is no spoon" -- that is, they mastered simple forms of {{Reality Warp|er}}ing.

* This is UsefulNotes/MusashiMiyamoto's whole deal in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''. It's why she's called the 'Flower at the Apex of Heaven', why she's important enough to be a powerful Servant despite having virtually zero OlderIsBetter advantages, and why the Servant system itself has an imperfect hold on her. Long story short, one of the central planks of the real-life Miyamoto Musashi's philosophy (as expounded on in his famous Book of Five Rings) was applying Buddhist principles to swordsmanship, in the belief that martial perfection could help you attain spiritual perfection and eventually the blissful nonexistence of nirvana. Our Musashi is well on the road to enlightenment, giving her swordplay otherworldly power and making it difficult for reality to determine whether she exists or not (which is why she keeps hopping between timelines as a NonLinearCharacter).

* ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'': Jobu Tupaki was forced to open up her mind into the multiverse. Not only it drove her insane, but it also transformed her into a RealityWarper. She forces Evelyn to relieve the same experience, which causes ''her'' to gain the skills of her countless alternate counterparts, making her just as much of a RealityWarper.

** The [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]] spend most of their time meditating on the Dreaming in hopes of maintaining the cosmic balance of the universe and achieving spiritual enlightenment. This grants them loads of nifty PsychicPowers, most notably the ability to astrally project into other people’s dreams.
** There's also the [[WarriorMonk Order of Veni-Yan]], an monastic order of holy warriors who attempt to research and understand the nature of the Dreaming through meditation. Like the dragons (though not to the same extent in power), this grants them the ability to astrally project themselves into and guide people’s dreams (such as when a group of Veni-Yan monks [[spoiler:help a troubled Thorn make contact with the Great Red Dragon in her dreams so she can gain aid on her ComingOfAgeStory]]).

-->'''Shifu''': Po, the day you were chosen as Dragon Warrior was [[BrutalHonesty the worst day of my life.]]\\

* This is a large part of the premise of the Creator/CharltonComics character ''ComicBook/PeterCannonThunderbolt''. When he isn't simply employing a CharlesAtlasSuperpower or two thanks to advanced martial arts training, his access to a set of "ancient scrolls" helps him to accomplish outright superhuman feats. His ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' counterpart/expy, Ozymandias, doesn't quite fit the archetype, but two later versions of the character, in Kieron Gillen's ''ComicBook/PeterCannonThunderbolt2019'', play the idea up; "Cannon" develops dimension-shifting abilities from first principles, while "Thunderbolt" is functionally a god on his home ground (far surpassing even a [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} Doctor Manhattan]] expy).
* Most comic book magicians qualify, at least the ones who don't go down the "worship dark gods/sell your soul" paths.
** See ComicBook/DoctorStrange for one example...
** ...Or for a much earlier instance, the Green Lama, as more recently resurrected in ''ComicBook/ProjectSuperpowers'', who gained his ability to fly through years of studying the mystic ways of the Buddhist Guru in Tibet.
* The [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]] in ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' spend most of their time meditating on the Dreaming in hopes of maintaining the cosmic balance of the universe and achieving spiritual enlightenment. This grants them loads of nifty PsychicPowers, most notably the ability to astrally project into other people’s dreams.
** There’s also the [[WarriorMonk Order of Veni-Yan]], an monastic order of holy warriors who attempt to research and understand the nature of the Dreaming through meditation. Like the dragons (though not to the same extent in power), this grants them the ability to astrally project themselves into and guide people’s dreams (such as when a group of Veni-Yan monks [[spoiler:help a troubled Thorn make contact with the Great Red Dragon in her dreams so she can gain aid on her ComingOfAgeStory]]).
* Zora in the comic ''ComicBook/{{Powers}}'' is an inversion. By rejecting all spirituality and realizing she is "her own god", she gains godlike powers.
* A good half of ComicBook/{{Kaliman}}'s powers came from his intense mental and spiritual training in the orient. The other half? Sheer badassitude.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'', Harry Houdini discovered real magic in a moment of extreme focus required to pull off one of his escapologist tricks.
* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemplator Contemplator,]] one of the Elders of the Universe in the MarvelUniverse. His study of meditation, philosophy and mental/spiritual development gave him powers such as telepathy, mental domination of others, precognition, telekinesis, levitation, and astral projection.

* The ''ComicBook/GreatTen'' hero Thundermind is a Buddhist who gains ComicBook/{{Superman}}[=-level=] powers by reciting a mantra.
* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Johnny Quick and his daughter Jesse both gain their SuperSpeed from [[FormulaicMagic reciting a formula describing a 4th-dimensional object]] while attempting to imagine said object. Later {{retcon}}ned into being their ways of accessing the Speed Force.
* In ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'', this is theorized in-universe by the Mole Man to be the source of Sue's invisibility powers, on the premise that the accident somehow enlightened her mind to replicate meditation techniques to avoid detection.
* Bordering on PowerBornOfMadness but this is how ''[[Comicbook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool Gwenpool]]'' gained superpowers. She starts out as a [[ThisLoserIsYou depressingly average nerd]] [[TrappedInTVLand stuck in the world of comicbooks]] getting by on pure GenreSavvy, then through some convoluted events she thinks her worldview through to its logical endpoint and gets enlightened about everything (even what she thought was real life) being a comicbook, and this gives her the power to... abuse the medium conventions. Think FrameBreak, use of various {{Ninja Prop}}s, possibly PerspectiveMagic, and so forth. You might guess her morality is pretty brightly colored thanks to this. (Good vs. evil? Not really. Be interesting or your book gets cancelled, and you end up as CListFodder.)
* Inverted in ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', which posits that Franchise/{{Superman}} has reached enlightenment ''because'' of his powers, not the other way around. It’s implied that anyone with his powers would experience this, as demonstrated when [[spoiler:Lex Luthor]] temporarily gains them and has a HeelRealization:
-->”This is how he sees all the time, every day. Like it’s all just us, in here, ''together''. And we’re all we’ve got...”
* At least one story implies that the reality warping of fifth dimensional imps like Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite is possible because they know the Anti-Life Equation. In another arc Kyle Rayner returns from beyond the Source Wall with the Life Equation embedded in his head which also gives him reality warping powers.
* On one occasion Dr. Sivana, longtime enemy of [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] (Billy Batson), broke out of CardboardPrison by reciting a mathematical proof that allowed him to ''walk through'' the wall.
* Marvel's first Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, gains the power of Cosmic Awareness when the entity Eon puts him through a trial to fight his inner demons and achieve enlightment.
* One DC comics crisis crossover introduces a Kal-El from an alternate universe where he was raised by Tibetan Monks. Through meditation and enlightenment he's learned finer control of his powers, adjusting his solar radiation absorption to absorb other forms of radiation being one of his new abilities. Another is grasping a BeamOWar between two other Supermen like ropes made of energy and using it to pull them both to the ground. According to him any Superman is capable of achieving his level of enlightenment in their powers.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': It's played with in that the big secret is that[[spoiler: there ''is'' no secret superpower you get for reading the Dragon Scroll, and ''[[MagicFeather that's the point]]''. If anyone was worthy of reading the Dragon Scroll, then they ''already'' had [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong all the power they'd ever need]] and the only thing stopping them would be [[HisOwnWorstEnemy their own hang-ups]]. This is especially prominent with Po, who repeatedly demonstrates that he's quite intelligent, tough, and agile when he puts his mind to it (usually to get food), but his low self-esteem and unconventional way of learning causes him to repeatedly self-sabotage until he finally internalizes the lesson, allowing him to put his hidden talent to use and defeat the vastly superior Tai Lung through AwesomenessByAnalysis, good tactics, and slapstick comedy.]]

--> '''Shifu''': Po, the day you were chosen as Dragon Warrior was [[BrutalHonesty the worst day of my life.]]\\

'''Shifu''': By far. Nothing else came close. It was the worst, most painful, mind-destroying, horrible moment--\\
'''Po''': [[ImStandingRightHere Okay.]]\\
'''Shifu''' --I have ever experienced. ''[hugs himself and shudders]''

* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', the Jedi are famous for this, especially Jedi Master Yoda and later on, Luke Skywalker. The connection to [[SentientCosmicForce the Force]] allows abilities such as MySignificanceSenseIsTingling, the ability to heal, and for those who fall to the influence of TheDarkSide, ShockAndAwe.
* ''Franchise/TheMatrix''
** Neo. The many Buddhist and Christological allusions for Neo throughout the series range from subtlely added to pounding in your ears with its Sanskrit-based musical score in the final movie. When he becomes The One, he becomes a RealityWarper because he understands the underlayer of the Matrix. Outside of the Matrix, Neo's powers [[spoiler: to force enemy Machines to explode seems more technological, attributed to how he is differently wired than other humans in regards to the Matrix and the Machines. He effectively cracked into Sentinels wirelessly, thus interrupting their actions.]] The ability is limited in scope and range, [[spoiler:worked only on Sentinels and their bombs,]] and tired Neo greatly in the final battle on his way to the Machine City.

** The Oracle and her weird count because "There is no spoon"--that is, they mastered simple forms of RealityWarping.
** Then there's Smith, [[spoiler: the computer virus version of this, managing to infect disconnected humans. Luckily, he was defeated before finding out whether he could spread in the real world the way he did inside the Matrix.]]

* The Sphinx in the film version of ''Film/MysteryMen'' is a parody of this character type; his superpower is "being terribly mysterious" and he speaks entirely in IceCreamKoan. [[spoiler: He's also a [[PlayedStraight straight]] example, since he really can slice guns in half with his mind as he claims.]]
* In ''Film/TheMenWhoStareAtGoats'', the training doctrine of the New Earth Army was designed to trigger this. The soldiers were supposed to gain the powers of remote viewing, invisibility, walking through walls and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the sparkling eyes technique]] while delving into Eastern mysticisim.
* ''Creator/StephenChow'' uses this trope in many of his films (''Film/JourneyToTheWestConqueringTheDemons'', ''Film/ShaolinSoccer'', ''Film/KungFuHustle'', Forbidden City Cop, etc), often specifically invoking Buddhist enlightenment as the source of the powerup.
* In ''Film/{{Lucy}}'', the main character encounters a drug that unlocks steadily greater percent of her brain, giving her control first over her own body, then finally over matter and time.
* ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}'': Stephen Strange visits a monastery in Nepal in order to heal his damaged hands and has to spend months learning introspection and opening his mind before he can even attempt proper magic. His mentor finally just [[SinkOrSwimMentor drops him off on Mount Everest so that he will learn to open a portal before he freezes to death.]] It works.
* In ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'': Jobu Tupaki was forced to open up her mind into the multiverse. Not only it drove her insane, but it also transformed her into a RealityWarper. She forces Evelyn to relieve the same experience, which causes ''her'' to gain the skills of her countless alternate counterparts, making her just as much of a RealityWarper.

* In ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', many of Sun Wukong's powers, including the shapeshifting, the ability to summon duplicates of himself, and the ability to leap large distances in a single bound, were gained as side-effects of studying the secrets of the universe under the Buddhist sage Subhuti. Subhuti eventually asked him to leave when he realized he was more interested in the superpowers than the enlightenment.
* The mental/physical Schools of Frank Herbert's ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' exemplify this, especially the Bene Gesserit, who have attained complete control over their own bodies as well as other abilities that cause people to consider them to be "witches". It's {{downplayed|Trope}} because some of it is done by ingesting [[FantasticDrug the Spice]].
** The members of these schools didn't see themselves as superpowered, simply enlightened enough to benefit from the training. The Kwizatz Haderach is the one whom they considered superpowered. And every generation or so there would be another enlightened further beyond.
* All the alleged gods in ''Literature/LordOfLight'' have this as the source of their PsychicPowers -- ''then'' they augment them even more with SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology.

* Siddhartha, founder of Buddhism, of course. All kinds of miracles were attributed to him -- some even before he got enlightened, but many more afterward.
* In Literature/TimeScout, this is hinted to be the source of Ianira's PsychicPowers and explicitly stated to be the source of UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper's.
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', [[TheChosenOne Rand]] was always a scarily powerful [[FunctionalMagic Channeler]], but it was plain that the rigors of his role and magic were taking a terrible toll on him, nearly driving him to insanity and nihilism [[spoiler: until he has an epiphany at the end of Book 12 which brings him close to what might be called enlightenment, making him a [[MessianicArchetype messiah]] in truth as well as title and dramatically amping up his powers (though he's still weaker than the BigBad, who's an actual god).]] His EvilCounterpart Moridin has what could be classed as an evil version of this- a true nihilist, he's the closest of all mortals to the BigBad's goals and methods, and as such is (for most of the series) the only one allowed to access his special magic system, the [[TheDarkSide True Power]]. The True Power, though not any stronger than the One Power (which fuels most magic-users), is exempt from some of its restrictions and can do things it can't.
* Variation in ''[[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy I, Jedi]]''. Trainee Jedi Corran Horn has been unable to use telekinesis, a power which comes easily to most Jedi. He thinks he might be able to break through a mental barrier if he tries to do it with a huge rock, closing his eyes and really focusing. He pictures the rock rising up into the air, opens his eyes...to find the rock has stayed where it was, but everyone else is staring up in the air. He learns that his family have always been poor at telekinesis, but gifted at ''making illusions''.
* The humor book ''Literature/HowToBeASuperhero'' describes "Becoming One With the Cosmos" as one source of super-powers, though the reader is warned not to Become One With New York City and turn into a massive pile of shit as a result.
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'':
** In Chaotic Philosophy there exists levels of enlightenment. The first of which is plain old magecraft which can be learned out of a book by anyone that can read, or anyone with a teacher.
** Any mortal spirit can become a Razor Spirit with "spiritual forging", which is basically long periods of meditation based on an ideal. This grants certain abilities and can make ones that the user already possesses stronger.
** A vision quest inside Dengel's Cehian Lair grants Eric great wisdom and understanding about the immediate underlayer of reality and the true nature of magic.

* Rjurik Davidson's ''Literature/CaeliAmur'' stories has the philosopher-assassins such as Kata. They spend as much time hanging out in posh coffee-houses and university lectures as they do killing targets, but it's time spent well as all those debates over that world's equivalents of Aristotle, Descartes and etc. gives a philosopher-assassin superhuman fighting skills and control over their own bodies. Contrast this to Alan Campbell ''Literature/DeepgateCodex'' where the assassins there had superhuman abilities because of a lobotomy.
* ''Literature/TwelveDays'': Through meditation, Madame Gupta has gained SuperStrength, the ability to move in just the right way to effortlessly win every fight, and the ability to catch glimpses of the history of people and places. With her help, Terry gains similar abilities, although he isn't as powerful as she is.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Adam [=McArthur=] of ''Series/TheVisitor1997'' has learned a lot during his time in alien custody. OnceAnEpisode, he teaches one of his Enlightenment Superpowers to someone.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'' takes this approach: the closer one gets to Ascension (sort of a parallel for enlightenment, and somewhat based on Zen Buddhist belief), the more power over nature one gains. People on the cusp of Ascending were shown to gain psychic powers, heal people, etc., and fully Ascended beings had complete control over the natural universe. However, the downside is that no one can remain on the cusp of Ascending for a long time. It then becomes a DieOrFly case, in which the person must Ascend before their body dies. [=McKay=] in ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' manages to come up with an alternative solution just before his body expires.

* The Artifact which the plots of seasons 1 & 2 of ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' revolves around is a conduit for the Akashik Field, the universal repository of all knowledge. The two characters who come into contact with it, and aren't immolated by it, gain access to new powers. Both end up showing telepathy, and one gains [[HealingFactor instant regeneration powers]] and telekinesis.

* Known as ''siddhi''s in Hinduism, supernatural powers achieved through meditation and other spirit-refining practices. The list of siddhis differs depending on the source, and range from simple freedom from human needs and suffering up to things like shapeshifting, teleportation, and telepathy, and from that up to omniscience and outright RealityWarping.
* Likewise known as ''ṛddhi powers'' in Buddhism, which again varies between sources but includes things like flight, teleportation, and going unimpeded by natural barriers (walking on water and going full IntangibleMan passing through walls and ground).

* In the [[TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness Classic]] and TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness:
** In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' and ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'', the eponymous Mages get their reality warping magic thanks to what is usually an out of the blue epiphany regarding the nature of reality called Awakening. This epiphany is natural, but has little discernible rhyme or reason or [[MageSpecies blood connection.]] The less powerful Thaumaturges potentially [[MultipleChoicePast (it's complicated)]] derive the ability to use magic not from innate [[MageSpecies supernatural connections]], but from intense and prolonged spiritual and occult study, which under the right circumstances can also an Awakening in some people. Of course, this being the Worlds Of Darkness spiritual enlightenment doesn't necessarily require morality.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'', [[IdiotHero Emmet]] comes back as a [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Master Builder]], able to whip up any zany lego contraption on the fly that he can think of, after his brush with [[spoiler:The Real World, [[HumansAreCthulhu Finn]], and his dad, [[ControlFreak The Man Upstairs]].]] He immediately puts it to use to [[EleventhHourSuperpower save the day]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart'': Just like Emmet's brief time in the real world made him a Master Builder, Lucy's real-world moment affected her as well. When she enters Undar she transforms the real world environment to Legos, giving everyone full movement.

** A guru reveals to Aang that, through spiritual enlightenment and releasing his chakras, he can control the Avatar State and go in and out at will. Before this point, Aang can only go into it if he's scared, angry, or psychically aligned with a vengeful water god.

** One of the few non-Avatar characters who achieved enlightenment was Iroh, who absorbs the philosophies of the four nations and gains the ability to see into the spirit realm, and [[spoiler:in the sequel, cross over to it and retain his form and consciousness after his death.]] But really, his enlightenment was more about the pursuit of knowledge, the detachment from worldly desires like conquest and glory, and achieving spiritual balance, which is the true source of his power.

** A major theme in the first season is the inability of Korra, the new Avatar and Aang's {{reincarnation}}, to access the spiritual powers associated with being the Avatar. She focuses on the physical side of bending, much to the dismay of her mentors.

** A villainous example happens in the season finale of Book 3, where Zaheer achieves the power of [[spoiler:flight after the death of his lover P'li]] severs the last of his earthly bonds. He provides the page quote for this trope.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Twilight Sparkle's lessons about friendship eventually build up to her [[spoiler:obtaining her alicorn form, which she obtained by realizing how much her friends meant to her and completing Star Swirl the Bearded's unfinished masterpiece spell.]]

* The Creator/DCComics hero [[ComicBook/GreatTen Thundermind]] is a Buddhist who gains Franchise/{{Superman}}-level powers by reciting a mantra.
* DC superhero Johnny Quick and his daughter Jesse both gain their SuperSpeed from reciting a formula describing a 4th dimensional object while attempting to imagine said object. Later retconned into being their ways of accessing the [[Franchise/TheFlash Speed Force]].
* In the ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'' this is theorized in universe by the Mole Man to be the source of Sue's invisibility powers, on the premise that the accident somehow enlightened her mind to replicate meditation techniques to avoid detection.

* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': In most cases, Skill acquisition and evolution is tied to the personal growth and revelations of their owners. While it is possible to be born with certain Skills or gain them through EvolutionaryLevels, the only way to unlock Unique and Ultimate Skills is through this method. Even Otherworlders who gain Skills from crossing over usually need to have some sort of powerful inner desire at the time in order to be granted a Skill to reflect this. Training can hone your mastery of a Skill, but it alone won't cause you to gain one.

* Adam [=McArthur=] of ''Series/TheVisitor'' has learned a lot during his time in alien custody. OnceAnEpisode, he teaches one of his Enlightenment Superpowers to someone.

* The mental/physical Schools of Frank Herbert's ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' exemplify this, especially the Bene Gesserit, who have attained complete control over their own bodies as well as other abilities that cause people to consider them to be "witches". It's {{downplayed|Trope}} because some of it is done by ingesting spice.

--> '''Vivec''': ''"When I die in the world of time, then I'm completely asleep. I'm very much aware that all I have to do is choose to wake. And I'm alive again. Many times I have very deliberately tried to wait patiently, a very long, long time before choosing to wake up. And no matter how long it feels like I wait, it always appears, when I wake up, that no time has passed at all."''

** At least with the normal Human-Human fruit. [[spoiler: Former]] Fleet Admiral Sengoku ate the Human-Human Fruit... Model: Daibutsu, allowing him to turn into a giant golden Buddha-like being that can produce powerful shockwaves. Alternatively, there's [[spoiler:Luffy once he Awakens his Devil Fruit, the Human-Human Fruit, Model: [[GodOfLight Nika]]]], which grants the power of ToonPhysics.