Does Enlightenment happen incrementally or all at once?
One philosophical question often asked by those on a spiritual path is whether you can get enlightened all at once, in a flash, and then it's complete, or whether it's a gradual process that happens a bit at a time. I have no special authority or insight to answer this question. But that doesn't stop me from having an opinion :)
I tend to fall in with the incremental camp. Though there's no reason to think it couldn't happen all at once, I think most people who meditate or have some spiritual practice find that change happens gradually. Over time they notice there are more times when they experience calmness or joy or gratitude and fewer times when they are running on autopilot or reacting unconsciously. I think its more likely to be a process, what some teachers call "thinning of the self." A gradual letting go of self-centeredness and ego-driven actions. You find there's fewer times when some event or person "pushes your buttons" and more times when you just stay grounded in your own being.