Ilona Ciunaite: Awakening Coach

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Ilona Ciunaite was born in Lithuania and later earned a degree in psychology, grounding her spiritual journey with an understanding of the mind’s inner workings.

Her spiritual path officially began in 2002, when she experienced “the silence of the thinking mind,” along with a “sweet sense of being, contentment, peace,” and a profound feeling of “home.”

For years, these glimpses of clarity and home remained elusive and fleeting, yet they fueled her search for understanding.

During an eight-year inward quest, Ilona explored everything from sound healing and crystals to literature. The turning point came upon discovering Jed McKenna’s writings around 2010, which profoundly dismantled her conditioned beliefs and introduced her to the idea of “no self.”

Then came a moment both simple and radical—“Just look. There is no you.” In that instant, Ilona asked herself: “Is there an Ilona running the show?” The question dissolved the assumed self, unveiling life as a seamless movement of beingness rather than ownership by a separate “I.”

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Ilona Ciunaite Forms Liberation Unleashed

From Tattoo Artist to Spiritual Guide:
While this internal shift unfolded, Ilona was outwardly a tattoo artist in Brighton, England. Her everyday life involved creative expression alongside inner despair, fatigue, and longing for peace.

By 2011, attendance at a satsang led by Pamela Wilson illuminated how gently spoken insight could ease internal tension. This inspired Ilona to blend her psychological background with spiritual inquiry—developing a method she calls “Deep Looking.”

That same year, she co-founded Liberation Unleashed, a global online community which began with a small group and grew into a forum supporting thousands on the path to recognizing the non-existence of the separate self.

Ilona Ciunaite's Teachings & Method

Deep Looking
This method invites seekers to bring gentle, compassionate attention to what arises in their experience, uncovering unconscious patterns and conditioning. By questioning assumptions and noticing habitual thought-emotion cycles, seekers can “release what no longer serves” and reconnect with an innate sense of peace.

Direct Pointing
In collaboration with Elena Nezhinsky, Ilona developed a practice called Direct Pointing, a dialogue between self-inquiry guide and seeker. Instead of offering answers, this form of guidance asks direct, penetrating questions, enabling the seeker to see their own true nature.

“The I Virus”
On podcasts like The Indie Spiritualist, Ilona discusses what she calls the “I Virus”—the persistent sense of a separate self that distorts experience. Through inquiry, awareness, and presence, that virus dissolves. She also shares practical practices to experience the impersonal—aspects of everyday life beyond the personal “I.”

Ilona Ciunaite's Books & Publications

Ilona has authored or co-authored several influential works:

Gateless Gatecrashers (2012): A compilation of conversation-based pointers toward self-realization, co-authored with Elena Nezhinsky. Available as a free download via Liberation Unleashed.
Liberation Unleashed: A Guide to Breaking Free from the Illusion of a Separate Self: A practical, accessible book with exercises, questions, and pointers that distill her approach to awakening. Readership and ratings reflect its resonance in the spiritual community.

There Is No Self with Ilona Ciunaite

Ilona's Community, Podcasting & Group Work

Liberation Unleashed Community
The online forum "The Gate" offers a space where people across the globe share their experiences and support one another through their awakening journeys. Ilona has engaged in hundreds of guiding conversations here, always favoring question-led exploration over preachy answers.

Awakening Now Podcast
Since 2023, Ilona has hosted the podcast Awakening Now, featuring over 100 episodes (as of July 2025). Each episode delves into themes such as the messiness of awakening, how to stop seeking and begin seeing, hidden patterns, and life beyond spiritual striving. She invites listeners to explore their experience directly, often in conversation with others, emphasizing that “you are not broken.” You can also watch her interviews and sessions on YouTube.

Guided Deep Looking Events
Ilona facilitates accessible group events via Zoom, including Monthly Deep Looking Group sessions (first Sundays of each month) and themed “Seeing Through the Self Illusion” gatherings (third Thursdays). Participants bring whatever arises—emotions, questions, resistance—and explore it together in a supportive, inquiry-based container. You can learn more on her website ilonaciunaite.com.

One-on-One Deep Looking Sessions
For personalized guidance, Ilona offers a range of session formats (Zoom-based):

90-minute Deep Dive: $160–190 (sliding scale)
60-minute Focused Session: $110–150
5-session Intensive Deep Looking: $750–900
10-session Deep Looking Package: $850–1,200
90-Day Course (13 sessions): $2,000–2,300
Sliding scale available; payment plans offered.

Is Peace Still Missing? with Ilona Ciunaite

Ilona's Philosophy & Impact

From Seeking to Seeing
One of Ilona’s central themes is the shift from relentless seeking to profound seeing. As described in a New Harbinger blog: when a sensation—like a feeling of "not enough"—is bravely acknowledged with curiosity, the mind relaxes; peace arises; the endless quest for something more dissolves.

Empathy, Psychological Insight & Gentle Rigor
With her psychological training, Ilona brings empathy, clarity, and care to her guidance. She disrupts spiritual cliché by not offering spiritual bypassing or forced positivity—she gently probes what’s actually present, what’s stuck, and what keeps us chained to suffering. Her presence is described as real, kind, and effective.

Global Influence & Creative Expression
What began as a personal resolution to return “home” has morphed into a global movement. Liberation Unleashed now supports thousands, and her books and podcasts continue to inspire new generations of seekers.

The Awakening Trap with Ilona Ciunaite

Why Ilona’s Work Resonates Today

In a spiritual landscape often overshadowed by flashy gurus or spiritual bypassing, Ilona offers something radically grounded: inquiry that’s calm yet penetrating, compassionate yet honest. Her message isn’t comfort through stories—it’s seeing what's actually here, and trusting that peace is closer than the next breakthrough. Her integration of psychology, community, dialogue, and spiritual clarity positions her as a modern-day guide whose depth is both practical and timeless.

Final Thoughts on Ilona Ciunaite

Ilona Ciunaite’s evolution—from a seeker caught in longing and confusion, to awakening–guide and community founder—is both understated and profound. Her emphasis on Deep Looking, Direct Pointing, and the dismantling of the “I Virus” points the way home: not to belief, but to presence. Her work continues to support seekers worldwide through books, podcasts, one-on-one and group sessions, all rooted in the clarity that life unfolds effortlessly when we let go of the illusion of separateness.

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Ilona Ciunaite​: Awakening Coach