How did Plotinus think people could return toward the One?

For Plotinus, returning to the One—the transcendent source of all reality—is not a physical journey but an awakening to a higher state of awareness. This process requires a dedicated commitment to philosophy as a way of life, characterized by rigorous intellectual and moral self-discipline.1

To ascend toward the One, individuals must engage in the following:

• Philosophical Conversion: This begins by turning away from the concerns, desires, and experiences of the lower, bodily nature. By exerting significant intellectual and moral effort, one rises above the life of the body.1
• Intellectual Ascent: Humans must pass beyond sense perception and discursive reasoning to grasp eternal realities. Through this, they transition from their lower selves to become Intellect, the level of universal being.1
• Mystical Union: Once an individual has fully realized their nature as Intellect, they can achieve a mystical union with the One. In this state, there is no consciousness of duality; the individual transcends their normal activity to experience the presence of the Good.1

For Plotinus, this path of purification and enlightenment is the only way to return to the source.1