Within the vision of Self-Inquiry as articulated by Ramana Maharshi, the very notion of a fixed duration is fundamentally misplaced. Realization is not regarded as something newly produced in time, but as the recognition of the Self that is already and always present. What unfolds in time is only the removal or weakening of ignorance and habitual tendencies, not the arising of a new reality. From this standpoint, the question of “how long” belongs to the realm of the mind and its projections, whereas the Self that inquiry reveals is timeless.

Nevertheless, from the perspective of practice, there is a wide range of apparent possibilities. Some may experience a clear recognition very quickly, even upon first hearing the teaching or engaging the inquiry with great intensity and sincerity. Others may proceed through a gradual deepening over months, years, or decades, with intermittent glimpses that slowly stabilize. Traditional language even allows that, for some, the unwinding of deep-seated tendencies may extend over many lives. These descriptions are not predictions but acknowledgments of the diversity of inner conditions.

Several factors are consistently emphasized as shaping this apparent variability. Spiritual maturity or ripeness, often the fruit of prior inner work, plays a decisive role in how swiftly the inquiry bears fruit. The steadiness, one-pointedness, and sincerity with which the “Who am I?” inquiry is pursued also have great importance, as does the capacity for surrender—releasing the ego’s subtle attempt to “achieve” realization as an object. Grace is likewise regarded as indispensable and ultimately beyond calculation, further undermining any attempt to fix a timetable.

For most aspirants, the lived reality of Self-Inquiry is not a single dramatic event but a progressive clarification. There may be initial insights into the nature of the “I”-sense, followed by ongoing dissolution of residual tendencies and a deepening abidance in the Self. As this matures, the preoccupation with duration naturally loses its grip, because the very structure of time-bound seeking is seen as part of what inquiry exposes. The practical counsel, therefore, is to engage the inquiry here and now with constancy, rather than to speculate about how long the journey will appear to take.