The seed of devotion will grow noticeably in the association of advanced devotees. This is another of the five most potent practices recommended by Sri Caitanya. The other three are worshipping the Deity, hearing the Bhagavata, and chanting Krishna's Holy Name in kirtana. In the West it is commonly believed that the spiritual experience is attained only after death. I believe that other religious traditions in the West also speak of experiential spiritual life in which spritual experience is in the here and now.
All traditions are two sided, religious and experiential.
The status of being liberated while still within the body is called 'jivanmukta'. This stage is attainable within the tradition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism . While for monists this stage involves 'prarabdha karma', for devotees it does not. Prarabdha karma is that karma already bearing fruit. Gaudiya Vaishnavas understand jivanmukta to be that stage in which God takes over the body of a his devotee for his own purpose, thus eradicating or distributing his prarabdha karma.