Consciousness is crystalline. It's like sugar crystals that form on a string when the string is suspended in a sugar water solution. At first, just a few crystals form. It means you don't really have to DO anything to attain the consciousness of the greatly enlightened sages that have walked the planet in the past. It's coming for you and everyone.
People are a lot like popcorn.
When one kernel pops, they all start popping. Yes, everyone will go through an elevation in consciousness, but it isn't necessarily going to be smooth. An enlightened being is one who absolutely delights in every being and in every situation. In order to get to that point, persons and circumstances will undoubtedly arise that we judge as being evil, wrong, scary, or otherwise unacceptable. It will be necessary to set aside the judgement on a thing in order to experience that thing, as it is.