Enlightenment

Exclusive to:

“They want to talk, but they don't know how!”

–Webber

Wilson at full Enlightenment

Enlightenment, also referred to as Lunacy, is a game mechanic exclusive to Don't Starve Together, introduced in Return of Them.

Enlightenment replaces Sanity on the Lunar Island, in the Lunar Grotto, during nighttime when Moonstorm is active, and in the Moonstorm itself, sharing the same value. Effects that increase Sanity will increase Enlightenment on the Lunar Island or in the Lunar Grotto, and vice versa.

Enlightenment will also increase by 0.625/minute during the Day, and stops during Dusk and Night. Being in total Darkness will drain Enlightenment by -10/minute.

Enlightenment Effects

Screen effects at full Enlightenment

In essence, Enlightenment works as the reverse of Sanity, and both share the same values: a fully sane player who enters a Lunar area will gain a full Enlightenment gauge, which will cause effects similar to 0 Sanity within said area, and vice-versa. Therefore, the player cannot be completely sane in one world without being insane in the other.

High Enlightenment is accompanied with effects similar to low Sanity. The environment will begin to become distorted and creatures called Gestalts become visible in a similar manner to Shadow Creatures. Low Enlightenment produces results similar to high Sanity in which the Gestalts disappear and the environment returns to a normal state.

≥ 0%

• Blue veil and ambient sounds appear slowly with Enlightenment.

≥ 17.5%

• Pulsations in the center of the screen will begin to be visible.

≥ 25%

• Gestalts appear, but they avoid the player.

≥ 50%

• When inactive the player regularly shakes their head between their hands.
• Gestalts no longer try to avoid the player and attack if the player is too close.

≥ 80%

• Gestalts follow and attack the player if they are in range.
• The audio cue for going insane plays.

≥ 85% for effects to appear and ≤ 82.5% to disappear

• The enlightened character looks dizzy or awestruck when left idle.

Trivia

• Enlightenment was introduced in the Turn of Tides update.
• Both Enlightenment and Lunacy are puns based on their effects: an "Enlightened" player would be succumbing to the effects of Lunar biomes (which are perpetually under the moon's light), while "Lunacy" has a double meaning, meaning either "insane" or "lunar" (anything related to the moon).
• The Enlightenment meter seems to be a reference to the moon cycle, with the eye at full Enlightenment representing Alter.