Facing demons based path of enlightenment is certainly popular.
Here's Aleister Crowley's take for example:
Adeptus Exemptus chooses to cross the Abyss, which is the location of Choronzon and the illusory eleventh Sephira, which is Da'ath or Knowledge. In this example, the adept must surrender all, including the guidance of his Holy Guardian Angel, and leap into the Abyss. If his accumulated Karma is sufficient, and if he has been utterly thorough in his own self-destruction, he becomes a "babe of the abyss," arising as a Star in the Crowleyan system.
On the other hand, if he retains some fragment of ego, or if he fears to cross, he then becomes encysted. The layers of his self, which he could have shed in the Abyss, ossify around him... who will eventually be broken up and disintegrated against his will, since he failed to choose voluntary disintegration.
So did Aleister just become enlightened there or did he more fully surrender to the influences of his Holy Guardian Angel who was a bad dude? Judging by Aleister's personal life, one has to wonder.
The best way to judge Max's path is to look at Max's photo for awhile and to vibe out whether we want to be like him or not.