If you’ve been feeling out of sorts, anxious, depressed, and a little bit unhinged – you could be going through something big. The term ‘spiritual awakening’ isn’t something people use lightly. It sounds zen and enjoyable to some – but only to those who have never been through it. The truth of the matter is, awakening is often painful, confusing, and comes with plenty of challenges. In fact, it’s often triggered by an event that turns your life upside down. It can be triggered by the death of a loved one, the end of an important relationship, or even your own near death experience. It could even be triggered by a low point in your life where you feel lost and stuck and aren’t sure where to turn. It often happens when you feel at the end of your tether and you just need ‘something’, but you don’t know what.
Let’s talk more about spiritual awakenings below so you can figure out whether this is what you’re experiencing. At the very least, you’ll be prepared when one comes your way…
What Is A Spiritual Awakening?
A spiritual awakening is many things. It’s a huge change in your mindset. It’s a change in your perception of your life, the people in it, and the societal norms that are expected of us. It’s a realization that labels are futile. It’s a realization that the way we have been taught to behave, and are expected to behave, is designed to control us and keep us down. It’s also the realization that you don’t have to do what is ‘expected’ of you, and that following your intuition and all of those little niggles that you’ve probably ignored is the best path. Some people may liken it to a total reality shift.
There’s no doubt that once you’ve been through a spiritual awakening, you start seeing the world and the people around you in a totally different light. Many people feel like different people entirely, and dissociate completely from the things they believed before. You will still be the same ‘you’ at your core, but you’ll probably realize that how you viewed things before were limiting and not totally correct. You’ll probably feel bad about things you’ve said and ways you reacted as you continue to wake up and recall the person you were before. You have different views, and will likely develop an interest in different things.
Don’t misunderstand the term ‘spiritual awakening’ – you may not feel totally enlightened or like you have it all worked out. In fact, enlightenment often only happens to people after years and years of trying to reach it – and it happens to very few people indeed. You’ll probably feel like you still have so much to learn. Many people actually end up feeling worse than before, as they realize just how messy and cruel the world can be. You will likely be faced with challenges to help you develop further, too.
Underlying all of this, though, is often a new calling or purpose. You’ll probably feel like you want to find your ‘tribe’ – people who think like you. People who have also awakened. You’ll probably also feel the need to help people, animals, and the planet in any way you can. If you ate meat before, you’ll probably feel the urge to stop, for example. Many people who have spiritual awakenings become humanitarians.
Signs You’ve Had A Spiritual Awakening
There are many different signs that could indicate a spiritual awakening. Here are just some of them:
- You feel like something has changed inside of you. You’ve felt something that can only be described as ‘a shift’.
- You become aware of your negative stuff and the stuff holding you back, both past and present. You want to undo your limiting beliefs and begin living to your full potential.
- You have greater empathy for others, including animals and the planet. You want to find ways to help.
- You want to help make the world better, even if you don’t know how.
- You find yourself paying more attention to conversations with people that before you may have considered boring. You smile at strangers. You pay it forward.
- You want more meaning and purpose in your life and you want to develop a plan to work towards it.
- You have the desire to reconnect with yourself, to be your authentic self, and realize your dreams. You don’t want to perform for others anymore.
- You notice an increase in synchronicities in your life, including communication with the universe via numerology. You think of something randomly and you see something related to that a short while later. You think of somebody you haven’t spoken to for ages and they call you. You have a song stuck on your head and it’s on the radio when you get in the car. If something feels like a weird coincidence, it’s synchronicity. You’ll realize there are no synchronicities.
- You want less stuff. You want to avoid contributing to capitalism as much as possible. You don’t need things to keep you happy – you want more experiences and to cultivate relationships with the people you love!
- Your friends and family are a little confused by your new attitude and outlook. They might start calling you a conspiracy theorist or make jokes.
Is There A Way To Bring On A Spiritual Awakening?
There’s no guarantee that you can force yourself to have a spiritual awakening. However, there are a few things you can do to give yourself more of a chance.
Meditate and Do It Regularly
People who meditate regularly find it easier to do things that aid a spiritual awakening, such as quieting the mind, observing the thoughts, and becoming more aware of the authentic/higher self. Many people who spend time in regular meditation report having outer body experiences, epiphanies, and feelings of euphoria. However, practice is key. Exercise can help too, as it helps you to get into the ‘flow state’, gives you more energy and makes you happier.
Look After Your Mind and Body
Taking care of both your mind and body is an absolute must. There are certain foods associated with intuition – fruits, vegetables, nuts, and the like. You can also try supplements to make sure you’re getting everything you need. Something like cbd gummies could help to calm any anxiety you have that holds you back and leave you feeling happy and relaxed. Just do your own research first.
Become A Humanitarian and Feel Your Feelings
Doing your best for people and the planet can be a help, too. Try to cultivate a greater sense of empathy. Don’t dissociate from the pain that the animals being slaughtered for food feel, for example. It’s all too easy to pretend these things aren’t happening, as we’re taught to dissociate and bury our heads in the sand from a young age. Once you fall down the rabbit hole, there’s no getting out, so be warned.
Look Within
See if you can look within and figure out what it is you really want to do with your life. Travel can be a big help too. Many people find that travel helps to open their eyes in terms of other cultures and what can truly help us to cultivate happiness. Try visiting places that don’t buy into consumerism as much as western cultures.
Awakening is not an easy ride, so don’t be fooled. If you’re going to embark on the journey, be prepared for it to last a lifetime.
This is a contributed post.