A GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

Are you wondering if you are spiritually awake or having a spiritual awakening? Or how far along your spiritual path you are? You're not alone. The problem is we like to measure things and put things in boxes, but spiritual awakening is too big to fit into any box.

I've been on a spiritual path for about 30 years. This blog is an overview of what it means to be spiritually awakening from my perspective. I've included tips and tricks and things not to trip up on. If you've got any questions or want to add something, feel free to use the comment box below.

What is spiritual awakening?

Spiritual awakening is a process. It is the process of waking up to the truth of who we are. Our true nature. An awakening to our spiritual dimension. To the fact that there is more to life than meets the eye. More to life than the material world we see before us.

Spiritual awakening is a route back to our true selves. A gradual process. Spiritual awakening is the realization that we are not our bodies, and we are not our minds. It is coming to the point of knowing the truth of who we are experientially and orienting our personal selves in that direction every day of our waking life.

What spiritual awakening is not

Spiritual awakening is not being able to do the scorpion yoga pose, a destination, an identity, an event, or something we have total control over. There are many misconceptions in the Western world about spirituality and what it means to be spiritually awake.

In service to you, I'm hoping this article helps you understand what it means to be spiritually awake, what it's like to be in a spiritual awakening process, and what you can do to support your self-exploration and awakening.

What does spiritual awakening feel like

Because spiritual awakening is a gradual process unique to each individual soul, it's difficult to say what it feels like for anyone else. In my own experience, spiritual awakening has felt very different at different times. And while many people share experiences, experiences are just experiences and can distract you from what you are searching for. Or, more importantly, what you are.

Spiritual awakening can be a bumpy ride at times, so below, I will talk about some experiences because, in some ways, it can be helpful. Still, experiences and events are just occurrences that happen spontaneously and come and go. Put little weight or emphasis on them, for they will distract you from the truth.

Spiritual transcendent experiences

There are hundreds of exceptional human experiences that can cause someone to wake up suddenly. One of the most well-studied exceptional human experiences is an altered state of consciousness known as mystical experience.

My research has shown that mystical experiences can last seconds to years. A mystical experience is where a person experiences consciousness as expansive oneness and a deeper connection to all animate and inanimate things, accompanied by a deep sense of love and joy. These experiences are noetic, ineffable, and paradoxical. They have sometimes been called quantum change experiences due to their transformation potential. Some people also call them awakening experiences, kundalini experiences, and enlightening experiences.

Occasionally, a mystical experience can last several years. And many people have made the mistake of thinking they are enlightened when, in actuality, they are in the midst of an experience. Whether your experience lasts a few seconds or a few years, you are lucky that grace has bestowed this upon you. Honor the experience and do the work to bridge the gap between your egoic self and the self you discovered you truly are.

Physical symptoms of spiritual awakening

Not everyone has physical signs and symptoms of spiritual awakening, but it's an important topic for those who do. As my path to spiritual awakening has been very gradual over the last 30 years, I can not speak from experience, but I will share a little from my studies.

Kundalini awakening experiences are often accompanied by intense physical symptoms described as lightening and energy coursing through the body. During these episodes, people experience physical sensations such as involuntary shaking, shivering, throbbing, and pulsating in the physical body. They can also experience nervous system sensitivities, paranormal activity, visual perception anomalies, and intense ego death.

A kundalini experience can be very challenging to process and requires expert assistance from practitioners who understand the kundalini awakening experience. However, it's not easy to find such practitioners.

If you are experiencing a kundalini awakening, I recommend finding a Transpersonal Psychologist to support you through your journey. Some Transpersonal Psychologists are very knowledgeable about exceptional human experiences such as kundalini. While others may not specialize in kundalini awakening, spiritual experiences, spiritual awakenings or spiritual crisis, they will have an in-depth understanding of the broader spectrum of human experience and spiritual growth. They will have a deep understanding of transpersonal psychology, which is all about the transcendent. Therefore, they are probably the most adept practitioner to support you through your journey.

Spiritual awakening process

In its broadest sense, spiritual awakening can be seen as a path or a journey. It's a process. A unique process that shares many similarities with the spiritual paths of other people but is unique all the same. As we move deeper and deeper into our true selves and transcend the ego, we each have different challenges and struggles. We each find different ways to overcome the ego's pull and, gradually transcend the ego's grip, and orientate ourselves towards something far greater. Our spiritual states become traits.

Some people like to think of the spiritual awakening process as stages, and while this doesn't resonate with me, I shall touch on it because it may be helpful to some people.

Stage 1 - Awakening

This first stage can start at any time in life. For some, it starts very young; for others, it starts much later. It can be sudden with a powerful spiritual experience or a gradual unfolding. Either way, the awareness of a spiritual dimension calls us to reflect, question, and be open to the unknown.

Stage 2 – Shifting perspectives

The increased awareness and more profound sense of the spiritual dimension cause us to shift our perspectives. This, again, can be sudden or gradual. However, a sudden shift will always require a period of integration. Our understanding of the world and our belief systems start to change. We may experience heightened awareness and increased empathy, which causes our perspectives to be different from those around us.

Stage 3 - Seeking

This may be the longest stage and can keep us entangled for many years, if not lifetimes. The ego likes to seek. For while it is seeking, it is living, existing, and in command. It seeks that which is within and needs no seeking, and yet we find ourselves seeking even when we have already found what we are looking for. While seeking is an important part of spiritual awakening, it should not distract us from beingness or living in the present moment.

Stage 4 - Internal dissonance

Once we have truly discovered what we are seeking, we find that we are that, and at the same time, we are not that. We know ourselves to be pure unconditional love, yet we reside within the bounds of the ego replete with its fears for survival, conditioned programming, and behavioral patterns. A struggle to reconcile what we know ourselves to be in truth and what we are in reality begins. We yearn to be the unconditional no-self, and once again, the ego takes us on a path of seeking, moving us further from the truth.

Stage 5 – Disillusionment and feeling lost again

Believing we are different from what we have found. Believing that we have lost what we have found. Believing that we will never get back to what we have found. We become disillusioned with spirit and spiritual awakening. Sometimes, we turn our back on spirituality and spiritual awakening, distracting ourselves once again in the world of matter and maya.

Stage 6 – Deeper inner work and soul work

If we are wise, we work on our psychological dimension in preparation for that which is true, for we can not hold the light if we can not be trusted with our most basic superpower, our thoughts. This is an invitation to self-inquiry and an exploration of the inner self. While we want to transcend, it is a call for deep psychological work and transformation. A call for integrity and truth.

Stage 7 - Merging into oneness

Finally, so sick of living with and in ego, we surrender into the abyss. We let go of the clutches of what we thought was real and merge into truth. We transcend the ego, and our transcendence becomes more stable. The transcending state becomes a trait. Profound inner peace is your perfume.

In reality, these are not distinct stages but dynamic, changing, interchanging, overlapping processes and experiences. We may cycle through them many times, ebbing and flowing with ease or discomfort. Each time offering us the opportunity to grow more into our true selves.

Spiritual enlightenment

So it makes sense that the spiritual life is about spiritual enlightenment, but what does it mean, and is it different from spiritual awakening? I stopped using spiritual enlightenment as a concept a while ago. It seems to have so much baggage around it. It seems like an unattainable God-like state. A state of no ego. And it can be a dangerous concept. If we are living in a human body, we have an ego. End of. The human body can not survive without ego.

Instead, I prefer to use the terms liberation or liberated. This simply means being liberated from the clutches of the ego. A liberated person has an ego just like anyone else. And their ego can sit in the driver's seat at any moment; they are not God-like.

However, I consider a liberated person to be someone who has tamed the ego to a large extent. A higher self is more prominent and keeps the ego in check. They are liberated from the trials and tribulations the ego is so entwined with. But the ego sits, cunningly waiting for its moment, and faced with a unique situation, any liberated person's ego could swoop in and drive the car away!

What triggers the spiritual awakening process?

As I mentioned, some spiritual awakenings are triggered by acute mystical experiences, which can be mild and short-lived or intense and lasting many months. But this is just one type of exceptional human experience that can trigger the spiritual awakening process. There are hundreds of documented EHEs.

On the other hand, some people have much more gentle openings to their spiritual awakening. Perhaps a revelation, a moment of heightened sense of awe, a heightened or greater sense of intuition, or a glimpse of truth. And once the veil is cracked, the door opens to more triggers. Sometimes, it's a life-threatening illness, mental health crisis, or significant life-changing event like the death of a loved one or near-death experiences.

Throughout my life, I've had many revelations, spiritual experiences, awakening experiences, and exceptional human experiences. They each have brought me further along my journey to inner peace.

Practices to Assist in Your Spiritual Awakening

There is an abundance of spiritual texts and practices that can help both trigger spiritual awakenings or support you along your path. Remember, don't get caught up in the practice. It's just a tool.

People tend to think of practices like yoga, tai chi, meditation, and breathwork, which are excellent practices. Still, for a balanced awakening, it's essential to balance the more spiritual side with the psychological. Taking this two-pronged approach will protect you and help you along your journey, making it smoother and faster but, sadly, no less bumpy.

While the two-pronged psycho-spiritual approach is most sustainable, you may sometimes want to commit to a more integral personal and spiritual development program. My Accelerated Personal Development Program is an intense program of commitment to yourself but has the potential to ignite and fast-track your personal and spiritual development rapidly.

Staying in the present moment

I think mindfulness and present-moment self-awareness are the most important practices and skills you can develop to support your spiritual awakening. They help keep your feet grounded and your head in reality.

Combine present-moment-self-awareness and an integrity practice, and you've got yourself a powerful framework for navigating spiritual awakening. It is not a glamorous ride. It takes discipline, courage, determination, and an open heart. But, of all the practices, this is the most potent and protective combination for your spiritual awakening journey.

The power of nature

Many people going through spiritual awakening are drawn to the natural world. Research suggests that nature can trigger mystical enlightening experiences. There's something about nature, the stillness, the energy. It can hold us, no matter where we are or what is going on for us. Tap into the power of nature to support you in your spiritual awakening. Spend time in nature.

Examples of awakened people and spiritual teachers

Most of the most spiritually awakened people keep quiet. They are not ones to brag about their spirituality or how spiritual they are. But some spiritually awakened people have found themselves in teaching roles and the public eye. The spiritual teachers who resonate most with me are Eckhart Tolle, Mooji, and Adyashanti.

Pitfalls on the Spiritual Path

Getting caught up in the practice

In today's spiritual supermarket, there are so many practices, tools, and experiences to choose from. They're all interesting, fun, and exciting, but I often see people mistake the practice for the destination. People get so caught up in the practice they forget it's just a tool like a car. The car is not important. It's just to get you to your destination. In the same way, the practice is not important. It's just to get you somewhere else.

But people are so busy checking out their wheels, fixating on the fancy lights, plugged into the car computer, listening to the radio they forget to go anywhere. They mistake the mode of transport for the destination instead of seeing it for what it is: a tool. Forgetting what lies ahead, they absorb themselves in the practice and become a master of scorpion.

Creating a spiritual identity

Close behind, with all the excitement of stepping into their spiritual journey, many people forget it's a journey and think it's an identity. Don't make spirituality your identity. Spiritual fashion doesn't make you more spiritual. Qualities like integrity, honesty, love, and compassion make you more spiritual, not crystals and yurts.

Spiritual bypassing

Getting all egotistical that you're spiritual and awake and everyone else is asleep. The most spiritual people I've ever met don't identify with spirituality at all. But many a time, I've seen people touting they're spiritual, and yet they're the first to lie, cheat, steal, and stab you in the back. Spend as much time on your depth psychology as you do on the yoga mat or meditation cushion. In the long run, spiritual bypassing doesn't serve anyone. Do the work.

It is easier to spiritually bypass than it is to do the work

So, don't think everyone in your spiritual circles is pure and innocent. A lot of people who have woken up to some extent have not bothered to keep their egos in check, address their inappropriate behaviors, root out their shadows, and deal with their psychological problems. Spiritual bypassing is a real problem in spiritual communities. Do the work!

Remember gurus aren't gods

There are many fallen gurus in this world who have been bestowed with wisdom and truth, and yet they have tripped up on their ego and shadows and ended up causing great harm and suffering to themselves and those around them. Osho, Bikram Choudhury, and Robert Augustus Masters are examples.

Which brings me to my next point. It's great if you find a teacher that you resonate with, but don't be in a rush and take anyone. It took me about 25 years to find a teacher that touched my soul. And it was so worth the wait. I feel so much gratitude to my teacher now. But I don't see my teacher as some God-like being. My teacher is in a human body with an ego, just like anyone else.

Follow a teacher or a guru, but don't surrender your sovereignty. If they behave in dubious ways, don't overlook it. Many people have suffered tremendous trauma because they gave their guru or teacher a free pass. Be the master of yourself with present-moment-self-awareness and integrity. If something doesn't feel right, take time out.

Spiritual awakening is not a race

If you're in a race, you're in the clutches of ego. Spiritual awakening is about being in the moment, with whatever arises, just as you are. When we can learn this, we are free.

Trust in your own path; know that it is unique, and so is your awakening. It will unfold as it is meant to unfold. And it will unfold in good time, be at peace with where you are today for tomorrow might bring challenges.

And know that Grace is on your side.

Spiritual awakenings are gifts of grace

You are nothing without Grace. It is by Grace that we awaken. Do what is required of you to keep your ego in check and let Grace do the rest. Be humble, for your ego will want to take any prize it can take for itself. But this is not for the ego.

Thanks for reading, and as always, keep striving for growth and well-being, and never settle for less!

How I Can Help

I hope you found this blog post helpful and inspiring. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don't hesitate to reach out. As a transpersonal psychologist I’m an expert in spiritual awakening, and can support you through your spiritual awakening journey. Whether through one-on-one sessions, workshops, or online resources, I’m here to support your journey towards becoming the best version of yourself.

Here’s to your well-being, personal growth and success!

Head over to the services section on my website for more information on how we can work together to achieve your goals or use the widget to contact me on WhatsApp. I work online and face to face on the Côte d’Azur, in France.