You may have heard about spiritual awakening and how it will help you become “woke”. But what does it really mean? And, what do you have to do to become spiritually awakened?
Before you attempt something, you surely want to know more about the benefits and how hard it is to achieve. Here in this article, you will find all the information you are seeking about spiritual awakening and the path you need to take to become “woke”.
Let’s begin by understanding the term spiritual awakening.
What is spiritual awakening?
Spiritual awakening happens when your mind opens up to spiritual truths and realities when your perspective undergoes a transformation. This is often felt as a deeper connection with the divine or the Universe. You may feel as if you are merging with the Higher Power and have a direct connection with it.
Various terms are used to describe this transformation in our mental space. Nirvana and enlightenment are commonly used to represent spiritual awakening. A person who is spiritually awakened is informally known as a “woke” person.
While going through a spiritual awakening, you are taking a step back from your regular life and waking up in an altogether different plane of existence within the same world. In other words, this means you become aware of certain aspects of your life that you never knew existed. It is as if you are opening windows and doors in your life that have remained closed until now.
As you become more aware of yourself and how you are connected to the rest of the Universe, your perspective is bound to change. If you weren’t aware of your role in this world or purpose in life before, after a spiritual awakening, you will be.
It was the renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung who introduced spiritual awakening in the West. He firmly believed that people in the West are not anchored enough in spirituality and becoming spiritually awakened will help them fill up the sense of emptiness they feel inside. It will help them overcome mental ailments like anxiety, depression, and even addiction by bringing them into focus.
A spiritually awakened or a “woke” person would feel love, understanding, and compassion for others. They would discover a sense of purpose in life and experience heightened senses, psychic abilities, and surreal or out-of-body feelings.
Triggers for spiritual awakening
When life is flowing smoothly, we, humans, won’t bother to make any changes to it. We are too lazy for that. However, when something out of turn happens, we may take a relook at our lives and decide that a change is the need of the hour.
These are the common triggers that may set us on the path of spiritual awakening.
- Near-death experiences
- Death of someone we love
- Job loss
- Divorce
- Life-threatening illnesses
- Midlife crisis or mental health crisis
- Being separated from loved ones
- War or other major life-threatening disasters
- Use of psychedelic drugs
- Introduction to spirituality and new ideas
Stages of spiritual awakening
Spiritual awakening is not a momentary happening that will transform you from a normal human being to a “woke” person in the blink of an eye. The first spiritual awakening stage may happen in an instant when you experience one of the triggers mentioned above. The path to enlightenment is a long and arduous one. This happens in various stages.
- Stage 1: Confusion
- Stage 2: Change in perception
- Stage 3: Seeking clarity
- Stage 4: Experiencing a breakthrough
- Stage 5: Disillusion
- Stage 6: Undertaking the work and applying it to your materialistic life
- Stage 7: Enlightenment
During the final stages of spiritual awakening, you surrender your present thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and ego that are creating roadblocks in your path to enlightenment. You become fully aware of the interconnectivity in the Universe and your proximity to the divine. You will start living your life with clarity and grace. You realize that a life in service of others is the one that brings you happiness and contentment.
How long does a spiritual awakening last?
And, when does spiritual awakening end? How do you know that you have achieved enlightenment?
When you are planning to embark on the path to enlightenment, it is natural to ask these questions. However, there is no simple or single answer to any of these questions.
The path to enlightenment can last a few days, weeks, months, or even years. It depends mostly on the person undertaking this spiritual journey. The existing mindset of the person and the events they experience decide how long it will take to become “woke”. As you can imagine, it will take a person some time to make sense of the changes and apply the same in their life.
Breaking free from old habits and embracing new ones is never easy. In the right environment and company of right-minded people, this will happen faster than otherwise.
Don’t expect the spiritual awakening to be a positive and trouble-free journey, once you set forth on the path. You need to be ready for hurdles and setbacks during the spiritual awakening process. Even though this can delay your enlightenment, you’ll learn so much more by exploring ways to overcome adversities.
During this spiritual journey to enlightenment, you may find yourself going back and forth between materialistic needs and spirituality. Ultimately, you need to figure out the middle path or balance both in such a way that they don’t clash with each other and coexist in harmony.
How to make the spiritual awakening experience easier for yourself?
The spiritual awakening process can best be compared to a roller coaster ride. Ups and downs are inevitable. It can get scary and confusing. However, by following these simple instructions, you can make it simpler and more effortless for yourself.
- Keep your mind open to new ideas.
- Trust the process and be patient.
- Set goals and work hard to achieve them.
- Focus on self-care and self-love.
- Don’t hold on to your mistakes and forgive yourself.
- Practice mindfulness and meditation.
Spiritual awakening signs
To recognize that you’re on a spiritual awakening journey, you can look out for these spiritual awakening symptoms.
- You feel a sense of detachment.
- You are reevaluating your belief system.
- You experience synchronicities.
- Your relationships undergo major changes.
- You become more spiritual.
- Your intuitive abilities improve significantly.
- You can recognize phony and manipulative behavior.
- You accept that others may not follow your path.
- You feel the urge to help others. You feel more empathy and compassion.
- You come across great teachers to guide you on the right path.
- You feel isolated and lonely.
- You feel connected to nature.
- Your sensations are improved.
- The world will look different to you.
- Your habits and outlook experience transformation.
Final thoughts on spiritual awakening
Spiritual awakening is anything but easy and simple. It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the experience. If you find it hard to handle on your own, seek help to figure out what is happening and what is the right path to enlightenment.
Treat the spiritual awakening process as a marathon. It’s your patience, dedication, and perseverance that will help you find success. Don’t hold yourself back from exploring and experimenting with various routes to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Allow yourself to fail in the spiritual awakening process, but ensure that you learn something from it.
Hang on tight and you will get there eventually. In the end, you will agree that your new “woke” life is worth all the time and effort.