Are you Spiritually Awakened?

The buzz phrase that took the internet by storm during the quarantine period is the spiritual awakening. It seemingly took over social media like Tiktok and Twitter for a time, with many discussing their own, what they believe to be, symptoms of spiritual awakening. Many "gurus," also seemed to emerge to provide more information on what it is and what it entails. I belonged to one of these groups, but it was not the latter.

I was one of the new babies experiencing mere symptoms, but I would not recognize them as spiritual awakening symptoms for a while. I was stubborn. I came across many of the gurus and teachers with pretty sound teachings. At first, I claimed it all to be BS, because I thought I knew it all as a Christian, turned agnostic, turned atheist, you know...self-proclaimed "analytical" thinker who needed "solid" evidence, until I realized there was something wrong, and I needed desperately to fix it.

Many of you reading this may be just like me, and I understand you. In this article, I will paint a clear picture of the spiritual awakening by discussing the following:

• What spiritual awakening is

• Its causes

• Its symptoms

• The benefits

• And some best practices in case you decide to pursue it

The Enlightened Mind

What is Spiritual Awakening?

The spiritual awakening is a phenomenon that has been present for ages, perhaps since the beginning of time. Many from different corners of the earth have experienced it and called it different things, enlightenment, Nirvana, etc. Even in the Christian bible it was described in many words, Moses in the burning bush, Daniel in the lions Den, and more.

In the west, the idea of spiritual awakening was first popularized by famous psychologist Carl Jung; he described it as returning to ones true or original self, a brief, yet strikingly accurate description.

Spiritual awakening is a process of personal transformation that involves the rising of consciousness from only the knowing of the material and physical worlds, to that of a deep knowing and understanding of the spiritual and metaphysical. When one experiences a spiritual awakening, they tend to come out of the other end with a sense of connection to the world at large, people and nature, and an understanding of the oneness of us all, as well as the power, peace, and tranquility that comes with it.

What Causes a Spiritual Awakening?

There are several, commonly cited causes of an awakening. They include the following:

• A traumatic event

• A near death experience

• An existential crisis

• or the oddball out of this list, a natural awakening, usually caused by practices such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, etc.

Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening

• Detachment- this entails a feeling of disconnectedness from the world and your life, typically accompanied by dissatisfaction with your daily routines and perhaps with the state of the world at large.

• Loneliness- you may find it challenging, or more so than usual, to connect with family and peers on a deeper level, leaving you feeling deeply alone.

• Synchronicities- you may notice the seemingly increased occurrence of coincidental events, as well as synchronicities with words, names, numbers etc.

• Lucid or vivid dreaming- These are dreams were you are aware that you are dreaming; essentially, you may feel awake while you dream.

• Deja vu- Having the feeling that an experience you are having has already happened before.

• Heightened senses- you may become more sensitive to things like light and sound, causing you to become more selective of your surroundings.

• You reevaluate your beliefs- you may start to dismantle old belief systems and thought patterns as you begin to find their definition of the world unsatisfying.

• Your outlook on the world may change- you may begin to see the world in an entirely new light, which for many, entails viewing less separation, and more oneness, especially with nature.

• You may have physical symptoms- you may experience physical symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and headaches, which tend to be associated with the activation of the third eye.

• Your teachers find you- Now this is an interesting one which I did not understand at first, but on your path of enlightenment you will encounter many teachers, which can be actual teachers and gurus, or they could be events, occurrences, and just life itself. What they have in common is they teach you lessons that will help you identify with you true self.

Some Benefits of a Spiritual Awakening

To me, the benefits of the spiritual awakening are boundless and completely life-changing. But I will attempt to outline a few below:

• Your relationships begin to shift- though in many relationships you may feel disconnected, perhaps for a while, the ones that fulfill you will truly fulfill you because you will be in them as your true, authentic self, not having to keep up facades and masks.

• Spirituality becomes a more significant part of your life- to fill in the gap left by the realization that the physical is not all there is, you find spirituality and practices that fulfill you and give you a new sense of comfort and grounding.

• You become more intuitive- your intuition, if more or less dormant before, rises beyond belief as your inner being system guides you along your life path gracefully.

• You become adept at sensing inauthenticity and manipulation- you just about become a human lie detector. The facades of others, and attempts to manipulate become much more apparent to you. They begin to feel like a literal and metaphorical slap in the face.

• You realize everyone is on their own path- this will in turn allow you to live your own life to the fullest as you realize your journey is yours, and someone else's is someone else's; you also take things less and less personally till you do not at all.

• Increased empathy and compassion- as you feel more connected to the world around you, you also begin to feel more empathy for the suffering of others, including plants and animals; therefore simultaneously increasing your display of compassion, leading you to feel called to service.

• You have a new found curiosity and zest for life- as your old belief systems and thought patterns are dismantled, the limits to your curiosity are also broken down as you seek new knowledge to quench your thirst for understanding the universe. This combined with several of the benefits above give you an outlook on life that promotes enthusiasm and joy as you navigate your life journey.

Some practices to trigger, or help you through a Spiritual Awakening

Mindfulness

• Declutter- "out with the old, in with the new" is a phrase I have started to say a lot since the beginning of my awakening as it rings very true. Whether it is your room, your whole house, your work space etc., let go of things that are not serving a purpose and make room for new growth. This helps with having this same process occur in your mind.

• Have an open mind- especially when it comes to your beliefs. Make room for change as you learn and grow. I like to say we all should be lifelong learners, as without learning, one can never change, and growth requires change.

• Spend time in nature- this was a big catalyst for my spiritual awakening. I remember one morning, feeling the urge to go for a walk, on which I found myself staring into the trees of the forest and bursting into tears as I apologized for our disconnection from nature. My life has never been the same since that day. Therefore, I will always resound this as a major catalyst for a spiritual connection; realizing our connection with nature, and respecting it by spending our precious time with it.

• Clear your mind- quieting your mind is extremely important before, and during your spiritual awakening. It is a powerful practice that allows you to separate yourself from your ego and realize that you are not your thoughts, and oh the satisfaction, power, and peace that this brings. You can achieve a quiet mind through different types of meditation, yoga, and mindfulness practices.

• Nurture your wellbeing- it is extremely important that you always remember to take care of yourself, whether it be eating healthier, exercising, maintaining hygiene, etc. it is vital that you make yourself feel good by also looking after your physical wellbeing.

My spiritual awakening changed my life completely, unquestionably for the better. I went from emptiness to satisfaction, from constant pretense and facades to authenticity, and from separation and hate to oneness and love, all of which have brought me great peace, purpose, and joy for life. And the same can happen for you if it hasn't already.