5 Life-Altering Stages Of A Spiritual Awakening
The path to enlightenment is dark before finding the light.
Amina 'ently / Shutterstock When one experiences a spiritual awakening, there are many stages they must experience prior to their enlightenment.
If you're going through a spiritual awakening, you may feel anxious, afraid, and sometimes a bit of loneliness creeps in. However, the outcome of this cataclysmic journey is rewarding, and you should let it happen.
The beginning of a spiritual awakening can be exhausting and lonely because while you are bettering yourself, the people around you may not fully understand why you're experiencing this. But a spiritual awakening is more than one element; it's complex and has multiple layers to knowing and understanding.
Here are 5 life-altering stages of a spiritual awakening.
Stage 1. You feel discomfort and alienation.
A spiritual awakening does not mean you wake up one morning and you feel like you're on top of the world. This experience is much deeper than that. It may take days, weeks, even months until you reach your destination of wisdom.
You may experience depression and confusion as your questions of "What's the point?" start to come into contact. You desperately search for meaning and fullness to fill the void inside of you.
You may feel like there is something missing deep within you, though you can't quite put your finger on it. But though it's uncomfortable, the first stage of a spiritual awakening is just you starting the process of "waking up."
Stage 2. Your perception of reality and what you thought you knew begins to shift.
Although things may shake up your life, a spiritual awakening happens at an almost perfect time. Another bit of misinformation you may have read is that this is something you can plan out, maybe thinking to yourself, "Today is the day where I reach potential enlightenment!"
But that's not entirely true. This kind of experience happens out of the blue, when you least expect it.
How you perceive your reality begins to change. What you thought you knew about yourself and your life begins to change. Both the small picture and bigger picture begin to change.
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You start to notice all the lies and insanity that runs the world, and you've had enough of it. You're unhappy with what goes on and start to feel the need to step up and do something to change those things.
Once you've gone through the journey, your eyes will be opened to the true nature of the world.
Stage 3. You begin to question everything.
When was the last time you felt content with the way your life was going? These feelings will almost immediately have you searching for that piece of fulfillment, something that makes you feel complete again.
The last time I truly felt whole was most likely at a young age. Life was not so scary, I was still naive to the ways of the world, and everyone was always nice to me. How bad could things be? Only then did I grow up to realize that the news was (and still is) full of violent happenings and inexplicable disasters.
What was the point of anything? What is my purpose? These thoughts clouded my mind and I did not understand what was happening inside of my head.
These might be things you think about from time to time. And while it may feel scary and is something you're certainly not used to, it means you are on the right path forward to enlightenment.
Once anyone begins to question their existence and what it is they are supposed to be doing, that is part of a spiritual awakening journey. When you start to think of the intentions of those who are in your circle and how they might benefit/hurt your mind or emotions, you're in it.
You will soon realize that anything outside of your inner world does not bring true happiness or contentment. You start to question the meaning of life, and in your quest for answers to those deep life questions, you begin to awaken slowly to find those answers for yourself.
Stage 4. You start finding the answers to your prominent questions.
In stage four, you start to question everything you've ever known, from your beliefs, habits, and social settings. There is nothing too big or too small that you don't question. And life's most significant questions circulate your mind almost every day.
You also may begin asking yourself whether or not there is a higher being above anything we've ever known. God, the Divine — whatever it is you believe in, is anyone up there watching over us?
You may meet a few wise souls along the way who pass along their stories and experiences, which, in the end, makes you feel less alone on this journey. At this point, you start to see a glimpse of a new reality you have been eagerly searching for.
As you begin finding the answers you seek, you simultaneously make space in your life for what you want, removing what you don't. This could mean a new hobby or new friends — anything that creates a shift.
The emptiness you may be feeling up until this point is now filled with new ideas and experiences. You're beginning to allow yourself to explore things you never thought about before, and you feel yourself growing spiritually.
Stage 5. Your soul and mind evolve.
Spiritual awakenings occur when our souls begin to evolve and mature into something greater than we think can happen. As everything else in life grows and transforms, our souls and minds do the same.
The more you dig deep into your being, the more you begin to crave a rich and peaceful life. Everything you've learned about yourself, life, and the world has finally come into fruition after a tedious amount of time digging and discovering.
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This is the stage where life has meaning once more, and you will continue to reach every peak of enlightenment there is to offer. You will feel whole again, and anything you once thought you knew is disregarded.
All of that internal work you've been doing is about to pay off, and you'll find yourself feeling more at peace than before. And once your soul and mind have begun to evolve, you can let go and welcome in your true self. It's a surrender of sorts, but it's all to embrace that enlightenment.
Destiny Duprey is a singer and writer who covers pop culture, self-care, and spirituality topics. She is a Public Relations and Social Media Manager for TUBLife Studios.