What It Means When You Experience A 'Spiritual Download'
A spiritual download is meant to teach you a lesson or provide beneficial information.
PopTika / Shutterstock Spiritual downloads really do happen because there are so many ways that the universe tries to communicate with us.
For example, have you ever felt a random bout of inspiration? Do your dreams sometimes end up coming true? Have you ever received a message or vision that predicted your future?
If so, you may be experiencing a spiritual download.
What is a spiritual download?
A spiritual download, also known as an energy download, is like a spiritual epiphany.
According to Melanie Becker — author, mystic, and founder of Ask Angels, a blog and YouTube channel — a spiritual download is "a metaphor to explain the process of receiving an influx of knowledge, higher light, frequency, [or] awareness."
Think of it as downloading a new update or program to a computer — only, in this case, your mind is the computer.
During a spiritual download, you're "able to receive messages and signs that your regular, conscious self wouldn't always be aware of," says Kate Rose, spiritual intuitive and author of "You Only Fall in Love Three Times."
They can provide confirmations about your life path, predict something that will occur, or provide much-needed inspiration.
"We pray and we want to have our prayers answered," Rose says. "Spiritual downloads are the messages that we receive without even asking for."
According to Rose, these messages come from "a part of the universe that is not of the earthly world." Instead, these spiritual downloads originate from an unknown higher power.
We may make it more human by calling it an angel, spirit guide, God, or Allah, but really "it's just coming from the energy that our higher selves are able to tap into," adds Rose.
How do you know if you're experiencing a spiritual download?
Even if you know what a spiritual download is, it can still be hard to believe that you are having one.
"A lot of times when people first start getting them, they don't believe them," Rose says. "They doubt their own self and dismiss them because they seem too impossible."
Spiritual downloads can occur in several forms, from dreams and visions to overwhelming feelings.
1. You get strange recurring dreams.
Though spiritual downloads often present as a voice, vision, or feeling during the daytime, they can also happen when you're asleep. While they may simply seem like a dream, there are a few signs that something more is transpiring.
For example, these dreams may be reoccurring, or you might find yourself waking up at divine times, such as 2:22 and 3:33.
2. You have very specific visions.
"Sometimes it can feel more random and esoteric," says Rose, "but sometimes can be as direct as a person, place, time, location, month or season."
In all cases, a spiritual download will likely catch you off guard, and you may even feel like you are going crazy.
"A lot of times when people actually start having these spiritual downloads it catches them by surprise," Rose adds. "Because, all of a sudden, they're doing something, and then they'll have a feeling or a voice or a picture that will come in their head."
3. You experience chills or tingles.
Do you get goosebumps on your arms or a chill on the back of your neck? It could be a sign of a spiritual download. This is usually the very first sign you are experiencing it.
This differs from the chills caused by cold temperatures; instead, it's a profound feeling of connecting with information at our very core. It may be accompanied by physical sensations like tingling in the body, vibrations, or other movements of energy.
4. You have random bursts of energy.
Not only are you getting chills and seeing spectacular visions, but you will also receive energy. You will have these random bursts of energy where you have to do something to release it.
Upon receiving a download, a previously dormant aspect within us is unblocked, leading to the release of a plethora of inspired energy. This can also push us to be more intuitive and creative.
Can you make yourself have a spiritual download?
Although everybody is capable of having a spiritual download, it's not something that can be forced. "We can't make ourselves have a spiritual download, but what we can do is get to know ourselves better," Rose says.
It is possible to create a mindset that is more conducive to receiving these spiritual messages. This is done through self-healing and mediation.
Additionally, time without electronics can help you to enter this headspace. "If we are in front of a screen and have things plugged into our ears all day, then we're not going to be able to be in that place to receive those spiritual downloads because the world's not going to be quiet," Rose says.
In order to get to a place where you are able to receive spiritual downloads, you must look at all aspects of your life and learn to both trust yourself and open up to new possibilities.
If you are afraid of moving forward or have a specific picture of your life that you are attempting to achieve, you are likely blocking a spiritual download from occurring.
"If we don't absolutely trust our own selves and trust our own feelings, then there is no way that we're going to actually be in the place to be open to receive spiritual downloads," Rose reveals.
What can you learn from a spiritual download?
Spiritual downloads are not random. They're always trying to teach you a lesson or provide beneficial information. But though they all have a purpose, a spiritual download probably won't be as straightforward as you might like.
"Most of the downloads that people receive are not a map," Rose says. "You receive these downloads, and it's almost like you received the destination, but you have to figure out the journey there, as part of your own path of learning and experiencing."
Spiritual downloads can also serve as confirmation. They may reaffirm that you are on the right path in life, in the right relationship, or pursuing the right career.
It can be scary, however, to believe what they are trying to tell you, as you have no proof as to where this information is coming from. "The number one thing that most of us in this human world struggle with is the ability to have faith, to have trust, and to believe in something that we can't see," adds Rose.
We will likely never know where exactly spiritual downloads come from, but that doesn't make them any less valuable. Despite not knowing where these spiritual downloads are coming from, they can be incredibly useful if you choose to listen to them, which you should.
After all, as Rose quips, "The purpose of all of these spiritual downloads is to have us be more aligned with who we truly are inside of our complete authentic self." Who wouldn't want that?
Audrey Jaber is a writer and Assistant Editor for YourTango living in Boston, Massachusetts. She has had bylines featured on Modern Luxury DC, Boston Common Magazine, Capitol File, Affection Magazine, among others, and covers a variety of topics related to lifestyle, entertainment and travel.