Spiritual awakening: what it is, symptoms and stages

You may have heard about spiritual awakening or about people who are spiritually awakening. In fact, mystical teachings throughout history mention an emotional and inner evolution that serves to understand the forces of the universe and empathize with creation.

But do you know what spiritual awakening entails? It is a new existential beginning that entails a series of challenges to get away from prejudices and stereotypes and learn to see life from another point of view. If you are interested in this fascinating topic, in this Psychology-online article you will discover what is spiritual awakening, its symptoms and stages so that you learn to recognize the characteristics of this transformation.

Index

1. What is spiritual awakening
2. How spiritual awakening begins
3. Symptoms of spiritual awakening
4. Stages of spiritual awakening
5. How long does spiritual awakening last and what happens after

Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist

For centuries, and according to different cultures, much has been said about spiritual awakening as a life purpose or goal to find true happiness. In some religions or beliefs it is called "Nirvana", "enlightenment", "bliss" or simply "the awakening".

The truth is that it is an existential beginning in which the individual takes a step back to connect with a new meaning in this world. It is rise to a higher state of consciousness and that forms an intrinsic part of the human being itself.

Contrary to popular thought, spiritual awakening does not come only through meditation or other methods guided by specialists, since it is born through different channels.

According to each reality, it can occur spontaneously either through different stages. For example, there are those who awaken spiritually after going through personal crises, going through detoxification of substances, separations or after bringing a life into the world.

It is usually a complicated process at first, in which it is difficult to let go of old beliefs, but that has as a reward a true personal evolution, expansion and maturation of the soul.

A spiritual awakening can be a disconcerting thing that raises troubling questions like: "Who am I?", "What is my purpose?", or "because I am here?" Likewise, it is also accompanied by exciting elements when discovering a feeling of life never before experienced.

Next, we show you some of the symptoms or signs of spiritual awakening:

• detachment arises: You will feel a disconnection from everything material and physical that you wanted with ambition and anxiety. That is, you free yourself from your emotional and material attachments.
• You reassess your beliefs: A spiritual awakening makes you reevaluate your beliefs and doctrines, including starting new practices in which you feel greater comfort and identification.
• You will be drawn to thoughtful and motivating readings: this as a way to find the best version of yourself and to improve in many emotional aspects of your life.
• Awaken love for your environment: begins a true appreciation for people and other living beings that makes you be more compassionate, tolerant and kind to those around you.
• You are interested in taking care of your body and your diet: to take care of your health and improve your mood.
• Your dreams become more real: In the hours of rest, you will experience very vivid and exciting dreams that will seem to be real. These dreams have a meaning that connects with your spiritual growth.
• You will want to spend more time alone and in silence: more and more you will need to be alone to appreciate the sound of nature and to lose yourself in your own reflections. That is to say, the valuation for loneliness will emerge.
• You will experience greater freedom and your true SELF will come out: you will feel a different inner freedom, since you will not have the need to pretend anything to anyone. In fact, your original self will come out.
• You will go slower to appreciate life: you will put aside the tendency for speed and for doing everything faster. That takes you away from stress and anxiety to enjoy every step of the way.

Physical symptoms of spiritual awakening

Spiritual awakening also brings with it some physical symptoms that at first can be worrying and that you have to know how to identify in time, such as:

• Headache and dizziness.
• Tension in the neck and lower spine.
• You want to cry for no apparent reason.
• Difficulty falling asleep.
• Physical disorientation and momentary loss of enthusiasm.

However, the positive part is that they are passing signs that announce the growth of the seed that will give way to spiritual evolution.

Spiritual awakening is a complex and different process for each person. Therefore, it is not possible to speak of fixed stages of this concept, but of general phases that make up a kind of energy flow. These stages are:

1. Feeling of unhappiness and discouragement: This is what specialists call the "dark night of the soul", where people feel a great inner emptiness, but do not know what it is.
2. changing perspectives: you begin to change your point of view and way of thinking towards everything around you.
3. Search for answers and meanings: you ask yourself many deep questions and the spiritual awakening begins.
4. Answers and advances: you will find practices, teachers or people who will guide you on the right path.
5. Deep inner work: it is a very strong work in which you will have to deal with your old beliefs.
6. Integration and expansion: you will apply the lessons learned in your daily life in a conscious way and your perspective will expand.

In spiritual awakening, very profound changes occur within us. However, it is almost impossible to know exactly how long it will last the process, since each person lives their own experience of it.

Of course, after spiritual awakening, your life will be more pleasant, complete and focused, since you will know what you really want and towards what goals to focus all your energies. Therefore, what you must do is hold on to the process, trust in your abilities and prepare for a full life.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Spiritual awakening: what it is, symptoms and stages, we recommend that you enter our category of Personal growth and self-help.

• Duke Videla, F. (2017). The theory of the soul in Plato. New Acropolis International Organization.
• Ollé Borgue, A.M. (2010). Spiritual Intelligence. Global magazine no. 36. Recovered from: http://revista.global/inteligencia-espiritual/