Understanding Spiritual Awakening and Navigating Its Profound Journey

Pop culture and mainstream media make having a Spiritual Awakening seem like Heaven on Earth. In reality, that is the furthest thing from the truth. It can be mind-boggling, overwhelming, and downright confusing. You might feel lost, disconnected, or like everything you thought to be true about the world was a complete and utter lie.

But... if you know what to expect and how to navigate it, it can also become one of the most profound experiences of your time here on Earth.

What to expect during Spiritual awakening

1. Disconnection or detachment  - people, places, things, and even ideas you used to enjoy now feel fake or unimportant. You might feel disconnected from those to whom you used to feel a deep connection
   

2. Dreams - dreams become more vivid, adding color and dialogue you feel like you are actually hearing. You might even experience something called lucid dreaming (a time when you are asleep and dreaming, but you are AWARE that you are asleep and dreaming.)

3. Synchronicity - you might start seeing "coincidences" that are just too perfect to be coincidental. You might be thinking of someone, and suddenly, they call or text you. You might suddenly start seeing Angel Numbers (ex. 111, 444) everywhere you turn. These are messages from the Universe.

4. Deja Vu - you might start frequently experiencing the phenomenon of Deja Vu, during which you are visiting a location or maybe even seeing photographs, and though you know you have never been there, you get the feeling that you have, in fact, been there before. This is oftentimes when our memories from past lives creep into our current consciousness.

5. Connection to nature ~ you might suddenly feel a deep-rooted connection to nature that was not there before. Walking barefoot across the grass may bring you an overwhelming sense of calm. Being near water may increase your sensory awareness and provide a feeling of tranquility like you have never experienced. You are now in tune with the physical energy of the Universe.

6. Exhaustion is real ~ you might find that after a day surrounded by people, every fiber of your body, including your eyelashes, is tired. This is something I was told at the very beginning of my journey and has stuck with me throughout the years. When you experience this level of exhaustion, you will know it. This is due to your heightened sensitivity to the energies around you.

7. Increased intuition ~ you might find that you know information you did not previously know... and have no idea how you have come to know it. My favorite example of this is suddenly knowing the answers to Jeopardy. You might also be able to "read" people better than you were before - getting a feeling for someone's character or being able to tell if someone is purposely trying to mislead you.

8. Ringing in your ears ~ this physical symptom might be unusual, annoying, and even disconcerting for some. You might sometimes notice a high-pitched ringing in one or both of your ears. First, obviously, rule out that it is a serious medical problem. If you are sure it is part of the Spiritual Journey, these are messages from your guides and the Angels themselves.

9. Metaphysical interests ~ prepare your pocketbook for all of the crystals, charms, and Tarot decks you will want to purchase. With the sudden need for Spiritual knowledge comes the intense attraction to all things metaphysical. This can be especially obvious if you have never been interested in such things and you are suddenly seeking out every metaphysical shop and psychic fair within a 50-mile radius.

10. Sleep changes ~ you might experience changes in your sleep patterns that could range from wanting to sleep every hour of every day to being wide awake at night. You may even wake at the same time every night (frequently at 1:23 or 3:21).

11. Feeling lost ~ this is maybe the most common, and often first, sign that a Spiritual Awakening is happening (or imminent). It takes the feeling of disconnect from number one and amplifies it. You might hyperfocus your thoughts on the meaning of life, the purpose of your existence in this world, or if what you are doing and bringing to the world right now is of any importance at all.

What to do about it

While many of these signs can seem uncomfortable or even downright dreadful, the perspective you choose to take can make all the difference. Unfortunately, the only way through them is... well... through them. There is no shortcut. as they all serve their own purpose. I promise you, years after you have gone through (and recovered from) these changes, you will have nothing but gratitude for them (but you might have to take my word for it for a while). But until that time, here is what you can do to get the most out of the transformation

• Stay in the moment - taking each symptom as it comes and trying to hone in on what it is trying to tell you, teach you, or what message you are meant to receive from it, can be so beneficial and actually help speed the process along. As you will learn, the Universe has messages for you and if you do not "get the message" the first time around, it will circle back (and back, and back, and back) until you achieve understanding.

• Have gratitude for the journey ~ like I mentioned, there is no shortcut around this experience, so you might as well enjoy it. A gratitude journal can be a great way to get those feelings flowing, even if you write with gritted teeth.

• Find community ~ finding a group of like-minded people who are going through or have gone through the same experience can be immensely helpful. Though I have not been part of the community for several years now, I credit being part of a Spiritualist Church as the reason I kept my sanity through my Awakening.

• Learn ~ Fear and frustration are almost always just lack of understanding. In seeking knowledge - which you will have a deep desire to do anyway, during this time - can help you make sense of what you are experiencing and teach you to cope with the symptoms that come along with it.

• Meditation ~ this one might seem obvious to some and cliche to others, especially since it has become kind of a buzzword in the past couple of years, but I can tell you, it really does help. There is nothing like a good meditation session to help clear your conscious mind and bring forth the clarity that is often required to understand the meaning and messages of the Universe.

Yes, Spiritual Awakenings can be awkward, overwhelming, frustrating and all of the other negative connotations you might associate with the signs I listed above. But they can also be beautiful in their own way.

A friend of mind once reminded me that the world is made up of spirals - plants, seashells, flowers, none of which we would call ugly or horrible. The Spiritual Awakening is no different. There might be times when we feel like we are in a downward spiral or maybe even feel as if we are spiraling out of control. But to quote my good friend, Jake...

Find the beauty in your spiral