The surprising reason you feel so different right now . . .

Do you feel different lately? Not necessarily off but like the things around you no longer resonate? Whether it be people, places, career choices or perspectives, who you were is no longer who you want to be or feel in alignment with.

Welcome to the spiritual awakening—a removal of all blockages keeping you from being your truest self.

In This Article:

• What is a spiritual awakening?

• Why do we have spiritual awakenings? 

• What causes a spiritual awakening?

• The difference between ascension and spiritual awakening

• What are the symptoms of a spiritual awakening?

• How to embrace a spiritual awakening?

Image Unshakable Inner Peace Oracle Cards by Shannon Kaiser 

What is a spiritual awakening?

You’ve probably heard talk of spiritual awakenings, but what are they? Did you know that as a collective, humanity is going through a massive awakening right now? Not only on an individual level but an internal upgrade to human consciousness is occurring across the planet. This is in part because we are in the new age of golden light, age of Aquarius, or what I like to call the age of intuition. This time period has been predicted by wise shamans, sages, gurus and masters of the ages.

The idea of the spiritual awakening was popularized in the Western world by psychiatrist Carl Jung. He described the process as coming back to the original self.

Essentially, we are living through one of the greatest times in human history, as we are all being called to return back to our original self. The self that lives in integrity and respect for self and all of life, the one who makes choices from love and compassion and aligns with truth and  peace. This is the way forward when you dive into your spiritual awakening.

Why do we have spiritual awakenings?

Spiritual awakenings are part of our soul’s growth. They can help us to see beyond the illusions and conventional fabric of society, and instead help us to transition into our “true” life, the life we were meant to live from birth: a life full of true abundance, prosperity and happiness.

What causes a spiritual awakening?

Some call it “nirvana,” “enlightenment” or even “bliss.” A spiritual awakening begins the moment a person can step back from their previous way of being and “awaken” to their life with a new sense of being in this world. But make no mistake, an actual awakening process is never really rainbows and butterflies—most often it includes a dark night of the soul, a depression or extreme period of confusion, worry and emotional frustration.

A spiritual awakening can be triggered by anything, from the completely mundane to a giant life-altering event. Common causes include i.e., losing your job, moving away from home, a car accident, breakup or divorce, global events ehmm, que in 2020, which is why the worldwide mass awakening is underway now), quarter-life or midlife crises, health scare or even a near-death experience. etc.) Spiritual awakenings can be spontaneous but for most people, they are triggered by major life changes or traumas.

The difference between ascension and spiritual awakening

When you dive deeper into your spiritual awakening, you may hear words like ascension and wonder if that is what you are going through.

Spiritual awakening is often a dramatic, unexpected and jolting experience. It is awakening in every sense of the word that can give us symptoms that we don’t understand and is happening because we are being beckoned to return to our true selves.

Ascension is the process that planet Earth is going through—evolving, changing and growing so that we are more compassionate, understanding and intuitive. Therefore, everyone going through a spiritual awakening is ascending, but not all who are ascending are going through a spiritual awakening.

I clarify this not to invite in labels, but to help you understand both collectively and individually the potential of this powerful time on earth.

Image Unshakable Inner Peace Oracle Cards by Shannon Kaiser

Consider a spiritual awakening as a major wake-up call from the universe. You are being beckoned to return to the real you and live in integrity and respect with self and all of life.

What are the symptoms of a spiritual awakening?

There are many spiritual awakening symptoms, and after penning five positive psychology books and studying other people’s awakenings (coupled with my own experience), I’ve listed the most common symptoms of a spiritual awakening.

1. You’ve lost complete interest in things that once brought you happiness and joy.
2. You experience a roller coaster of emotions.
3. You crave truth, depth and more meaning and joy.
4. You feel completely lost, and as though you have no direction.
5. You feel as though life around you is fake.
6. You see past the masks of other people and use more discernment.
7. Your intuition gets louder and is harder to ignore.
8. You feel like a “misfit,” or someone who doesn’t belong here.
9. You make new surprising choices that feel aligned to you, but others may question your motives.
10. You have a hard time relating to those around you and feel like you are alone on this path.
11. You become an intense dreamer, creative and visionary and want to make the world a better place.
12. You ask deep, thought-provoking questions.
13. You’ve cut off or want to, remove yourself from people who no longer support your higher purpose.
14. You see beyond the illusions of society, start to break free from power manipulations, and the matrix.
15. You crave more alone time and value sanctuary.
16. You feel drawn to help animals, mother nature or those in need even if you’re not sure how or why yet.
17. Regular conversations and small talk seem shallow to you and can even make you feel sick to your stomach.
18. You’re desperate to understand who you truly are.
19. You notice an inner struggle between what ego (head) wants you to do versus what your creative (heart)higher self craves.
20. Patterns and synchronicities emerge and guide you forward.
21. You begin to forgive those who’ve caused you hurt, pain or grief and start to see everyone is just doing the best they can with what they know.
22. You realize you’re the creator of your life, and take more responsibility for your decisions and actions.
23. Your sleep dreams are more vivid and real, often giving you insights and messages into your waking world.
24. You feel drawn to new teachers, guides and leaders but start to realize you are your own best guru.
25. You lose interest in material things.
26. You feel drawn to nature and want to connect with earth energy.
27. You start to question everything, and critical thinking is your base for observing the world as you drop deep into your heart center.
28. You begin “realizing that every living thing is inherently worthy and equal,” and no longer put others on a pedestal.
29. You stop comparing yourself to others because you know we are all on our own journey.
30. You start to trust life and the unknown more and lead from your heart more so than your head.

Along with heightened awareness and senses, you may have other bodily sensations too. Sleep disturbances are not uncommon. And don’t be surprised by a sudden change in your habits and routines. As your spiritual life begins to transform, so will your day-to-day life, including habits and routines. Perhaps now you make it a priority to spend time in nature or meditate, or you’ve ditched old habits that were no longer serving you.

No doubt about it, spiritual awakenings are transformative, and the people in your life won’t always be able to appreciate the new you emerging. I went through another spiritual awakening last year, and it caused a lot of turbulence with close family and friends. As I became more aligned to my true self, the version of me they knew was fast crumbling, and it was harder to relate to one another. (But love, respect and compassion saw us through and now we are closer than ever.) You may feel like your loved ones don’t understand you anymore because you are changing, but recognize you are on a path of great truth, awakening and love. You become the seed planted as you show others what is possible when they tune out the noise of the world and start to trust and align to their inner world.

Recognize it is safe to expand and dive deeper into this journey. Although it is new, it is the path of your higher self guiding you forward.

How to embrace a spiritual awakening

While it may not be easy, awakening to your truest self is worth it. Trust that you are always being guided and you can align with books, teachers or podcasts about spirituality that resonate with you, as well.

Practice self-love and compassion, and be gentle with yourself and trust the unfolding; all spiritual awakenings occur to guide us back into balance with our true self. So pay attention to your inner guide and intuitive nudges, as they’re helping you harmonize and remove what no longer is authentic in your life.

Spiritual awakenings are complicated, profound and nothing short of life-changing—in the best way. If you find yourself in one, all there is to do is trust the process. Surrender to what is, as you prepare for a newly awakened life.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What signs have you experienced on your spiritual awakening?

Image by Inti St. Clair / Stocksy