Spiritual Awakening: The 13 True Signs of Awakening
Spiritual awakening, in very simple terms, is the second birth that a person receives by leaving behind prejudices, vices, insecurities, desires, and greed. Although some authors claim that it can develop suddenly, for most people, it’s a gradual process. In fact, it may be so gradual that many may not even be aware that they’re spiritually awakening.
You can have this type of awakening through many different channels. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always done through methods associated with spirituality (such as meditation, for example). You can have a spiritual awakening after an alcoholic detox or through motherhood. In the following lines, we’ll teach you 13 ways to identify it.
13 signs that you’re in the midst of a spiritual awakening
The concept of spiritual awakening can be found in various cultures. Many Asian systems of thought advocate it as the sole purpose of life. Meanwhile, Western religions, in one way or another, integrate it among their principles.
During the last 100 years, the term has been popularized thanks to the contributions of Carl Gustav Jung. The movements of the 1960s, such as the hippie movement, also undoubtedly contributed to the cause.
It’s very common to have questions about when to know that you have reached the last step to a true awakening. Although each person experiences it differently, in general, we can identify 13 signs of a spiritual awakening.
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1. You’ve reevaluated your beliefs
You can’t say you have achieved a spiritual awakening if you haven’t first reevaluated all of your beliefs. Your beliefs about life, death, religions, society, friends, the future, spirituality, and practically everything around you.
This doesn’t mean that you have to change the opinions you have about them completely, but at least you will have subjected them to a lot of judgment. Beliefs condition the way you interpret the world. And although it may seem so, you do not choose them by will. Most of them are imposed by a system.
2. You practice detachment
This detachment manifests itself in all senses. The most evident is in our attitude towards material things. Owning or buying things becomes a secondary priority. You also learn to practice detachment with your family, your friends, your pets, your whims, and your life itself.
However, don’t misinterpret this sign. It’s not about disinterest, isolation, or total renunciation. It’s about learning to identify your priorities. You have also learned that excessive attachment leads to obsession, pain, and even greed.
3. You’ve connected with the natural world
You feel at one with the earth, the trees, the animals, the sky, and the air. Meanwhile, skyscrapers, highways, and technology give you a bad taste in your mouth. It seems, in this sense, that only through the connection with nature do you manage to feel calm and at ease.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve moved to a rural area or completely denounce life in the city. Sometimes you just don’t have a choice. However, nothing stops you from achieving this connection through small moments of escape. You appreciate more anything that relates to the earth, its ecosystem, and the living things that inhabit it.
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4. You’ve learned to identify your true priorities
Is it really worth making a huge sacrifice to acquire a certain item? Am I better off spending my time with this person or someone else? Do I really need this treat right now? These are some examples of the questions you ask yourself in the order of this sign.
Through a process of inner meditation, you’ve identified what is truly important in your life. The rest you have moved out of the way because it doesn’t satisfy you, doesn’t interest you, or you believe it doesn’t benefit you. This is done in different ways. Some people change their diets, while others reduce the use of technology to a minimum, and there are those who even quit their jobs.
5. You feel freer
Freedom is the ultimate goal of spiritual awakening. Contrary to popular belief, however, this is not happiness. Although happiness comes in one way or another, freedom is actually the step that lets you know that you’re on the right path. You realize it almost immediately.
The previous steps and the ones we are about to list allow you to access a sense of freedom you’ve never enjoyed in your life. It’s a sincere, pure, and revealing freedom.
6. You ‘ve found the balance between mind and body
These words may sound a bit metaphysical, but they actually correspond in different ways with reality. For example, you learn that physical health is just as important as mental health. You take care of your body with a healthy diet and exercise and include techniques, methods, and habits in your life that give you peace of mind and relaxation.
This is something that is often touted, although our individual interests and goals are often different, of course. In addition, a real balance is not always achieved, since most people only focus on physical health as the main point of interest.
7. You’re kinder
Kindness is another hallmark of spiritual awakening. First, you practice it with yourself, and then you practice it with those around you. You also associate it with the connection you have established with nature.
Of course, kindness can only manifest through action. It’s not enough that you think you are someone who’s kind or that you do an action sporadically. Kindness is a flag that must be raised permanently.
8. You’re no longer afraid of death
For many followers of spiritual awakening, this is one of the essential steps to reach it. To banish the fear of death is one of the many ways in which you practice detachment. Fearing death is also fearing life, so you can’t carry this heavy backpack on your back forever.
However, this doesn’t mean that you are indifferent to it or that you want to end your life. On the contrary, you understand that it’s a natural process, one that doesn’t have to condition or override the experiences and lessons of living.
9. You don’t feel uncomfortable being alone
This sign has its nuances, since another of the characteristics of the process of spiritual awakening is to feel a deep sense of loneliness. This is very understandable, since while awakening, you often don’t feel comfortable surrounded by a society full of pride and people who are superficial, egomaniacal, and empty. If you don’t have someone who thinks like you, of course, you will feel lonely.
In time, this feeling then evolves into a feeling of comfort with that loneliness. It’s not about isolating yourself, but about the fact that, unlike most people, you don’t have a problem with being alone. In other words, you can happily live with yourself.
10. You want to be a useful person
You can’t stand idly by in the face of a society that destroys itself. It’s useless to show your disagreement with it through your words; you must translate this thought into thoughtful action. The best way to do this is to assimilate a useful attitude, one that will help you to solve the small or big problems around you.
Joining charities, starting or supporting initiatives to conserve the planet, and giving talks in your community promoting certain behavior are just some examples of this. You don’t lock yourself in your house all day to meditate on your thoughts, as this won’t solve anything.
11. You practice unconditional love
Another great example of spiritual awakening is unconditional love. You must start practicing love for yourself first and then for others. It’s very important that you follow this order; otherwise, you will be practicing it with a certain degree of hypocrisy.
Unconditional love is the love that you practice without imposing conditions, despite the consequences, and without any emotional or physical limitations. This is, for many, true love.
12. Your sensitivity has been heightened
One of the ways in which this symptom manifests itself is through the previous one. However, not only has the way you perceive or exercise love become more sensitive, but so have all your feelings. Now, you’re not afraid to express them.
In other words, you don’t live as a prisoner of emotions such as pain, anger, or hatred. It doesn’t mean that you repress these feelings, but rather that you don’t let them come rushing out and condition your mood. You’re wiser or smarter in choosing which feelings you prioritize in your life.
13. You feel at peace
Peace is another unmistakable sign of spiritual awakening. Each person develops it differently. Someone may find peace after moving to the outskirts of the city; others may develop it without problems in the center of a bustling city.
In any case, peace allows you to cope with emotional imbalance, restlessness, and prejudices that can eat away at you day by day. It’s permanent and is reinforced by various activities that you have identified as pleasurable. This peace my come while breastfeeding your child, meditating, playing with your pet, or cooking.
The signs of spiritual awakening don’t always happen in any particular order
Before concluding, keep in mind that the signs we have listed are not in chronological order. They don’t manifest in succession, since each process of spiritual awakening is different.
You may also only develop some of the signs and still be going through a spiritual awakening process. What is certain is that if you’re on the right path, it won’t take you long before you realize it.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Sol, M., & Luna, A. The spiritual awakening process. Luna & Sol Pty Ltd. 2019.
- Taylor, S. Two modes of sudden spiritual awakening? Ego-dissolution and explosive energetic awakening. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies. 2018; 37(2): 131-143.
