Awakening Happens in More Than One Way
How shifts of the mind, personality, energy, and soul shape our spiritual journey
Have you wondered what a spiritual awakening is and what it looks like?
A spiritual awakening is any process that creates a connection with our deepest self and with the universe. It often leads to personal growth and a significant shift in how we view life and our world. While it looks and feels differently for every person, and some of our notions about the topic may be correct, there are different types of spiritual awakenings.
Awakening of the Mind
An awakening of the mind happens when a person receives a profound piece of knowledge that fundamentally changes how they perceive the world. Sometimes this can be a completely new insight, something they haven’t ever thought about. This new idea or information opens a door for the person to look at the world around them in a new light.
This “awakening of the mind” can be brought on in many ways:
Receiving a “download” when they have some sort of ego death
Breaking away from societal norms and seeking a new path
Taking part in a deeply spiritual ritual or ceremony
Starting a mindfulness practice that opens parts of their unconscious mind that they have not accessed before
Regardless of how the awakening enters a person’s life, it is a major milestone.
Awakening of a New Personality
Another type of awakening is a personality shift, where the change occurs in the person as a whole, not just a portion of their personality. They may receive a monumental breakthrough in how they behave and operate. A person may have acted a certain way, and they change when they are privy to new information or new methods of interpreting it.
Imagine, all of a sudden, learning something new about your community that makes you question your very existence in it. Imagine if you had adapted your entire being to reflect this community’s traits and behaviors. Imagine facing the conflict of whether to move forward with this new information. How would you rectify your role in this community? How would you reconcile the beliefs and ideals you hold so highly with this community? In an instant, you might “awaken” this new personality, and things might never go back to the way they used to be.
Not all awakenings related to personality have to be so extreme. Sometimes a person might just become “tired” of the way they have always done things. They might want to change or grow, shedding their old personality for a new one. This can be healthy. We are not the same people at different seasons in our lives. We may not like the same things that we did when we were younger, and this is the definition of growth. Growing as a person does not mean standing still. Sometimes growth involves letting go of who we used to be to become the person we truly are.
Energy Awakening
Sometimes the awakening people experience is more energy-based than mind- or body-based. This type of awakening is powerful and invigorating because it operates on pure source energy, lifting us to new heights and expanding what we thought was possible. Many practitioners of tai chi, yoga, Reiki, or other energy-focused practices may experience this type of awakening at some point on their journey. It can slowly creep up on a person, like a wave building energy in the ocean, or it can happen all of a sudden, like a flash of lightning.
Soul Awakening
Another powerful awakening is that of the soul, and it involves a massive shift in consciousness. Keep in mind that when many people think of the word soul, they may infer religious connotations. In reality, the word “soul” encompasses every aspect of our humanity on all planes of existence. Our souls house every fiber of our intellectual, emotional, and physical selves. Our souls play an important role in this universe, even if we may not fully understand how.
Like other spiritual awakenings, this one can happen gradually in stages, or all at once, like an earthquake. An awakening of the soul is simply a massive shift in our perception of the world, our role in it, and the expansion of our consciousness.
A Parting Thought
When going through any type of awakening, it is important to practice self-care and slowly unpack any feelings that arise. Any kind of energetic opening can be a lot to take in. Be easy on yourself. Everyone is different, and everyone's journey is personal. Every person is a one-of-a-kind divine expression of the universe, and similarly, spiritual awakenings come in many shapes and sizes. You may wake up one day and feel a new sense of power within, or feel a “buzzing” or glowing in a physical sense. You may feel open to things you never thought possible; your consciousness has expanded, and you might feel energy flowing through your body. These new sensations may be permanent or only last a short time, but no matter how long they last, they are something to cherish.
Now that you have learned a little more about different kinds of spiritual awakenings, have your thoughts or impressions changed?