Spiritual Awakening - What is it and how do I know if I have experienced this?

Spirituality and Spiritual Awakenings

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Spirituality may mean many things to different people therefore the definition is always going to be open to different perspectives and depending on where you are on your journey. Spirituality may mean a path or lifestyle , a sacredness of going within to answer questions or  and find meaning and purpose. Or a person may sense or know there is a higher intelligence or something bigger than them self. This may or may not be religious and may also include prayer. On a deeper level Spirituality maybe transcendent therefore one experiences infinite Oneness - non duality. Spirituality  is not something we can  measure, dissect or analyse, because it is an individual connection for everyone which differs from person to person.
This cannot be confused with Spiritual Enlightenment, Spiritual Enlightenment is a  permanent  state of awareness of 'being' One with all that is. Which is Here and Now and possible for anyone who chooses .  Angie Divine Connection
'Be the Love' and 'Be the Light'

The purpose of this post is to write about Spirituality from my own personal experience and various teachings. The information below is not intended to tell you what Spirituality is, because only you can define that. It is healthy for you to listen to your intuition, If you feel some of the information below does not resonate with you, you may choose to find something that does. If you are curious, or feel a calling to look within, find purpose, connect to your True Self, realise your true nature  in life, or are asking questions about life then it maybe helpful for you.  I will discuss what I feel the difference is between a the terms or 'concepts' Spiritual Experience, Spiritual Awakening, Spiritual Awakened and Spiritual Enlightenment,  how to know if a teacher  is right for you, some reasons one may choose a Spiritual Path or Journey, different  perspectives and terms that are commenly used when discussing Spiritual Awakenings, and offer examples of  spiritual tools to guide you if you are curious or exploring your own Spirituality at a any level.  


How Do I choose a Spiritual Teacher thats right for me?
Finding a teacher that meets you where you are at on your journey, and is open minded to your ideas They allow  for and hold space for whatever to arise, non judgmentally, and compassionately. Most are guided by Spirit and not the ego or have merged with their True Self, to offer guidance and direction or answers to your questions. And they do not judge you if you don't accept the answers to your questions. They will charge reasonable rates, because they deeply understand the Laws of the Universe, specifically what you put out, you get back. they do not judge others that are not Spiritually Aware, because they are compassionate and are Spiritually Awakened. 



Embracing the Differences between Spiritual Experiences, Spiritual Awakening, Spiritually Awakened and Enlightenment.

There are many words that are uses to describe spiritual experiences, below I have listed a few examples. If you have had an experience with the 'otherside', we tend to call them one of the above or something else. I have briefly given an overview of how these can be looked at or described. Remembering that each person,  will have their own perspective, and it would be correct also. 

Spiritual Experiences:
A Spiritual Experience, cannot really ever be defined, because we are all individuals, with different DNA and on different life paths. However it usually means you have experienced a connection to Spirit, or your true Self within for the first time or you had a heightened state of awareness on one of many levels, because we are multidimensional beings, not just a physical being. This may have occurred for many reasons, for example, during a meeting at work, Near death experience, Spiritual experience, accidentally,  during a practice like Reiki, Meditation, Soul work, Shadow work, Yoga, Religious practices, Theta Healing,  going to retreats, visiting certain countries, meeting a Guru or person who is Enlightened or a life situation, traumatic experience, meeting a Soul mate, meeting a Twin Soul, talking to Spiritually connected Souls (people), even just reading a book about the True Self. People often speak of unconditional love, light, colourful lights, feeling inner strength, true peace or power.
However what does happen is very real to you.  
Spiritual experiences may trigger a Spiritual awakening process or not. The person may not realise what has happened. In a quest to find out 'what was that about?'  They may, innocently,  seek assistance from people (yes even some psychics) who innocently do not have the resources or awareness to support and guide them, so neither party fully can comprehend what the experience was, or the purpose of it, you may hear words like 'paranomal' 'star wars' or just 'thats crazy' or even 'were you doing A class drugs' . Do not take offence, they are innocent. Usually people who can understand is another person or people who have also had a natural (not drug induced) similar experience. Although is has been said that drugs  'induce' Spiritual Experiences, they are not a healthy option nor are they legal and can cause long term health issues. I cannot comment on drugs and the effect on your consciousness, as I have never taken drugs.

However usually if you have had a deep profound experience, you will often be guided by your inner guidance system. This Spiritual experience may have a purpose of preparing you for potentially more deeper, refined experiences to invite you to Spiritually Awaken, if you decided to follow this calling, and the process you will be rewarded, you never know, is there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? I will mention that the level of awareness you were at, is a deeper level or higher level than the normal waking state. 

A Spiritual Enlightening Experience is when a person has experienced a shift in awareness, or the soul connects to the Spirit, and realises oneness with all of life, or consciousness became aware of itself . Your experience may be like being 'Struck by a Lightening Bolt' or gentle yet powerful, where Spiritual awareness became aware of itself, or your true self was revealed for a while, for what ever reason. you may feel uplifted, 'free' , oneness, laugh alot because you just realised nothing here (on earth) is all that serious.  The person may never forget, or just 'remember it' as being an amazing beautiful experience. Their may be a few more 'Enlightening experiences' before you have a spiritual awakening, or you  awaken completely. How is this different that a Spiritual Experience. The Main difference between the two that a Spiritual Enlightening experience, is an actual Shift in awareness into oneness, in a profound sense. 

A Spiritual Awakening can be described as slower process towards a permanent shift in awareness, where one progresses on a Spiritual Path, to Journey back to the One Source. There may be many Spiritual Experiences and Enlightening moments as you progress on your path leading you to your destination. Their is no time frame, it could happen in a second, overnight, or it may take weeks, months, years or a persons lifetime.  However this is usually a permanent shift in awareness. This process once it has commenced, may become a process of deep inner transformation, self inquiry, self discovery, transcendence, self realisations and  all may be interchangeable.  This is a personal process, yet impersonal process.  You may be guided by your intuition, your guides, Spirit and Archangels. 

A Spiritually awakened person is one who has become Self realised as the Spirit, or the 'Awareness' or the 'Silent Witness'  and the 
Being spiritually awake may also be described as, Spiritual Enlightenment.
Spiritual Enlightenment is seen by many as permanent shift in awareness, where the person has transcended the conditioned mind /ego self, and can see they are not their story, and realise the true nature, as the formless One Being, the Divine Infinite Spirit is present, where as before was in the beneath all the 'pain and suffering' or ego. 
However, when the mind is completely transcended, of  past and future, the ego/personality has surrendered to pain and suffering, the heart energy expands completely, you become what was always aware. The awareness itself does not become Enlightened, it is the person who is now Enlightened. Which is why it is called a complete shift in consciousness (awareness). 
People often describe ways that you can attain Enlightenment, some maybe in religious texts or not, for example  you must cleanse and purify the body mind and soul before reaching Enlightenment. This may be true for some, at some point the ego will have to dissolve, the pain and suffering will transcend and Spirit or Awareness as revealed. 
Another perspective is that a connection to Spirit occurs first, that is you realise your true nature as Spirit, having a human experience, or I am Presence,  moment by moment,  or you could say 'guided' by Consciousness or Spirit where an inner transformation and transcendence occurs naturally, leading to a complete Enlightenment. 
Or both may occur at the same time in addition to numerous other experiences that are unique to each person. Both perspectives would be true. And I am sure their are many more perspectives on how to attain Enlightenment.
There is usually a few different paths to Enlightenment as well as many different view points, or words that are used: Self realisation of The Truth, or Illumination of the mind body and soul,  You (I am) are the Awareness, You are the Spirit, You are the One Being, You are the I am Presence, You are a Divine Being, You are the Silent Witness, You are the Atman, You are the Source of life. And many more. Once Enlightened you can usually see all them clearly, and would all be true.
Enlightened people may feel called to help others on their journey (as a full time job), or do volunteer work, and money will just come to them (This is true), or do nothing, and just be in a state of eternal bliss in wherever you are. Either way it is said that everytime a person completes Enlightenment, many more will also awaken. The One Spirit is aware and present in all its different forms, through you.

Universal Truth.
Spiritual Enlightenment may also be called Te māramatanga Wairua in Moari, Nirvana in Buddha's Teachings or Samadhi In Yoga Teachings, Iluminación espiritual in Spanish Jīngshén shàng de qǐméng in Chinese  Aadhyaatmik Gyaan in Hindi,  Fagua Faaleagagain Samoan... and all other cultures and traditions will know what Spiritual Enlightenment is, therefore is attainable to people all over the planet, if you choose. What you may have witnessed is that slowly, over the past few years, Enlightenment has now become a potential for anyone, rather than only for a few.

What are the Benefits of a Spiritual Awakening in Daily Life?

As your awareness is increased, in a A Spiritual Awakening process,  being mindful may arise naturally, it has been known you may experience less stress, your capacity to be empathetic and compassionate increases, helps you remain calm and peaceful, increased creative thinking, and had positive effects on your health and well being on all levels, physically, emotionally, mentally and Spiritually. You may also be drawn to new views, tools, friends, deeper meaningful relationships, groups, desire to have a positive contribution to your community in a different way, a positive outlook on life, seeing the bigger picture, you may  have less  anxiety and depression, anger and less negative  or low moods. You may find your health becomes balanced, as you feel at peace with what is happening around you. You may find you become less judgemental, which is stressful and more accepting of yourself and others. You may notice your intuition increases to guide and help you and others in many ways that create peace, joy and happiness. 

A Spiritual path and Spiritual Awakening

If you have chosen to embrace a spiritual path or feel a calling to look within, you may view this as a journey and a process, and would most likely be different for everyone.
Your decision to look without and within for answers is very natural. There are many reasons a person chooses a spiritual path. Prehaps you are looking for stress relief, A spiritual experience may have touched you,  or have experienced  pain and suffering and are now looking for a deeper meaning, or healing, you may just sense their is something bigger than 'me' out their, you may just have many questions about life. Ancient teachers, such as Buddha, Jesus, often speak of living your Truth or Liberation from pain and suffering at the deepest level.

A Spiritual Awakening process and Different Views.

They say there is always going to be different views that people have to one situation, and the reason for the different views is because Spirit or Consciousness wants to experience life in many different forms, because Spirit is unlimited potential, like when you look around at how many different shapes and colours their are around you in nature including humans. The world is not just black and white. It is healthy to look at life from different views or angles, so you can have a deeper understanding of what is happening around you. This opens our mind to lots of different world views, possibilities, cultures, experiences and acceptance. below I have briefly put a Spiritual awakening in to many different words you may find it described in. There are still many other ways.

- A Spiritual awakening  may be seen as  a process of the soul connecting to Spirit, and you come to realise your true nature. You would be open to a process of an inner transformation, like when caterpillar hibernating then transforming inside the cocoon. The words of  we are 'Spiritual beings having a human experience' may come into your awareness. You may have instantly realised, or are slowly realising your true nature through connecting to Spirit or the Divine within.  You may then begin to find and live your true purpose. This may also include guidance and assistance from Spiritual guides, Archangels, Ascended Masters and various Spiritual tools and people to help you along the way.

- The Ascension process describes our 'light body' as being activated. People often use terms such as 'raising your energetic vibration from a lower vibration to a higher vibration'. This is based on the view that everything is energy vibrating at different frequencies, the highest vibrational frequency is pure Spirit or The Source. You may be drawn to certain tool like crystals which carry a similar frequency to Spirit or The Source, to help you heal, and/or connect to the One Spirit. With Ascension our individual soul is 'Ascending' to return, or is returning home to The Source, where the soul now becomes The Soul, here the soul is awakened or liberated, and learns their true purpose. This also may include guidance and assistance from Spiritual guides, Archangels, Ascended Masters and many 'Spiritual tools' to help you along the way.

- A shift in consciousness means you shift from being only conscious of the ego and physical world, to being fully awake, aware and conscious that you are one with the Creator. This can also be a process of expanding your awareness to that of the true Self

- An inner transformation is likened to a process, that you intentionally or are open to allowing to occur, at a pace that is right for you, in a non competitive peaceful  manner, and can also be guided by your intuition and synchronicity of events.  An inner transformation means that the 'false self' slowly or rapidly transforms into the True Authentic Self. This can occur automatically, for this to occur a profound shift has usually taken place, usually the souls path so for your higher good, In my experience  you remain the silent witness or the observer or the 'space', while the process occurs. This requires a deep permanent and very direct connection to Spirit or The Source which you can do through practice tools like meditation. 

- A process of becoming One with the Creator, the Creator is genuine, authentic and true and so are you. You have the potential to live your Authentic Self which is omnipresent.

- Transcendence of the Mind, is a process which may occur during meditation, when the mind is slowed down, or still and you are aware of your true nature, which is always present.  When the mind is quiet, stress is relieved.

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist and wrote a well known theory based on human needs, which I studied 20 years ago. He made a pyramid of the hierarchy of needs. This is likened to the human chakra system. From the bottem of the pyramid of human needs start from  physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, cognitive and self-actualisation realisation and transcendence. This integrates Spirit (awareness) to the physical world quite well. I find his work simple and easy to understand even if you are going through Spiritual awakening process. 

“Let people realise clearly that every time they threaten someone or humiliate or unnecessarily hurt or dominate or reject another human being, they become forces for the creation of psychopathology, even if these be small forces. Let them recognise that every person who is kind, helpful, decent, psychologically democratic, affectionate, and warm, is a psychotheraputic force, even though a small one.”
― Abraham H. Maslow


Spiritual Awakening and Psychic Seeing of The Aura and its Layers.

As you awaken on your path, your psychic sense may open up, which allows for clarity and helps you answer questions to life. The psychic sense is their to help you and others on your path.  You may also become aware of your Aura and other peoples Auras, which is the energy field around you. The Aura has many layers,  and have different meanings and carry information about our health and well being, current life, past life. The Aura layers communicate with each other and have an effect on our health and well being. The first layer closest to the physical body is usually called the etheric layer which relates to the health and condition of the physical body. Following this is the emotional layer, which is connected to feelings and emotions.  The mental layer carries information about our thoughts and ideas, beliefs and intellect. After this layer is the Astral layer which is connected to expansion, love, or a bridge or window to next deeper spiritual layers or dimensions. This layer is followed by the etheric template which is based on communication and creativity, and after this is a celestial Layer where our physical mind connects to the spiritual mind, which may occur in practice tools like meditation, prayer, devotional practices. This later connects us to something greater than ourselves. Then we have another layer called the Casual layer, which carries information about our soul and soul path. Beyond these layers are layers which connect you to the higher power or the The Divine Source where you may experience oneness, or your personal 'God' connection.

Challenges or Obstacles on a Spiritual Path

Some people may be able to glide effortlessly down a spiritual path, this depends may factors. However if you come across an obstacle on your path, it is very natural and nothing to be worried about. When we begin to awaken to the True Self, old thought patterns that no longer serve us come forward for healing or transmutation.
If you feel you have a blockage or obstacle on your spiritual journey, it may be because of the Spiritual Ego or the conditioned mind. A commen obstacle is an attachment to the idea of Spirituality and Psychic Awareness.  An example of this is thinking you are better than or more than others because you practice meditation, had a spiritual experience, or belong to a spiritual group. Thinking you are more Spiritual than others. However if you get hurt by anothers actions or criticised, the conditioned mind will lash out and say  'thats wrong they shouldn't be doing that'. 
The truth is People will say and be who they are at their stage of their path. All we can do is be responsible for our self.
Sometimes we may just be fearing the unknown spiritual dimension, this fear is something that if explored with curiosity will be released or transmuted back to the Divine. The Spiritual Ego may be strong in some of humans, they say the stronger the ego, the more the Divine wants to work with you (In a good way). However when you notice it, it is a good thing is. It means you can you can work with this and move through it with ease in your own way, to reveal your true self.

Purpose of the Ego
The Creator created the Ego, for survival in the physical world. For example to protect us from harm.  For over thousands of years now  humans slowly began to forget their true nature as the Spirit. The Ego in this time,  makes for  our beliefs, values, thoughts and feelings, attachments, habits, desires, sees itself as separate from the whole or 'duality'. 



Meaning of True Nature and the True Self how Spiritual Tools Help

If you are going through a spiritual awakening, you may have sensed your true nature already. If you are unsure what this means, then it won't mean much to you. You can begin by going outside and connecting with the feeling of nature and spending relaxing time in nature can be helpful to sense the positive energy nature has. The effect is usually that you may begin to feel relaxed, peaceful and present.
Our True Nature means who you are at your core, your true essence. The True Self is One with Spirit, therefore one with all. If you don't see or feel this, that is ok, at least the knowledge of the Truth has been imparted, which maybe helpful at some point on your journey. It is when a person begins to remember this true nature that a spiritual awakening or transcendence occurs, which is a completely natural process of coming to self realisation.
Tools such as mindfulness, meditation, breath awareness, Soul awareness, self love and compassion, or even just knowing that you are being unconditionally loved and accepted by Spirit, or a higher power 24/7 can very reassuring and self empowering in itself. 
The True Authentic Self is selfless, is happy, free, Divine. This is a personal choice we make at anytime, what is true, is that more and more people are becoming aware of something bigger than the self. And if you feel a calling to explore this, then I would say embrace it. 

Creating a Sacred space
If you feel a calling to create a space at home or work that reflects your true nature, or to contemplate on life, this could be helpful. It has been scientifically proven that people who have a sacred place at home or work, have a reduced stress rate, are more grounded and connected to the True Self, because an external sacred space helps you make a connection inwards, or to a something 'bigger' than your self, such as God or Spirit.
It can be a great idea to spend time here and go inwards to relax an overactive stressed body or mind. It can be as simple as a room or area in your home where you can place posters, pictures, cushions, plants, incense, crystals or flowers, that assist and allow you to feel relaxed. You could include a picture of an Ascended master or Archangels or anything that resonates with you to reflect upon and connect to. This space could also be a place of prayer, as prayer is known to assist in connecting to a higher power. You can also include meditative music and candles to assist in creating inner space, peace and quiet for self love and reflection. On a deeper level, such spaces also may help clear the mind of clutter, reduce chitter chatter or background noise because the focus is on the Divine within, rather than anything else.

Journal Writing As a Practice Tool
Some people use the spiritual practice tool of journal writing to write about their feelings, thoughts, experiences or to monitor their progress on their journey. This also clears the mind and cultivates self awareness, observation, reflection, self compassion and gratitude. What you write in your journal may differ the more you progress and is personal to you. This tool helps with being mindful of your thoughts and emotions, as you investigate or learn more about yourself for growth and development. Writing may help you to let go of what no longer serves you. There are many more positive effects to this practice tool. 

"What you think about you attract, you are unlimited beings at your deepest  true essence."  Buddha

The Unveiling or Revealing of The Truth.
If you choose to become aware of your egoic patterns, either through mindfulness or another practice tool  you may begin to realise the True Self. Or a Veil gets lifted as the illusions of the mind become revealed, and dissolve in the light of God (Spirit). The True Self is not the Ego personality. 

The Truth and Truth Seekers.
The Truth that you are not just a physical body and mind, you are not a finite person. The Truth seeker is the  ego looking for the Truth. Once you can see this, their is no more seeking. The more you practice allowing the energy of Spirit to flow through you, or expanding your awareness, the more your 'True Self ' or the Truth will reveal itself to you. The veil will be lifted, and you may realise the Love inside of you is bigger than anything outside of you, and also that it was always their, and will always be their.
I feel it is important to realise that we are all on our own unique journey, and you don't need to look within yourself, you don't need to find your true self. The Truth again can mean different things to different people. However it can be comforting and reassuring for some people to know that there is something bigger than yourself out there. I will leave this up to you to decide. 

How Can I Serve?

This is a natural feeling that occurs when you have connected to the One Source on some level. Even through loving acts of kindness, from the heart with the intention to serve as an instrument of 'God',  even if what looks small, can make a huge difference in the world. This is also known as selfless service, where we are putting the ego aside and allowing Spirit to work through you. this can be done in any situation, at work, at home, as a Spiritual Healer.

​Spiritual Practices and Their Ethics?

If you feel drawn to a particular practice, It can be helpful to learn it well. They reflect The Truth within us and may feel like peaceful and loving practices. Most practices can lead you to the The Truth, because the practice itself came from The Truth. The purpose of the practice is to guide you to what is already here and now. Practices and rituals are to develop a state of consciousness which may decrease pain and suffering. For example in Buddhism there are a set of Ethics to guide you towards this state of consciousness.
Buddha’s teachings are called  “dharma.” They are qualities of Spirit or the Truth within us or may allow for increased self awareness. The qualities are said to be our true nature, fee of ego: compassion, wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and to not harm others or yourself. Buddhists will live by five moral precepts:

• To not Kill living things
• To not Take what is not given
• Not to engage in Sexual misconduct
• Not have any interest in Lying
• To not not use drugs or alcohol

And they also Follow an Noble Eightfold Fold Path

What has been studied is that the human ego or conditioned mind may misinterpret the true meaning behind these practices, so sometimes the Truth gets lost or diluted. They say that when you practice the precepts for any of type of religion or non religious pathway, or are reminded of them regularly you certainly can become self realised or the Truth will reveal itself to you. 

Getting Involved: Mediation Groups, Spiritual Groups, Temples and Churches, Courses, Volunteer work, Donating and Travelling
When learning about who you really are, and embracing your spiritual side, you may find your self awareness begins to increase. You may become aware that you are connected to everything around you, in a deeper way and the cause and effect of life. You may feel drawn to visit different groups, training or courses, places, or even countries. This can assist in your own growth and development, and help you feel connected and at ease. They offer support and guidance to finding what you are looking for. It is also ok to move on from particular groups if you feel they do not feel right to you, you may be at different stages of your journey. This is also a great way to meet like minded people and make great new friends who also are on a spiritual path. Such groups and travelling may help you feel connected to our environment, part of a community, safe and comfortable knowing we are never alone.

Tools and Aligning With the True Self
On a deeper level, some people use practice tools or cultures for example, Yoga Classes, Reiki and Reiki share groups, Maori, Meditation and Meditation groups, Taoist, Vedanta (book of  knowledge), Christianity, , Ascension Process, Vibrational Healing, Theta Healing, some of the new age teachings that are centred around expanding your consciousness and Oneness, to assist them to realise there true nature.
Each practice also has rules or teachings that are specifically designed to align you with the Truth of who you are. A good teacher will create space for you to learn and grow, and encourage self empowerment. 
If you are interested in looking within, or into the deeper meanings of situations, work, career, and relationships in your life, we may be able to support and guide you on your journey.  Your journey is the priority first and foremost.
We meet you where you are at with non judgemental eyes, and an listen with an open heart and mind with the help of the unconditionally Loving Spirit to best support, uplift, guide, offer guidance or direction so you can open doors to assist you in living a fulfilling life. 

  



Love and Light

Angie
Divine Connections

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