Signs You're Going Through a Spiritual Awakening

Ever had one of those moments where all of a sudden life is different? Are you feeling like a different person every day, as though you woke up one day and you were a stranger to yourself? Same ceiling, same house, perhaps even the same people, and yet something is different within. If you resemble that, then you may be experiencing what a lot of people know as a spiritual awakening.

But don't get the idea that this is some far-out, hippie idea for monks on mountaintops. A spiritual awakening occurs in the midst of perfectly ordinary people, in the middle of perfectly ordinary lives. It has nothing to do with religion. It is not about leaving your cell phone or going to live in an ashram. It's just the soul awakening to a greater reality of you.

Let's think about this in a way. Try to think of a situation where you have been living your whole life looking at something that has been blurry. Then, one day, someone makes an adjustment to the focus. All of a sudden, everything is clearer and more vibrant, and you feel like you were missing out on a lot. This is what it feels like on a spiritual awakening.

So how can you tell if you're experiencing one? These are the characteristics that appear constantly in those who are on this journey. 

The initial stage in a spiritual awakening is to start questioning things that you used to take for granted. The values instilled in you, the career path your family had in mind, the description of a "good life" they gave you, and what they believe success looks like are all thrown into question.

It is an anti-revolution, not for the sake of being anti-revolution. It's your soul searching for what's truly you and not what's true for anybody else. It's sometimes described as feeling like the ground is moving beneath your feet. Old certainties dissolve. Yes, it is intimidating at first, but it's a lovely indication that your mind is growing. 

Do you feel like you no longer fit in the places that used to fit you? Perhaps you are sitting with old friends, and you feel somewhat distant. Perhaps the career that you have enjoyed is now less fulfilling. Perhaps the parties, gossip, and your old routine that used to fill in your day now seem empty.

This feeling of not feeling the same anymore can be a clear sign that a spiritual awakening is occurring. Certainly discomforting, but yes. But it's also a must. In order to become a different person, you can't hold on to your old identity. Someone has to loosen its grip. 

You become aware of things before they occur. Think of a person, and they call you. You have an instinctive feel for a situation, and it's right on the money. This increased awareness of the inner self is one of the most discussed symptoms of spiritual awakening.

In astrology, this increased intuition can be connected with powerful Neptune or planets located in the 12th house of your birth chart. Neptune breaks down the conscious mind and the profound subconscious, creating a communication line with what can only be termed a form of inner wisdom beyond logic.

It doesn't require much understanding to trust, just as the heart doesn't need much thought to love. The more attention you pay to that inner voice, the louder and clearer it will become.

Patients who are experiencing a spiritual awakening can discover that their sleep is drastically modified. There are nights in which you cannot sleep at all; between 2 AM and 4 AM, people wake up and can't quiet their minds. Other nights you sleep deeply and wake up to dreams that you think are realer than real.

These are very intense and detailed dreams, so your subconscious mind is processing the internal changes going on in you. Others have had prophetic dreams in this time, in which the dream would provide them with a message or warning that proved to be true.

One of the best things to do during this phase is to have a little notebook by your bed to write down your dreams as soon as you wake up. Those dreams will often be giving you a message that you need to pay attention to.

You find yourself wanting more time to yourself than ever before. Not because you are sad or antisocial, but because you feel good being alone. The noise of crowded places, shallow conversations, and constant digital stimulation starts to feel draining rather than exciting.

This desire for solitude and quiet is your soul calling for room to hear itself. Consider it to be "pressing pause" on the world's noise and listening to your frequency. This stage is often referred to as a "natural retreat" and the "drawing in," similar to the soul preparing itself for a major step forward.

If you have begun to notice that you are aware of others' emotions pretty quickly, or that you are easily drained in certain areas and energized in others, then you may be dealing with what is known as heightened energy sensitivity.

It's physically exhausting when they're around people who are constantly negative or when they're in a noisy environment or crowded mall. Then again, there may be a place in nature that recharges you, some music that gets you up and dancing, some candlelight that inspires you, or that quiet morning cup of chai.

This increased sensitivity is not a weakness. It is rather an indicator of how your system is becoming more sensitive to energies as more people pass by without awareness. 

You begin to get bored with gossip. It is awkward to speak at social occasions. You feel like you want to engage in deep and real-life conversations about life, meaning, purpose, and truth. You would prefer to sit with one sincere individual rather than ten superficial individuals.

This is one of the most obvious social indicators of spiritual awakening; at times it may make an individual feel that they are alone or misunderstood. The reality is, people's social circles do change at this time. Certain friendships are lost. New and meaningful relationships begin to emerge almost magically. 

You have a change in your outlook on nature. A walk in the park begins to seem like a walk in the sacred. The moon comes to your attention in a new way. It's raining on the music. You are moved by sunsets, the fragrance of the earth after the rain, and the way light falls on leaves.

It's not just beauty appreciation. It's a realization on a soul level that you're part of something alive and expansive. Astrologically, this is a strong trait of nature that is evident in earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) or a chart with a strong moon and Venus. However, even if it doesn't involve an astrological scene, it's one of the most tender and gorgeous indications that your spiritual awakening is very real. 

Notice patterns of numbers over and over again? Perhaps the numbers 111, 222, or 333 are constantly appearing on license plates, receipts, on clocks, etc.? Perhaps you're repeatedly seeing the same person in places you shouldn't. Perhaps a book slips off a shelf, and when you open it, it contains exactly the page you've been searching for weeks for an answer to your question.

These are known as "synchronicities," which are like coincidences, but they are meaningful and seem to happen at the right time. One of the most common experiences of spiritual awakening found in various cultures and traditions. They are the universe pushing you, reminding you that you're doing the right thing. Listen to them. Write them down. Notice the patterns. 

There is a feeling of emptiness, something you are missing that you can't find in your life. It's a sense that you're here for something more than paying bills and getting through the week. You begin to wonder how you can help, what difference do you make, and what contribution could you make?

This is a universal desire for more meaning and purpose that is common to the spiritual awakening process. It can lead people to change careers, begin creative endeavors, champion causes they care for, and/or show up differently in their relationships.

In Vedic astrology, sometimes it is associated with Saturn return (30 years of age in both the cases). Saturn is a planet that makes you realize who you really are and what your life is really about. It's uncomfortable but a deep transformative experience. 

You begin to feel sensations that you've never noticed before. A sense of love in your heart. A feeling of pins and needles in the crown of the head. Gut-wrenching sensation when things don't feel right. Some people talk about a feeling of buzzing around or unexplainable waves of energy running through their body.

There may also be a noticeable change in your appetite and food preferences. Foods that were once normal may begin to seem like too much or different to the body. You may end up eating foods that you don't plan on eating or foods that are lighter or fresher. Your body is tuning into a higher energy that your inner self is tuning into. 

There's a crack in the heart when a spiritual awakening takes place. You start seeing strangers not as separate, unrelated people but as fellow human beings who are all doing the best they can with what they have got. The news has a deeper impact on you. Animals do captivate you in different ways. You may find unexpected tears come when a child laughs.

One of the most profound indicators of the awakening process is this welling of empathy and compassion. It's the ego's walls coming down. It's the aspect of you that used to perceive the world as "us vs. them," realizing that all life is intricately linked. 

If you are seeing yourself in multiple of these symptoms, here is what you should remember: You are not going crazy. You are not broken. You are waking up. The steps can seem like a whirlwind, but it is one of the most significant experiences a human being can experience.

A spiritual awakening isn't a place you get to. It is a process that continues and continues throughout your life. It is like a grieving process in some aspects. Some are as joyful as to be painful. In most cases, it's as if both are occurring simultaneously.

You can only go forward and embrace it with curiosity and not fear. Take some quiet time. Get into nature. Take note of your dreams. Notice the synchronicities. Remember to treat yourself with kindness on the tough days. And believe that what is happening in you is greater and more beautiful than your mind can presently comprehend. Your soul has an answer, and it is telling it to you.