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While this freedom to learn brings countless opportunities for personal growth, it can also get quite overwhelming! There are so many thoughts, opinions, debates, and discussions out there.
Who do we listen to?
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Spiritual ascension (or spiritual awakening) is one of many major topics out there which can become confusing very quickly. Everyone seems to have a different understanding of what spiritual ascension means. The plethora of information out there doesn’t help: it can make you quite disoriented in a short amount of time. Personally, I believe that almost all definitions of spiritual ascension are right because it is an exquisitely multi-layered concept and experience that cannot be shoved into a box that easily.
That being said, it does help to categorize and label the different aspects of spiritual ascension so that we can understand them better – and that is my intention for this article.
What I am going to share below is based on my own experience, insight, and observation of myself and other people. You’re welcome to redefine or add to this list however you see fit in the comments.
What is Spiritual Ascension?
Spiritual ascension, also known as spiritual awakening, is a natural evolutionary process which involves the process of shedding the old self and experiencing an inner rebirth. Many people speak about spiritual ascension in terms of being “upgraded,” “rebooted” or being elevated in vibrational frequency. All of these terms are a way of referring to the inner evolution and expansion of the mind, heart, or soul. As the name implies, spiritual ascension is about reaching new heights and transcending old limiting habits, beliefs, mindsets, and ways of being.
Spiritual ascension, however, is not all angels, unicorns, and roses. It is often accompanied by severe and shocking shifts that result in what is called the Dark Night of the Soul. (I elaborate on these dark experiences in my book The Spiritual Awakening Process.)
5 Types of Spiritual Ascension
Spiritual ascension (or spiritual awakening) is mentioned a lot in spiritual circles. Everyone has a slightly different definition. But every interpretation can, more or less, fit into the following five categories:
1. Awakening of the Mind
This type of awakening comes when you experience a major epiphany or sudden mental realization. This deep understanding does not necessarily translate to integrated experience, but it does feel like an astonishing flash of ‘enlightened’ perspective that can help you mentally understand life.
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How to know if you have experienced one: Have you ever experienced that sudden ‘click’ when a piece of information/word/synchronicity falls into a larger puzzle? This is called a mental awakening. And often such realizations stay with us, motivating and inspiring profound changes in our lives.
2. Awakening of a New Personality
When mental awakenings are consistent and go deep enough, over a period of time they can result in the development of a new personality. This type of transformation and ascension involves cutting away and moving past old limiting and toxic patterns and developing qualities such as self-acceptance, empowerment, and understanding. While this type of awakening isn’t as deep as say, a soul awakening, it is nonetheless still vital on the spiritual path.
How to know if you have experienced one: Think back to the kind of person you were one to three years ago. Are you still pretty much the same person? Or have you made some major life-enhancing positive shifts? If you think you’ve changed (in a good way), you’ve likely experienced a personality awakening. This type of awakening is caused when previously repressed, ignored or shunned parts of the personality have been integrated to create more wholeness.
3. Awakening of Spiritual Energy
‘Spiritual ascension’ can sometimes refer to awakening spiritual energy within the body and energy field. When life force energy (commonly referred to as qi, prana, or kundalini energy) is awakened, major changes can occur on the physical through the spiritual levels. Ancient practices such as tai chi, yoga, meditation, and tantra, help to awaken this energy, but sometimes life force energy awakens spontaneously. This sudden activation is called a Kundalini Awakening, which enters the realms of the soul and total awakening (see the next two types below).
How to know if you have experienced one: An awakening of spiritual energy can feel mild all the way to extreme. (And when I say extreme, I mean intensely overwhelming and often too much to bear.) Common signs of an awakening of spiritual energy involve feelings of enhanced vitality and energy on the physical level, energy rushes, tingling and electrical feelings throughout the body, changes in sexual libido, sharpened awareness, and feelings of cosmic interconnectedness. Negative symptoms can also arise (for the uninitiated) such as mood swings, mania, physical hypersensitivity, insomnia, seizures, loss of appetite or overeating, extreme and scary altered states of consciousness – just to name a few.
4. Awakening of the Soul
Soul awakenings can be brief and sudden, or long and drawn out. Brief soul awakenings are often referred to in Zen Buddhism as ‘Satori’ which is the experience of seeing into one’s true eternal nature. This glimpse of enlightenment is often short and doesn’t last very long (one moment to a few days). On the other hand, long-term soul awakenings are experienced as a deepening of contact with one’s Soul. This could involve consistently uniting with one’s soul purpose, spirit guides, or higher self and thereby understanding and beginning to experience oneself as Eternal and Limitless.
How to know if you have experienced one: Have you ever had a moment in which you felt the division between yourself and the World disintegrate? Have you ever shifted from the ego-perspective to the universal-perspective? Have you experienced any moments where you’ve felt deeply aligned with your life purpose? These are all signs of a soul awakening. Developing virtuous qualities such as compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, and unconditional love also accompany soul awakenings.
5. Total Awakening (Enlightenment)
Enlightenment, or total ego death, is a rare experience in which the ‘self’ dissolves and all that remains is Unity With All. This state is called by many names: Oneness, moksha, non-dual awareness, Buddhahood, illumination, and so forth. Such an intense state of being can arrive spontaneously or through years of spiritual study and discipline – but in both instances, total awakening is a gift of grace, it isn’t something that we can “achieve” in the normal sense of the word. When enlightenment occurs, there is an experience of being both nothing and everything all at once; it is a state that transcends thought and the mind itself, it is a Mystical Awakening. The ego is finally seen, understood, and overcome, and all that remains is the Pure Awareness, Presence, Love, and Truth.
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As we can see, spiritual ascension comes in many different shapes and sizes, with the ultimate form of ascension culminating as Total Awakening, self-realization or enlightenment.
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Many people get confused on the spiritual path, so I hope this article has helped to provide more clarity and mental awakening. ;)
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Definitely consider that that you said. Your favourite reason appeared to be at the web the simplest thing to take into accout
Thank you for this! I was wondering though, you also said that we shouldn’t kill our ego’s. How would we ever a total awakening if we don’t?
Thank you Layla. The ego is never killed because just that statement creates another duality. “Who” is killing the “ego”?
Total awakening is beyond our ability to ‘work towards’, because it’s the ego working toward overcoming the ego. Instead, all we can do is prepare the soil sought to speak, practicing meditation and self-inquiry and perhaps if we’re fortunate enough, we’ll experience ‘grace’. But otherwise, we’re still becoming better and more conscious individuals.
The ego never disappears, it’s only our center that shifts from the ego to the absolute. Otherwise, enlightened individuals would walk in front of oncoming traffic because they are ‘one’ with the cars.
I myself Experienced The Real Deal Spiritual Awakening “Mahdi”
Allah has been Guiding me on my Journey Through “Jihad”, just to clarify Jihad Actually Means the “Inner” War with oneself, and I Alhamdurillah literally annihilated My “Nafs” which in English means the “Ego” I’m not to Sure Exatly what happened but it Was like Allah “” Slapped the F*** out of me on the Top
of my Head but it didn’t Hurt, within that moment and an electric. shockwave went through my body and I couldn’t move it almost felt like a nonsexual Electric Orgasm, My Mom got scared and thought I was being Possessed by A “Jinn” so she ran away but my sister stayed and when I asked her what was going on with me she said she doesn’t know, This Occurred on my Date of Birth 09-29-2019 this all happened As the Great White Thunder Storm was taking Place.
I am such a falcon of love that
I have no place in either world.
I am such a phoenix of secrets that
I no longer display any trace of my essence.
I hunted the two worlds in a pleasant way
With my eyebrows.
Look and know that
I have neither an arrow nor a bow.
I have become a voice to speak
And an ear to listen.
But how strange it is,
For I have no ears nor a tongue.
Thank you so very much the information you share is easy to understand and just seems to make sense of what has been happening to me and others during this process. You have brought so much peace and comfort to my soul and mind. I finally understand what and why this is happening! Looking forward to continued growth and understanding thanks for the help ❤ sending love and light to all
I know I’m awakening /have awakened but I feel I can’t progress; I’m stuck. Why? Because family. There are 3 generations living here and a good chunk of the time there are 4. Ages range from brand newborn to 83. My very old school, crotchety Dad is the elder, however, he is not awakening at all (I think he flat refuses). Then there’s my daughter, 23, high functioning special needs with both physical and behavioral/social issues. One very major behavioral/social issue is something psychiatrists call rigid thinking. This means that however she first thought about or experienced something that something will ALWAYS be that way — even if I or someone explains how that something doesn’t have to be the way she originally thought/experienced. She is intelligent and will comprehend and often agree but she will invariably revert back to her first impression. Her brain is apparently hard wired to do this. It can be extremely frustrating and heartbreaking. Because of this, I have come to the conclusion she is incapable of awakening. Add to that she isn’t able to live independently. And I’m stuck in the middle. To make things even more interesting, my sister, brother-in-law, and 9 year old niece live with us and have for the past three years. So during all this fun, I started awakening. I’ve made it through Hell and back and I feel like I’m supposed to move forward. I want to move to the next stage.
And yet, I also feel like I can’t. I made a commitment when my daughter was born to be there for her no matter what. I’m in limbo; I’m holding myself back because I can’t leave her. She would have no one. My dad is too old and also doesn’t believe her chromosomal anomaly causes her behavioral issues; he is convinced she can control it but just doesn’t want to. In spite of reading the latest info and having her doctor tell him. (Sounds like she’s not the only one with rigid thinking…sigh). Sister and BIL are not reliable, dependable, or employed, and tend to make poor life choices, so they aren’t an option.
How do I get through this? I’m like Cinderella, stuck behind, looking wistfully out the open door to a beautiful world full of possibilities, unable to go out because I’m tethered. Oh, and I don’t have a fairy godmother.
The longer I hold myself back, the more I lose of myself. The self I worked hard to meet and who l like. I can’t not be there for my daughter. It’s not her fault she’s the way she is. She just is.
This is by far the worst experience I’ve had. Any sage words will be appreciated.
Hi,
It seems like you are considering your awakening to be completely a separate process from your family situation. I am sure that you are aware that the life conditions you are in have triggered your awakening process because it was predestined to occur in that flow. Running away will May not be the option to move onto the next stage from what you have said so far. I have come to believe that on my journey, whatever is blocking you is your inner resistance to the flow. Being in that very difficult situation with your daughter and other family members is a blessing for you, through hardship you usually begin to awaken. There are stages, yes, but you feeling stuck is only one of those phases. Usually I realise that solitude helps a lot when it comes to turning inward. This doesn’t mean that you should entirely estrange your family and go to some other place where you will feel free. Instead maybe turn your attention inward in the crowd and try to understand where that resistance is within you. This could be done by meditation on the chakras. Usually there is a block and the free flow of energy is stuck in one or more of your chakras. Even that meditation will allow you to feel free from your situation. Just a small insight for your awakening soul from another awakening soul. Take care and surrender to the universe within you.
@Elle Do you like the Bakersfield Soundor talk listen to Jerry and with Donna. They are both.bookies. If so then you know that I a.George Orwell fan and know how to find me.
Thank you!
hi, first of all I would like to thank you for all your time and efforts gone into this to help people gone through or still going through this. I must say how much almost everything on here I have read I can connect with. I have been through absolute hell in my life the past 8-9 years especially the last 4 years, I am a single mammy to 4 boys and how I have managed to come through I will never know, iv never felt so lonely, lost and confused in all my life, then anxiety set in bad, seeing the world and people revealing their evil, realising people pray for help and get angry when its not given as the good suffer when infact humanity are to blame for the suffering of humankind as well as the planet. almost everyone around I could see through their lies fakeness and how selfish and self centred people really are and it hurt. I am now at a point for the second time round (first time being just about a year ago) that things just seemed to change over night, from being in a really dark place to just wanting to out walking in the woods 24/7 if I could, i never want to come back into society, just seeing the absolute beauty in even the tiniest of little flowers id never even noticed before, the trees, just everything and how much our planet is being destroyed and taken for granted. I feel so overwhelmed with love for everything pure and good it literally brings me to tears, but most of all for being honoured with this gift to see the world how it is and be aware of all it love and beauty. I know my lifes purpose now is to help people, erase the whole world from badness and negativity and maybe just let people see its beauty if only for a moment to see through my eyes it might change the worlds behaviour. I feel so agitated right now as I feel so strongly about it but don’t know what path to take and where to go. I thank you both for the reassurance and understanding I have now of the journey iv been on the past years and to keep that focus on who I really am, yous have given me the strength reading your articles to not loose my way again but accept when I did the reasons why.i hope one day to be like yous and im sending all my love to yous from the bottom of my heart. thank you so much. Fiona xxx
oh great. now it makes sense why these past 2 months certain ppl have been looking at me like i smoke hard crack. duly noted not to go straight into the “talking to angels” convo when one mentions “spiritual awakening”.
various definitions and significant distinctions!
thanks higher self and angel guides for leading me to this article AFTER the wedding this past weekend. after all, who needs physical friends when i’ve got you sassy ass bitches w wings. i should buy a cat.
slightly annoyed but still team unconditional love all the way. thank you <3