We are living in a time of great spiritual shift on this planet. More and more people are awakening, which can be a very jarring and disconcerting experience, but understanding the process can help us navigate it with more ease. If you find yourself reading this, it is not by coincidence. May the information presented here bring you comfort and understanding on your journey.
Disclaimer: This information is based on my personal experience, perception, ideas, and current level of consciousness and should, therefore, be considered theory, not fact. Always exercise discernment when consuming content, including this content.
WHAT IS AWAKENING?
I think of awakening as becoming aware of something you weren't previously cognizant of. There are different types of awakening. This article addresses awakening to spiritual truth; an initiation of the ascension journey, which can be an extremely challenging experience that profoundly impacts your mental, emotional, physical, and energetic state. What triggers a spiritual awakening varies. It could be a spontaneous occurrence happening for no apparent reason, a gradual experience, or one triggered by a major life event, often a challenging one, such as losing a loved one, a near-death experience or hitting rock bottom. Even reading a certain book, meeting a particular person or travelling to a specific place can trigger an awakening. The avenues are endless.
This article presents the awakening process in stages; however, there are countless ways to navigate it. Some steps may not apply to you, or you may experience something not listed here. You may experience numerous stages simultaneously, cycle within a stage (or two or three) repeatedly, or flow through them step-by-step. Everyone's journey is unique, and the complexity of this process is difficult to map. What is presented here is a simplified version of my own personal experience. Everyone's story will be different. I share mine so others may know that they are not alone.
A quick sidenote here to briefly summarize what I mean by "ascension" since I reference it throughout this article. To me, ascension is an expansion of consciousness that allows for the comprehension of one's multidimensionality, a raising of one's vibrational frequency, and the ability to anchor higher aspects of the spiritual self into this physical reality. This is a massive oversimplification of an extraordinarily complex concept, and it is completely normal if it sounds like gibberish. I cover this process in more depth in the article "The Shift."
THE STAGES
Stage 1: The Wake Up
As stated above, what triggers each individual to wake up is unique to them. My initial awakening occurred after my father died when I was 28 years old. I began experiencing things I couldn't explain, so I went searching for answers, stumbled into metaphysics, and eventually, spirituality.
Stage 2: The Collection
This phase typically occurs during or after Stage 3, but for me, it came first. Many of us turn to spirituality in search of relief from our suffering. It is a distraction from our earthly lives, where we can bliss out on concepts of love and light and dream of manifesting our best life. However, unbeknownst to many of us, authentic spiritual development requires much more than collecting information and wishful thinking; it requires facing our pain, which most of us have spent a lifetime (or lifetimes, plural) avoiding and repressing. Eventually (hopefully), one realizes that the endless collection of spiritual concepts without proper integration through healing and embodiment is not a genuine ascension path. For that, we must move through the dark night.
Stage 3: The Dark Night/Ego Death
The dark night of the soul is a lightning bolt to your life. It rocks your world and makes you question everything you ever thought you knew. It can feel like you are going insane, or worse, that you are dying. In theory, a part of you is.
It is in the dark night where you will be faced with all the things you have not dealt with: emotions, experiences, wounding, trauma, karma, everything and anything you have repressed. This unintegrated aspect of self unveiled in the dark night is referred to as the shadow. It is a common misconception that our shadow is bad, when in reality, it is just rejected parts of self, pieces we repressed out of the often subconscious fear of facing them. It is natural to avoid pain, and even necessary in some circumstances. But if we repress these parts of self long-term, they become more entrenched and influential, resulting in us making sabotaging life choices. The dark night requires us to shine a light on our shadow and acknowledge what it is trying to show us so that we may transmute and release the trapped dense energy within. The shadow is not meant to be feared; it is an integral and powerful aspect of you that is the key to ascension.
As we do shadow work, we will be called to review all that we have created and accepted in our lives under the influence of our subconscious shadow aspects. People, situations, environments, mindsets, belief systems, behaviours, possessions, and possibly your entire life will come up for assessment. You will become aware of all the mistreatment you have allowed in your life (including all the unloving things you have done to yourself) and all the ways you have mistreated others. This is not easy, and your ego will fight you every step of the way.
The ego, in this context, is the mental construct you have created of yourself and the world. It is formed from a myriad of influences, including past experiences, upbringing, belief systems, and society, among others. Within the dark night, we begin to question reality and everything that has formed the ego self as it presently exists. You are becoming conscious of the ego and awakening to your true self. The ego perceives this as a form of death, which is why it resists so intensely.
The ego is not inherently negative. In fact, we need it in this physical realm. However, there are varying versions of the ego, spanning from unevolved/ unhealed/ unintegrated to evolved/ healed/ integrated. When the ego remains unhealed, we live from an underlying current of fear (usually unbeknownst to us). It attempts to keep us safe by avoiding change because familiarity is equated with safety for the ego. Even when what we are familiar with is unhealthy or makes us unhappy, an unevolved ego would rather stay in the known misery than risk venturing forth into the unknown. This is why some people resist or reject their ascension timeline.
The term "ego death" does not refer to the permanent extermination of the ego (impossible). Rather, it is the repeated transformation of the ego as it moves along the spectrum from unevolved to evolved. If we choose a healing path, we will experience many ego deaths and rebirths along the way.
The dark night/ego death stage will be one of the most challenging experience of your life. You will be called to release everything that does not support your evolution. Nothing is easy or comfortable here. It is not uncommon for people to abandon the ascension path at this point, returning to their lifestyle prior to awakening or perhaps choosing to swim in the shallows of pop culture spirituality permanently.
For me, I swam in the shallows for years, choosing to accumulate information over doing the inner work. My ego kept me here, but I was completely unaware of this and believed I was fully participating in the process. But in reality, I was attempting spiritual development without doing the necessary shadow work. Finally, I surrendered to the dark night and took the plunge inward to begin my healing process.
Not everyone has signed up to experience an awakening in this lifetime, which is why it is important not to force others onto this path; it is something the soul chooses before incarnation. However, opting out of an awakening is possible even if we are scheduled for it because we all have free will here. But the soul is very powerful, and if it has a particular path or purpose it wants to follow in this lifetime, it will repeatedly push us towards awakening. If we continue to resist, it may lead to a collapse or crisis in our life (commonly referred to as a "tower moment"), where anything we are clinging to that is not in alignment with our true self will be forcibly removed. This will only happen if we resist the process. It is highly recommended to surrender control and let the soul guide you.
The concept of dark night/ego death is extremely complex, and I am barely scratching the surface. You can find more information on the Resources page. If you are struggling and need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact a coach or therapist who can support you on this journey.
Stage 4: Integration
You are navigating through massive shifts that not everyone chooses to undertake. What you are doing is no small feat. Acclimation periods throughout the ascension process are necessary to allow for integration. We must implement the new energy into our lives, practice it, embody it, and heal what it calls us to heal. Evolution takes time.
Taking the time to integrate can be difficult because we may want to rush forward to some nonexistent destination or continue accumulating knowledge. Not all steps of spiritual awakening are enjoyable, but they are necessary. This process is not a race, and attempting to rush through it will only extend the challenging parts.
Stage 5: Balance
Balance is required in many ways on this path. Ultimately, it comes down to balancing masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) energies within ourselves. Both polarities are required; neither is better or less than the other. This is a massive topic, so I'll offer a comparative list to consider (this is energetic in nature and has nothing to do with gender).
Yang/Yin
Give/Receive
Pursue/Attract
Support/Nurture
Material/Spiritual
External/Internal
Analyze/Intuit
Act/Integrate
Effort/Allow
Head/Heart
Think/Feel
Do/Be
Each of us will have a polarity that is naturally more dominant than the other. However, today's yang-driven culture of hustle and conquer is currently the prevailing facet, and there is very little appreciation or belief in feminine principles. As a result, many of us require extensive deconditioning and healing to come into equilibrium. It is not about one polarity being preferable or more powerful than the other. It is about finding balance.
Stage 6: Isolation
Any or all of the stages of awakening may include isolation, which can be self-initiated or not. Isolation may be required for many reasons, one of the most common being that it can protect you from exposure to harsh energies that could impede you. It might help to think of it as cocooning like a caterpillar to allow for transformation. This doesn't necessarily mean you physically isolate yourself, and it could be as simple as not disclosing what you are experiencing to others. If you need to isolate, you will feel an instinctive urge to do so.
The extent and duration of isolation vary between people. You will still long for connection and likely feel lonely and misunderstood. Remember that you're not alone, and many others are experiencing what you are. If no one in your circle understands what is happening, consider finding an online community and connecting with your spiritual team for support throughout this process. And always seek professional help if you feel you need it.
Stage 7: Rebirth
Rebirth is an emergence from the cocoon, and like the isolation phase, it can occur at any time during this process or be attempted (and abandoned) multiple times. Like a newly hatched butterfly, you are very vulnerable at this stage, and sometimes, the energies surrounding us as we emerge aren't supportive enough for us to feel safe. It is important to note that remaining isolated beyond the point of usefulness is possible. It may be required to push yourself out of your comfort zone at some point.
Rebirth can be very challenging. You have evolved energetically. People may not understand your shift or even be aware that it happened, and you may feel pressure from individuals/society to revert to your old self. When we shift our frequency, people who no longer match it can sense this on a subconscious level and may attempt to pull us back to our former state. Witnessing a shift they are not ready to undertake themselves is very uncomfortable for some. Think of the times when we make a life change for our betterment, such as quitting alcohol or adopting a healthy eating habit. How many people pressure you to resume old habits? It is your responsibility to establish healthy boundaries in this scenario. Developing the awareness and inner strength to do this can take significant time and practice.
At some point, if you learn to maintain boundaries, you will feel a shift where the repressive energies no longer have the power to contain you. Perhaps the source of that energy is no longer in your life, or it just doesn't have the same effect on you. Or maybe you have managed to release the compulsion to live your life based on what others think, in favour of living a life authentic to you. Some experiences may still feel uncomfortable and challenging, but a noticeable change has occurred within you, and you now have the strength to navigate lower frequencies without them pulling you back down.
Stage 8: Forgiveness
Throughout the awakening process, your self-love and acceptance will strengthen. Sovereignty, confidence, authenticity and the ability to show up as your true self are cultivated, but this takes time. You may not recognize the person you once were, and the people surrounding you may not either, which can trigger them. This is where compassion and forgiveness play a significant role, not just towards others but also towards oneself.
It is common for feelings of regret, guilt or shame to surface due to past actions taken while existing at a different level of consciousness. Or perhaps you feel anger or resentment towards others for how they have treated you. All of this is normal. Thankfully, once you have moved through this process, your new perspective allows you to understand that you (and others) did the best you could at that time. Process your emotions, establish boundaries, make amends if needed, and forgive yourself and others. This doesn't necessarily mean you allow those past behaviours or people to remain in your life, but it does mean you have processed your pain and released the energetic ties associated with it. Forgiveness frees your heart, and it will be required of you.
THE LAYERS
It is easy to summarize this process and make it seem as simple as following a few steps, but the truth is that this journey requires incredible amounts of courage, surrender, strength, devotion and faith. We experience multiple awakenings throughout our lifetime. It is not the case that you awaken, roll through this process once, and reach a destination. There is always another layer, another opportunity to go deeper/higher. As long as we choose a genuine ascension path, we will continue to evolve upwards on the spiral of consciousness.
TRAPS
As we take this journey, many traps lie in wait along the way. They aren't "bad"; they exist to gift us lessons and act as initiation points. These are a few examples (far from all) of the ones I have personally struggled with.
1) Redundancy
We can get stuck in thinking that we have to achieve healed perfection. This often happens on the spiritual journey, and we become trapped in a healing/victim mindset, continuing to repeat the cycle. Sometimes, when we finally overcome/ heal/ transmute/ release something, we can experience a sense of euphoria. Some people get addicted to this and get stuck in a never-ending cycle of digging into themselves to uncover things to heal. You do not need to go digging. Anything that is no longer serving you that is ready to be released will rise to the surface on its own. Allowing is highly advisable.
2) Racing
It is important to avoid putting ourselves in some non-existent race to "get there." In truth, this is merely an attempt to outrun our pain, which will only lead us into a loop of repeating cycles because we haven't yet transmuted the energy. This process will unfold organically, and there is no need to control, force or rush. It really is all about the journey, not the destination. Awakening and ascension are not meant to be tasks we check off a list; they are a way of life. Approaching energetic evolution from a mindset of reaching a finish line is counterproductive. You are always evolving; allow it to happen, and don't forget to enjoy life along the way.
3) Repression
Everything we repress will inevitably surface one way or another. The longer we ignore it, the more it strengthens, attempting to gain our attention. Repression only prolongs the inevitable and makes the eventual release more destructive. Many of us are still taught to repress our trauma and emotions, and this is a major cause of our personal and collective problems in the world today.
The tendency to repress can also develop from misconstrued spiritual teachings, which inaccurately prompt us to believe that feeling or thinking something "negative" will attract more of it into our lives. Our thoughts are a barometer of our inner and subconscious states, and our emotions are an indicator of how we are responding to those states; they are here to inform us and should be observed and addressed, not bypassed.
Alternatively, it is possible to swing to the other end of the spectrum and become overly identified with our pain and trauma. We must learn to become aware of our shadow without becoming hyper-focused on it. The key is to observe the thought, not believe it; feel the feeling, not become it; acknowledge the trauma, not relive it; process the density, not expand it. It is all one big balancing act.
4) Righteousness
It is easy to slip into righteousness on this journey, believing we know more or better than others. The key is remembering that every soul has a specific life path, which is not ours to control or manipulate. It's hard to overcome the urge to awaken others forcefully, but controlling someone else's path creates energetic karma better left alone. Adopt the motto "to each their own" to assist you in releasing righteousness, judgment and controlling tendencies (all spawned from fear). Lead energetically by example and allowing, which will be far more influential without impeding someone else's free will.
INNER WORK FOR OUTER CHANGE
Personal inner work creates collective outer change. Everyone who chooses to undertake this inner work has a profound impact. Working on yourself is the most effective way to create positive change on a planetary scale, as it creates an energetic ripple effect that influences humanity's collective consciousness. You have no idea how powerful you are. You do not need to wake others up forcefully. The frequency of your raised consciousness has more effect on more people without saying a word than you could ever imagine. As you heal, awaken, and evolve yourself, you also heal, awaken, and evolve humanity.
And always remember:
You aren't crazy, even though it may feel that way.
This process can be lonely, isolating and difficult, but it gets better.
You are positively impacting the world in momentous ways.
Reach out for help if you need it.
You are not alone!
You are loved!
You got this!
This content was originally posted on April 4, 2023.
Written by: Lacey
Up Next: Truth Rising
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Disclaimer: The information presented here is based on my personal experience, perception, ideas, and current level of consciousness and should, therefore, be considered theory, not fact. Always exercise discernment when consuming content, including this content.
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