Spiritual growth or awakening is often subtle, and different for each person. It may come after a long period of questioning and unrest, or sometimes abruptly due to difficult circumstances, illness, death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job, or other traumatic events.
There are usually certain signs or indications that some significant change is taking place. Perhaps, you have experienced some of them but have not been aware that they are manifestations of your own growing spirituality.
The following are 12 various signs indicative that spiritual growth and inquiry are taking place. If you are experiencing five or more manifestations, consider that the Spirit is active and at work within you!
1. INNER CHANGE
“Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” Carl Jung
“The great solution to all human problems is individual inner transformation.” Vernon Howard
Gradually you become aware that your life feels out-of-kilter or false. You realize that joy seems absent in your life. You wonder if this is all there is to life. So much seems surface, without any lasting meaning. Material desires wane as you begin to seek freedom from an overabundance of possessions. You want more space, more silence, more solitude. And you begin to look at your world with different, clearer eyes.
2. SOCIAL
“Draw a circle around yourself- invite people in, or keep them out. We are the creators of our social geometry.” Rachel Wolchin
Superficial activities begin to bore or trouble you. Things and events you may have enjoyed before may not hold the same lure any longer. Perhaps you feel disconnected from family, friends or society. You want to spend more time with people who are authentic and don’t back away from serious reflection. You purposefully search for others who seem to be on the same “wave-length” as you, and with whom you can be more true to your real self. Consequently, you may sense a growing gap between yourself and old friends and acquaintances, which can be disconcerting.
3. SELF-REFLECTION
“You learn who you are by unlearning who they taught you to be.” ― Nikki Rowe
“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” Pema Chodron
You wonder who you really are behind all the masks you present to the world. Perhaps you were never aware of all the negativity you directed toward yourself, but now you begin to see how that has impacted your sense of self. So many of the “old” things that were not right in your life you want to discard, which gives you a sense of hope and anticipation. You experience a willingness to discover and know your true self and to be that person in reality.
4. “OLD STUFF”
“The spiritual journey does not consist of arriving at a new destination where a person gains what he did not have, or becomes what he is not. It consists in the dissipation of one’s own ignorance concerning oneself and life, and the gradual growth of that understanding which begins the spiritual awakening. The finding of God is a coming to one’s self.” Aldous Huxley
Old coping behaviors and limiting patterns of belief emerge, with the realization that you are playing “old tapes” over and over. Those coping mechanisms you used in the past no longer serve you. You feel a real need to address and work to overcome these old issues.
You may find that there’s a strong desire to break away from restrictive situations, or unfulfilling jobs, or people and situations that have bogged you down and have hindered your growth and freedom.
5. PHYSICAL
“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical problems and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.” B.K.S. Iyengar
Your physical health becomes important and you take more care of your body- how you exercise and what you eat. Often there is a hypersensitivity of senses, where hearing is more acute, or sight is enhanced, or intuition is increased. Sometimes there is a change in sleep patterns, either sleeping more or less than usual, or waking frequently. Your mind is trying to integrate new ideas, so your sleep may be interrupted.
6. MENTAL
“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” Denis Waitley
Some people experience a decided lack of mental focus or ability to concentrate. Things are easily forgotten and there can be brain fog, and headaches. Your right brain is surging, causing the left, rational brain to take a back seat. Your mind may also be very active as it seeks to process and digest all that you are thinking about and mulling over.
You may become impatient and uncomfortable with so much uncertainty, and yearn for some kind of grounding.
7. SYNCHRONICITY
“As we blossom or awaken, we begin to notice there is a force in the world that seems to be operating and leading us into a certain destiny. And it’s very much a kind of detective effort on our own part to figure out what these things mean. The synchronicity is essentially a meaningful coincidence that brings us information at just the right time. While leading us forward, it also feels very inspiring and destined in a way. It feels like we’re on a path of unfolding in our own personal evolution.” James Redfield
“Synchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have the eyes to see.” Carl Jung
Events and happenings seem to become more orchestrated, and there will be more coincidences and flukes appearing in your life. You will find more “chance” encounters and meet just the right people at the right time. And you become aware of the various signs and messages that are indications of divine inspiration. Take the time to try and understand the messages and reasons for the various “coincidences”.
8. CONNECTION
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” Albert Einstein
The feeling of being connected to everything and everybody is strong. Your compassion grows for others and other things beyond your local sphere. Animals and nature increasingly tug at your heart. Global concerns move you and you want to make the world a better place. Being a part of this “oneness” you want to make a positive impact on the world. This sense of connectedness grows stronger and stronger over time.
9. FEELINGS
“Emotions are the language of the soul.” Karla McLaren
You may feel like you are in limbo, and treading in uncharted waters. There can be a sense of being ungrounded, spacey, scattered. All your old sign-posts and rock-hard beliefs are crumbling and you feel awash in uncertainty. There may be no one else you know that is spiritually where you are now, so it feels lonely and isolating.
You may find you weep easily and sometimes for no specific reason. Often your emotions feel like you are on a roller-coaster with peak highs, and valley lows. Your heart is in the process of opening wider.
Sometimes, because of your growing compassion and sense of connection, you may feel a deep sense of depression and sadness at the tremendous amount of suffering in the world.
You are decidedly outside of your comfort zone. You may even wish for the safe feelings of the old familiar known you, because it was easier, less complicated, and less scary.
10. LOSS OF INTEREST
“Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?” Rumi
You may begin to feel a loss of interest in more extroverted activities- especially big, noisy gatherings.
Inner peace is especially important to you now, so all types of conflict feels very uncomfortable. You try and avoid chaotic drama and are looking for serenity in your life.
On the positive side, you may find that you are experiencing a loss of judgment toward others and yourself.
11. VIVID DREAMS
“Our dreams are firsthand creations, rather than residues of waking life. We have the capacity for infinite creativity; at least while dreaming, we partake of the power of the Spirit, the infinite Godhead that creates the cosmos.” Jackie Gleason
Sometimes your dreams are so real-like and vivid that you wake up confused as to whether something really happened or not. Often there seems to be some symbolic or mystical element to the dream. Some-times the dream stays with you all through the day, nudging you to try and figure out the meaning of it.
12. NEED FOR MEANING
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” Mitch Albom
You are consciously accepting responsibility for your choices, as well as the consequences of those choices. You may find that your creativity has greatly increased. New talents, gifts, and skills emerge to be used in fulfilling your calling. A desire to accomplish and realize your dreams arises, and you may have a feeling of mission or divine purpose in what you yearn to do. Helping others and having a positive impact is highly important to you.
“So you who seek for deep truth, for the mystery and sacredness of life, don’t give up looking just because the externals seemed to be the opposite of what they should be. Keep searching, for it is to be found. You will find that pearl of great price, in fact you will be led to it. So don’t give up! One day, you will be given that which will set your heart on fire and you will become a new person, the person you were always meant to be.”
― Theodore J. Nottingham, Yeshua the Cosmic Mystic: Beyond Religion to Universal Truth
