Are you having a spiritual awakening?

Ok so this is a long one – in fact, it was so long I had to break it up into 3 parts. But if you're on the brink of a spiritual awakening, or think you might be, then grab a cuppa, and let's dive into what might be going on here!

Summary of Part 1: Understanding Your Spiritual Awakening

If you've been feeling different lately—questioning things you once believed, sensing a deeper connection to the world, or just knowing that something is shifting within you—you might be experiencing a spiritual awakening. In this post, I share what that really means, what it felt like for me, and how you might be going through the same thing.

What I Cover in This Post:

• Are You Awakening? The subtle (or not-so-subtle) signs that your perspective is shifting.
• A Mystic’s Awakening: The incredible spiritual transformation of Danish mystic Martinus—how a single meditation changed everything for him, and how this knowledge can change your life, as it changed mine.
• My Own Spiritual Awakening: It wasn’t flashy, but it was life-changing. From questioning my religious upbringing to experiencing powerful energy surges, I’ll tell you how my journey unfolded.
• What Might Have Triggered Yours? Difficult or painful life experiences, among other things!
• Why It Feels So Overwhelming: Awakening can be both exhilarating and terrifying—it shakes up everything you thought you knew. But I promise, you’re not alone, and you’re ready for this.
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In Part 2, I’ll walk you through 22 clear signs that you’re having a spiritual awakening, and in Part 3, we’ll talk about the challenges you might face—and how to navigate them.

So, let's get cracking!

Have you started to feel different lately? Perhaps you're noticing subtle changes in your perspective, questioning assumptions you once held, or experiencing a deeper sense of connection to yourself and others? These shifts could be early indicators of a spiritual awakening—a transformative journey where you begin to explore beyond the surface of everyday life and uncover a more profound sense of purpose and meaning. This journey often involves a deeper exploration of your inner self and your place within a larger context, leading to a more fulfilling and connected way of living.

It can be an unsettling experience, but in this 3 Part Series, I’m going to help you understand that there’s really nothing to be afraid of, though it can take some time to adjust to your new spiritual reality, and it's not without its challenges.

A spiritual awakening represents a deep shift in how you perceive reality. It's a transformative journey where you begin to see beyond the physical world and recognize a deeper connection to the universe and your true self.

The Danish mystic Martinus, (whose work, along with the work and books of my good friend and co-author of our Spiritual Nutshell Series, Else Byskov, informs and inspires much of my writing about spirituality - see this post for more on that), experienced his own profound spiritual awakening at age 30, which he describes in detail in his book ‘On the Birth of My Mission.’*

Martinus’ spiritual awakening occurred during two meditations sessions. He explains that during the first one:

‘Quite a small luminous point appeared in the distance… I could now see that the light emanated from a Christ-Like being, presenting itself in a dazzling white light, spangled with shades of blue. The light was so intense and vivid that it reminded me of those sparklers we used to put on Christmas trees’.

And he goes on to tell us:

‘I looked directly into a fiery figure. A Christ-like being of dazzling brightness now moved straight towards me, raising its arms as if about to embrace me. I was entirely paralysed. Unable to make the slightest move, I gazed straight into the radiant being’s diaphragm, now just outside of me and on a level with my eyes. But the figure kept closing in, and presently it entered my own flesh and blood. A sublime feeling thrilled me. The paralysis left me. The divine light, which had thus taken possession of me, enabled me to take a sweeping look throughout the world.

And lo! Continents and oceans, cities and countries, mountains and valleys were all steeped in the light now emanating from my own mind. In this white light the earth was transfigured into “the Kingdom of God”. (On the Birth of My Mission, p40-41)

He returned to reality but felt the continued presence in his brain and nerves. The following morning, he again sat down in his meditation chair, and this time, he experienced‘The golden baptism of fire’ during which he experienced the fire in his whole being, and saw how the Almighty Deity has put everything together. The effects of his awakening again were that he was:

‘… never wholly returned to the physical world. My being had undergone a change. I was born into a new world, had become conscious in a new body. And from that, the world beyond all physical phenomena was permanently incorporated into my day-consciousness; The golden light had left me in a condition of conscious immortality, by which I became aware that only life exists, that darkness and suffering are merely camouflaged love, and that the divine being pervades everything and everybody. (On the Birth of My Mission, p.45.)

The vision was so profound, that Martinus spent the next 60 years of his life writing his huge body of work, over 10,000 pages, and creating 100 unique symbols, to share the spiritual insights he had access to, with the world.

Spiritual awakenings can happen anytime, to anyone, without any previous interest in spirituality, or any big deal happening, as was the case with my experience in my early 30s. The incident that happened to stress me out was stressful, but it was nothing major in the great scheme of things!

However, it's also very common that spiritual awakenings CAN be, and often are, triggered by various life events that shake your existing worldview. Let’s have a look at some of the key ‘trigger’ events.

Difficult or Traumatic Life Experiences

When you face challenging emotional or physical experiences, your perspective on life can dramatically shift. This often leads you to question your existing beliefs and search for deeper meaning.

Major Life-Changing Events

Significant changes like divorce, career changes, relocation, serious illness, or the death of a loved one can disrupt your established patterns and open you up to new perspectives. These events often strip away the familiar, creating space for new understanding to emerge.

Existential Questions

Your spiritual awakening might emerge when you confront deep questions about mortality or the nature of existence. During these intense periods, you might find yourself questioning everything you've previously accepted about life, death, and your place in the universe.

Existential Crisis

Sometimes called "The Dark Night of the Soul," an existential crisis involves profound questioning of life's meaning and purpose. During these periods, you might experience deep depression, disillusionment with previously held beliefs, despair and hopelessness, and a sense that life as you've known it no longer holds meaning. This crisis, while challenging, often precedes a significant spiritual breakthrough.

Near-Death Experiences

I’ve watched hundreds of NDE-ers talk about their experiences on YouTube. I love them and often make connections with what I now understand about the Universe from Martinus’ work, and of course, Else's books. So many things he’s written about are experienced by these people who are clinically dead and leave their bodies for a period of time. They mostly report extraordinary experiences with divine energy that transforms their outlook on life. Many describe encounters with transcendent beings, experiences of unconditional love, or glimpses into other dimensions of reality. These powerful experiences frequently catalyze profound spiritual awakenings.

Natural Awakening Through Personal Practices

Thankfully, it’s also possible to have a spiritual awakening through your own efforts. Some awakenings occur gradually through dedicated spiritual practices such as:

• Regular meditation
• Mindfulness
• Deep connection with nature
• Self-transformational work
• Sacred plant ceremonies
• Energy healing modalities

Your awakening journey often begins with a moment of profound realization that shakes your existing worldview, but it can also begin with a slow dawing, an awareness, that something is changing for you. This initial phase often feels like disconnection from your previous beliefs and growing awareness of something greater than yourself.

One of my clients recently messaged me and shared this:

"I’m going through an intense awakening/transcendence. I’ve lived in my thoughts and mind all this time. I’ve suddenly had this profound clarity that it’s all an illusion and that’s not who I really am. Part of me feels like I’m going crazy and part of me feels very peaceful. I guess it’s the death of my ego?"

So it CAN be scary, and at the same time wonderfullly serene. But it's scary because you’ve been used to being and thinking a certain way for a long time, and if this spiritual awakening comes out of the blue, it can be disconcerting, but it’s important to ground yourself and don’t worry. It’s going to be alright. You would NOT be having this experience if you were not spiritually ready for it!

But let's stop there! In Part 2, I'll go into 22 Signs You're Experiencing a Spiritual Awakening, how long does a spiritual awakening take, and I'll share with you 11 essential tips that will help you on your spiritual journey.

In Part 3, Challenges on Your Spiritual Awakening Journey, we’ll tackle those, and I’ll share how you can navigate family resistance, and give you 9 strategies to help you deal with all the issues that might come up.

Book Refs Relevant to this post:

On the Birth of My Mission - Book 4, Martinus

Death Is An Illusion - Else Byskov

Carol Bowman: Children’s Past Lives: How Past Life Memories Can Affect Your Child