5 Signs you’re undergoing a spiritual transformation
Spiritual awakening, transformation, enlightenment, I’m sure you’ve heard these terms being used interchangeably. These terms have found their way into the urban dictionary often being used in metaphysical contexts.
We will not go into the study of what do these terms mean, instead we will focus on something that is far more common to us all, human experience and emotion.
Chances are that if you’re reading this then you experiencing or sometime in your life may have undergone changes within yourself which seemed to be beyond your conscious control. Before we step into the signs of what changes may be a part of spiritual growth we must see what does being spiritual means in its simplest form.
Most of us identify ourselves with the things we possess and are surrounded with, like our posessions, money, people etc. To become spiritual means just this, that you have let go of a part of identifying with your ego and have experienced life beyond your own self. Why I say “a part” is because it is a process, we don’t suddenly shed all identification with our ego. To become spiritual is not to become disconnected with the world around you, instead it is the quite opposite of it! To become spiritual is to become involved in everything around you and taking life just the way it is.
Just how a mother experiences life greater than her own, so can every human being, either through practice or by realization. Here are 5 common signs that you may be on this path or may have gone through this
1. Change in old beliefs and habits (for the good)
Just like any experience in life, self-transformation is also not always a bed of roses and some of the changes may leave us feeling confused.
You experience a sudden shift in the things that you used to believe earlier and common patterns that you followed in your life earlier don’t seem to make sense anymore. Conversations with people whom you knew earlier don’t seem to thrill you anymore as you seek to engage in conversations that are deeper and more meaningful. You no longer seem to worry about things that took place in the past as you feel that dwelling on them leads to nowhere. Your priorities about life and what you want to do seems to have shifted.
As the psyche develops, such changes are natural because life is now operating at a higher intensity for you. You would much rather invest your time in things that contribute to your growth than be in places that saturate you.
2. You experience a growing sense of unity with everything around you
Life starts looking miraculous and beautiful. Everything around you that was there before seems to be working in unison with one another and you start to recognize this interconnectedness in everything around you, right from the environment around you to different cultures, languages, art forms, and philosophies. On a superficial glance what seemed to be different is now looking all the same. Even though every individual is unique and complex by themselves, you start to see the common threads that bind us all at a deeper level. This sense of unity helps you in becoming more receptive to nature as well as to the people around you.
This happens because the chains of identity which were binding you to stick to your own beliefs are loosening up. You start experiencing life more openly and in doing so you no longer judge things but simply experience them. It is not that life is changing, life was here as it is, it is simply that you are now waking up.
3. Your inner world is becoming the primary aspect of your life experience
Information is no longer something that governs how you view life, instead, you now seem to value personal experiences more. It is not that you do not value knowledge anymore. You seem to need to acquire knowledge even more intensely now however the means of it has changed. You no longer believe in things just by reading them or hearing about them, instead, you try and seek it out for yourself. You are no longer a believer of things but are becoming a seeker of experiences.
Transformational experiences are often accompanied by the intellect becoming very sharp in distinguishing what is true and what is not. Because you now see things more clearly, a sharper mind enables you to dissect everything that is around with your intellect. You realize that experience is the basis of your existence and that all experiences are ultimately taking place within you.
4. Increased sense of empathy and compassion
There is a wave of empathy and compassion that has blanketed your entire being. You may have always heard and been aware of all the suffering around us but it is only now that it truly moves you from within. It is only when we shed off some of our conditioning and rigid beliefs that we start to see every creature’s suffering as our own. The idea of life is no longer limited to your motives, it is growing and becoming larger than that. It is only when this shift happens within us that we direct ourselves towards causes greater than our own life. What I like to say regarding this is that You Start Becoming a mother to this world.
And it is not a role limited to one of us, all of us carry within us this possibility to do something more than just personal gains.
This shift can also be emotionally overwhelming for many because you feel helpless as you see suffering around you, but do not let it disturb you, because suffering what the world is already suffering will only add another one to the list. Instead, utilize your ability to perceive and understand to help others through whatever worries them. The greatest shift that you can bring starts with the environment and the people around you, work for it.
5. Heightened curiosity
You start seeing the world through the gaze of a child again. You begin to realize how there are so many things around us to pursue and you take interest in wanting to try out different domains.
Every day we are surrounded by new mysteries and things to be discovered however usually as we age we seem to become rigid in our direction, many people stop exploring new things and interests just because it doesn’t add up to their material gains. Life has an innumerable number of things to offer to us and this realization is what energizes you now. You seek new experiences and activities to try out because you see how different activities and domains are connected.
Are these signs absolute?
No, not at all. Every human being is unique and so everyone’s spiritual growth is also different. All of our experiences are different and how we respond to them is also different. Everyone’s growth will come when it has to, it can never be forced however certain practices and conscious changes can act as a catalyst.
All of us have within us the potential to become something more than we are today, and life is generous in the sense that every day we are offered opportunities to work towards this. The terminologies don’t matter, all that matters is that are you working towards becoming a more responsible, blissful, intense, and conscious human being?
It is my wish that you find your way.
