Spiritual Enlightenment: What Does It Feel Like?
Enlightenment has been written and talked about throughout the centuries by many spiritual teachers. While the journey that brings someone into a place of enlightenment can differ vastly from one person to the next, emotions have a huge part to play in the process for everyone.
But what is spiritual enlightenment, and what does it mean to be spiritually enlightened?
Whatever your spiritual belief, the spiritual enlightenment definition still points to an evolution of our awareness of what it means to transcend the ego, and be one with the universe.
In this blog we’ll look more deeply into the spiritual awakening process, answer questions such as ‘what is a spiritual enlightenment?’, and look at some of the symptoms you might experience on the path to spiritual enlightenment.
What does it mean to be enlightened spiritually?
Many people wonder, ‘What does spiritual enlightenment mean?’ The simple summary is that enlightenment is the process of allowing yourself to become both equally connected, emotionally and spiritually, in your human day-to-day life. Enlightenment is to understand and to be one with all that’s around you, and everything that’s within you. Some who experience becoming spiritually enlightened keep it to themselves, while others want to share the experience, and their newfound wisdom and knowledge, with others. Sharing knowledge about spiritual growth through text, videos and public speaking has led to many different understandings and ideas of enlightenment.
As part of the journey to spiritual enlightenment, there is a process of spiritual awakening. But what is a spiritual awakening? It can be defined as becoming more conscious and aware of yourself and the connection that you have with everything in this universe.
While many focus on the spiritual part of enlightenment, few understand the importance of emotions when it comes to exploring enlightenment and the understanding of your own spiritual path. Spiritual enlightenment doesn’t mean losing the feeling of your emotions. Instead, it means gaining an understanding of their importance as part of your human and spiritual journey.
What causes a spiritual awakening?
Many people have tried to come up with a step-by-step guide to becoming enlightened through spiritual practices, but the secret to this process can only be found in each individual's own personal journey. So often, people run into problems when trying to become spiritually enlightened because they’re trying to replicate someone else’s journey too closely. But when it comes to the spiritual journey, two individuals' spiritual paths will not look the same. Our awakening may be triggered gradually, or by sudden life-changing events that cause us to look at life differently.
If you want to become personally enlightened, you have to understand and feel your own experiences for what they are, not ignoring and wishing the experience could have or should have been different. You have to feel a sense of connection with those other areas of your life that created who you are in this present moment. It’s your ability to understand, process and feel the uniqueness of your emotions that leads you to your own experience of enlightenment.
What are the symptoms of a spiritual awakening?
There are a variety of spiritual awakening signs that you might experience. These awakening symptoms range from feeling disconnected in your current life, to experiencing increased empathy as you begin to feel more connected to your inner self, and to life around you. You may also experience physical symptoms of spiritual awakening, such as changes in sleep patterns, tiredness, brain fog, and heightened senses. There are a number of physical symptoms associated with the spiritual awakening process, so take care to be gentle with yourself when spiritual awakening symptoms land.
There are many stages of spiritual awakening before reaching spiritual enlightenment, but what does spiritual enlightenment feel like once we’ve reached it?
The path to enlightenment is known as the ‘Road Less Travelled’ for a good reason. To be at one with the self and to be enlightened, you have to make the journey to understand every part of you. This includes your mental, physical and emotional health, and each of these areas relate to what your soul has come here to experience. You’re the only one who can fully understand your journey as you’re the only one that has experienced it. You might be able to relate to others’ spiritual enlightenment symptoms, and talk about spiritual enlightenment experiences, but it will always only be your own journey for you to grow and learn from first.
What does the journey to spiritual enlightenment entail?
It can be difficult to be at one with every part of you if there are some parts you’re resisting while in the present moment. Many people have been taught that silence within the mind comes from one's ability to ignore and quieten the mind in order to be in the present. Often when a person begins their journey with meditation, they find it more of a frustrating experience than a relaxing or soulful one.
Enlightenment doesn’t come from controlling what goes on within the mind, body, emotions or soul. Rather, it comes from letting go of the control you’ve been taught to try and have over these areas. This can be quite an intense experience for those starting out. When looking for signs of spiritual enlightenment within, many lose patience. This can lead to a lot of negative emotions being triggered when they feel it’s not going according to the ‘plan’ they have been taught to experience.
How long does it take to reach spiritual enlightenment?
There is no set timeline for spiritual enlightenment, meaning it could be a quick process for some, or a lifetime search for others. Each of us has been taught to be so busy that when it comes to spending time with oneself and paying attention to the present, it can feel like one of the most challenging tasks of the day. The mind continues to produce thoughts even when you want to experience radio silence - that feeling of peace, or no feeling at all.
The process of enlightenment can be complex. For many, spirituality is used as a means to get away from a part of their current reality that they find chaotic. People often try to use the journey to enlightenment as a means to pull away from a ‘negative’ experience and their difficult inner emotions, without understanding that this journey will eventually have you face it head-on. This kind of shadow work is an essential part of the enlightenment journey.
Learning to be comfortable with all of your emotional experiences, including both positive and negative emotions, will allow you to feel at one within your human and spiritual life. We have been taught to resist our negative emotions, without realising that if we were to understand them on a deeper level, we would be more enlightened about what our spirit wanted us to experience in a human body. This in turn would change and morph many of our belief systems.
The focus needs to be no longer ignoring even the basic emotions. Instead, by allowing yourself to feel, understand and process them, they will become a part of you and every experience you will have moving forward.
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If you find yourself in a process of awakening, know that the signs and symptoms you’ll be experiencing are completely usual. The more you allow yourself to understand, feel and process your emotions, the more the mind will quieten down, allowing you to continue on the spiritual path to enlightenment. Which, in definition, is the process of understanding and being at one with the whole of you.
If you’re looking for guidance as you delve deep in your personal growth journey, then spiritual coaching can help support you in the process of enlightenment. Get in touch today to book your free 30 minute consultation.