Have you ever felt an inner restlessness, a sense that life as you know it just isn’t enough? Perhaps you’ve found yourself questioning your purpose, feeling stuck, or sensing that something greater is calling to you.
These feelings of discomfort and dissatisfaction are often the first signs of a profound transformation—a journey through the spiritual awakening levels.
Spiritual awakening levels include: discomfort, awakening and facing yourself, purging and healing, integration and transformation, and expanded consciousness.
Spiritual awakening is not a single moment but a gradual process, unfolding in distinct stages as you move closer to understanding your true self and your connection to the universe. These spiritual awakening stages take you from initial discomfort and questioning to expanded consciousness and alignment with your higher purpose.
While the process can feel challenging, it ultimately leads to a more fulfilling, peaceful, and meaningful life. In this article, I will guide you through 5 spiritual awakening stages — as based on my personal experience and my work with clients. Each level serves as a stepping stone, helping you shed old patterns, heal, and integrate new truths.
Table of Contents
Level 1: The Call of Discomfort
Every journey begins with a catalyst, and for many, the first step in the spiritual awakening levels is marked by discomfort. This stage often feels unsettling—things in your life may seem out of sync, unfulfilling, or stagnant. You might feel stuck in repetitive patterns, dissatisfied with your career, relationships, or even your sense of self.
There’s an inner knowing that something isn’t right, but at this point, you may not yet understand what or why.
This stage, as I like to call it the “call of discomfort,” is the universe nudging you to wake up. It’s as though life is presenting roadblocks, pushing you to pause and reflect. Whether it’s a sudden challenge, a lingering emptiness, or a persistent feeling of disconnection, this unrest serves as a wake-up call. It’s not a punishment—it’s an invitation to begin exploring a deeper truth.
Common experiences during this stage include:
- A sense of being lost or unfulfilled.
- Questioning long-held beliefs or life choices.
- Repeating challenges or conflicts that no longer feel coincidental.
- Suddenly everything starts turning “upside down”, but you’re only now beginning to notice it and question it
While this level can be uncomfortable, it’s essential. It creates the conditions for growth by shaking loose the structures that no longer serve you.
How To Navigate The First Spiritual Awakening Stage
To navigate this stage, start small— start noticing, start observing, start jotting down some observations and journaling about your feelings.
You are being called to up-level, you are being called to transform, and it’s important that you begin noticing and observing all the different areas in your life that might “suddenly” be turning upside down.
The first stage of the five spiritual awakening levels is uncomfortable, so it’s time to start making friends with this discomfort. When I was in this stage myself, my permanent state was restlessness and discomfort. Some days I would feel so confused and distressed in my mind, I would pace around my apartment like a dog.
Other times, questioning life’s plan for me, I would curl into a ball on the floor and sob for an hour or two. It sounds quite tragic, I know, but this discomfort was very necessary in order for life to shake me up, wake me up, and force me to start noticing and questioning the things around me.
Level 2: Awakening and Facing Yourself
The second stage in the 5 spiritual awakening levels is the true awakening—a moment of clarity where you begin to see life from a new perspective that you didn’t have before.
You start to realize that there’s more to existence than the physical, material world, and this shift opens the door to profound self-awareness. However, this stage is not just about discovering something new; it’s really about confronting the parts of yourself that have been hidden or ignored.
Awakening often brings a mix of exhilaration and discomfort. You might feel inspired by the realization that you are more than your circumstances, yet challenged by the need to face your fears, doubts, and shadow self.
This spiritual awakening stage is a mirror, reflecting both your potential and the aspects of your life that may no longer align with your emerging truth.
Common experiences during this stage include:
- Questioning your beliefs, habits, thoughts, societal norms, choices.
- Experiencing moments of deep self-reflection, often triggered by unexpected events, books, interactions with others
- Feeling overwhelmed by emotions or truths you’ve been avoiding up till now
- Tiredness and exhaustion as you process lots of new information and see things previously un-seen
Dolores Cannon’s teachings often align with this stage, as her clients reported facing hidden truths and reconnecting with their higher selves. The process of awakening requires courage—you must face yourself in order to grow.
Check out this article: “Dolores Cannon 12 Stages of Spiritual Awakening”
How To Navigate The Second Spiritual Awakening Stage
To navigate the “awakening and facing yourself” level of the spiritual awakening stages, it’s time to embrace practices like meditation, shadow work, or seeking spiritual guidance.
Facing yourself is highly uncomfortable and at times difficult. It can also be highly exhausting and confusing to process all this new information that you’re faced with. Therefore, it’s important that you have resources and individuals to turn to that can help you.
Consider:
- Reading books written by those that have gone through such a transformation themselves (i.e. Byron Katie, Dolores Cannon)
- Use practices such as meditation, shadow work, breath work, guided visualisations and energy work to help you calm the nervous system and process all the information
- Work with a spiritual (life coach), therapist, energy healer or counsellor
If you’re seeking support during your awakening and would like to work with a (spiritual) life coach, feel free to reach out to me at gabierudyte@gmail.com . I have supported many clients during their awakening journeys.
Facing yourself may be uncomfortable, but it is a necessary step toward releasing old patterns and stepping into your authentic self. This second stage lays the foundation for the deeper transformation to come.
Level 3: Purging and Healing
The third stage in these spiritual awakening stages is one of profound release and transformation. I like to refer to this stage as the “purging” and the healing phase.
This spiritual awakening stage is when old emotions, unresolved traumas, and deeply ingrained patterns rise to the surface. It can feel like a storm—intense, messy, and unpredictable—but it is also incredibly liberating. This stage is about clearing away what no longer serves you to make space for healing and growth.
During this phase, you might experience a wave of emotions, such as grief, anger, or sadness, as you confront past experiences or beliefs you’ve carried for years. Physical sensations, like fatigue or tension, may accompany these emotional releases, often referred to as “ascension symptoms.” While this can feel overwhelming, it is a natural part of the spiritual awakening process.
Think of the purging process as stirring up all the gunk and sediment that has been sitting deep within your subconscious. Play the video below where I show you just what I mean.
Common experiences in this stage include:
- Emotional release, such as crying, sudden waves of sadness, anger, shock, relief
- Beginning to see the unseen: toxic relationships, habits, beliefs, or environments.
- Confronting and processing deep-seated fears, guilt, or shame.
How To Navigate The Third Spiritual Awakening Stage
To navigate this level of the spiritual awakening levels, focus on practices that support emotional and energetic clearing. These might include journaling, energy healing, breathwork, or therapy (yup, just like in the second stage!)
When I entered this stage, I started working more with my astrologer (who was excellent in helping me see the bigger picture of why I was going through such a profound transformation) and also I started weekly sessions with my therapist.
I also turned to friends and community that have gone through this process themselves. I needed to be surrounded by those who could tell me: it’s okay, you’ll be okay, you’ll get to the other side.
Remember, the pain you release during this phase is not who you are—it’s a layer being peeled away to reveal your truest self. Embrace the discomfort as a sign of progress, knowing that healing is paving the way for transformation.
Level 4: Integration and Transformation
In the fourth level of the spiritual awakening stages, the focus shifts from releasing and healing to integrating the lessons you’ve learned. After the intensity of purging, this stage brings a sense of grounding and stability as you align your new awareness with your everyday life.
It’s a time of transformation, where spiritual truths are no longer just insights—they become a way of living. You have descended into the depths of your psyche — and now you have come out on the other side, with insights and knowledge that no one can take away from you.
During this phase, you begin to embody the wisdom gained in previous stages. You might notice changes in your habits, relationships, and mindset, reflecting your deeper alignment with your higher self. While the transformation is powerful, this stage also comes with the challenge of balancing spiritual understanding with the demands of physical existence.
Integration requires patience and self-compassion as you harmonize your inner growth with your outer world.
Common experiences in this stage include:
- Feeling more aligned and authentic in your decisions.
- Gradually releasing lingering habits or relationships that conflict with your spiritual truths.
- Finding joy in everyday moments as you connect to life in a more meaningful way.
- Approaching new challenges and difficulties with a newfound sense of peace and trust
The process of integration transforms spiritual awakening into a lived experience, bringing clarity and a sense of purpose.
How To Navigate The Third Spiritual Awakening Stage
To navigate this level of the spiritual awakening levels, focus on grounding practices, such as spending time in nature, setting daily intentions, or cultivating mindfulness. Allow yourself to celebrate the transformation you’ve undergone while continuing to refine how you bring spiritual wisdom into your daily interactions.
The inner work is never done — even though you have gone through the hardest parts of a spiritual awakening stages, now the work is to keep integrating the insights and live according to this newfound wisdom.
In order to help you do that, consider:
- Having a daily journaling practice
- Having a daily meditation/mindfulness practice
- Being part of a spiritual/personal growth-community or circle
This stage is the bridge between growth and mastery, paving the way for expanded consciousness and a forever-changed perspective on life.
If you’d like to learn more about spirituality, personal growth, and doing the inner work – check out. my Youtube Channel “Inner Researcher”.
Level 5: Expanded Consciousness
The final stage in the spiritual awakening levels is one of expanded consciousness. At this level, you experience a profound shift in perspective—a realization that you are deeply connected to everything in the universe.
This stage is not just about understanding spiritual truths; it’s about embodying them in a way that transforms your entire being. You feel forever changed, living with a sense of peace, purpose, and unity with all of life. You may also feel called to share these insights with others through teaching, and seek new friendships or communities.
In this phase, the ego takes a back seat, and your higher self becomes the guiding force. Intuition sharpens, synchronicities become commonplace, and you feel more in tune with the natural flow of the universe (SO many synchronicities!!)
This sense of unity extends to others, fostering compassion, love, and a desire to serve.
Common experiences in this stage include:
- A sense of unity and oneness with the world.
- Deep peace and acceptance, regardless of external circumstances.
- A strong sense of purpose and alignment with your soul’s journey.
This phase is not about perfection but about living in alignment with your higher self and the greater good. Embrace this transformation as a gift, knowing that you’ve awakened to a life of infinite possibilities and deeper connections with the universe.
Closing Thoughts
The journey through these 5 spiritual awakening stages is a profound and transformative process, guiding you from discomfort and questioning to a state of expanded consciousness and purpose. Each stage plays a vital role in helping you shed old patterns, heal, and align with your higher self.
I have openly shared my experience with my own spiritual awakening journey and I’ll be the first one to say that it is hard. It feels like hard-core manual labour.
However, while the process is challenging and highly uncomfortable, it ultimately leads to a more peaceful, fulfilling, and connected way of living. I promise you!
Wherever you are on this path, remember that spiritual awakening is not a race; it’s a deeply personal journey that unfolds at its own pace. Embrace each stage with patience and self-compassion, knowing that every step brings you closer to your true self.
Whether you’re just beginning to feel the call of discomfort or finding joy in expanded consciousness, trust that you’re exactly where you need to be.
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