Spiritual awakening is a profound shift in consciousness, marking the beginning of a deeper understanding of self and reality. While each person’s journey is unique, certain signs often emerge as individuals begin to approach awakening. Recognizing these signs can help you get an idea of where you are and what to do next to continue progressing on your spiritual journey. To discover all the stages in the awakening process, check out my Four Stages of Enlightenment book.

Heightened Self-Awareness

One of the earliest indicators of awakening is heightened self-awareness. People often begin to be able to observe their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors without being controlled by them. Patterns in reactions or habits can become more noticeable, prompting people to take action to change their roles, self-created rules, and dysfunctional relationships.

Dissatisfaction With Experiences

Prior to awakening, many people begin to realize that no experience can make them happy. No amount of money, love, security, achievements, or vacations will be enough to generate permanent happiness. This realization often contributes to disengagement from certain experiences that we now know aren’t making us happy. We can also feel sad or dysphoric as we no longer know how to find happiness. There may also be an underlying feeling that something is missing. Or, the question may arise, "Is this really it?!" with regard to life.

Heightened Sensitivity

Heightened sensitivity and empathy often also accompany awakening. Individuals may feel more attuned to the emotions, energy, and experiences of others, sensing joy or suffering with greater intensity. Sensitivity can also extend to physical sensations and environmental changes. While this heightened awareness can feel overwhelming at first, it reflects a growing attunement to the interconnectedness of all life. Grounding exercises, such as walking on the dirt, can be quite helpful.

Emotional Release

Emotional release and healing are frequently part of the awakening process. As awareness increases, old traumas, grief, or unresolved emotions are more difficult to hide from or deny. These buried emotions surface, sometimes intensely. Although difficult, these periods of emotional intensity provide opportunities for profound healing, helping to dissolve limiting beliefs and patterns. By experiencing and accepting these emotions fully, individuals clear out old baggage and create a possibility for even deeper awareness.

In Sum

Recognizing these early awakening signs—heightened self-awareness, inner dissatisfaction, heightened sensitivity, and emotional release—can help remind us that the experiences we are having are normal. While challenges generally do arise, they are part of the process, leading from awakening to full enlightenment, which involves greater freedom, contentment, and connection. Looking out for these signals allows individuals to better maintain their mental health during the initial awakening process.