Have you experienced a spiritual awakening? Here is a clear explanation of what it is and the stages involved

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Here's an interesting video about spiritual awakening. It can happen to anyone, whether intentionally or by accident.

I had my epiphany in 2006, after three years of meditation and Ashtanga yoga, and since then I struggled to understand what was happening to me, until I came across this video, which explained everything and all the steps involved. Over the years I connected the dots and yes, it all makes sense now.

Bonnie Greenwell is a highly articulate academic who experienced her own spiritual awakening. She has since passed away, and her material remains an invaluable source of information.

Maybe you can also relate to this.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BJ2HEs6DcvY

Cheers,
Szymon

[shaberon]

Well, yes and no.

Primarily naturally and by way of curiosity, mixed with a smattering of various ideas or practices, it took me about six months starting from Bees in the Springtime.


Roughly put, I would now have to call it something like an energetic awakening. The reason is because what I might call spiritual I got from Buddhism, by way of conversion, which means I can only do it or speak of it in those terms. It's different. It's not Ashtanga Yoga. And so I can say I am conversant with these other yogas to a certain extent. In the most general terms I would say I am a student of Mantra.

What is interesting when talking about it is that the idiosyncracy that I follow is non-different until, so to speak, you come to the door where the question even exists.

For example, Gnostic Henosis and Orthodox Hesychasm both appear to me to be based upon about the same 1/3 of ideas I would call preliminary practice. That's just as far as they go. I believe it was difficult to find a way to express what was desired to be said by yogis, and it took a few centuries to articulate the language into the particulars of various schools. The same words sometimes mean different things according to different sects. In that sense, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit is a different language than found elsewhere.


If anyone takes up preliminaries, on average, about three years would be a good estimate for when, with regular training and practice, someone might find "stunning results". But some of our most important teachers failed for twelve. Less than one year is considered rare, and, among relatively famous individuals, was accomplished by Dolpopa. He was affected so much that he changed the system a little bit. I don't think he is really correct. I can see why he put it the way he did because he must have been very highly charged. But on further review, I stick to our system as it was in India.


I like discussing it and my problem is that it is too powerful, I can't do it because the place where I live is not the proper environment.

The last time I did it I only had a room with a computer in it, and I found that one tiny green light on the keyboard was like an infinite spear ramming through my head, put it that way.

[Szymon]

Yes, very interesting. It took about 3 years. At the time, I thought I was losing my mind: your whole reality changes, everything. I'm no longer the person that I used to be, even back then. I felt like Neo from The Matrix, who just took the pill and was going through the process of awakening.

So it is a very powerful process. I've also found that some of the Yoga instructors don't know how to deal with people who report these kinds of symptoms. The student is left completely in the dark.

You mentioned that you are a student of Mantra.

What type of Mantra do you practice?

[petra]

I too felt like Neo. I don't know if I had a spiritual awakening though, maybe
The moment I walked out of a lawyers office is when it hit me. The world just was not what I had thought it was
I had a child taken away by child services and it was a scam
Then later I found out about alien interference - I was so angry
Now I'm sort of stuck, trying to date people and make a connection feels impossible
I imagine waking up spiritually must feel a lot better than this

[Szymon]

Posted by petra (here)
I too felt like Neo. I don't know if I had a spiritual awakening though, maybe
The moment I walked out of a lawyers office is when it hit me. The world just was not what I had thought it was
I had a child taken away by child services and it was a scam
Then later I found out about alien interference - I was so angry
Now I'm sort of stuck, trying to date people and make a connection feels impossible
I imagine waking up spiritually must feel a lot better than this

Hi Petra,

I hear you. Maybe you're going through this yourself. It seems like it. The part where waking up spiritually must feel a lot better. It's a bit of a yes and no answer. When you wake up, some people report feeling this bliss; each chakra has its own sensation. When you awaken, you experience the bliss through one of the chakras. For me, it felt like winning the lottery. Picture yourself winning the lottery. Your future is secure, you've got all the money in the world, and you can have anything you want. Work is no longer an issue. You're happy, feeling this inner peace, knowing everything will be alright. I thought this was going to be fantastic—feeling like this for the rest of my life. Nope, that feeling only lasted for a week.

Then all the rubbish from the subconscious mind surfaced. Everything you did on this planet came up for you to face. If you had unresolved anger, sadness, trauma, it all surfaced for you to deal with. That’s why working through these issues before awakening is so much better.

Over time, the more meditation, yoga, mantra, etc., you do, the easier it becomes to manage these thoughts and emotions. You literally see everything in your mind's eye and can shut it down. It’s like having a superpower.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a partner who understands you, try a spiritual church or Kirtan circle. I’ve seen a lot of singles there who understand most of this stuff.

Unless the adjustment bureau has other plans.

Cheers,
Szymon

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

I want to share another person whose Kundalini is fully open. Guru Viking did an extensive interview. In it, she outlines her journey and the awakening process. Her books are also a great source of information.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EqW7gi_6d74

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=VXu26nw1USk

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=eppha6qrmvg

Cheers,
Szymon

[rgray222]

Just for the record, I posted this on a similar thread in 2019 called "The Zone".

I certainly wouldn't call my experiences an awakening, but I would say that I have had spiritual experiences throughout my life. When I was a child, I referred to these experiences as "moments of clarity". It's a feeling of such complete clarity and unity with the universe that it almost seems magical. I am always a bit saddened, only because these feelings are so fleeting; they never lasted more than 5-30 seconds and occasionally several minutes. I never know what prompts it to happen or how long it is going to last. During these moments of clarity, there is a connection to virtually everything and every person on the planet. Although brief, it has always left me with the understanding that there is profound meaning to life and that there is so much more than we are capable of understanding in our present human form.

As I got older, these events still occurred, but not as frequently. I stopped trying to figure out the how, when and why of it all and became thankful that it still occasionally happened. When it did happen, I learned to smile and just say to myself wow. These moments of clarity always left me feeling fulfilled and content.

Several years ago, I was on my deck speaking on the phone, it was late summer, about 10 in the morning. We lived on 10 acres of property, the deck overlooked a fairly pretty forest with a lovely pond. I had built a large brick fireplace on the deck with a good-sized chimney. At the end of the call, I went over and leaned against the chimney. I was just standing there thinking about the day and all the things I wanted to get accomplished. Nothing of any real importance, just routine stuff. I was looking at the edge of the trees and marvelling at how pretty the property had become since we had owned it. I started to notice that the greens seemed greener, the brown browner, and the sky was a much more beautiful blue than normal. I felt an incredibly strong connection to everything. I smiled and said wow, it was an unforeseen moment of clarity. I fully expected this connection to stop in a few seconds, but it did not.

This is really hard to explain, but I will give it a try. After about a minute, I realized that this was different; it was lasting longer, and the connection to everything was stronger than I had ever experienced. I felt a sense of motion. I knew my body was standing in one place, but it was as if my soul was moving all over the ten acres at a speed that was hard to comprehend. I knew that the trees, the water, the soil, the rocks, virtually everything I had seen, were connected. This included all the materials and metals that were used to make the cars in the driveway and the plastics that were used to make the trash cans next to the cars. I felt that I was no less and no more important than everything I had just seen. Everything on this planet was connected and served a purpose.

At the very moment that I understood everything had value and purpose, I felt a sense of ascending very quickly into the sky. It seemed as if I were in the universe, soaring at an unnatural speed, seeing stars and planets made up of colors that I was completely unfamiliar with. Every sense in my body was being told that everything in the universe is connected. Nothing in this universe is more important than anything else. Life and death, while we are in this human experience, seem important, but on the grander scale, they are just part of a process. I was also left with the feeling that the concept of time is needed for the human experience, but outside of that, it has negligible meaning and significance.

After some time (I have no idea how much), I found myself leaning against the chimney on the deck. I recognized that I now had a much deeper and much more meaningful understanding of life. I wasn't that I intellectually knew that everything was connected, now I actually believed it and understood it in the core of my being.

This feeling of being connected lasted almost two days. For that time, I felt a mild sense of euphoria and a profound sense of well-being. It may sound like an odd thing to say, but my soul felt much more complete.

I understand that it may be hard to believe that this actually happened. It changed me forever and left me wanting more. Sadly, I have not had another similar experience, although I have had brief moments of clarity from time to time.

[Jad]

I believe we’re each walking our own unique path, yet together we are participating in a shared awakening. I just stumbled on a very powerful video that will fit in nicely with this thread.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ADYdypHZb2A

[Szymon]

Posted by Jad (here)
I believe we’re each walking our own unique path, yet together we are participating in a shared awakening. I just stumbled on a very powerful video that will fit in nicely with this thread.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ADYdypHZb2A

I completely agree with you. I believe the key to humanity is awakening; the number of people reporting having experienced some form of spiritual awakening in the past 20 years shows that something is indeed happening. Perhaps the 100th monkey effect will come into play.

[bobme]

I do not know if what I feel is spiritual or not. Things Just Happen within my Gut feeling that That warn me of things that are not Quite correct.

For instance, When the digital Replaced the Anolog.

Its like Bombs exploded inside my head saying no, no, this is not right. This is the path to total control.

Was it do you think? Or may be My gut feelings are just false info. Tell me somehow, I do not get why this happens

[Szymon]

Posted by bobme (here)
I do not know if what I feel is spiritual or not. Things Just Happen within my Gut feeling that That warn me of things that are not Quite correct.

For instance, When the digital Replaced the Anolog.

Its like Bombs exploded inside my head saying no, no, this is not right. This is the path to total control.

Was it do you think? Or may be My gut feelings are just false info. Tell me somehow, I do not get why this happens

Hi Bobme,

I appreciate your patience while I reflected on your post.

I wanted to share my perspective with you. I view the world as a stage or perhaps a kind of simulation. From where I stand, whether the experience is perceived as positive or negative seems less significant—it feels somewhat irrelevant in the grand scheme. I trust that things will eventually unfold as they should.

At this point, I believe the focus should be on our internal journeys through practices like meditation, chanting, or yoga. My understanding is that the more internal work I engage in now, in this physical realm, the less I will need to confront on the other side.

If we consider the reports from near-death experiences (NDEs), many individuals mention undergoing a life review. I feel it’s possible for us to conduct our own life review in the present moment while we’re still here. I find myself at a stage in my journey where I sense I'm caught in a cycle of reincarnation, and I aspire to break free from this pattern. I relate to concepts like “escape velocity,” as Robert Monroe describes it, or even "escaping the Matrix," which references ideas put forth by David Icke.

Whether my views are accurate is uncertain, but I’m committed to exploring these thoughts further, and I’ll be sure to share my findings once I reach the other side.

Cheers,
Szymon

[shaberon]

Posted by Szymon (here)
What type of Mantra do you practice?

I used to not be sure. That is because the Rg Veda is obscured, it has been buried, with selective quotes thrown at us here and there. And then if you look at it superficially, it says it contains a certain kind of mantra called "Rik".


As I went further with Buddhism, I find that Buddha says that the original Vedic Sages were pure and their mantras are valid, whereas "later priests" corrupted it.

If so, then, by textual analysis, the oldest layers of hymns in the Veda do not have the term "Rik", which it specifically developed within itself, a set of rules based on meters such as Gayatri and so forth. Before this was firmly fixed, it actually says this is a "mantra school", and then actually the entire contents are nothing but mantras.

This is indistinguishable from Sanskrit; there is no "ancient Sanskrit language" that developed into mantra -- not that we can show by evidence -- but the oldest evidence is all mantras, by volumes, more than a thousand. And, it is pretty amazing, it really does span a wide range of spiritual concepts, it is quite good, but it doesn't have any "intricate details" like we have in later Yoga schools.


Buddhism originally intercepted everything Indian, and so as far as I am concerned, songs from Adi Shankara or even something as common as Mahalakshmi Namostu'te are terrific. In medieval terms, we lean more towards Devi Bhagavata Purana and not to Bhagavata Purana, or closer to Shakta than to orthodox Vaisnava, if this makes sense.

What I personally practice is mostly within the Chakrasamvara corpus.

That means a family of mantras that build towards the same thing, which Hevajra is like an even higher degree of it, and Kalachakra is more or less a different family or kind of on its own.

If taken to its full extent, Chakrasamvara nests within a type of Vedic rite with Tisro Devi and Agni, in fact it is far closer to Vedic deities than most Puranic genres are.

To be more specific, knowing that Rik is an internal development, the correct expression for the oldest Vedic system is Atharva Veda. It may be confusing because its compilation was left "open" to the latest date, possibly as young as 1,000 B. C. E., which means it spans the entire era, Atharvan being the original Vedic Sage.

By the period of its late closure, what we see is that, in comparison to the larger Vedas, those obviously make an elaborate system requiring a temple and up to sixteen priests, it's a huge deal. But yet it also contains instructions on how to practice at home, that is, the ordinary person can begin to get their own spiritual benefit like you might imagine only a priest or sage could do. By the time of Atharva Veda, this becomes individualized, and portable. In other words, rather than a big social ritual, you do it symbolicly and mentally. You can roam the highways and practice in the woods with nothing. This is the concept that becomes Yoga as an individual discipline.


Accordingly, I would say any and all mantras, by degree of relevance. Some would just not be used because of not agreeing with the philosophy, and others would go from the general to the more specific. Buddhist Yoga, per se, has a very different definition of Pranayama, which, in our meaning, probably encompasses all practices or experiences known in other Yogas.

[Szymon]

Hi Shaberon, give me a day or two to get back to you. Cheers.

[shaberon]

Posted by bobme (here)
I do not know if what I feel is spiritual or not. Things Just Happen within my Gut feeling that That warn me of things that are not Quite correct.

For instance, When the digital Replaced the Anolog.

Its like Bombs exploded inside my head saying no, no, this is not right. This is the path to total control.

Was it do you think? Or may be My gut feelings are just false info. Tell me somehow, I do not get why this happens

I would have to say it's mindfulness of energy.

It's not what in the long run, I would call "spiritual", but you could say breath of spirit within the body. Such as from the Kabala it would be called Nephesh, which is not Elemental Air (Rouach) considered as the spirit or soul.

I think we could call it a necessary medium. The contrasts you made are totally relevant.

To elaborate, the type of sensitivity found there is, so to speak, amplified by yoga discipline in the inner and upper direction, or obliterated by something like a seizure, or powerful anger or fear, in the down or outward direction.


And yes, such discipline could best be described as Primitive.

The main reason I stopped doing Subtle Yoga at a high level of proficiency is because I would have had to become totally absorbed. It basically makes you want to inhabit a cave, somewhere you can come out and beg for a bowl of rice.

Solid state devices produce square waves, whereas vacuum tubes produce sine waves, which mimic natural sound. The difference is like silk and sandpaper.


As a mantra student, I am trying to get to a certain area of Sound, which is in complete conflict with everything around me at all times. It's like having your gut reaction stepped on over and over again. I particularly dislike small wafer speakers, they feel like icepicks and scissors in my ears.

[shaberon]

Posted by petra (here)
The moment I walked out of a lawyers office is when it hit me. The world just was not what I had thought it was

How did this change you?

What was false that was surprisingly whisked away by the update?

[Szymon]

Posted by shaberon (here)

Posted by Szymon (here)
What type of Mantra do you practice?

I used to not be sure. That is because the Rg Veda is obscured, it has been buried, with selective quotes thrown at us here and there. And then if you look at it superficially, it says it contains a certain kind of mantra called "Rik".


As I went further with Buddhism, I find that Buddha says that the original Vedic Sages were pure and their mantras are valid, whereas "later priests" corrupted it.

If so, then, by textual analysis, the oldest layers of hymns in the Veda do not have the term "Rik", which it specifically developed within itself, a set of rules based on meters such as Gayatri and so forth. Before this was firmly fixed, it actually says this is a "mantra school", and then actually the entire contents are nothing but mantras.

This is indistinguishable from Sanskrit; there is no "ancient Sanskrit language" that developed into mantra -- not that we can show by evidence -- but the oldest evidence is all mantras, by volumes, more than a thousand. And, it is pretty amazing, it really does span a wide range of spiritual concepts, it is quite good, but it doesn't have any "intricate details" like we have in later Yoga schools.


Buddhism originally intercepted everything Indian, and so as far as I am concerned, songs from Adi Shankara or even something as common as Mahalakshmi Namostu'te are terrific. In medieval terms, we lean more towards Devi Bhagavata Purana and not to Bhagavata Purana, or closer to Shakta than to orthodox Vaisnava, if this makes sense.

What I personally practice is mostly within the Chakrasamvara corpus.

That means a family of mantras that build towards the same thing, which Hevajra is like an even higher degree of it, and Kalachakra is more or less a different family or kind of on its own.

If taken to its full extent, Chakrasamvara nests within a type of Vedic rite with Tisro Devi and Agni, in fact it is far closer to Vedic deities than most Puranic genres are.

To be more specific, knowing that Rik is an internal development, the correct expression for the oldest Vedic system is Atharva Veda. It may be confusing because its compilation was left "open" to the latest date, possibly as young as 1,000 B. C. E., which means it spans the entire era, Atharvan being the original Vedic Sage.

By the period of its late closure, what we see is that, in comparison to the larger Vedas, those obviously make an elaborate system requiring a temple and up to sixteen priests, it's a huge deal. But yet it also contains instructions on how to practice at home, that is, the ordinary person can begin to get their own spiritual benefit like you might imagine only a priest or sage could do. By the time of Atharva Veda, this becomes individualized, and portable. In other words, rather than a big social ritual, you do it symbolicly and mentally. You can roam the highways and practice in the woods with nothing. This is the concept that becomes Yoga as an individual discipline.


Accordingly, I would say any and all mantras, by degree of relevance. Some would just not be used because of not agreeing with the philosophy, and others would go from the general to the more specific. Buddhist Yoga, per se, has a very different definition of Pranayama, which, in our meaning, probably encompasses all practices or experiences known in other Yogas.

Hi Shaberon,

That is fascinating. I didn't know it was that extensive.

My wife and I began our chanting journey about 3 months ago after watching a mantra series on YouTube by Ardaas Singh: https://www.youtube.com/@Ardaas_Singh/playlists. He also has a great 10-episode series on Kundalini. His content is unmatched when it comes to explaining the process of Kundalini. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd3H...PqT4B5bjppNqWZ

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z8nsKJ5y0CU

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0PRp-zeMphU

We now chant a few times a week. We've even joined the local Kirtan group at the Mantra Room here where we live to chant. There's definitely something to chanting — our throat chakras have opened up so we can now sing, project our voices, and enjoy the added benefits of mantras dissolving the ego. It feels like we're fast-tracking our spiritual journey.

I think most of our mantras come from the Kundalini Yoga and Hare Krishna traditions.

Here are some of the Kundalini Yoga practices we do:

Adi Mantra (Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo):
Tunes you into the divine teacher within and the lineage of Kundalini Yoga.

Mangala Charan Mantra (Aad Guray Nameh...): Used for protection, surrounding the practitioner in a field of white light.

Sat Nam: The "seed mantra," meaning "Truth is my identity." Used for grounding and aligning with one's highest self.

Since you started, what kind of benefits or experiences have you noticed?

Cheers,
Szymon

[petra]

Posted by shaberon (here)

Posted by petra (here)
The moment I walked out of a lawyers office is when it hit me. The world just was not what I had thought it was

How did this change you?

What was false that was surprisingly whisked away by the update?

I thought I owned my child but that wasn't true, child service owned him the moment he came out

[petra]

Posted by Szymon (here)

Posted by petra (here)
I too felt like Neo. I don't know if I had a spiritual awakening though, maybe
The moment I walked out of a lawyers office is when it hit me. The world just was not what I had thought it was
I had a child taken away by child services and it was a scam
Then later I found out about alien interference - I was so angry
Now I'm sort of stuck, trying to date people and make a connection feels impossible
I imagine waking up spiritually must feel a lot better than this

Hi Petra,

I hear you. Maybe you're going through this yourself. It seems like it. The part where waking up spiritually must feel a lot better. It's a bit of a yes and no answer. When you wake up, some people report feeling this bliss; each chakra has its own sensation. When you awaken, you experience the bliss through one of the chakras. For me, it felt like winning the lottery. Picture yourself winning the lottery. Your future is secure, you've got all the money in the world, and you can have anything you want. Work is no longer an issue. You're happy, feeling this inner peace, knowing everything will be alright. I thought this was going to be fantastic—feeling like this for the rest of my life. Nope, that feeling only lasted for a week.

Then all the rubbish from the subconscious mind surfaced. Everything you did on this planet came up for you to face. If you had unresolved anger, sadness, trauma, it all surfaced for you to deal with. That’s why working through these issues before awakening is so much better.

Over time, the more meditation, yoga, mantra, etc., you do, the easier it becomes to manage these thoughts and emotions. You literally see everything in your mind's eye and can shut it down. It’s like having a superpower.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a partner who understands you, try a spiritual church or Kirtan circle. I’ve seen a lot of singles there who understand most of this stuff.

Unless the adjustment bureau has other plans.

Cheers,
Szymon

Bliss huh? Interesting. I just seem to be doing a lot of crying. There was a point I was outraged and so mad that I couldn't cry. I had no release it was awful. I think I temporarily closed my chakra

[Szymon]

The Bliss part is just a taste; some people feel the bliss, while others don't. Sooner or later, the Kundalini begins working through you, cleansing you physically, emotionally, and mentally. You start to see your friends and family for who they truly are. All the masks fall away; your friends and family might say to you, "have you joined a cult,' and they will no longer be able to understand you. The crying part is part of the process; it takes time, and also depends on how intense the awakening is. That's why I attached all the videos at the start of the thread. These people know what they’re talking about. That's how I was able to connect all the dots.

I also saw my wife have her Kundalini awakening. She had a massive ephiphany when her rose-coloured glasses came off. At one stage, she was so angry and fuming she started getting hives. This was about 2 years ago. It took her about 2-3 years of daily Hemisync material before her ephiphany. She really wanted to achieve an OBE state, and she got more than she bargained for. Thank God she has found her balance now.

It is really interesting to see her go through the process.

[petra]

I yelled so much I lost my voice
Yelling at God I guess haha
All part the process perhaps
I confess... I didn't watch the video. I might but tbh I prefer conversations like this!