Many Light Beings on a “awakening journey” would like to know:

1. Are there Spiritual Awakening stages?
2. What are signs of Spiritual Awakening? Is there a Spiritual Awakening test? and
3. What are Spiritual Awakening symptoms?

The ego can make it appear that Spiritual Awakening stages, signs and symptoms vary for each person. However, we will summarize some general principles in this blog, the Guide to Spiritual Awakening Stages, and two supporting video. In addition, there is only one true spiritual awakening test, which we will discuss below.

The video below (Part 1 of 2) refers to a Guide to Spiritual Awakening Stages.

The Guide is an outline of some of the key stages of Spiritual Awakening. Click here to download the Guide. Here is an overview of the guide.

1. The Guide is in table format. The first column heading in the table refers to “Stages” (of awakening).

2. The second column lists spiritual awakening “steps, signs and symbols” for each stage.

3. The third column is a list of  blocks (impediments) at each stage.

3. The fourth column contains remedies for releasing the blocks in order to move on to the next stage.

This blog also describes a Spiritual awakening test, Spiritual awakening signs and how to handle spiritual awakening symptoms in more detail.

One of the most important stages of awakening is the commitment to release hidden desires that deny inner Light. A release of a desire is forgiveness. Forgiveness to release subconscious content is a deep form of shadow work or releasing vasanas or ego tendencies described in some spiritual traditions. Download Jesus: A New Covenant ACIM to learn how hidden desires deny Enlightenment.

Note about the Devotional Center

Note: The Devotional Center is a non profit that provides resources for releasing hidden subconscious desires for pain, suffering and illness. These desires deny Enlightenment. Resources for releasing deeply hidden desires can be found throughout this site and in the Joining in Enlightenment Phone app.

Over time we will add more links in the Guide for helpful resources and Videos. Join our mail list for updates.

Awakening requires radical self honesty, since the ego is dishonest and delusional. Thus, the most helpful remedy at EVERY step or stage is to learn to communicate with the Voice for God/Holy Spirit/Jesus. The Voice for God is not fooled by tricks of the ego. This is the most helpful guide for moving quickly through each stage. If you ask, this inner Voice will reveal to you whether you are in resistance. It can also tell you how willing you are to accept a new point of view about the world. This new “point of view” is what will lead you to awakening to true reality.

If you want help learning to hear the Voice for God you can join us for the 90 days with Jesus in residence program at the Center, or start with the free 45 days with Jesus program online. Joining is also a powerful means to hear. the Voice.

Awakening is guaranteed because Light is already what you are. It is the denials of Light (Awakening) that make it seem that “stages” are needed. We will cover basic principles that are helpful to transcend stages as quickly as possible.

First, it is essential to recognize the ultimate state of Enlightenment / Spiritual Awakening. This is the ” Spiritual Awakening Test “.

During the spiritual journey many glimpses of “true reality” (awakening experiences) may occur. However, there is only one ultimate sign of Spiritual Awakening for those devoted to “going all the way” to the full discovery of true nature or Enlightenment.

The state of Choiceless Awareness is complete transcendence of the ego thought system. In A Course in Miracles this is called the Happy Dream. Everything else, without exception, is some form of denial of Ultimate Reality.

This is referred to as Abiding Spiritual Awakening, as opposed to “Spiritual Awakening” experiences that are glimpses of ultimate reality that seem to come and go. You could refer to this as full affiliation with Inner Light, the Light that Lights everyone who is born. John 9 of the Bible refers to this Light as the Light that lights everyone who is born.

Some spiritual texts refer to Christ Consciousness. This state refers to an advanced stage of awakening, which is unified consciousness. This is a joyful and peaceful state in the recognition of One and is an expression of full service to the whole. Unification of consciousness is a step along the way to the ultimate state, Choiceless Awareness.

Focus on three things to simply the stages of awakening.

The ego will claim peace is boring or unexciting.
It is helpful to remember that ego considers the natural state of boundless peace and joy the enemy!

Progress in the spiritual journey of healing is very different from the ways of the world. This is because there is no measuring stick for the falling away of ego concepts and ideas that make happiness and inner peace seem elusive.

Seekers look for signs or stages along the way to answer the question “How do I know if I am progressing?” In grade school there are tests and grades to evaluate “progress”. Spiritual Seekers want to know “How will I know I am moving forward in my Spiritual Journey?” Ask if you are at peace, and this will tell you whether there is more to go on the journey.

One of the most important stages in Spiritual Awakening is opening to question the ego thought system. This is called willingness.

Pains, upsets, twitches, and mind attacks are movements in consciousness and not necessarily negative when they are used for deeper looking and releasing hidden desires. This is the way out of pain and suffering. In A Course in Miracles this release of desires (denial of Light) is called a miracle.

It is extremely valuable to see how the ego uses hidden desires to deny Awakening. This process has also been called “shadow work”. Yet this form of direct looking and releasing desires to deny enlightenment is shadow work on steroids. It quickly gets to the root of denial of Divinity.

This is a powerful means to turn inward and investigate whether what is arising (upsets, pain, etc.) is true. This is a direct look below the upset so that the underlying desire (subconscious content) can be released from the dark corners of the subconscious mind. Release of subconscious content is unification of consciousness, which is a stage in Spiritual Awakening.

Awakening stages can be best described as a series of deep realizations about how consciousness is a play to deny that Enlightenment is already here!

The stage of awakening of being open to see the world in a new way is called Willingness.

The speedup to awakening is quickly “turning in” to look inward and question the ego thought system. The speed of awakening is proportional to the speed of turning inward to see what is true.

In A Course in Miracles Jesus states that you cannot judge your advances from your retreats. This is because the “measurement” or “interpretation”, per se, of the falling away of ideas and concepts about the world is occurring at the same time the ego is screaming and complaining about the untrue falling away!

The ego’s function is to deny Spiritual Awakening and to avoid any activities that will lead to the recognition that the ego does not exist! This makes the journey feel less than straightforward. Upsets frequently arise into awareness during the “journey”. The ego is an upset generating machine.

Therefore, leave no upset unexplored in the Light of truth. Each upset cleared in the Light of Truth is a step toward Spiritual Awakening.

…WITHOUT WAVERING.

Conviction is essential for those determined to go ALL THE WAY.

The challenge for many seekers is that without deep commitment Spiritual Awakening can be significantly delayed.

This is because of the deeply hidden addiction to the play of consciousness that is a denial of Divinity (all the subconscious desires to avoid awakening). The ego will avoid direct looking and releasing desires in order to delay awakening. It is part of the ego’s plan to make what is natural—enlightenment—seem difficult or impossible.

That said, for those willing to make a full 100% commitment to the truth…

In the Guide to Spiritual Awakening Stages the “full Commitment” stage is highlighted in orange. This is a powerful stage because it reflects the decision to release all subconscious content.

The only commitment you are making is to know yourSelf. This the same as the commitment to transcend a world of pain, suffering and fear.

Stages can be transcended quickly when there is high commitment to see what is true! Awakening is your Identity so there is no limit on Awakening. The impediment is always unwillingness to recognize and admit true identity.

Thus, the key to transcendence of “stages” of awakening is the decision to commit fully to truth. All the other stages reflect less than 100% commitment to truth because of hidden subconscious desires to avoid seeing that the truth is already here!

Thus these stages merely reflect your growing commitment to know yourself exactly as God made you!

No one and no-thing can stop you from seeing the truth other than yourself! This is a humbling yet happy discovery.

Truth is not what you say; it is what you are.

Commitment is a common attribute of those who fully awaken.

If you study the lives of beings such as Adyashanti, Mooji, Buddha, Jesus, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Ramana Maharshi you will note that all of these beings displayed a commitment to know the truth. They also committed to do whatever it took to realize the truth.

There are beings who have an experience where Spiritual Awakening “just seems to happen” and there is “nothing to do to awaken”. This demonstrates that it is a choice to quickly let go of the ego thought system that can happen at any time.

This is where Buddha laughs at the sky, as he recognized in an instant that he, like Dorothy in the wizard of Oz, always had the ability to “click the heels of her ruby slippers” and go Home! This is what A Course in Miracles means when it says “world will end in happy laughter”.

During the process of awakening there can be many “Spiritual Awakening Experiences”. As a result, there may be periods of great peace and joy (and relief!) that arise out of these experiences.

Yet, as mentioned prior, there is only one test of Abiding Awakening. It is an unbroken state of peace and joy. This is simple.

As long as the attraction (addiction) to guilt and the ego thought system is more highly valued than the experience of Union with God, awakening will seem elusive.

Hidden desires generate all experience. The ego is a desire for an experience other than God. Most importantly, this recognition and admission is a key step to full transcendence of personal Identity.

This is good news. You can decide you no longer desire desires!

Look deeply in the subconscious mind If perfect peace is not your direct experience. You will find hidden desires for an experience other than perfect peace and joy.

Joining is helpful for clearing subconscious desires.

We call coming together to see what is true and release desires of the ego thought system “Joining “. This form of shadow work or inquiry is ongoing at the Center. There are many opportunities to Join to discover these hidden pockets of denial of Divinity. Click here to view a schedule.

Thus, with the understanding that there are many ego sidetracks and detours on the spiritual journey, we share helpful steps and stages that lead to the Spiritual Maturity necessary to finally fully embrace principles 1-3 mentioned above for a direct path to full Abiding Awakening.

Enlightenment is simple. It is the ego and addiction to the ego thought system that makes everything seem complicated.

The ego’s function is to make it seem that the natural consistent state of peace and joy is impossible.

The ego is a constellation of hidden subconscious desires to avoid Spiritual Awakening or Enlightenment. Therefore the stages of awakening are a reflection of an increasing willingness to see what is true.  Happiness comes when you see that it is your decision to release all hidden desires to deny happiness.

Thus, if you are not consistently at peace, then there is a desire for something other than peace. If peace is not your consistent experience keep releasing desires.

What are Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening?

The ego is an interpretation and distraction machine. Thus the ego will generate all kinds of physical awakening symptoms. The ego is also a machine of movement, while unborn Awareness is peaceful and still.

The road to enlightenment can not be evaluated by spiritual awakening symptoms that involve the body.  The ego distracts and avoids by generating a lot of physical “symptoms”. Most of the time these are distractions from what is true. If you ask the Voice for God within will tell you which symptoms are important for you to look at (to see what is true) and which you can ignore. This is the simplest way to handle all the physical spiritual awakening symptoms that seem to come and go during awakening. If you are unclear, join with a brother to look together to see what is most helpful.

In Summary 

In this blog we review stages of spiritual Awakening in the video and the accompanying worksheet. We cover the following key points.

• First, transcend symptoms and stages of Spiritual Awakening with a high COMMITMENT to know the truth.
• Second, remember that the test of Awakening is perfect peace.
• Third, you do not feel peaceful there is a hidden subconscious desire.
• Fourth, join to clear hidden desires that deny Spiritual Awakening.
• Fifth, avoid using physical symptoms to assess progress on the spiritual journey.
• Finally, keep releasing desires until perfect peace and joy is all there is.

These are final words of comfort regarding the stages of Awakening.