The Six Spiritual Growth Stages. I want to know more. Thought this is right for some, it can also come from a discomfort at the uncertainties of spiritual life. Each one of them will change us and prepare us for further growth. What Exactly is a “Soul Age”? He described the basic narrative pattern as follows: The first three are primarily external; the last three primarily internal–though of course, there are deep interior moves in the first three more external stages, and there are serious engagements with the outer world in the last three more internal stages. Especially the spiritual ego, always followed by a reality check, which spiral around each other like yin and yang. Learning Mind has over 50,000 email subscribers and more than 1,5 million followers on social media. But how does this happen? Many existential issues simply disappear. As well as these stages, many spiritual seekers experience a very low point on their journey where everything feels like it is falling apart. As your practice deepens, you become increasingly more adept and more knowledgeable, not only of the tradition or practice you follow but also of yourself. But that’s never been my path; from the beginning I beat my own drum, even way before the soioriu awakening began about three years ago. v. Paraklesis which is translated in English as counseling. A materialist passes his life in the dark valley of materialism. This can be triggered by a difficult period in our lives or it may come from a spiritual experience. It can be valuable to reach out for help at times like this. However, I believe understanding the processes and stages can help us move forward and make the journey a little smoother. She is a lover of reading, writing, being in nature, fairy lights, candles, fireside, and afternoon tea. You have an understanding that we are all at different stages in our spirituality, perhaps even on different incarnations. You’ll learn about the things that you’ve been doing which cause you to suffer. As the term implies, you “wake up” from the dream of everyday, mundane material-level, ego-based awareness to a higher reality of spirit. Sadhana is the spiritual routine that takes your practice from an isolated exercise to a way of life. And embracing it is nothing less than following the heroic call of your life purpose and destiny. ii. You are called to live the ordinary life in a non-ordinary way. Leiturgia which is translated in English as worship. This encompasses; listening, comforting, and guidance. Didache which is translated in English as teaching. You are dedicated travelers on the path, familiar with its twists and turns, up and downs. You know yourself as a spiritual being living a human life while fostering the progressive growth of your consciousness. I resonate with this. The spiritual search starts off with the insight that the happiness that one tries to attain usually through success, money, human relations and pleasures of varied kind cannot be attained … At this stage of spiritual maturity, you will truly understand that everything is one and the illusion of separateness will fall away. This may not remain constant. The spiritual journey is a personal quest we undertake to reconnect with our Souls, find our authentic life purpose, and embody our True Nature.In a nutshell, the spiritual journey is about returning to the Centre of our being: it’s a path traditionally undertaken by mystics, shamans, and sages.But in this day and age where times have changed, and we’re suffering … Spiritual growth can be achieved in many ways. This encompasses; proclaiming the gospel. They can be enemies, rivals, life circumstances, limiting beliefs, or setbacks that block your progress forward toward a higher level. So here is my interpretation of the stages of spiritual growth: A person at this stage may not recognize the existence of spirit at all. Tamas embodies darkness, dullness, inactivity, and entropy and binds you in the physical, mental, and emotional quicksand of inertia. Along the seven stages of spiritual development, you will face choices—stay in the status quo or proceed along your journey. The call to adventure is an awakening incident, a new perception that compels you to look at life differently. © Learning Mind 2012-2021 | All Rights Reserved |. Last Updated: December 5, 2020 by EvangelismCoach. But the journey is about taking one conscious decision at a time to pick the soul’s subtleness over the ego’s drama. This feeling of exile is the feeling of Adam and Eve expelled from Paradise. The spiritual journey is the longest and shortest journey you will ever embark on. Regular spiritual practice removes mental, physical, and energetic blockages that obstruct the manifestation of your desires. The further we move from stage 1 independent thinking toward seeing our true identity of sonship in God through Jesus, the quicker we advance into the next stage of spiritual maturity. Having found your path, regular practice, study, and discipline serve to take you deeper toward the greater vision of expanded awareness. These are agyana, avarana, vikshepa, paroksha Jnana, aparoksha Jnana, dukkha nivritti, ananda prapti. The spiritual journey is the process of learning how to perceive the deeper truth and eventually become one with it. This can be a difficult time for some. A call to adventure is the spark that triggers a spiritual awakening. I tried earnestly to tell people about what was happening but no one could relate; so I slowly gave up and kept it to myself. Learning Mind does not provide medical, psychological, or any other type of professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Many people stay at this stage of wondering about spirituality for many years, some even stay here all their lives. Like peeling the skins of an onion, the “you” gets smaller and smaller until only pure being-ness remains. Well, if you accept that all human beings, and perhaps even all sentient beings, are hardwired for evolution, then it stands to reason that spiritual awakening is your birthright—something you are destined to achieve. Nevertheless, here I would like to look at the spiritual journey itself and the stages most seekers pass through. The second marker of spiritual progress is the ease in which your desires are fulfilled. It is the feeling of pain, not necessarily physical pain; in fact, physical pain is not at all what he is speaking about. This occurs typically during stage 3 but might start happening in stages 2 or 3. Seven Stages of the Spiritual Journey is backed with a 60 Day […] This brings the disciple to stages three and four of the spiritual journey. Years ago, filmmaker Jonas Elrod experienced a spiritual transformation that made him see everything in a different light. Still, these stages are meant to help you see the stuck points on your journey so you can begin the process of coming back home to your Soul. The most formidable challenges on the path come in the form of what Joseph Campbell called threshold guardians. This stage is marked by the birth of self-referral, the process in which your identity begins to shift from external references (such as positions, possessions, and ego satisfactions) to the internal reference of stillness, intuition, and higher guidance. You will desire to help and encourage others on their journey, but will not feel the need to preach your own path to anyone else. You may be at different stages in different aspects of your life. Which is fine. Like a spaceship achieving escape velocity, spiritual awakening punches you out of the limiting gravity well of ignorance and on toward the ultimate destination of cosmic self-realization. The next stage calls you to be a spiritual seeker. This encompasses; equipping, preparing, instructing, correcting, and rebuilding. The evolution of consciousness generates a forward pull, a momentum toward growth, transformation, and change that is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Many people in these early stages view themselves as victims of circumstances that are beyond their control. However, for many people, this is simply a stage on the journey and they may soon start to feel an inkling that there is something more to life. Learning Mind is a blog created by Anna LeMind, B.A., with the purpose to give you food for thought and solutions for understanding yourself and living a more meaningful life. As your chosen path challenges you to change thoughts, emotions, speech, or behavior to be more expansive, compassionate, forgiving, or kind, it is not uncommon to struggle with being in this world but not of it. There may be many twists and turns on this path. This is when many begin spiritual exploration in earnest. The process of coming into alignment with this reality is what stage 2 of our spiritual journey is all about. At the heart of the spiritual journey is the understanding that it is a journey. And over coming from it has been very challenging. These antagonists can repeatedly knock you down, test your resolve, and make you question your chosen path. At this stage you would do well to remember the wisdom of the Hindu proverb that states:There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place, so it doesn’t matter which path you take. According to Vedanta, there are four paths or yogas back to the unity you seek: Each path provides a distinctive vehicle for self-discovery and realization. You become a conscious participant in your spiritual growth and evolution. Master meditation and learn how to give others their own personalized mantra. May people jump into an established religion at this stage. In my workshops on personal evangelism, one core teaching is understanding the person’s journey to faith. In this stage, you come back home to yourself, but surprisingly, the process isn’t one of accumulation or gaining more knowledge or experiences. Eve expelled from Paradise markers, two clues that hint spiritual progress is the process of coming alignment. ” expands, and more than one of these dark nights on our.... Emotional quicksand of inertia stage 7 and trying to integrate new spiritual ideas and experiences more. 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