Charmayne Kilcup, M.A.

Awakening to the Spirit within is a blessed event. 

Maybe you had a life-changing moment in which you picked up the right book at the right time and the world started opening up for you.  Or maybe you were diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and it made you start questioning your own reality.  Whatever the catalyst, spiritual awakening is a profound process in which you move away from your ego-self and into soul-self.  Though the rewards are great, such a process can be difficult.  You may feel as though your whole world is being torn apart bit-by-bit as you start living from a completely different reference point. 

When I was heavily into my awakening process, there were days when I couldn't tell up from down.  There were moments I was certain I was going crazy as my mind seemed to be spiraling out of control.  Do not fear!  A general rule of thumb: Whatever you are feeling is okay and part of the process.  When all else fails, BREATHE!!!  Deep breathing grounds you and helps move the process along.

That said, here are a few awakening signs that myself and others have experienced: 

1. Disillusionment with the world.  You may find yourself feeling  hopeless, lost, sad, and angry with the state of the world.
2. Sudden changes.  This could be the loss of a job, loved one, pet, a serious illness, a change in environment or all of the above.  In the awakening process, the things that we are most attached to are often taken away as we are forced to look inwards.
3. Extreme bodily sensations such as fatigue, exhaustion, manic episodes, nausea, chest pains, headaches, skin irritations such as rashes or acne, etc.  Your whole body is being rewired and your DNA is changing.  Your body goes through a great number of detoxes as old energy leaves the body and new energy comes in.
4. Seemingly random bouts of depression or anxiety and a need to cry for no reason. You are releasing so much of your past life and indeed, past lives.  Let the emotions surface and know they are okay.  Move through them. 
5. Loss of passion.  You may lose interest in everything life has to offer.  You may experience no interest in any of the things you used to love.  You are in a transition and re-wiring phase.  Know this and go with it.  Your passion will return to you in new ways but until then, enjoy this time as a resting phase.
6. Feelings of loneliness or disconnection.  You may feel like you just don't fit in the world anymore.  You may feel like an alien and want to spend more and more time alone.  Many relationships may disintegrate and this is appropriate.  Awakening is often a very lonely process as it removes you from mass consciousness and ushers you into your own Selfhood.
7. Intense dreams.  Dreams may take on a whole new meaning and you may wake up more exhausted than before you went to bed.  You are doing much work in your sleep state. 
8. Feelings of disorientation, fuzziness, dizziness, or spaciness.  Your crown chakra is being downloaded with new information and energy.  The hemispheres of your brain may be integrating.  You are also starting to walk in other dimensions.  Make sure you breathe and ground while symptoms are intense. 
9. Feeling like nothing is real.  Scenery and objects may cease to feel "real."  It may seem as though you are watching a movie but not actually in it. 
10. Feelings of intense grief and sadness.  You are grieving the loss of self as you are moving into Self.  Honor yourself and all you have been and all that you are moving into.  You are a wise beautiful being. 
11. Varying sleep patterns.  Some nights you may feel as though you are electric and cannot sleep.  Other nights you will be able to sleep 12 hours straight though.  You may find yourself waking up intermittently. 
12. Nothing helps anymore.  Those things that used to help during times of stress no longer do.  All of our methods of coping and relief seem to constantly change beneath us.  You have to find new ways of coping.  Again, when all else fails, BREATHE!
13. Changes in appetite.  Some days you won't be able to eat and may even feel like you have the flu.  Other days you will be ravenously hungry.  Listen to your body and trust it's wisdom.  When in intense hunger mode, eat protein every few hours.  Your body needs the large amounts of fuel because your entire cellular structure is changing.
14. Changes in weight.  At the start of an awakening experience, many people gain weight.  This process demands a ton of energy as your body's cellular structure is being changed from the inside out.  Your body needs the extra energy and may desire the energetic comfort that an extra layer of fat brings.  As you become more comfortable living from your spiritual center, your weight will balance out again, sometimes overnight.  Relax with the changes and give your body permission to do what it needs to do.  This will pass and the easiest way to let it pass is to just go with it.