What Is A Spiritual Awakening In Recovery

Religious and spiritual beliefs exist in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be impacted by factors such as a person's upbringing, family beliefs, and community standards. Spiritual awakenings are defined by some people solely in terms of organized religion. It could be one to which they already belong or one to which they have already renounced. It could also be a particular faith that they discover while in recovery is a wonderful fit for them.

Others have a more open-minded approach to spirituality. Many modern 12-step programs encourage members to identify their higher power in terms that are meaningful to them. They may believe that their higher power is centered on nature, science, love, relationships, or newly discovered self-esteem. They employ this lens to assist them in achieving their own spiritual awakenings.

A spiritual awakening in recovery is described as a natural occurrence by Psychology Today. It recognizes the urge to compensate for painful emotions and troubling life conditions as one of the key reasons people become vulnerable to addiction. People with a history of trauma or mental health problems are more likely to develop a substance addiction disorder. Individuals who are constantly confronted with harsh feelings or events are also at danger. They frequently turn to alcohol or drugs to fill the spaces in their lives that are both empty and painful.

When those substances are removed as a result of sobriety, a natural desire to replace them arises. Many people characterize spiritual awakening in recovery as learning to replace toxic coping methods with healthy, long-lasting ones. It entails evolving into a better version of one's prior self. Instead of self-medicating with narcotics, people in recovery begin to face their emotions head-on. They return to life in a number of ways. These can include mending connections with family and friends, launching a profession, preparing for a return to school, or defining personal goals.

What is the spiritual awakening process?

Spiritual awakening, contrary to popular belief, does not entail a literal transformation “Awakening.”

You don't wake up one day feeling like you have a powerful energy within of you beckoning for change.

Spiritual awakening is a long process in which a person realizes that their existence extends beyond the physical realm “I” refers to the ego.

Eastern spiritualists refer to the ego, or everyday self, as the acquired mind in Taoist philosophy.

Our current selves — our likes, actions, preferences, and convictions — are the result of years of socialization.

These particular features we pick up, however unusual they may be, do not yet make up a whole self.

Humans are a self-preserving species as a result of evolution; it's in our DNA to resist change.

Humans are innately egoistic beings, therefore we can't help but form a bubble around ourselves and do everything we can to keep it safe.

While a firm belief in who you are and what you believe in may appear to be the very definition of the full “self,” philosophers such as Carl Jung argue that separating the “I” from the rest of the world is harmful because we inevitably begin to limit what counts as good and righteous to those qualities unique to us.

Consider this: your Spirit lives alongside your ego. The ego acquires things you enjoy and don't like, as well as convictions that distinguish what's good from what's evil, during the years of learning and interacting.

As the ego takes control, your Spirit becomes confined and inert, rather than moving beyond it.

What does spirituality mean in recovery?

The term “spirituality” will be used frequently by those in early recovery, but what exactly is spirituality in recovery? Spirituality in recovery refers to connecting with the element of human existence that exists outside of yourself. Spirituality entails connecting with something greater than yourself and examining your relationship with the cosmos as a whole. It entails posing unanswerable questions or accessing a previously untapped aspect of your mind and soul.

What does a spiritual awakening feel like?

Psychological research on spiritual and kundalini awakenings is still in its early stages, and it has tended to ignore events that occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Studies on the impact of mystical experiences, such as spiritual and kundalini awakenings, on well-being have identified the predominantly positive, healing effects of these experiences, as well as some of the more challenging aspects brought on both by their disruptive nature and by their typically biased clinical interpretations. Despite a greater number of research addressing the powerful physical aspect of kundalini awakenings compared to spiritual awakenings, the subtle phenomenological variations between spiritual and kundalini awakenings have rarely been studied. The interchangeable use of these terminology could make it difficult to comprehend these experiences and their effects, especially as stronger bodily feelings may imply more difficult outcomes. Some of the phenomenological and neurobiological bases of drug and non-drug induced ASCs, as well as the links between the spiritual features of ASCs and the symptoms of TLE and trait absorption, have been investigated by neuroscientific and psychological study. However, SSA/SKAs have yet to be mapped within the ASC framework, and the common predictors used to research ASCs (TLL and absorption) have not been tested as efficient predictors of SSA/SKAs.

This paper will explore the general properties of SSA/SKAs, their consequences on well-being, how they compare to other measurable ASCs, their links with TLL and absorption, and the potential phenomenological variations between them in order to fill certain gaps in the data. The authors hypothesize that Spontaneous Kundalini Awakenings (SKAs) are not only more physical than Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings (SSAs), but also more likely to produce negative experiences, based on the prevalence of anecdotal accounts of physical and energetic experiences preceding challenging kundalini experiences. After that, the phenomenological distribution of spontaneous Spiritual and Kundalini Awakenings will be mapped within the ASC framework by comparing their phenomenological distribution to that of non-drug and drug-induced ASCs. Following a similar approach to the investigation of induced ASCs, analysis will be undertaken to evaluate the hypothesis that TLL and trait absorption predict the severity of the SSA/SKA ASC. More research will be done to see how the SSA/SKA sample's population distribution compares to the distribution of previously reported “normal” TLL and absorption samples. The short- and long-term effects of these events on one's well-being will be investigated.

What is an example of a spiritual awakening?

Anything, from the absolutely banal to the completely life-altering, can cause a spiritual awakening.

Life-changing events (i.e., losing your job, moving away from home, a vehicle accident, etc.) and persons who open a spiritual “door” for you are two common causes, according to spiritual author Shannon Kaiser (like a twin flame or soul mate).

“Spiritual awakenings can happen on their own,” she says, “but most are brought on by major life changes or traumas like life-threatening illnesses, car accidents, divorces, war, pandemics, quarter-life or midlife crises, mental health crises like clinical depression or anxiety, or even a near-death experience.”

Tanya Carroll Richardson, a professional intuitive and author of Angel Intuition, notes that anything that inspires (or requires) you to “look at your life from a more spiritual viewpoint” might lead to awakening.

What are the stages of awakening?

The hero's journey, an evolutionary process of growth and transformation woven into all great myths and stories, was outlined by renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell: “A genuinely heroic shift of awareness occurs when we stop worrying about ourselves and our own self-preservation.”

The primary pushing off point for any hero's quest is known as the call to adventure. The call to adventure is a break from regular life, a signal that comes from deep inside, grabs your attention, and drives you in a new direction. The spark that sets off a spiritual awakening is a call to adventure. Every life has a moment that, if grasped, will change it forever. The call to adventure is a reawakening experience, a shift in perspective that forces you to reconsider your perspective on life. A travel to a strange location, the loss of innocence, an illness, a challenge, the death of a close friend, a near-death experience, or the loss of a job are all examples of spiritual experiences. Regardless of the specifics, the experience alters your perspective and causes you to see the world through fresh eyes. You've been given the task of living an ordinary life in an extraordinary way.

At this critical juncture, Joseph Campbell advises that you must choose whether or not to accept the call to adventure. In truth, though, ignoring the call isn't an option because your soul is inviting you to change on a deeper level. If you ignore the call, the opportunity will recycle itself like a skip on a record, patiently waiting for you to embrace the call to a new existence, thanks to your unique karmic influences. Furthermore, there is no going back once a transforming and deeply waking incident has occurred. Your eyes have been opened, and no matter how much you try to reject it, you can't turn away from the image of a greater reality calling to you.

You enter a broader universe once you've answered the call to adventure. You take an active role in your spiritual development and advancement. As you begin to manage your life toward chances that enhance your knowledge, responsibility becomes the operative word. Everything feels the same and weirdly different at the same time, thanks to a tiny alteration in perspective.

How is spirituality important in recovery?

Accepting personal responsibility is difficult for many persons in recovery. Spirituality can help people heal from their mistakes in the past. Forgiveness, reconnection with others, and a sense of belonging are all common components of spiritual healing. Some people find that journaling on a regular basis helps them heal.

What are some spiritual goals that you would like to achieve in sobriety?

Some people rely on faith to help them become more conscious, cope with obstacles, find a purpose, and offer support for others in their community.

Spirituality can also refer to practices for staying present, positively interacting in the environment, having a guiding purpose, and setting an intention to be your best self.

Spirituality, on the other hand, embodies all of these qualities. The methods used to achieve them simply differ from person to person.

A Powerful Tool

When someone has a substance abuse problem, it is at the heart of everything they do. Spirituality can be used to rediscover the genuine self outside of addiction, which can help you:

The Power of a 12-Step Program

Many 12-step organizations use the following brief version of the Serenity Prayer:

The prayer has two full verses and is thought to have been authored by pastor and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. In 1941, a New York City member of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) spotted it in the newspaper, cut it out, and asked the group's secretary to have it printed on cards “something you may carry in a wallet.”

When members found sobriety tough, they quickly welcomed the idea of having this reminder with them at all times as an extension of support and counsel. It's arguably one of the most well-known examples of spirituality being used to help people recover from addiction.

Is a 12-Step Program the Only Way?

A crucial component of 12-step programs is acknowledging a higher power's potential to help restore wellness. It can be difficult for persons in early recovery to embrace the higher power and other concepts indicated in a step coping mechanism, especially if they are not associated with a religion, because it is primarily a Judeo-Christian tenant.

However, many 12-step program participants—more than two million worldwide—stress that each person can apply the rules in ways that are significant to them.

• “12-step programs are spiritual, not religious,” Buddy T. wrote in a blog post. “Members just require confidence in a higher force ‘greater than themselves,' whatever they define it.”
• In an online post, Frank M. of the AA Agnostica website described how “even an atheist” might find consolation and direction in an AA meeting. “We Agnostics,” chapter four of AA's “Big Book,” is the group's name, and its aim is clear: “We do not promote or condemn any kind of religion or atheism.” Our only aim is for suffering alcoholics to be able to attain sobriety in AA without having to accept or refute any other person's ideas.”
• “Regarding the notion of God, one of the first things they teach you is you can be an atheist for all they care—you just have to believe in something that isn't you,” Helana Hovitz said in an article for The Fix. You, who sort of messed everything up. ‘My higher power is merely the thought that everything happens for a purpose,' I remarked when I first came in.'

How Mindfulness Helps You

One component of recovery that many individuals struggle with is taming the monkey mind that addiction develops. And it's easy to see why: without the crutch of self-medicating behavior, a person is forced to confront their thoughts and feelings head-on. It's easy to become overwhelmed.

“Paying attention on purpose,” as scholar Jon Kabat-Zinn puts it, is what mindfulness as a spiritual practice entails. We all have the ability to be aware of our surroundings in the present moment.

What benefits do you get from being present? Thoughts may come to you, but you don't let them consume you. You're able to keep focused on a single observation without becoming sidetracked by worries or difficult recollections. Most key, you don't respond right away; instead, you remain focused on the present moment.

More information on this technique can be found at the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing.

Choose Gratitude

Gratitude is another facet of spirituality. There are numerous ways to incorporate this into your daily life, and there are numerous advantages to doing so:

Make a list of what you're grateful for, and express gratitude for any beneficial outcomes that haven't yet occurred. Also, even when considering the most mundane duties, modify “I should” to “I wish.” As a result, “I should do dishes” transforms into “I want to do dishes.” This helps you to concentrate on why cleaning dishes is essential to you and why you're happy for the opportunity to accomplish it.

How can I recover my spiritual life?

When trying to put all eight aspects of wellness together, the spiritual aspect of wellness can be the most individualized piece of the puzzle. People, on the whole, like to live lives that have meaning and purpose. When these objectives are attained, it brings peace into one's life and the lives of those around them.

So, what are some things you may do to increase your spiritual well-being? It's best to experiment with several ways to see what works best for you. Spiritual wellbeing can be reached in a variety of ways, both physically and intellectually, because it involves one's values, beliefs, and purpose.

1. Examine your spiritual foundation. You are merely asking yourself questions about who you are and what you mean when you explore your spiritual essence. Consider the following question: “Who am I?” What is the point of my existence? What am I most passionate about? These questions will lead you down a path where you will think more deeply about yourself and recognize aspects of yourself that will assist you in achieving fulfillment.

2. Search for hidden meanings. Looking for deeper meanings and examining patterns in your life will help you realize that you have power over your future. Knowing this can help you live a happier and healthier life.

3. Get it off your chest. It will be easier to retain a concentrated mind if you express what is on your mind. You may feel befuddled and unable to make sense of your feelings after a long day or an important event. You may be able to think more clearly and move forward if you write down your thoughts.

4. Give yoga a shot. Yoga is a physical discipline that can help you achieve spiritual wellness by eliminating mental and physical stress. Yoga is taught at all levels and can help relieve anxiety, sadness, weariness, and sleeplessness as well as reducing stress, strengthen the immune system, and lower blood pressure.

5. Take a trip. Yes, it is correct! Taking time for yourself to travel to a familiar location or to a new location can do wonders for your mental health. You will have a greater connection with yourself when your mind is able to block out distractions and assist you in reflecting and resting. This allows you to eliminate stressors and retrain your mind to focus on total wellness. Exercising, visiting with a counselor or advisor, meditation, or taking a temporary vow of silence are all activities that can be done while on a trip.

6. Keep an optimistic attitude. You will find yourself thinking differently and shifting your mind to a happy, healthy place once you begin to view things in your life in a good light. You'll discover that you're more comfortable when you eliminate negativity and re-frame how you think about specific things and situations.

7. Set aside some time to meditate. While managing your time and everyday tasks can be difficult, it is critical to make time for yourself. Take five to ten minutes each day to meditate, whether it's first thing in the morning, during your lunch break, or right before bedtime. By incorporating meditation and relaxation into your daily routine, you will be able to clear your mind and strengthen your connection to your spiritual well-being.

Source: http://student-affairs.illinoisstate.edu/health-promotion-and-wellness/7-ways-improve-spiritual-wellness/

How do I know if I've had a spiritual awakening?

You will have many lovely realizations and new views no matter how you get into alignment with your inner being–whether through a protracted struggle of resistance or with faith and confidence after slight contrast.

• There are “miracles” happening; abundance is pouring in, the body is healing, and relationships are improving.