When we say we're spiritually isolated, we're referring to being unable to worship and pray together, not having a spiritual relationship with the sacred presence, fearing death, or ritual isolation, among other things. I've found two books that have helped me grasp this:
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What is isolation in Bible?
Isolation is used to describe bravery and fortitude in this context. It is an action accompanied by obedience that triumphs over the harmful and destructive. As a result, biblical depictions of isolation are ambiguous just as we are ambiguous about self-isolation throughout this time period.
Are spiritual awakenings lonely?
If you've ever felt this way, you're not alone – the spiritual loneliness that comes with awakening affects many people from various religious communities on a global scale, and it's happening at an accelerated rate.
Indeed, feeling disoriented following a spiritual awakening is a common occurrence that has worrisome consequences all around the world.
Suicide is one of the major causes of mortality in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More than half of those who died by suicide did not have a known diagnosed mental health issue at the time of death, despite suicide rates rising in nearly every state from 1999 to 2016.
This suicide crisis, according to behavioral scientist Dr. Clay Routledge, is in part owing to a global crisis of meaninglessness, as corroborated by philosophy professors Owen Flanagan and Gregg Caruso.
They allude to the notion that, in favor of science, we are losing our primary source of meaning, which has for millennia been founded on tradition, family, and the divine.
Furthermore, neuroscience is casting doubt on the existence of a soul or “immaterial spirit,” a belief that our brains appear to be hard-wired to believe in, causing profound psychological distress in the process.
It was through her that I realized I wasn't facing an existential crisis, and that I couldn't find solace in my religious beliefs.
And, like so many others who have experienced the agonizing loneliness of spiritual awakening, I had no choice but to face it alone.
What are the stages of spiritual 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.