How To Return To “Normal” After A Traumatic Spiritual Experience

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This article is an opinion piece written By Luke Miller

We are currently in the midst of a spiritual revolution. Conversations are changing, ideas are shifting and people are waking up to the idea of a higher power. A connection to “God” or whatever your metaphorical equivalent may be is not a new thing, but with the emergence of information that was once held very secretly to just a few adepts, more people are looking for a direct conversation with “God”.

This has its pros and cons. The pros are that the planet is in dire need of reconnection to the source. This becomes evident by simply looking at the way the people, animals and the planet is being treated in the name of economic growth. One of the large downfalls, however, is the lack of grounded experiential encounters. Meaning, many people can bend in all the different Yoga poses, name the Chakras and preach the scriptures, but lack direct understanding outside of the theory.

One example of this comes in the form of organized religion. Many of which have an intermediary between “the seeker” and “God” in the form of a priest. The role of “priest” has changed dramatically over the millennia, if we go back to much of the time of Kemet (Ancient Egypt), the role of the priest was to tend to the Gods, so the people could continue to have a dialogue. These priests would not actually advise the community and would work as someone who would teach other sages, saints, seers, and prophets to build their own relationship with “God”. Historically Christian church priests have done the opposite, claiming the direct communion with “God” and have become a translator for anything from money problems to sexual deviance.     

One of the major misconceptions that have arisen due to many mistranslations of “the word”, is the fact that spiritual awakening is usually a very painful experience for some of the journey. Many are chasing a Kundalini awakening, Ayahuasca ceremonies or to have their Third Eye opened, not understanding how catastrophic this experience can be if you are not prepared.

Darkness

There are many perspectives on light and dark and the relationship between the 2. I can only give my own understanding, which is that we are beings of light. The darkness comes from the density of our bodies and the material existence. Every time we have a traumatic experience, we store dense energy which materializes into darkness. Regardless of beliefs, we are here in this moment as human beings, so it only makes sense to play by the rules of this existence. This means we have to integrate the pure light of the heavens and the darkness of material living. To deal with the darkness comes through the processing of the encounters we have had and releasing the darkness we have stored, this is not always an easy process and when we awaken certain energies within us this process can become accelerated.

A good way to conceptualize this is to think of when we become physically sick. This may not seem like a “good” thing, but if you can expel whatever it is that is making you sick, then the vomiting is doing its job. However, sometimes you cannot expel the bug and the sickness robs you of all your nutrients completely depleting you. This is what an awakening can bring, an invitation to view your sickness, but if you have not completed a certain level of maintenance before you become aware of this, it can lead you into a hole that can be hard to climb out of.  

 

Loss Of Self

The danger of opening Pandora’s box is the loss of the sense of self. Dependant on age and the level of conditioning we have we may have built up a very complex avatar for who we think we are when this is stripped away momentarily it can be hard to comprehend. This is what is known as ego death and is generally a very pleasant experience. However, you have to think about what it is you are returning to after this experience. Once you feel oneness it can be hard to return to selling home insurance in an office. Often there is a lot of contemplation that needs to take place and it can become easy to stop caring about material obligations such as bills and other commitments. At the time directly after this kind of experience, it can seem like a good idea to quit your job or make massive life choices, and while these can work out, they can often have the opposite effect.

Dark Night Of The Soul

Dark night of the soul is what commonly follows the above-mentioned experiences. This is a plunge into the darkness where you start to question yourself, the world and our existence. It can feel as if all hope is lost and you will never be able to work your way out of the slumber. This experience is really a mirror, showing you the different elements of your psyche, often as something we are projecting onto something external.

How To Come Back To Reality

The truth is after some experiences things are never the same again, but this is okay and it is only the clinging that prevents us from moving forward. To be truly present is something that is needed to overcome any obstacles we face. If you are feeling darkness, it is because you are not addressing a part of yourself that needs your attention. But to try to force change, can be equally detrimental. Sometimes we need to just sit in the silence, stop trying to control things and surrender to what is. This takes patience, non-judgment of the self and perseverance, but everything is cyclical and if you are experiencing something that has rocked your world, it will pass.

The solutions to our problems are always theoretically simple; eat good food, drink lots of water, meditate, remain patient and do what you love. But the practical application can often be far harder. With walking the path of the seeker, there is a certain level of acceptance of where you are that needs to take place. If you can do this, you can walk between the duality of good and bad, light and dark or good and evil. This is where true liberation lays.

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