The 17 Stages You Go Through On Your Journey to Spiritual Awakening

Learn how to grow into the best version of yourself

Co-authored by Eric McClure Reviewed by Joanna Cabot

Last Updated: May 16, 2025 Fact Checked

A spiritual awakening is a powerful journey where you experience a shift in consciousness that changes how you see the world. Much like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, this process involves stages that almost everyone will go through. But what are those stages and how do you deal with them? To help guide you through your journey, we spoke to Jennifer McVey, a spiritualist and seer with over 22 years of experience helping people grow spiritually. Keep reading to learn the 17 stages of spiritual awakening and how to navigate them.

What are the stages of a spiritual awakening?

Psychic medium Joanna Cabot says awakenings often begin with a challenge that makes you more aware of your values, emotions, and what’s essential in life. The stage that follows can be uncomfortable, leaving you feeling isolated or misunderstood. Then, you begin changing, learning, and finding your true self.

1

Experiencing the Spark

Download Article

During this first stage, something will nudge you to start your spiritual journey. Perhaps you had a moment of clarity during a difficult challenge. Maybe you felt a spiritual kick while you were at church, or while you were praying. Whatever it is, many spiritual awakening journeys begin with a moment of divine energy that you can feel in your soul.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- In some cases, the spiritual journey can start with the simple decision to consciously change. Don’t wait for a “big moment” if you’re ready to grow–be your own spiritual experience!

2

Feeling Discontent

Download Article

This stage involves feeling stuck, frustrated, or uneasy. Like a caterpillar blossoming from its cocoon, nobody can change without a little discomfort. During this stage you may feel dissatisfied with your life and want change, but also afraid of that change. It can be scary to imagine yourself on a new spiritual frequency, and it’s normal for that to cause some anxiety in your life.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- For example, let’s say you’ve been single for a year and feel lonely and ready to start dating again. You may notice that all those new dating apps are kind of overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Don’t worry—that’s a totally normal feeling to have at this stage of your spiritual journey, and things will get better.

3

Reflecting on Your Suffering

Download Article

In this stage, you learn to take your pain and turn it into something better. Life is a journey, and pain and discontent are a part of that journey. Once you’ve recognized the pain, you can start meditating on it and realizing that your strength and internal wisdom have helped you cope with your suffering. You’re tougher than you think, and you don’t need to let your pain hold you back from your spiritual awakening!^{[3]
X
Research source}
- During this stage, reflect on the good that’s come from your suffering, even though it’s not easy. For example, maybe you lost a job you like, but it ended up leading to a career you enjoy way better. That suffering actually motivated you to explore your passions and find a better career path!

4

Questioning Your Reality and Beliefs

Download Article

During this stage, you’ll start to reflect on who you are as a person. Now that you’re feeling more spiritually connected with yourself, it’s time to take a hard look at your core beliefs and the reality of your life. Do you like what you see? Are old beliefs holding you back? You don’t have to reject everything you know about yourself, but it may be time to start making changes in your life and letting go of anything that isn’t serving you anymore.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- McVey says to “Take all of your beliefs and reassess them. Check inside of yourself and ask, what does my faith, my beliefs, my personality…what does all of it mean to me? Or why am I the way I am? Where do the aspects of myself come from? You need to see everything from a different perspective to understand it better.”^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}

5

Accepting the Desire to Grow

Download Article

At this stage, it’s time to accept that you are ready for change. A lot of people say the hardest part of waking up spiritually is saying “yes” to yourself. If you know you need to change, accepting that is half the battle. Get excited about your journey and know in your heart that wanting to “wake up” is a good thing.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- The moment you realize you’re ready to change, accept it. Resisting things and trying to stay the same will only delay the process of spiritual growth.

6

Seeking Knowledge

Download Article

In this stage, your goal is to seek the knowledge you need to change. Say you’ve realized that you no longer connect to the religion you grew up with. Now is part of your spiritual journey where you should explore alternatives religions, beliefs, and philosophies to discover what really connects with you. Keep learning and you’ll keep growing!^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Imagine you’ve been broken up with. You could choose to ignore everything that happened in the relationship and just move on, but if you’re going through a spiritual awakening, perhaps it’s time to dig deeper and figure out what went wrong. The more information, the better!

7

Finding Spiritual Guides or Gurus

Download Article

During this part of your journey, you may benefit from a spiritual mentor. If you’re going to climb a mountain, it helps to know a sherpa who has done it before. This is the value in finding a spiritual teacher you resonate with. This stage is optional and not something you need to spend a lot of energy pursuing if you’re not interested. However, some people find it helpful to have a spiritual teacher to guide them along their journey.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Don’t let any single voice in your life dominate the conversation. It’s good to find gurus and guides, but no single teacher will have the answer to everything you need to know.
- A spiritual guide could be a teacher you find on YouTube who you connect with or it could be a local spiritual leader. A grandparent or close friend can also teach you a lot if you keep an open mind.

8

Fixing Bad Habits

Download Article

This is the stage where you take action to change old habits that no longer serve you. Whatever has been holding you back–whether it’s bad sleep practices, a habit of texting exes, substance abuse, or any other habit you don’t want to have anymore–can be tackled here now. You have the spiritual foundation to make large changes, so use that platform for good!^{[9]
X
Research source}
- McVey elaborates by saying “If you're talking about raising the vibration of your consciousness, think, ‘pure thought, pure deed.’ So, the cleaner and purer you are, the higher your vibration can go. God or the spirit (or whatever your belief is) can only work through you if you’re healthy. Let’s not beat around the subject—be healthy! Drink plenty of pure clean water, maintain good sleep habits, and care about yourself. By taking care of your body, you’ll take care of your spirit.”^{[10]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}
- To get (and stay!) healthy, start small. You might start exercising for 10 minutes a day one week, then increase the time next week as you get into the habit. You might eat more vegetables for one meal a day and then slowly improve that over time, for example.

9

Disassembling Your Ego

Download Article

At this stage, deconstructing your mindset will lead to more growth. Your ego refers to everything you view about yourself that makes you, you. Perhaps it’s your belief that you’re a good person or that you’re prone to anger. Maybe it’s your job, your family, and your hobbies that define you. By breaking down your presumptions and reassessing what you are, you’ll free yourself from the guardrails that may be keeping you from spiritual growth.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- McVey says, “Somewhere in the grand scheme of your existence, you will have to re-experience everything you do. But, you're going to re-experience it from the aspect of it happening to you. If you hurt others, you will hurt. You have to see all sides of everything, so don’t block out what comes back to you. Let yourself experience it.”^{[12]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}
- For example, say you’re a firefighter. You view your job as a core part of who you are and it informs the way you dress, talk, and think. What would happen if you lost that job? How would it change the way you feel about you?

10

Recalibrating Your Sensors

Download Article

In this stage, you’ll continue to let yourself feel your way through change. At this point in the journey, you’re a bit like a foreigner in a new land. Things may seem fresh and new, while other things may seem scary and confusing. Whatever you feel at this point is totally natural and appropriate. Give yourself time to adjust and trust your instincts.
- McVey challenges you to “release control to your higher self…your body is kind of asleep and your spirit goes outside of your body, so that's where you want to focus your energies. Focus on the things you aren’t trying to experience directly. Then, when you come back in, you'll be at a higher vibration.”^{[13]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}
- As an example, imagine you are used to ignoring people on the bus when you go to work. What might happen if you perked up and started paying attention to them? What if you struck up a conversation with someone new? How might your life change–even just for that day?

11

Experiencing New Energies

Download Article

At this point in your journey, look around you for new ways to grow spiritually. As you continue to grow, you’ll start to notice feelings, urges, and senses that weren’t there before. This is completely normal and it’s something you should lean into, not shy away from. Your radar for life is being re-tuned, and this is a sign that you’re changing and growing for the better.^{[14]
X
Research source}
- McVey explains, “New experiences raise your consciousness. So, every thought that you think either supports your frequency staying high, or it supports it going down. The trick is to acknowledge new things, let the thoughts flow freely, and don’t avoid discomfort.”^{[15]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}
- For example, maybe you’ve noticed that there’s a speed dating event at your local bar. Maybe this is something you’d never do in the past, but something about it spoke to you. This is a sign it’s worth giving the event a shot!

12

Forming New Connections

Download Article

During this stage, you’ll connect with new ideas, beliefs, and sensations. If something novel or fascinating happens to you while you’re on your journey, explore it. There are no accidents when you’re waking up spiritually! Maybe you feel a spark with someone new and you’re thinking about asking them to hang out, or perhaps you’ve got a feeling moving to a new state is a good idea. Whatever new connections you’re making are 100% worth exploring.^{[16]
X
Research source}
- McVey says the change will continue and that it’s essential you don’t try to stop it: “It's not like I'm on a bus and I'm ready to hit my bus stop. It's a never-ending constant in your life that you're always striving for that shift in consciousness, right? So keep looking for new ways to raise your vibrations.”^{[17]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}
- Have you noticed that the one thing you seem to bond with people over is travel? Maybe this is a sign you should pull the trigger on that friend's trip you and your besties are always talking about.

13

Facing Your Shadows

Download Article

At this point, it’s time to tackle any unresolved traumas or pain. Shadow work refers to the process of exploring, examining, and accepting all of the darker parts of yourself that you would normally want to hide or ignore. This process is not always fun, but it’s important. Tackle the pain that you can’t escape from and accept the darker parts of yourself. This kind of work can take a lifetime, so don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.^{[18]
X
Trustworthy Source

Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source}
- The easiest example here is something like an anger issue. Your anger is a part of you whether you like it or not, and learning to respect that is the first step to learning how to control it.

14

Experiencing New Pains

Download Article

At this stage, you’ll likely feel the growing pains of your awakening. No matter what kind of awakening you’re experiencing, there will be times when things feel dark, confusing, or scary. That’s totally normal and it’s nothing to worry about. In fact, difficulty and pain can be transformative. But even when it isn’t, the most positive of journeys have their rough patch every now and then.^{[19]
X
Research source}
- McVey explains, “You can have large shifts in an awakening where things get ugly because you’ve been unaware of what’s going on for so long. Maybe you’ve been ignoring your intuition and now you’re not, or maybe you’re getting rid of people in your life who you shouldn’t have been involved with and now you’re feeling that loss. It’s harder the more you fight it, so accept the pain and keep working through it.”^{[20]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}
- As an example, you might notice that your career change has destroyed your ability to focus on a hobby you’re passionate about. Maybe that frustration and distraction are really wearing you down, but it’ll get better as you get your sea legs under you and learn to balance your new work-life balance.

15

Cultivating a Higher Consciousness

Download Article

At this point, the pain, growth, and change will bring you to a higher place. Some people call it “enlightenment,” but all they really mean is “a true sense of self.” By working through your pain and making an effort to grow and learn, you’re revealing essential elements about yourself. Your personality, your goals, your dreams, all of it will become clearer at this stage.^{[21]
X
Research source}
- McVey says, “So it's usually not…forget, forgive, and move on. It's always about understanding and then letting go. It's that ‘aha!’ moment where you just get it. And when you get it, it makes everything kind of fall away. It disintegrates. Because now you understand…it's like having a shift in consciousness.”^{[22]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview}
- There is no “one size fits all” outcome when it comes to higher consciousness. What’s true for one person may not be true for another, so don’t try to force yourself to fit in a box that isn’t for you.

16

Experiencing the Call to Help

Download Article

At this stage, you’re ready to go and help others. The call to service is the penultimate stage of spiritual awakening. The urge to help others is a sign that you’ve grown enough to care for yourself and then some. If you feel stable and ready, it’s the perfect time to take on a new responsibility by supporting friends, family, or even strangers in their spiritual awakenings.^{[23]
X
Trustworthy Source

Mental Health Foundation
UK charity working towards good mental health for all.

Go to source}
- McVey sums it up by explaining that “when you have an ‘aha’ moment, there are no emotions, right? They say it's the closest you can get to God. It's like that epiphany, it's being in the presence of God because you're not separated from anyone or anything. You're actually connected to everything.”^{[24]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jennifer McVey, Cht
  Spiritual Director
  
  Expert Interview} This means you’re ready to go out in the world and help improve it.

17

Transcending

Download Article

McVey says, “The highest vibration frequency feeling that you can have as far as I know, it's doing…more, love more than anything else. It's a joy. And that pure joy feeling is really that aha moment that we were talking about earlier. That's the highest frequency you can get.”^{[25]
X
Expert Source

Jennifer McVey, Cht
Spiritual Director

Expert Interview} In other words, you know you’re fully awake when your joy is so overflowing that you don’t know what to do with it!