The Journey Within: How to Improve Spiritual Awareness and Be More Spiritual

In our fast-paced and hectic world, getting caught up in the daily grind and losing sight of our potential is easy.

However, deep within each of us lies a wellspring of untapped power and wisdom waiting to be discovered. This is where spiritual awareness comes into play. Spirituality and spiritual health is the key that unlocks our true potential and propels us toward personal growth and fulfillment.

When we cultivate spiritual awareness, we bring a sense of purpose to our lives. 

We connect with our inner selves and gain a deeper understanding of who we truly are. Additionally, spiritual awakening allows us to navigate challenges with greater resilience and stability. It also promotes peace, harmony, and well-being, enabling us to lead more meaningful lives.

But what does being spiritually aware mean? 

Don’t worry! In this article, we'll explore what it means to be more spiritually aware, why it is important, different stages of spiritual growth, and how to improve spiritual awareness!

What Is Spiritual Awareness?

Spiritual awareness is the conscious recognition of your inner, non-material essence — your connection to something greater than the physical self. It involves tuning into the deeper aspects of existence, beyond logic or sensory input, and acknowledging the presence of a higher reality or purpose.

Key components of spiritual awareness include:

• Self-awareness: Recognizing your inner thoughts, emotions, and spiritual essence.
• Connection: Feeling a sense of oneness with all living beings and the universe.
• Presence: Developing the ability to stay fully present in the moment with clarity and openness.
• Inner stillness: Cultivating peace through practices like meditation or reflection that silence the mental noise.
• Transcendence: Understanding that you are more than your body, roles, or ego-driven identity.
• Compassion: Embracing empathy and kindness as natural expressions of spiritual growth.

Words can mean different things to different people, and when it comes to being spiritually aware, there are diverse viewpoints. For example, being "aware" simply implies being consciously aware of the apparent things happening around them, like traffic or weather.

For others, awareness goes beyond surface-level observations. It encompasses a deeper understanding of human consciousness and our interconnectedness with everything and everyone. In this context, being spiritually aware means embodying a state of oneness and becoming the omnipresent witness of existence itself.

It is about recognizing that you are more than your physical form and tapping into the core of your being. It is also about connecting with the divine essence that resides within you and permeates everything around you.

Spiritual awareness is also closely related to consciousness — the ability to be aware of ourselves and our environment. Thus, as we expand our spiritual awareness, our consciousness of the outer world also expands. We become more attuned to the subtle energies and forces that shape our existence.

This heightened consciousness allows us to perceive the interconnectedness of all things and tap into greater wisdom beyond emotional intelligence and surface-level observations.

How To Be More Spiritually Aware: 5 Stages of Spiritual Awareness

The stages of spiritual growth offer a roadmap for this journey, guiding you through the various phases and gradual processes that unfold as you awaken to a higher reality.

The metaphor of vision better describes the stages of spiritual awakening—in this model, you’ll notice five different aspects of sight representing peculiar stages on your spiritual growth journey.

Stage 1: Glimpsing Spirit—The Call to Adventure

The first stage of spiritual awareness begins with a captivating moment, often called the call to adventure. Every journey starts with a call to adventure. Thus, this stage is a powerful awakening that represents a moment that shakes your worldview and compels you to look at life differently. This awakening incident can take many forms, such as a profound experience, a loss, or a significant life event.

Joseph Campbell, the renowned mythologist, describes this as the primary pushing-off point for the hero's journey. 

You are faced with a choice — to accept or refuse the call. However, deep down, your soul beckons you to transform, and rejecting the call is not truly an option.

Once you accept the call, you become an active participant in your inner light and spiritual growth and set foot into a larger world, where you actively participate in spiritual growth and evolving consciousness.

Stage 2: Closer Examination—Choosing a Path

As you recognize that your limited worldview can no longer contain your expanding awareness, you enter a stage of closer examination. Everything you once accepted as fixed and stable comes into question, and you seek answers and a new way forward.

This stage is marked by a period of exploration, self-study, and the pursuit of knowledge. 

You may find yourself drawn to different paths, such as love and devotion, science and intellect, action and selfless service, or meditation and its related disciplines. Remember, there are no set rules for discovering your path—follow your intuitive heart and choose the method that matches your unique personality and dispositions.

Stage 3: Seeking—Following the Path

Having found your path, you become a spiritual seeker dedicated to regular practice, study, and discipline.

This stage is characterized by the birth of self-referral, where your identity shifts from external references to heightened intuition and higher guidance. 

With consistent spiritual practice, you experience increasing lightheartedness and find your desires more effortlessly fulfilled. Life becomes easier as you enter the flow, encountering synchronicities and experiences of grace that align with your spiritual purpose.

Stage 4: Loss of Sight—Losing the Path

The spiritual journey is not without its challenges. As you strive for growth and transformation, you confront your shortcomings, resistance to change, and external influences that tempt you to give up your quest.

These challenges, often called threshold guardians, test your resolve and make you question your chosen path. This phase often invites a deeper exploration of our hidden fears, limiting beliefs, and unresolved emotions—also known as Shadow work. 

At times, you may feel lost or helpless, experiencing spiritual blindness. However, these obstacles serve as opportunities for self-discovery and enlightenment. With fortitude and courage, you can overcome these hurdles and emerge stronger and more awakened than ever.

Stage 5: Seeing—Merging with the Path

The final stage of spiritual awareness brings us to a state of merging with the path. The seeker enters a transcendent stage where the seer, scenery, and the seen merge. You have become one with your practice, existing in unity.

This stage is marked by a profound shift in perception and a realization of your true identity as an infinite, immortal being. 

It is a journey of letting go, peeling away all the layers of the ego until only pure being-ness remains. You awaken fully to being a divine observer and embrace your life purpose and destiny.

Why Be More Spiritual?

There are many benefits of embarking on a spiritual awakening path and various degrees to which this journey can add value to your interpersonal relationships and overall life experience.

For instance, being spiritually aware can: 

• Foster your personal growth and development
• Help you find meaning and purpose in your life
• Promote your inner peace and tranquility
• Help develop a greater capacity for compassion and empathy
• Help individuals transcend limiting beliefs, societal conditioning, and ego-driven patterns
• Provide you with a framework to cope with life challenges, such as loss, grief, and uncertainty
• Help you connect with a higher power, the divine, or a deep sense of universal consciousness

Remember that spiritual awakening is a personal journey, and individuals may have unique reasons for pursuing it as part of their holistic approach to well-being. The benefits are also subjective and can vary from person to person.

Thus, before embarking on a spiritual path, take a moment and reflect on why you would want to be a more spiritually aware person. 

• What does spirituality mean to you personally?
• Do you ever feel a subtle void in your life? Like something is missing, and you can point it out?
• Are you yearning for a deep connection with your inner self—that part of you beyond your profession, name, material possessions, or social life?
• Is there something bigger at play within the fabric of your life?
• Do you wonder, "What is your purpose in life"?

6 Proven Ways to Cultivate a Spiritual Mindset

Now that you know what spiritual awareness means, its stages, and why you must explore it, let’s delve into how to deepen your spiritual awareness.

Here are six ways to help you learn how to be more spiritual and cultivate a stronger spiritual mindset within yourself. 

1. Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude is a potent catalyst for spiritual growth. By cultivating gratitude, we shift our focus from lack to abundance, negativity to positivity. Practicing gratitude opens our hearts and minds, allowing us to recognize and appreciate the blessings in our lives. It helps us foster a deeper connection with ourselves, others, and the world around us, nurturing our spiritual awareness.

2. Practice Forgiveness and Compassion

Another way to help you become spiritually aware is through forgiveness and compassion. Holding onto resentment and anger weighs us down and hinders our progress. By practicing forgiveness, we free ourselves from the burden of past hurts and open the door to healing and growth.

Similarly, compassion allows us to extend kindness and understanding to ourselves and others. Whether volunteering, helping a friend in need, or simply offering a listening ear, these actions foster a sense of interconnectedness and spiritual growth.

3. Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are powerful tools for cultivating spiritual awareness. As you become aware of your spiritual nature by practicing meditation, you learn to quiet the mind, detach from your thoughts, and enter a state of inner concentration.

On the other hand, a mindfulness-based lifestyle involves bringing our full attention to the present moment and being fully aware of our thoughts, feelings, and sensations. These practices help us cultivate inner peace and presence, connecting us with our spiritual essence.

To enhance consistency, habit-stack this practice by linking it to an existing habit, such as meditating for five minutes immediately after your morning stretch routine.

4. Prayer and Contemplation

Taking time to steep yourself in prayers and contemplation provides an avenue for connecting with a higher power or divine presence and is an excellent way to become more spiritual. While the act of prayer is most commonly associated with a belief in God, for others, this connection is with nature or the universe. This “communication” with something outside of yourself allows you to express gratitude, seek guidance, and cultivate a deeper connection with the spiritual realm.

Regular prayer and contemplation can bring a profound sense of peace, trust, and surrender, deepening our spiritual awareness and fostering a deeper sense of divine connection.

5. Journaling and Reflection

Carve out dedicated time each day for journaling and self-reflection. Use this practice to explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences, allowing for deeper self-awareness. To facilitate this, consider journaling for 10 minutes each evening after completing a specific activity, such as right after you finish your dinner and before you engage in your evening relaxation routine.

6. Practice Self-Love

Lastly, practicing self-love is another powerful way to help you become a spiritually aware person. Self-love involves developing a deep and compassionate connection with yourself. It also means making time to take care of yourself.

By nurturing self-love, you acknowledge your inherent worthiness and develop a strong foundation of true self. This inner connection creates a fertile ground for spiritual awakenings, allowing you to explore your authentic self and establish a meaningful relationship with your higher self or spiritual essence.

Are You Spiritually Aware?

Everywhere you turn, there are countless options to help you become more spiritual.

From meditation and mindfulness to group-led quests and religious gatherings, the path to spiritual growth is diverse and inclusive. Regardless of your background, culture, beliefs, or interests, embracing these six tips is an excellent stepping stone toward a more spiritually focused life.

One thing that happens to many people as they begin a spiritual journey is that they start asking, “Who am I? “Where do I belong or fit in?” 

This often leads to exploring their inner personality and sense of identity.

If this is you, then you may want to consider the Enneagram. Unlike most self-assessments, which are based on psychological traits, the Enneagram test is based on spiritual principles.