When you choose mindfulness, you go through different stages of spiritual development.
You change, your consciousness expands, but at the same time, periods of self-doubt and confusion about where to go and how to act sometimes arise.
In this article, I will talk about the stages of spiritual development. In describing them, I relied on my own experience.
So I don’t claim to have the ultimate truth.
This material will help you orient yourself, see where you are on your spiritual path, and understand what to do.
I hope that after reading, you will gain confidence to boldly move forward.
Stages of Spiritual Development
1. “Sleep Mode”
If you are reading this article, you have already moved on to the next stage. Otherwise, it would hardly have caught your eye.
Still, I suggest we remember what was happening to you when you were still in a “sleeping state.”
People at this level are completely immersed in the 3D world. They have a ton of unresolved problems.
They live in hope that one morning they will open their eyes and find that their problems have evaporated on their own.
But that’s not how it works. Or rather, it does happen, but only if you are working on self-transformation.
Some problems do disappear. This is a side effect of engaging in spiritual practices backed by consistent actions.
What does this mean? In meditation, you declare that you are releasing resentment toward your mom; in life, you try to be more tolerant of her character traits, set boundaries, and so on.
You don’t just talk; you back up your words with actions.
At this stage, you have a predominant victim consciousness.
For signs of victim consciousness, read the article Why People Play the Victim Role and How This State Manifests.
If you compare the 3 stages, at this level you suffer the most. Yet you cling tightly to your suffering.
And you don’t want to understand — it’s only up to you whether to suffer or be free.
Because it’s hard to accept the fact that you attracted all those terrible life circumstances yourself. You created this for yourself.
At this stage, you are NOT ready to take responsibility for your actions and thoughts.
That’s why many people twirl their fingers at their temples and laugh when they hear about the materiality of thoughts, the laws of the universe, and so on.
At the same time, a huge number of people believe in horoscopes, fortune-telling, predictions, and God knows what else.
Because it’s easier to believe in all sorts of tall tales than to face the truth and admit: Yes, I myself, with my thoughts, fear, worry, and judgment, created these circumstances.
Being responsible is no easy task. That’s why most people on the planet don’t dare to go further. They are simply not ready.
See also Why You Don’t Hear the Messages of Higher Powers
One reason is the unwillingness to hear what they want to tell you. Find out the rest in the article.
At this level, people are divided into several categories:
Hardened Materialists
These people have no desire to broaden their views and admit that there is something more in the world than material wealth. That other points of view exist, different from their own concepts of how life works.
Doubters (Loyal)
This category of people is calm about various kinds of statements and theories about the creation of life on Earth, and different schools of philosophers, religions, and beliefs.
But they don’t strive to seriously accept one position or another, because they are fine with things as they are.
They listen to the advice of sages, even read articles on spiritual topics, but they have no serious need to change their lives.
Seekers
Such people are searching for their own path, answers to questions, but just can’t seem to find them. I belonged to this category.
These are people who found their true Self thanks to a traumatic event.
I searched for my answers until I was ready to accept this challenge and awaken. Until then, all information on this subject was inaccessible to me, or I simply didn’t see it and couldn’t perceive it.
I was looking for a local solution to the problem, but I needed to look globally, broadly.
You need to have courage to stop running from a problem and face it. This often happens when living the old way becomes unbearable.
For each person, there is their own time and their own trigger — a moment, an event, after which an insight occurs.
But until then, you walk right past and don’t see the obvious.
See also How to Determine Your Progress in Development, or 3 Compelling Reasons to Start a Journal of Achievements
2. Spiritual Awakening
At this stage of spiritual development, you are inspired because you have made a huge quantum leap up the spiral of development.
Until you become strong in your new beliefs, there is a danger of returning to the previous stage.
Therefore, support is important here, not only from like-minded people but also from spiritual mentors. And it is precisely during this period that their help is especially felt.
They guide you until you become strong enough to claim your power.
Read how to stay in the state of a creator and not slide back into habitual thinking.
Here you are just learning to take responsibility, you become aware of it, and you begin to practically apply universal laws in your life and track how they work.
At this stage, the foundation of spiritual knowledge is laid.
At first, you strive to tell everyone and anyone about what has been revealed to you, to convince others, to help with advice.
Remember how as a child you told your parents and peers about what you had just learned yourself.
It seemed to you that you had made a discovery and you absolutely wanted to share it with your loved ones.
But remember that you made this discovery for yourself. Don’t impose your point of view on others.
See also Forcing Goodness, or The Danger of the Rescuer Role
Every person has at least one sore spot that eventually leads them to catharsis, and then to the moment when they are ready to awaken.
That is enough to begin spiritual growth.
You have dealt with a major problem, reached a new level, and can even share your experience with other people who are in a similar situation.
See also: A Sign of True Awakening — The End of Seeking
Your soul remembers the peak point of vibrations and sensations you have achieved and strives to experience those feelings as often as possible.
In this way, you strengthen your spiritual core and forever cut off the path back.
From now on, if you fall into the matrix, you will find your way out of that state one way or another.
At the previous stage, general dissatisfaction, fatigue, boredom, bad mood, and complaints about the world were the norm for you.
And if you compare these two polar states — flight and inspiration versus victim consciousness — the soul, of course, chooses the new, high one.
This state is your anchor, which will always hold you upright.
It is impossible to constantly be in balance and harmony, but let it comfort you that victim consciousness is now a temporary phenomenon.
If you do not betray yourself, your true Self, this guest will appear less and less often in your life.
Seek support from like-minded people, strengthen your spiritual core. The article How to Support Yourself in Moments of Low Spirits will help you with this.
3. Conscious Creation
When you acknowledge your power, declare to life that you are a creator, feeling from within that this is truly so, you move on to conscious creation.
If at the previous stage you could be compared to a teenager who already understands a lot but lacks experience, now you are confident in your beliefs and your power.
Even if you proclaim your truth with caution, believe me, it is only at the beginning.
It all depends on your past beliefs, their depth, and your courage. Everything will come with time.
At this stage of spiritual development, the desire to talk about your discoveries, about how the world works, either disappears entirely or takes on a different form.
Now you accept that people have the right to their own opinions, can be mistaken, have the right to make errors, even to their own detriment.
You are ready to share your experience only if you are asked (and more than once). You respect the boundaries of others and their will.
You are more balanced and calm. Cases of falling into the matrix happen, but you no longer scold yourself for it; instead, you allow yourself to live through that state.
The main reasons for falling out at this stage are a lack of inner resources and cyclicality (periods of ups and downs).
Want to know if there is a “ceiling” in spiritual development? We gave the answer in an article of the same name. There you will also find ways to overcome obstacles on the spiritual path.
At this stage, you are a creator in the full sense of the word. Higher powers and spiritual guides step aside to grant you freedom of action.
They, like wise parents, let their children go into adult life, trusting and knowing that nothing bad will happen to them.
They have taught you everything. Now it is your time. They do not leave or abandon you.
The emptiness that arises at this stage is not a test, an exam, or a punishment. It is a sign of respect for you, your choice, will, and freedom.
Your life is your canvas — paint whatever you want on it.
And spiritual guides now act as advisors. But they will not do anything for you. You create, and they help you.
See also How your spiritual development affects your connection with higher powers
What does it mean to create? What actions are expected of you at this stage
If you have fully realized and accepted your power as a creator, then you are NO longer waiting for someone to come and do something for you.
If you are counting on that, then the emptiness that is so strongly felt at this stage appears.
If something needs to be done — do it, if you need to ask — ask those who are nearby. But do not sit idle.
Generate events yourself, create your life day by day the way you want to see it. It is within your power.
Let me give an example for clarity.
You are used to your husband planning a joint vacation. But if you are at the stage of conscious creation, circumstances may align so that he has no time for it.
If you want to enjoy the vacation, you will not wait for him to become free, but will plan the travel route yourself, even if you are not very good at it.
Your first step as a creator will be in making the decision to do it, and NOT shifting it onto someone else.
Then the emptiness will disappear. You will see an easy path to resolve everything in the best way. And this is not without the help of your spiritual guides.
Also read how to properly ask for help from higher powers
You are not left alone; the angel helpers simply respect your right as a creator to take the first step, to make a decision.
You are no longer a child being led by the hand to school and kindergarten. Now you are an adult.
When you grew up and entered adult life, you were not afraid. It was a natural process, an inevitable stage.
This stage of spiritual growth is also inevitable for everyone who walks this path.
It does not matter what stage you are at or what it is called.
Stay true to the principles that make you better, happier, and more harmonious.
Do not rush to move to the next stage, even if you want to catch up with others. Everything has its time.
Your soul knows when to stop and wait, and when to move forward.
Trust your heart. Like a compass, it will always show you the right direction.