Is It A Collective Awakening? Or Is It Just You?
Recently, my neighbor’s 17-year-old daughter, in her new tie-dyed skirt and shoulder-length dreadlocks, began to tell me about “The Great Awakening” our world is currently experiencing. She was very serious about it and explained it to me as if she was revealing a new cure for cancer. The human race was in the middle of a profound shift of enlightenment.
My first thought was, “Again?”
Every generation seems to have what they think is a collective “Great Awakening” that is unique to their age group. It was definitely part of mine. We thought we were going through THE Awakening and it even had symptoms:
1. Heightened Awareness: You start to notice things more deeply—your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and how they connect to the world around you. You become more mindful and present in the moment.
2. Inner Reflection: You begin questioning beliefs, assumptions, and patterns that you used to take for granted. You may feel a pull to seek deeper meaning or purpose in your life.
3. Discomfort with the Status Quo: The routines or values you once lived by may no longer resonate with you. There’s often a sense that something bigger is calling you, and you may feel disconnected from your old way of being.
4. Emotional Waves: Awakening can trigger intense emotions—joy, sadness, frustration, or even confusion. These emotions come as you confront deeper truths and release old layers of yourself.
5. Desire for Authenticity: You feel a strong urge to live in alignment with your “true self”, letting go of masks, roles, or expectations that don’t reflect who you are at your core.
6. Deeper Connection to Others: You may feel a heightened sense of empathy or compassion for others, recognizing the interconnectedness of all life. Relationships may take on new meaning, and you seek deeper, more meaningful connections.
7. Increased Intuition: You trust your gut more and feel more connected to your inner guidance or higher self. This may come as sudden insights or a strong sense of knowing what’s right for you.
8. Shift in Priorities: Material pursuits, success, or external validation might feel less important than they once did. Instead, you’re drawn to what feels spiritually or emotionally fulfilling.
9. Physical Sensations: You may experience changes in energy levels, sleep patterns, or bodily sensations as your awareness expands. This can be part of releasing old energy and embracing a new state of being.
10. Synchronicities: You notice meaningful coincidences happening more frequently—things that seem to align or fall into place without effort. These can feel like signs or guidance from the universe.
I could easily check off the boxes for every one of these. It was so exciting, and we were so convinced of its authenticity. The world was going through a wonderful change that was ushering in a “new age” of enlightenment, joy, magic, and peace was going to reign. Aliens were going to land and save us from ourselves, and dysfunctional families would magically love each other once again.
But as this time came and went, and the earth kept turning, and the seasons kept shifting, wars kept happening, and no earth-shaking transformations happened to the human race - I realized these above symptoms were more easily explained as individual Human Normalcy.
The concept of "The Awakening" or a "Great Awakening" has been used across many cultures and historical periods to describe moments of significant spiritual, philosophical, or social transformation. Here's a look at its exceptionally deep roots:
1. Ancient Civilizations:
Egypt and Mesopotamia: Ancient texts from Egypt (like the Egyptian Book of the Dead) and Mesopotamian myths often spoke of a journey toward enlightenment or awakening, focused on the soul's path after death or a deeper connection to the divine. These concepts were not necessarily labeled as "awakenings" but clearly dealt with human consciousness' transformation.
2. Buddhism and Hinduism (6th-5th Century BCE):
In Hindu philosophy, the idea of moksha (liberation) dates back thousands of years, referring to awakening from the illusion of material existence.
Similarly, Siddhartha Gautama's (Buddha's) enlightenment in the 5th century BCE is a cornerstone of Buddhist teachings. His "awakening" (Bodhi) was a profound personal transformation, which then formed the basis of Buddhist practice aimed at ending suffering and attaining Nirvana.
3. Axial Age (8th-3rd Century BCE):
Philosophers and spiritual leaders such as Confucius, Laozi, Zoroaster, and the Hebrew prophets all emerged around the same period. This was a time when human thought dramatically shifted toward introspection, ethics, and spiritual inquiry, often referred to as a great shift in human consciousness.
4. Early Christianity (1st Century CE):
The early Christian movement, particularly the writings of figures like Paul the Apostle, frequently spoke of spiritual rebirth, a kind of awakening through Christ. Themes of "awakening from sin" or spiritual ignorance can be found in these teachings.
5. Islamic Mysticism (Sufism, 8th-10th Century CE):
Sufis have long sought personal experiences of divine presence, often describing this as an awakening to the reality of God beyond the material world. Prominent Sufi mystics like Rumi also explored these ideas.
6. European Enlightenment (17th-18th Century CE):
During the Enlightenment period, philosophers and thinkers sought intellectual "awakening" through reason, science, and human rights. This was a secular shift but still related to human consciousness expanding beyond superstition and dogma.
7. The Great Awakenings in American History (18th-20th Century):
The term "Great Awakening" most explicitly refers to several waves of religious revivalism in the United States:
First Great Awakening (1730s-1740s): A revival of Protestant Christianity, emphasizing personal piety and emotional engagement with faith.
Second Great Awakening (1800-1840): Led to the rise of new religious movements and reforms like abolitionism and women's rights.
Third and Fourth Great Awakenings: Scholars debate these, but they refer to later 19th and early 20th-century religious movements, including social reforms linked to Christianity.
8. New Age and Modern Spirituality (20th Century - Present):
Since the mid-20th century (think Age of Aquarius), a spiritual "Awakening" has often been associated with the New Age movement and modern consciousness expansion. This involves ideas of raising individual and collective consciousness, moving toward global enlightenment, and integrating spiritual practices from both Eastern and Western traditions.
Movements like Transcendentalism, Theosophy, and later figures such as Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and others emphasize an awakening to a higher reality, often seen as part of a larger human evolution.
Thus, the idea of "The Awakening" stretches across millennia, varying in context but always revolving around themes of consciousness, spirituality, and personal or collective transformation.
The Awakening is as much a part of our personal growth as puberty. (Spiritual puberty?)
Regardless, it doesn’t diminish the fact that each individual begins naturally searching for deeper meaning and understanding of existence at some point in their lives. And, inevitably, the unfathomable depth and the uncorral-able presence of the infinite arises with gusto. It tends to leave the individual with more questions than answers, and trying to explain it with concrete solidity is as impossible as holding a wave on the sand.
So, yes, it is another Awakening. Oh, not for the human collective - but for each individual. And tomorrow there will be another. Our expansion and growth are never-ending. There is no ceilinged Awakening that we finally reach where puppies and rainbows abound. (Sounds a bit like heaven. Ah, but that’s another blog. Wink, wink.)
No, it’s more like each morning’s arising from bed. A new day has started with all new possibilities. What really matters is the quality of that awakening on a personal level—and its value in our growth, happiness, and expansion within the enigma of the human race.
💋KMFC
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