The world is in a process of awakening.
I love that the internet is alive with questions. People are confused. Some are angry. Millions repeat the ancient pattern of fear. Some stuck in grief and disbelief. Some can forgive. My personal wish is to be resilient, adaptive and open. I wish to be whole, to pay my debts, to finish the cycle and be free.
While each person’s individual process is unique, I believe there are specific stages on this journey. These stages are both personal and collective. When we finish each stage and let it go, we can move to the next stage of our path to wholeness.
Our window of time is both limited and forever. The purpose of this article is to ponder each stage of awakening, to help us move through the evolutionary process to wholeness and our highest destiny. Together. Let me know your thoughts…
Is a Monarch butterfly aware of its transformation and destiny?
I appreciate the tranquility in this photo. However I wonder – how does a caterpillar really feel? What is he/she thinking while eating voraciously, growing bigger every day? What guides a caterpillar to spin a cocoon? All insects go through this change from pupa to adult, including flies, beetles and ladybugs. Does an innate “instinct” guide them? OK then, what is “instinct”? Is it a kind of unconscious programming that propels us through the stages of life? Is instinct a thought? Is it consciously aware? Is instinct a kind of secret wisdom of nature?
What does the larva feel as its flesh dissolves into mush and it becomes unrecognizable? Does it feel confused? Afraid? Is it asleep? Does it have thoughts? Does it feel discomfort? Does it try to resist inevitable transformation? Or does it relax and trust the process? Does a larva know what’s coming? Does it have any sense that it may soon fall in love, have sex, produce eggs, and die? Please share your thoughts…
What are the Human Stages of Awakening?
I propose that humans also must experience successive stages of evolution. And that each stage is a necessary step in our path to healing and wholeness. How successfully we advance from one stage to the next depends on our thoughts and emotions, our actions. Some people get stuck in one stage and remain in that experience their whole lives. Others can move through the stages in a healthy way. When we finish one stage and let it go, we graduate to the next step on our path. Everyone’s journey is totally unique. We may experience these stages in any order, or simultaneously.
I Propose There are 15 Stages in Our Awakening:
- Asleep
- Shock
- Fear
- Disbelief
- Anger
- Grief
- Confusion, Chaos
- Shame
- Depression
- Repent
- Forgive
- Silent Introspection, Integration
- Ask to be whole
- Respect for Life
- Integrity, New Balance
Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Each Stage.
If we try to bypass or skip a stage in the process of transformation, we won’t make it to the finish. Do you think the caterpillar can hurry as it weaves sticky threads to make the perfect pupa? Does it swing there impatiently like a teenager waiting for wings to sprout? When we complete ALL the stages, we are transformed, just like the butterfly. We are whole.
We Create The Awakening in the World Mind
Your journey is part of the collective. As you process your own personal fear, and anger, you are helping countless others, even those you have never met. That’s because we all live in the collective field, which is a shared consciousness. Our connections on social media and the internet feed our unified awareness. This is very important, because your private journey can help countless others. When you release your own grief or anger, others will find it easier to do the same, regardless of geographic location, language, or culture.
Attention Empaths:
For highly sensitive empathic beings, this process can be quite exhausting. Remind yourself to have extra compassion through your day. Rest more, give yourself special care during this period. Following is a discussion of each stage of awakening. Which stage are you feeling today?
1. Asleep
At this stage our inner and outer eyes are closed. We are not aware. We are passive. We do not reach out for change. We are comfortable with what we know and believe. Our sleep may be peaceful, or it may be disturbed. Some people experience this stage for many years. Ask to be awakened, no matter what.
2. Shock
Current events may expose great ugliness, inequality, and injustice. Our eyes open suddenly. We see things that shock and surprise us. We compare what we see to our expectations. We suffer a disturbance or a revelation. We discover that what we once knew is conditional, impermanent, or even untrue. We feel unstable and shaken. We might be quite upset. Sometimes this is traumatic. Some people remain in a state of shock and never leave it. To move through this stage, we breathe and notice we are in shock. We compassionately calm ourselves to find balance. When we successfully move through shock, we can let it go. We are ready to advance to the next stage.
3. Fear
Our response to shock is often fear. We worry. We feel anxious. We imagine unpleasant results, we may project fear into future events. Many of us are accustomed to respond with panic because we have grown up with constant fear in our world. We may unconsciously feed our fear into the collective. Fear is an unconscious conditioned response in many of us that creates a vicious cycle of loss and dread. Augmenting fear in others is very harmful to the collective.
We can move forward instead by observing our own innermost fears with compassion. We avoid feeding fear in others. We work internally to release it. We reassure ourselves in calm.
4. Disbelief
In this stage we refuse to accept the truth. Afraid to look, we doubt any evidence presented. We ignore what we don’t want to see. Our mind is closed. We stubbornly cling to what we believed to be true, although evidence may clearly show that things are not what we had previously thought. We are accustomed to the way it was, so we feel inflexible to accept. Resilience is not part of our vocabulary. We withdraw into safe cynicism. We cannot adapt to a new idea.
Although many people remain in this stage their whole life, it is possible to soften disbelief. We can make an effort to reach out to talk with someone we trust. We can share our doubts with people we love. We can research reliable sources. We can ask to relax and accept what is true. When we successfully let go of disbelief, we can move on to the next lesson – anger.
5. Anger
Anger is often a heated negative reaction toward the perceived cause of our pain. We seek to blame someone for our frustration and suffering. We want to find the perpetrators, humiliate them, and bring them to justice. However in the state of anger, our vision is distorted, making clear vision impossible. Chinese medicine sees anger as an emotional distortion, a reaction that stems from from being held back or blocked from something we desire. Rage can seethe and grow for many years before being expressed in violent outbursts. In a state of anger we feel righteous fury toward something that we believe is wrong. We try to change the world, however when fueled by anger, we only inflict more wounds in ourselves and the situation. Repressed anger is even worse, as it continues to do its damage inside.
Anger is a pointless waste of our energy, and it must be extinguished. Millions of people are enflamed by anger their whole lives. Anger is one of the most pervasive emotions in the collective consciousness and perhaps the most difficult to heal. Do not attack under any circumstances. To heal, we can sometimes consciously re-route anger into positive actions. Dissolving anger requires personal self-observation, patience, compassion, humility, and inner dedication. We can acknowledge and repent all our wrongs, including our tacit participation in perpetuating suffering in the world. We dissolve and release all anger.
6. Grief
Right now many people in the world are feeling enormous grief, a prolonged sense of sadness and hopelessness. Grief is a constant companion for some, arising from past anguish and traumatic memories. Although we would prefer to skip this stage of suffering, grief is an important step in our awakening to destiny and to understanding our reason for living. Conquering grief is a great accomplishment, which prepares you for the next stage: Confusion.
7. Confusion, Chaos
When things fall apart we feel disoriented. Maximum cognitive dissonance means the world does not make any sense. Wherever we look, life is in disarray. It appears to be pandemonium as people strive to create order of a holy mess. When the Truth has been hidden for so long, the tsunami waves are large and sudden. To move through this stage, we can take a step back and keep the day simple. Let go of despair or self-judgement. Have compassion for yourself in chaotic times. Be satisfied with simple accomplishments. Clean the house to music, and ask to find balance. Know that things will reorganize in time.
8. Shame
At this stage, we face our mistakes and acknowledge them. The world is feeling great shame for wrongful actions. Part of the blame belongs to each one of us. We accept our feelings of guilt for the wrongs we have done. We feel mortification and self reproach for dishonoring our own highest good and that of others. This is easy to say, and more difficult to do. To release shame, it is essential to face our mistakes straight on. You are aware of all the wrongdoings of the collective world. Accept yourself exactly as you are.
9. Depression
We sometimes think of depression as a mental disorder accompanied by dullness or loss of interest in life. We feel desolation and gloom. We experience poor concentration, perhaps even thoughts of suicide. Although we often take medication to mask the symptoms, depression is actually a positive indication of hope and awakening in many people, an important turning point in healing. Just like winter comes before spring, melancholy is like a kind of psychological death before the spiral of life returns again. The best ways to release depression are patience, acceptance, self-love, deep breathing, and physical movement.
10. Repent, Apologize
When we accept responsibility for our role in the wrongs of the collective (even our tacit compliance), we can soften the harsh blows of Karma and retribution. At this stage in our awakening, we repent for our wrongdoings. We atone, express regret for the error of our ways. We are each a reflection of the whole of humanity. Even if you live on the other side of the globe from a crime, you have some part in it. To move through this stage, you feel your heart soften. You apologize to all others in any way you are inclined, in prayer, meditation, or silently. You release all your wrongdoings. This is a powerful turning point that helps everyone in the world.
11. Forgive
The stage of forgiveness takes place deep in heart. We all know what it means to forgive, but we do not do it often. When there’s so much to forgive, we tend to cling to righteous anger. But any amount of anger distorts your day and makes you unhappy. Accept the perpetrators of wrong and acknowledge that we have all been manipulated. Know in many ways they have suffered far more manipulation and distortion on their path than you. You bear no malice toward them. You wipe clean the slate of anger. To forgive everyone including yourself clears your field for healing and awakening.
This stage is quite difficult. I think of Jesus Christ who offered no resistance to being crucified. I think of the Buddha saying “If anyone should give you a blow with his hand, with a stick, or with a knife, you should abandon any desires and utter no evil words.” With this attitude you will always have the upper hand in any issue, even though you might die. When you have completed the stage of forgiveness, you are ready to move into the gift of silence.
12. Silent Introspection, Integration
True and complete transformation takes place in the profound mystery of silence. At this stage, we must go inside, into the great unknown, to allow the silence to do its magic. Let the quiet wash over you. The deeper you can go into the unknown void, the greater your positive transformation will be. You will emerge with a pure mind, pure body, and clean thoughts. Your next step is to ask deeply in your heart to be whole.
13. Ask to be Whole
At this stage, your heart must melt. With an open heart, we are ready to be whole. We wish to be awakened, to have a wonderful future life. To be “whole” means we are awake. We are no longer asleep. We are sovereign in our physical bodies, in our thoughts and actions. We ask for all beings to have a beautiful future together. We acknowledge that we are made in the image of a higher power. We ask to be a fully awakened, responsible member of the world. Ask to be a better person.
14. Respect all Life, Gratitude
In this stage, we understand we are meant to awaken. Each of us is noble, possessing unique special qualities. We love to connect with others. We express our wish to help humanity as stewards and protectors of the earth. We feel our kinship with all of life. We accept responsibility for our role as humans to live in harmony with animals, plants, the earth, and all sentient beings in the universe. We trust our past, present, and future. Feel your gratitude for the wisdom of nature and the field that unifies us.
15. Integrity, Balanced Awareness, Unified Action
When all of us arrive at the final stage of integrity, the world is going to be a wonderful place. Even if a fraction of humanity gets there, things will have been utterly changed for the positive. When we have integrity and balanced awareness, we will have set our minds free. We can act together in a new and unified way to create a new world of love and respect. I’m ready. What’s your role in the new world?
The Path of Awakening:
Which stage of awakening infuses you today? How can you move through the process with integrity? How can you participate to help others find wholeness?
About Sri Jana
Sri Jana is an intuitive medium, medical channel, author, artist, and teacher, aka Jane Barthelemy. She carries the ancient Hermetic teachings of Ra and others. Born and raised in the USA, she is a 50-year student of Swami Rudrananda and practitioner of Buddhist meditation. She is the author of two cookbooks showing how to create delicious meals using non-industrial foods. Her food and lifestyle website JanesHealthyKitchen.com recently won the coveted CV Magazine award for “The Most Innovative Food & Lifestyle Blog in North America”. Sri Jana’s upcoming books include “Buddha Speaks” a channeled book by Gautama Buddha. She will soon release “Heal Your Past Lives, Six Steps to Dissolve Old Trauma for Lasting Happiness”. Her latest book, co-authored with her Bhutanese husband Lama D, is titled “From the Kingdom of Happiness, The Bhutan Travel Cookbook”. More on upcoming books. Sri Jana and Lama D live in Paro, Bhutan.