Post Traumatic Spiritual Syndrome
When we are in the midst of awakening on our spiritual journey, there may be intense cycles of internal upheaval that I like to call post traumatic spiritual syndrome. In these tender moments of our upwards spiraling into evolution, we can truly be at our most fragile and vulnerable. What happens when your entire reality shifts, you see things in a totally new and different way, and you don’t know yourself anymore? What happens when you are changing and your friends and family are still the same? They don’t know you anymore. This kind of isolation is terminal to the spirit. So what do we do? First, let’s explore what this crisis is, and then reveal how to adapt to it to benefit from these potentials for our expansion as wise and capable beings.
Post traumatic spiritual syndrome is an after-effect of our individual paradigm shifts. Sometimes it can be confused with depression, but it is not depression. A huge piece of our existence is the primal need as a human to belong, to embrace and to be embraced in the warm security of community. As we grow, evolve, and change our ideas, beliefs, attitudes, thought programs, habits, and even how we express ourselves, we can begin to feel extremely isolated. We do not fit into the tidy box where we came from.
This can totally freak out our family and friends, as they are used to us being a certain way. Our old self is comfortable for them, even as it is no longer tolerable for us. This shake up of what was once predictable can lead to a radical paradigm shift for those that are closest to us, should they accept the challenge. If they so desire, they can evolve right along with us. If not, we must consider that this is a deeply personal choice that one has to be ready for, and is a journey we often have to brave on our own. This is where we have to be courageous and adventurous at the same time, trusting the changes coming, and trusting our capabilities to adapt. These are the secret jewels of spiritual crisis; in this deeply challenging shift of reality, we get to know our true strengths and hidden abilities. If not for the immense pressures of personal evolution, we could never embody our diamond soul-power.
During our awakening we may not know who to relate to, or who to trust. It may feel like we are alone in the dark, and this can bring up a lot to be healed as we sense this isolation. In these times we do our internal work to reorient ourselves in space, and when we are ready, we seek community. We find our tribe. Or, they find us! This need for a tribe is an ancient, primal calling. We find ourselves in relation to others. This is the epitome of the new paradigm Aquarian age: the nature of the self in relation to the divine webs of community.
This syndrome can happen most often as a result of personal evolution, but it also happens in times of major life transition. The major transitions of life force us to shift and change. These growth spurts can be shocking, but they are an essential part of our mastery, and as we embrace them we grow stronger and more joyous. An example of this would be the empty nesting experience of mothers whose children leave to go to college. The mother has to reconcile the evolution of her child, and of herself with this change in dynamic. There can be grief in this process of letting go, but with compassionate self-forgiveness one can learn to adapt and find the joy in the experience, even celebrating the change as a new phase for the whole family.
Ultimately, the spiritual journey is the consistent unfolding, disintegrating, rebirthing, and re-introducing of the self to the self. It is the ultimate experience of meeting ourselves over and over again, and learning more about our capabilities, the power of our love, and the infinite strength of our spirit. We are constantly adapting to rise to the occasion and continuously surprise ourselves as we evolve and change. The antidote to post traumatic spiritual disorder is trusting in the process by letting go of our need to control, and surrendering to our needs and desires for human connection. We find our tribe on this journey, and we form a unit of formation like warriors. This foundation is where we hold one another up during all forms of transmutation, even the chaos of evolution which tempers us like a sword to be joyous in spirit. The benefits of post traumatic spiritual syndrome outweigh any of the anxieties we experience along the more intense paths of the journey. Remember the pressure it takes for a diamond to shine and embrace yourself in all stages and phases. Shine on you crazy diamonds!
