“Spiritual awakening goes against our primal survival instinct.”

Why do we not grow spiritually? What prevents us from evolving in consciousness?

Ultimately, it is fear.

If I change, if I let go of my current perception of myself, then who will I become? Will I be able to recognize myself? Will other people recognize me? Will I still be "me"? Will people understand me? If I am misunderstood, will people still accept me? Will they reject me? Will I still be loved? Will I be hated?

If I let go of the patterns that I feel safe and comfortable in, what will happen to me? How will I feel safe? What will I hold onto for security? Will I be able to survive? Will I die?

In each of us there is a spiritual force that seeks to awaken, to evolve.

There is also a primal force in us that seeks to survive, to be safe.

Spiritual awakening goes directly against our primal survival instinct.

It challenges the beliefs that provide our sense of safety and belonging, it invites us to let go of the patterns that provide our sense of comfort, it questions the very sense of self that we believe we are and on which we base our entire worldview.

What do we fear most of all?

For many, it is the fear of death. We fear the death of our "self."

However, true spiritual awakening transforms our deep-rooted perception and understanding of self, and thus involves a type of "death" to our current sense of identity. Yet, it is through this "death" that we are reborn. It is through letting go of our current beliefs about our identity that we awaken to our True Self.

As Alan Watts said "Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be."

Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism, said "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."

Even Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3). This notion of being "born again" implies a death of the old self to make way for a new, spiritually awakened self.

In many different spiritual traditions we see this theme repeated.

We have a current misperception of self, and this is the root cause of much of our psychological suffering.

Spiritual awakening involves healing this misperception of self by rediscovering our true nature and becoming Whole once again.

If we are waking up from this illusion of the ego/misperception of self, then naturally we cannot do so while simultaneously holding onto it. We must desire to know who we truly are at an essential level, and thus be willing to let go of our current beliefs about our identity.

Ultimately, it is not that you, as a separate self, wake up and become enlightened. Rather, enlightenment is when you as the True Self wake up from your idea of being a separate self -- the limited self-image/psychological idea of "me" and "my story."

Ordinarily, our entire sense of self is based in thought, based in this idea of "me" and "my story," based in thoughts about ourselves, in our self-image, in beliefs about our identity, in our opinions, judgments, concepts, narratives, and ideas. But YOU are none of these. YOU are not a thought and cannot be defined by thought.

Yet, if YOU are not who you THINK you are, then who are you? Who are YOU when no thoughts about "me" or "I" are present?

If our entire sense of self is so questionable, if everything we believe ourselves to be ceases to exist when the mind is silent -- then who/what is our True Self?

To answer this question intellectually/conceptually is one thing (and one thing that MANY are not open-minded enough to even consider). But to understand and know this experientially, from a truly lived, inner experience, is another thing altogether.

We need to actually look, with honesty and humility, at ourselves, at our thoughts, at our beliefs, at the many things we identify with and ask with sincerity, "Is this who I am?" "Who am I really?" "What is the deepest Truth of my being?"

To truly inquire into this we must have great courage and a willingness to shine the light of awareness on the deepest shadows of our mind and personality so that nothing remains hidden. We must be willing to face our deepest fears in order to transcend them.

SO if you find yourself experiencing fear on the inner journey, if you find yourself resisting your spiritual growth, clinging to comforts, seeking to escape the pain and discomfort that can come with honest self-inquiry -- GREAT! This means you are human, you are honestly doing the inner work, and you are coming up against the many obstacles to spiritual growth -- namely fear and it's many manifestations.

IT IS OKAY. It is okay if you get scared and want to run for the hills. Just recognize where you are, and when the energy has settled, begin again, and again, and again, as many times as you must.

As the poet Rumi said "Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come."

Our unconscious animal instincts are driven by fear. Our True Self as Consciousness is motivated by love. It takes tremendous strength and courage to face our primal fears and to look at them with the eyes of love and understanding. To do so for even a moment is a significant evolutionary leap.

With practice, we will experience more. With more experience, our understanding will deepen. With more understanding, we will have more faith in this journey and more courage to let go and embrace the unknown.

Know that fear is only in the mind and be willing to LOOK with full awareness at this energy of fear. What is it? Where is it? What does it feel like? What does it look like? What is it saying? Where is it coming from? There is no need to judge it, make it bad or good, attack it, hate it, get rid of it, or do anything other than clearly SEE it.

The very witnessing of fear, as it is, begins to free us from it -- as this witnessing presence exists in a dimension that fear cannot touch.

Your True Witnessing Presence is forever free. It always is, and you are always that. Only you have been conditioned to identify with the body, mind and ego, and thus have forgotten your true nature.

Remember who you are. AWAKEN to your Essential Nature.

Come home to your True Self and be free 🙏

The journey of spiritual growth is one of courage and faith.

It requires us to face our fears, to let go of our misperceptions about ourselves, and to embrace the unknown. By doing so, we can awaken to our True Self, which is beyond fear, beyond death, and beyond the illusions of the ego. 👁️💜