Spiritual Awakening
written by Michaela Torcaso

More and more people today are recognizing the value of connecting with their authentic selves and awakening spiritually. As a facilitator, I am committed to helping people awaken to the remembrance of “all they are.” There exists a bit of a misconception about the nature (spiritual vs. religious) and process of this life-changing experience, however. So, I’d like to share the following Q&A in hopes that it may help people better understand this process of spiritual awakening.

Q. What is the word spiritual, and how is it defined for individuals? 

A. Each individual has their own unique relationship with God/goddess/spirit/divine/creator/one/nature/all that is. For me, the word spiritual refers to the relationship we have with and between ourselves and spirit. Therefore, simply stated, spiritual awakening would be remembering/reclaiming this relationship. As we work on this, sometimes the focus on spiritual awakening can actually get in the way of the simple remembrance of who we are and our relationship with the divine. Exercising the muscle of finding and staying in the “Center of Self™” supports the presence of clarity and ease while awakening.

Center of Self™: Being in the center of one’s biofield/aura; being in conscious alignment with the truth of who one is. Neither forward nor back; neither rushing in with an agenda nor withholding one’s natural contribution. Related to, but distinct from grounding, like bumper cars — solid, heavy, connected to their power source by a rod that stays in a constant position, even when the cars turn. We have that same constant current connecting us to God, while we experience moving with weight on the earth.

Q. How do I find my true self?

A. Start with a question: How do you define true? I refer to (small t) truth differently than (capital T) Truth. (Small t) truth can best be described as that which appears to be true “In Time™,” while (capital T) Truth refers to “Out of Time™.” An example of truth could be: I am female, 55 years old, grandmother, 5'4" and on and on it goes. An incorrect representation of truth might be: I am a procrastinator, afraid, selfish and so on. These have been identified as truth within a locked system of awareness, harboring a multitude of experiences, with a significant amount of data confirming its perceived reality. When we are in the experience of our Truth, we are present to our true self. We have found an actual experience rather than struggling to find a description of who we think we are.

In Time/Out of Time™: What occurs In Time is reality as we know it, here and now: visible, tangible, governed by the laws of physics … a closed system, or so it seems. Out of Time can be experienced In Time, as being in the flow — perhaps while dancing, painting, gardening, performing or competing — fully absorbed, with little awareness of time passing. There is a sense of having all that is needed, a sense that all is well. There is peace and an absence of hurry, as if time itself has paused. In these moments, we are tasting divine order, heaven on earth, reality in the here and now.

I hope these gave you some insight into the concept of spiritual awakening. If you are currently in the process of connecting with your authentic self/awakening (or have interest in getting started), be aware that somewhere on your journey you may have an experience of confusion or not knowing. Please know that this is normal and no cause for concern. A spiritual teacher once shared with me that confusion and not knowing are very high states of awareness, and that it is possible to find tremendous joy amidst these states!

I regularly witness the strength it takes to remain true to one’s authentic self. I applaud the commitment required to continue “strengthening the muscle” to choose nothing while remaining open to everything. 

Michaela Torcaso has been a facilitator of personal transformation since the late ‘70s and group transformation since 1996. She owns whitedoor, llc and TIBIA, Inc., and is also the founder of Creating a Peaceful World, Inc. (CAPW)