If you’re wondering, can spiritual awakening cause anxiety, the answer is ‘yes’. Spiritual awakening and anxiety are common companions, especially during early to mid awakening. In this article I’ll explain why and when anxiety during spiritual awakening occurs, and what to do about it.

Anxiety during spiritual awakening is very common

Anxiety and spiritual awakening often occur together, at least in the earlier stages of awakening.

In fact, in my spiritual awakening coaching practice I often come across clients who have developed anxiety, even if they’ve never suffered from this condition before.

Occasionally this can develop into intense anxiety, or even paranoia.

While it can feel disorienting (even frightening), the good news is – it’s totally fixable.

In this article I’ll explain why and when anxiety and paranoia happen during spiritual awakening and how to free your mind from these kinds of negative thought patterns.

Symptoms of anxiety during pre-conscious and early awakening

In very early spiritual awakening – often before we’re aware we’re on the awakening path – we may experience anxiety (typically coupled with depression) which escalates into a ‘growth-oriented’ Dark Night of the Soul.

(Watch the video below to understand more about the two types of Dark Night of the Soul.)

In this instance, our anxiety is designed to encourage us to work on ourselves.

The intention is to build a stable mental and emotional platform to prepare us for future conscious awakening.

If you’re already in conscious awakening – in other words, you’ve had your ‘Epiphany’ – then you can probably look back and identify episodes like this in your pre-awakening life.

(Read this blog post to learn more about the spiritual epiphany.)

Spiritual awakening is a shift in consciousness

Spiritual awakening is fundamentally about shifting your consciousness (‘mind’) from a lower to a higher modality.

We change the way we use our mind completely during the awakening process.

To understand this, we need to know that the mind has more than one compartment:

• Lower consciousness: the body and Ego
• Conscious mind: the seat of the earthbound soul
• Superconscious mind: our higher self, situated in the upper dimensions

Before our awakening, the power lives with the lower consciousness.

Our body and Ego have the most control over what we believe, how we think, and what we do.

However, as we continue into conscious awakening, this starts to change.

We start to shift control from our lower consciousness to the conscious mind.

Even later in the awakening journey, our conscious mind starts to ascend and eventually (re)gains full access to the superconscious.

(Watch the video below to understand more about how the mind changes during spiritual awakening.)

This shift in consciousness can cause anxiety in early to mid spiritual awakening

One of the reasons we can experience anxiety in the earlier stages of the awakening process, is that the body and Ego are ‘worrying’ about what’s happening.

They are aware that control is shifting away from them.

However, they don’t yet have confidence that the new ‘leader’ (the conscious mind) will protect the overall system as well as they do.

Ego and body still have a lot of influence while we’re in the process of transitioning to conscious mind modality, so it’s easy for that worry to transfer to us.

Because they’re focused on survival of the overall system, and strange things are happening to it, they try to prevent the consciousness shift.

This can lead to:

• Physical symptoms of anxiety and fear
• Repetitious, worrying thoughts which can escalate over time
• Self-limiting beliefs
• Negative self-image

In fact, in later awakening, it’s very important to ‘negotiate’ with the Ego, to allow the power to shift, not just to conscious mind, but to superconscious mind.

Spiritual awakening and anxiety: other reasons it occurs

There are a number of other reasons we can experience anxiety during spiritual awakening.

#1 We start seeing weird patterns

During the ‘Connection’ phase of awakening, we begin to see the underlying patterns of the universe.

This is because all of our chakras are opened up to a great degree and we become enormously intuitive.

These patterns were always there, but we have become much more perceptive.

For some people, this can trigger feelings of paranoia and anxiety.

Suddenly there seems to be a ‘deeper’, obscure meaning behind things which used to seem quite ordinary.

It also becomes clear that, in a sense, everyone has ‘an agenda’ (we are intuiting people’s missions).

If we’re not strong in our conscious mind, and Ego and body still have a hold, then they can interpret these sorts of patterns as being dangerous.

Again, this can give rise to intense anxiety and paranoia.

#2 We become aware that not everyone is ‘on our side’

Earth is a learning environment we created, as souls, to make our lessons more interesting and challenging.

We also ‘gamified’ it.

As with many games, there’s more than one team, and those teams have competing missions.

If part of your mission is to awaken, then there will be other people whose mission it is to prevent you awakening.

This can start from birth, because often one or both parents of an awakener are ‘on the other side’.

This is reflected in the significant percentage of awakeners who experience childhood trauma.

As we awaken, we start to understand that we can’t ‘trust’ everyone.

In early-mid awakening, when everything is so intense and heightened, this can give rise to anxiety and paranoia.

But later in awakening, we become aware that it’s just a game – we’re all friends in the upper dimensions!

Plus it’s very easy to protect against this type of activity, if you know what to do (as I’ll explain later in this article).

#3 We come under spiritual attack

In the early-mid stages of awakening we’re more vulnerable, because we haven’t yet gained full control of our conscious mind.

During this time, we may come under spiritual attack, especially if we’re an old soul with an important mission.

(Read this blog post to discover if you’re an old soul.)

This attack can manifest as symptoms of anxiety.

We may also suffer attack as we’re drawing close to an important milestone, either in our awakening or our mission.

Over time, you become alert to the symptoms of this kind of activity and it’s easy to deflect.

(Watch the video below to learn how to defend against psychic attack.) 

#4 We’re manifesting negatively

During early awakening, we’re in a kind of limbo.

The conscious mind is strong enough to be manifesting quite powerfully, but the body & Ego still have a lot of influence.

So, if we don’t address our anxiety, we can start to manifest more of the things which are making the lower consciousness uncomfortable.

#5 We’re not following important spiritual protocols

During the tricky stages of early-mid awakening, if we don’t observe certain spiritual protocols, then it’s harder for us to resist anxious thoughts.

In particular, if we regularly drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, take certain drugs (especially cocaine and amphetamines), or eat an unhealthy diet, then this can heighten anxiety.

(Read this blog post for the foods to avoid during spiritual awakening.)

How to stop spiritual awakening anxiety

It’s entirely possible to stop spiritual awakening anxiety.

In fact, later in awakening, it will pretty much disappear by itself.

Once you’re fully integrated with your higher self (about two thirds of the way through awakening), if you follow certain spiritual protocols at least 80 percent of the time, then it’s virtually impossible for you to be affected by negative energy.

I explain these protocols below, as well as how to manage your symptoms of spiritual anxiety.

How to stop spiritual awakening anxiety symptoms

If you’re suffering from anxiety during spiritual awakening, the most important thing to do first of all is to reduce the symptoms.

That way you can move forward feeling happier and with a clearer head.

Below are 3 ways to dramatically reduce symptoms of anxiety, if practiced regularly.

Stop spiritual awakening anxiety symptoms: #1 reprogram negative thoughts

Everything starts with awareness.

Cultivating mindfulness will help you spot when you’re getting into an anxious or paranoic spiral of thought.

As soon as you notice you’re having anxious thoughts, consciously replace them with a positive one.

For example, if you think: 

‘I’m sure that person means to do me harm’

Replace it with:

‘Nothing can harm me, I’m protected.’

You’re training your mind to refuse negative statements and to replace them with positive ones.

Stop spiritual awakening anxiety symptoms: #2 calm the body

As a lot of the symptoms of anxiety are generated by the body, we can reduce them by calming it down.

There are lots of ways to do this, for example:

• Grounding
• Breathwork
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Walking in nature
• Spending time with animals

If you also avoid stressful situations and focus on self-care, you’ll find the symptoms of anxiety reduce significantly. 

Stop spiritual awakening anxiety symptoms: #3 use protective protocols

Using protective protocols will ward off spiritual attack and also reassure the body and Ego that all is well.

Again, there are many ways to do this, but here are some of the most effective:

Use affirmations and visualisations

Repeat this affirmation 3 times:

‘I am protected, negative energy has no effect on me’

and visualise yourself encased in an impenetrable crystal dome.

Use crystals to absorb negative energy

Dark crystals often have protective properties.

Wear them as jewellery or keep a small stone in your pocket.

Good choices are: black obsidian, black onyx, and black tourmeline.

Burn rose geranium essential oil

Rose geranium is associated with the Virgin Mary and is highly protective.

Wear it as a perfume or burn it in your enviroment and it will help to alleviate spiritual awakening anxiety.

How to stop spiritual awakening anxiety – build a strong foundation

Once you’ve calmed your immediate symptoms of anxiety, you can focus on building a stronger foundation.

You do this by using the spiritual protocols I referred to earlier in this article.

There are lots of ways to live a spiritual life, but these are some of the most important.

If you stick to these at least 80 percent, then you’ll find you’re able to remain positive.

Spiritual protocol #1: Establish a daily practice

By daily practice, I mean meditation + other formal spiritual techniques.

This is the foundation of spiritual awakening and the associated consciousness shift.

Ideally you should spend between 30 minutes and an hour a day, preferably in the morning, following a routine structured something like this:

• Meditation – at least 20 minutes
• Gratitude practice – 5-10 minutes
• Affirmations + visualisation – 5-10 minutes
• ‘Prayer’ – 5 minutes

Meditation

For your general meditation practice, try to get into the habit of meditating on your own, without guidance.

Ultimately this will lead to a stronger mind.

Third Eye meditation works well for everyone in early-mid awakening – see the video immediately below this section.

(Read this blog post to learn how your meditation practice should change throughout your awakening.)

Gratitude Practice

Gratitudes are especially important if you’re feeling anxious as they’ll raise your vibration and help you feel more positive.

I recommend this guided gratitude meditation.

Affirmations + Visualisations

If your anxiety levels are still strong, focus your affirmations in this area.

For example, you could use:

‘I am calm and in charge of my own destiny’

or

‘I always feel positive, relaxed, and happy’.

Say each affirmation 3 times and couple it with a visualisation.

‘Prayer’

By prayer I just mean asking for help.

If you’re religious, you can ask whichever God you worship.

Otherwise you can ask the universe, your team, or ‘source energy’.

For extra emphasis, ask for help manifesting the affirmations you repeated earlier in your ritual.

Spiritual protocol #2: Spend time on creative and outdoor activities

Activies like painting, playing an instrument, hiking, or running are meditative.

Spending time doing these sorts of things will speed up your integration with your higher self.

They also help to process negative energy from the system and calm the body.

Spiritual protocol #3: Spend time in nature and with animals

It’s common during spiritual awakening to be drawn to spending more time in nature.

That’s because the natural world is designed to faciliate an energy exchange.

It extracts negative energy from our systems and imparts positive energy.

The same is true of animals. 

When a cat sits on your lap, or you stroke your dog, you are experiencing the same energetic exchange.

Try to get out into nature, or spend time with an animal, once a day, or as often as possible. 

Spiritual protocol #4: Observe a spiritual diet

A spiritual diet is one which both gives the body what it needs, and reduces harm on other beings and the environment.

These articles will tell you more about how to eat spiritually:

Foods to avoid during spiritual awakening

Foods to eat during spiritual awakening

Both the Mediterranean diet and the anti-inflammatory diet are spiritual ways of eating, especially if you’re able to buy organic produce. 

Spiritual protocol #5: Get rid of bad habits

We all have habits which we know aren’t helpful.

Part of spiritual awakening is ‘releasing what doesn’t serve us’.

This could mean giving up drinking or cigarettes, reducing the time we spend on our phone, or cutting down on Netflix.

Whatever it is for you, focus on removing or reducing it.

This reduces the power of the Ego and body, and helps shift control to the conscious mind.

Summary

I hope this article has helped you understand the link between anxiety and spiritual awakening.

If you’re suffering from anxiety, please remember that there is nothing stronger than the human will.

By prioritising your well being and focusing on strengthening your conscious mind through meditation, you’ll find that, over time, you’re able to eliminate any feelings of anxiety.

More articles about spiritual awakening

• What is spiritual awakening?
• The 7 stages of spiritual awakening
• Ear ringing during spiritual awakening
• Fatigue during spiritual awakening
• Losing friends during spiritual awakening
• Radical self-acceptance during awakening
• Hearing voices during awakening
• Can you stop a spiritual awakening?
• What is the Dark Night of the Soul?
• Spiritual awakening: Top 5 mistakes