People use the phrase spiritual awakening all the time, and they almost never mean the same thing by it. In this conversation, part of the Waking Up series, Adyashanti gives a precise definition of what he means and why it matters. To qualify as a spiritual awakening, he says, an experience has to involve a revelation that shifts your identity. Your sense of what you are moves from a mind-based or ego-based identification to something rooted in your fundamental nature, whatever you want to call it: Buddha nature, spirit, consciousness, awareness. But there is a second shift most people overlook, and it is the most relatable part of the conversation. We do not only identify with our thoughts. We identify with a feeling. If you have been depressed long enough, you begin, below the conscious level, to associate that feeling with who you are. The same is true of being the cheery one, or the helper. Your identity always comes as a package deal: a mental image with an emotional, energetic counterpart underneath it. And you never agreed to it. Adyashanti is also clear that not all awakenings are the same. One person might shift into seeing the world as pure awareness. Another might shift into a unity consciousness, sensing an underlying sameness between themselves and everything else. They are different, but they share one thing: a shift in the locus of your own sense of being. A change in where you are looking from. Want to go deeper with Adyashanti? Join Sounds True One for more teachings like this. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d