Do you sometimes feel like your body is transparent, or even that you are separate from your body? Do you have more and more experiences that can only be ascribed to serendipity, and you are wondering about the onset of old age? Have you recently had vivid dreams full of symbolism that made no sense to you and that even scared you?



If your answer to more than one of these symptoms is yes, then congratulations! The good news is that you are "going out of your mind". No, there is no need for a straight jacket or in fact for any medication at all. There is only good news.

Another way to describe your experiences is that you are having a spiritual awakening, or you are being "re-born". Chances are that the level of vibration of your body has already been adapted, and you are already at a higher level of evolution. You are only now becoming aware of this.

If you look back over your life and recent experiences, you will probably agree that the awareness of this change has been with you for a long time, but at the same time it happened suddenly. By now you have a different concept of time, and it is even possible that you have experienced time either being compressed or slowing down to a rate where it all becomes very confusing. You are getting to understand that time is a man-made concept, but that does not clear up the confusion in your head.

Why am I saying that you are "going out of your mind"? Let me explain. We normally spend the first few years of our lives on this planet - easily until after the age of 40 - believing that our minds control our lives, and believing that our brains are in fact our minds. We are quite happy believing this, and most of us conform to the norms of the environment and culture that we were born into.

But then these "strange" things begin to happen to some people. It is popularly called a mid-life crisis, and it is ascribed to hormonal changes in the body, but the spiritual awakening has very little to do with hormones.

Hormonal changes and spiritual awakening coincide as much as bacon and egg - it is simply convenient and traditional to associate the two. Spiritual awakening can happen at any age, and nowadays it is not strange to find people in their twenties having a so-called mid-life crisis. This is because the composition of their bodies changes at an earlier age, and this allows them to function at a higher vibration.

It is at this point of change that we realise our brains and our minds are two separate entities. We become aware of subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) nuances in our environments.

We become aware of a different dimension and initially it is confusing and at times downright scary.

Some people refuse to deal with this. They become more religious than ever, and become quite judgemental of those that follow their hearts and embrace the new awareness. They live in fear and like to spread fear, because they understand that fear is a means of control that in a twisted way provides the security of being controlled. Other people get depressed or start to use medication to sleep better. People develop various forms of physical dis-ease that they can focus on instead. And other people enjoy making fools of themselves by "not acting their age", in other words losing their dignity and clearly being confused about who they are.

Of course there is the other choice, which is to explore the changes and the new awareness. This exploration leads to an understanding that the brain is not the mind. The brain simply acts as a "radio station" that receives signals from the mind, and during the spiritual awakening the brain starts to receive signals from a different "transmitter" in the mind but outside of the body and brain.

Therefore, when people become aware of their spiritual awakening, they become aware of "going out of their mind", in other words setting the brain aside and opening up to the awareness that there are different dimensions that exist around us, and that we only chose to live in this one for the moment.

How do you deal with this spiritual awakening? The first action is to choose whether you want to reject it or consciously explore it. If you want to reject it, that is your choice, and it is neither right nor wrong. Whichever way you choose is perfect for you.

If, on the other hand, you want to consciously explore your new awareness, you will be surprised to discover the many opportunities that are opening up to you. At the same time you will experience what I can only describe as a deep sense of knowing about what resonates with you and what you should stay away from.

There are as many different directions and flavours of spirituality as there are people on this earth. You will find that you are intuitively drawn to some of these directions and practices, while you will probably find others to be hilarious and quite entertaining. Remember, what you laugh at may be a very serious matter for someone else. The best advice I can give you is to trust your heart and listen to your intuition, and you will find this path quite rewarding.

However, this is only the advice of one person. If anyone insists on telling you which path is the best for you, I would question the intentions of that person, because how you explore your spirituality is a very personal decision.

Where do you find more information on exploring your spirituality? That depends on your own inclination. One option is to go to the nearest large bookstore and explore the mind, body and spirit section. Some books will call out to you, while others will not attract you at all.

If you do not like reading, find shops that focus in what is popularly known as "new age" shops and browse. Look at the items and advertisements in the shops and explore, explore, explore. Search the internet for information on topics that you find interesting, and find groups that you can associate with and have conversations with.

If all of that increases your confusion, then here is something simple that you can do. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and ask for experiences that will bring enlightenment and clarity to you. Then simply open your heart and spirit for these experiences, and "go out of your mind", in other words set aside any judgement while you explore and expand your wonderful awareness.

If you are looking for scientific proof and explanations of the experiences that you are having, you will find them (or rather these explanations will find you once you have voiced your intention). If you only want to increase your intuitive awareness, you will have this.

Enjoy every step of this new path, wherever it takes you. Believe me, it is mind-blowing!

First published in The If Journal vol 123.