Spiritual Confusion

Often, it is our physical and mental well-being that we talk about. We are oblivious to the importance of our spiritual health and forget its importance.

Our mind, body, and soul have to be in great condition for us to achieve overall wellness.  However, when our spiritual health is disturbed by spiritual confusion, the equilibrium among the three components of our existence is lost.

When not addressed, spiritual confusion can lead to major spiritual health issues. This article will provide insight into spiritual confusion, its causes, and ways to overcome it.

Spiritual Confusion (Losing Your Will to Live)

Unlike what most everyone perceives, walking the path of spirituality can be agonizing and painful, sometimes leading to spiritual confusion.

Spiritual confusion can be similar to the dark night of the soul. It makes an individual feel that their life is meaningless and there’s no point in anticipating the future. 

Some may feel helpless and suffocated by everyday experiences. They feel detached from the world and see everything in gray.

On the other hand, in the view of Christianity, Grace Samson-Song explained that spiritual confusion is the enemy’s weapon to lead us astray from God.

The devil releases demonic activities through mental, physical, and emotional confusion to manipulate and attack our hearts and minds.

According to her, the Latin root of confusion is confundo, which means to blend or put together.

Our emotional, physical, and mental adversities being put together bring a sense of confusion, which the devil will use to overwhelm and overcome us.

She added that you would feel completely defeated beyond recovery when you are spiritually confused. You feel like you have lost all your abilities to look forward in life and have no point in returning.

The Causes of Spiritual Confusion

Spiritual confusion happens mostly to people who are on the path of self-realization. When they break their old constraints and understandings, they feel lost.

Since our beliefs, cultures, and ways of life have taught us to live a certain way, we feel confused when we must break those shackles.

When we start expanding our awareness, our inner darkness diminishes. Our inner darkness refers to our biased side, full of prejudice and unable to accept different versions of truth aside from those of ourselves.

Since we perceive life through our thoughts, cultural conditioning, and belief systems, making ourselves free from these barriers is the toughest test in our lives.

When we progress towards light and embrace the truth, we must cross a dark night of the soul. We all get an opportunity to break all the barriers of our life’s conditioning and experience rebirth. This time, it is the birth of our consciousness, not of our body.

According to Donald S. Lopez, this state is also known as the bodhi or enlightenment. There is tremendous peace in this space, which is always inside us; however, we never knew how to harness its benefits.

Moving from a spiritually confused space to a spiritually enlightened one is a long journey. And during this journey, we will face a lot of hurdles.

Moreover, spiritual confusion can occur when a person loses a loved one or faces mundane problems beyond their current emotional and mental capacity. They may refuse to accept reality and blame God for their situation. 

How to Overcome Spiritual Confusion

No season is eternal. It may take time, but overcoming spiritual confusion is attainable. You just have to allow time to clear the blurriness of your soul.

When starting your journey toward spiritual clarity, it’s important to note that there’s no single way to overcome this adversity.

1. Do not seek a particular spiritual place.

The great Sadhguru explained that we often seek a particular place when walking the spiritual path.

However, doing so leads to spiritual confusion, as you create a make-believe place out of your expectations, not from the truth.

He cleared,It is very important on the spiritual path that you never try to get to some particular place, because the moment you want to get to something in particular, your mind will start creating a place. You will create your private heaven.”

The truth is something existential, not what your mind creates. It is crucial to note that the spiritual journey is not about letting go of your mind blocks and moving on to another.

The spiritual process is about letting go of what limits you from attaining enlightenment.

2. Break free from restraints.

Since childhood, our social conditioning has taught us to live according to a set of standards, and suddenly breaking free from these norms leaves us spiritually confused. We start feeling that we do not belong anywhere.

There is a constant tug-of-war within your consciousness, and your self-awareness tries to break the old shackles of hatred, prejudice, guilt, jealousy, and all other negativities within you.

It may be easier said than done, but slowly learning to stand up on your feet without the need for society’s dictations allows you to gain spiritual clarity.

You might feel alone in your journey, but remember that it’s better to be true and alone than be accompanied while hiding your true side.

3. Accept reality.

Human beings tend to suffer from denialism to protect themselves from anxiety. Our brain is so wired to protect us from pain that we filter each aspect of reality that threatens our survival, despite its importance.

Kendra Cherry from VeryWell Mind explained that denial is a defense mechanism that motivates us not to address the reality and consequences of a situation so we can avoid anxiety and distressing feelings.

Denial can help you adjust to a situation and find solutions; however, denying reality for a long time can be harmful. It won’t just lead to spiritual confusion; it can also bring your life stagnation.

Facing reality is another way to overcome spiritual confusion because when you accept reality, you open yourself to the different facets of truth.

You become aware of the multiple possibilities of life and become exposed to limitless opportunities.

4. Stay still.

Once you attain the first three steps, be aware that you don’t have to take action immediately.

Overcoming spiritual confusion is all about gaining clarity, and to do so, you must first unfold the mind blocks hindering you from enjoying your life. So stay still and be present.

Staying still doesn’t mean accepting each situation life throws at you. To be still means to trust your fate while moving forward.

You are reminded to embrace peace within your being and flow like water— willing to adapt to each condition.

5. Celebrate life.

Overcoming spiritual confusion, as mentioned earlier, is similar to rebirth. And with your rebirth comes the celebration of your life.

According to Altura, celebrating the gift of life is acknowledging your triumph against life defeats, despair, and adversities. It means giving yourself a chance to embrace life again, but this time with renewed vigor and perspective.

There are multiple ways to celebrate life. You can start by waking up with gratitude each day, spending time with your loved ones, appreciating the blessings you received, and thanking yourself for holding on.

Wrapping It Up!

Spiritual confusion mostly occurs in people who are on the path of self-realization. When they break their old constraints and understandings, they feel lost. They may also feel that their life is meaningless and there’s no point in anticipating the future.

Despite its overwhelming nature, spiritual confusion can be overcome, depending on the time needed by an individual to heal.

There’s no single way to break free from this spiritual restraint; however, one can start by accepting reality, breaking free from restraints, walking the spiritual path with a free mind, staying still, and celebrating life.

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