Spiritual Illness

Sometimes, living can feel overwhelming. Negative external forces such as stress and anxiety can harm your soul, thus leading to spiritual illnesses.

Spiritual illnesses can prevent you from living happily and normally. It can affect your daily life and result in a much bigger problem when neglected. 

To recover, you must have in-depth knowledge about spiritual illnesses, their causes, and how to overcome them.

What Are Spiritual Illnesses?

Spiritual Illnesses are complications of the soul caused by a person’s emotional, mental, and physical challenges.

You may feel drained, exhausted, and unable to be involved in spiritual practices you once enjoyed. You find it hard to see your purpose and feel like you have lost interest in living.

On the other hand, Standford Ethnogeneatrics explains that spiritual illnesses are associated with supernatural forces. Ancestral spirits, evil spirits, soul loss, or shaman spirits may cause them.

It was also further explained that spiritual interventions must cure spiritual illnesses, or they may become serious and result in death. 

Traditional healers like shamans and soul healers can be called upon to cure spiritual diseases as natural home remedies fail to treat these problems.

The Bible’s Perspective on Spiritual Illnesses

The Bible talks about spiritual illness metaphorically. According to it, spiritual illness can be perceived as the unsoundness of our spirit caused by our sins.

Spiritual illnesses weaken the soul and are mostly experienced by Unbelievers. They are spiritually sick because they are separated from the Lord.

Unbelievers may also suffer from spiritual sickness because they live unconfessed and fail to pursue personal spiritual growth.

Types of Spiritual Illnesses

Just like physical diseases, spiritual illnesses can also have different types. Here are some types of spiritual conditions you may be experiencing.

1. Spiritual Malady

Deep-rooted inner conflicts resulting in agitation, discontentment, and restlessness can cause spiritual malady.

You may feel separate from yourself, which keeps you from finding peace and connection to yourself and the world around you. It can manifest itself as anxiety, anger, or depression.

Some people who are experiencing spiritual maladies can resort to alcoholism and substance abuse to temporarily escape from their agonies.

2. Spiritual Migraine

You might experience spiritual migraines due to an imbalance in your spiritual energy. Your crown and third eye chakra, located in the head, might be blocked.

On the other hand, splitting headaches and pressure behind your eyes, on the top of your head, and between your brows are common signs of a parasitic attack of negative lower entities. 

It is not uncommon for unwanted astral beings to infest your spiritual aura. You may feel a heavy weight between your neck and shoulders. These beings regress spiritual growth and infiltrate one’s aura, spreading toxic energy.

3. Psychic Vampires

A psychic vampire is generally a person who can be described as toxic. They may be sending negative auras or vibes your way. And tends to draw all the positive spiritual force out of you. They leave you feeling sad, anxious, and depressed. 

The effects a psychic vampire leaves behind can be chronic. The more you let such effects fester, the more likely you will suffer. Getting rid of the negative energy they bring into your life is best.

If you’re working on your spiritual progress, telling the effects of what a psychic vampire can do to you is easier. 

However, if you aren’t spiritual, you can best describe the effects of a spiritual vampire as draining. Do you feel drained after you meet certain people in your life? Do you feel some people want you to be sad and negative? 

If you think someone in your life is a psychic vampire, cutting them off is the best solution. If you can’t remove them from your life for any reason, try limiting your contact with them as much as possible.

4. Detachment

When you are experiencing detachment, you feel like you’re not present in your life. You can daydream more often or feel like you aren’t in control of your life.  You may need to dissociate from things you would otherwise enjoy. 

If this is the case, it’s time to be more mindful of your life. By practicing mindfulness and staying present in your everyday moments, you can better ensure that you can deal with this disease.

The more you allow yourself to stay present in your life, using meditation and other mindfulness techniques, the better you’ll be able to deal with this spiritually rooted disease.

5. Spiritual Fatigue

Another spiritually rooted disease you should know about is being spiritually drained. When you feel this way, you may be spending too much time developing your life spiritually. You may feel spiritually drained as you work hard on your spiritual progress.

The key to dealing with this situation is to give yourself time to relax and rejuvenate. This way, your spiritual powers will grow as well, and you’ll be able to control your spiritual growth. 

You may feel tired from working too hard on your spiritual progress. In the same way, you need to take rest days when you work out regularly.

Taking rest days from spiritual growth can better enable you to not feel spiritually drained.

6. Spiritual Awakening

Although it’s not a spiritually rooted disease, you can feel the same symptoms while going through a spiritual awakening

The time when you’re undergoing a spiritual awakening can be difficult. However, once you’ve experienced your awakening, you’ll be able to enjoy your spiritual powers. 

While you’re experiencing your awakening, you must take care of yourself and take time to heal.

What Causes Spiritual Illnesses?

According to shaman and anthropologist Hank Wesselman, medication is not enough to completely eradicate spiritual illnesses. For true recovery to occur, you must ascertain and address the root causes of such illnesses.

Here are three reasons we experience spiritual illnesses, according to Hank Wesselman.

1. Disharmony

We experience disharmony when life suddenly loses meaning or when we lose a deep and important connection in life.

Take an old couple as an example. The couple may not have a perfect relationship, but their bond is strong. Suddenly, the wife dies, and this devastates the husband.

The husband may go into a life crisis and slowly experience health challenges. And a few months later, the husband follows his wife to the afterlife.  This is disharmony.

Disharmony happens when we suddenly undergo a power loss. Our sense of self diminishes, and we might succumb to negative life situations.

2. Fear

Fear is one of the most destructive factors that harms a human’s life. A person who’s filled with fear makes themselves vulnerable to spiritual illnesses.

Just as Paracelsus said, fear is much more dangerous than the disease itself. When a person is afraid, he robs himself of the opportunity to appreciate life and surrenders himself to the great affliction of the soul.

Fear creates disharmony in the soul, resulting in a spiritual illness. It would be best for you to slowly learn how to overcome fear.

3. Soul Loss

For shamanic healers, the loss of one’s soul is the most serious diagnosis to a person and the major cause of serious illnesses and premature death.

Hank Wesselman explained that a person suffers from soul loss when they have lost the will to live.

From a Western perspective, soul loss destroys a person’s life essence, which happens in response to life traumas.

People who experience devastating life situations are likely to suffer from soul loss. The destruction of their soul might be so grave that their soul or will to live won’t return.

It’s important for the loved ones of these people to be understanding and ensure they receive the love and care they deserve.

The Symptoms of Soul Loss

Hank Wesselman added that you could easily recognize soul loss if you are familiar with its symptoms. Here are some of its classic symptoms.

  • Feelings of detachment or not being here.
  • Inability to remember fragments of one’s life.
  • Feeling of unworthiness to love and receive love.
  • Emotional isolation.
  • Lack of enthusiasm towards life.
  • Inability to feel happiness.
  • Inability to thrive and reach one’s goals.
  • Inability to make decisions and initiate for oneself.
  • Chronic pessimism.
  • Alcohol, smoking, and substance abuse.
  • Suicidal tendencies.
  • Despair and misery.
  • Depression.

Despite the severity of soul loss, one can recover from it through spiritual interventions from spiritual healers.

Consider reaching out to trusted loved ones or spiritual practitioners to help you overcome spiritual challenges.

Always remember you are not alone, and no season is permanent. You’ll stand victorious no matter what.

Signs and Symptoms of Spiritual Illnesses

The following are signs and symptoms of spiritual illness to help you acknowledge that something has gone awry and needs higher intervention. 

1. You’re enveloped by fear and anxiety.

You will likely feel fear and anxiety if disconnected from the world. Disharmony with your higher self can expose you to vulnerabilities. 

Fear of the world around you can turn you into a person with a tough heart. It can take away the freedom to act on your terms and grow.

To outgrow anxiety triggers, you must set healthier belief systems and boundaries with yourself and others. 

Also, remember to take leaps of faith to challenge these existing fears. A fundamental rule is to have faith that the universe will always look out for you. Let go of any negative thoughts and practice gratitude.

2. You’re emotionally distant and tend to isolate yourself.

A spiritually ill person may seclude themselves and cut cords with real life. They may appear emotionally distant and hard to reach out to

You may wonder why they fail to respond or take very long to reciprocate friendly contact.

It may call for a little introspection if you find yourself or someone you know behaving this way. 

Some people like to spend time with themselves, but is your self-imposed isolation helping you grow or not? Is it a defense mechanism and making you miserable?

Try asking if your situation can be considered solitude or harmful isolation.

3. You’re undergoing an existential crisis.

If you are spiritually unwell, you may feel like a leaf in the wind, aimlessly floating in the whirlwind of life. You may be struggling to find purpose and meaning.

People on the cusp of spiritual awakening often find themselves in this situation. They experience nihilism and uncertainty about their future.

Try to identify meaningful patterns, events, and happenings in your life. You might see repetitive numbers or other meaningful coincidences with deeper connections and meanings throughout the day. 

This phenomenon is known as synchronicity and can be a wake-up call in deep slumber. Perhaps the universe is trying to speak to you in its language.

4. You have deep emotional pain and trauma.

Symptoms of spiritual illnesses may include deep emotional trauma, generational and ancestral pain, and pain from abuse. It could be that a significant life event turned tragic and left you with emotional scars.

People often turn to therapy to grow out of the pain. It is important to realize that all therapy is a gateway to spiritual openness. If healing is done correctly, it may help you level your spiritual prowess.

5. You experience chronic fatigue and low energy levels.

Another symptom of spiritual illnesses is the absence of vital energy. This energy does not have to be physical, as it can also be mental and emotional.

Chronically low energy levels could mean you need the will to carry out daily chores. It could also mean that you became so stagnant that you have given up on positive life changes. 

When chakras become stagnant or clogged with toxic vibrations, a person’s energy is compromised. The way to get out of this tamasic energy is through small steps. You must push yourself and find natural inspiration while not forgetting to look deep within.

6. You experience physical symptoms.

Physical symptoms like headaches, nausea, low immunity, body aches, and pains without apparent cause may signal spiritual illness. 

It may not be your first instinct to link these to your spiritual health. However, any energetic disturbance in your aura can translate to symptoms of uneasiness and physical pain. 

Unwanted thoughts and stress may trigger stagnancy in your chakras and imbalance the flow of spiritual energy.

7. You have feelings of revenge and jealousy.

Getting into a habit of wanting revenge against others is a sign of unhealthy coping mechanisms. 

It is best to practice forgiveness and detach from feelings that can poison the soul. You must rise above these lower instincts of ill will and harm.

Jealousy towards others also represents movements of the lower human ego. Predispositions of this kind point towards weakness in nature. 

If you’re seeking spiritual growth, it would be best to free yourself of them by practicing forgiveness and detachment.

8. You can’t let go of toxic behavioral patterns. 

You may find yourself obsessive about obtaining things or experiencing the inability to let go of others. Repeating unhelpful or harmful behavior patterns can lead to frustration and depression. Addictions can be detrimental to physical, mental, and spiritual health.

All spiritual actions are rooted in the art of letting go. Recognize that holding on to something will make it lose its true meaning. 

The sweetness in letting something go so it no longer affects you can be a powerful antidote to various afflictions.

The Bhagavad Gita talks about surrendering our control to Krishna. We must not cling to the fruits of our actions but trust that the divine forces know what is best for us.

9. You experience stress triggers.

Our everyday lives are built to overload the nervous system. Unnecessary and excessive tension in lifestyle can hinder all spiritual growth. This can make you feel burnt out and easily lose contact with your higher self.

There is a truth beyond ordinary life, and we need to be present in the moment to recognize it. Practice mindfulness and non-judgment to shake the clutches of anxiety and tension.

10. Your intuition is inactive, and you can’t use the subtle powers of imagination.

The chakras may become sluggish if tamasic energies settle down for too long. Negativity can lead to a complete shutdown of intuitive powers and subtle perception.

Spirituality is all about sensing subtle energies and ascending to higher realms. It is important to throw out lower vibrations from your system. 

Soak yourself in positive energies meant to bring psychic change in your life. Connecting with your higher self and responding to your cosmic call can solve all the spiritual challenges you’re experiencing.

11. You feel hopeless.

It may signify spiritual weakness if you feel you have no control over your actions or fate. Feelings of hopelessness can become toxic, preventing you from recognizing your true goals.

A strong soul accepts life’s inevitability while acknowledging its power in carrying out spiritual change. This psychic change is what transforms your circumstances.

How to Overcome Spiritual Illnesses

Sickness of the soul is painful. It triggers feelings of uncertainty and despair. It may result in emotional disturbances and increase unhealthy coping mechanisms.

You can take primary actions to overcome spiritual illness through these four steps:

  • First, your solution to overcome negative tendencies is to develop spiritual techniques and maintain strict energy boundaries. A clear mindset, plan, and support system can help you overcome your dilemma.
  • Second, you must unlearn the thought processes you picked up over the years and learn newer and healthier mechanisms. Find your power and harness the prana that connects you to cosmic forces.
  • Third, you have to deal with things that are not going according to you. No spiritual practice, healing crystals, or spiritual people can help you. But a strong reason is enough to break free from spiritual restraints. Find that reason and move towards it. 
    • You will start making progress as soon as you realize that this can change your life. The best part is you can make people around you happy.
  • And lastly, make your life worth living rather than cribbing about how bad it is. You have only one life to live, and being spiritually sound will open doors that are not visible to others. Stay happy and stay true to yourself.

Final Thoughts

You must remember that pain can be a window of opportunity for growth if you overcome it. Those at rock bottom find ways to climb and discover their wings.

Spiritual illnesses remind you that you need a change in your life. And that your comfort zone is no longer serving you. You are becoming stagnant, preventing you from achieving your highest potential.

Stand up, open your eyes, and reach your hands out. You are a step closer to your truest self.

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