I believe that suffering is not required to "awaken". I also believe that we are already awake. You are not sleep walking! Your whole life was lived on purpose..very awake. You were/are already connected to infinite intelligence. Awake has the connotation of being the opposite of sleep or disconnected in some form or fashion. Infinite Intelligence has created, nourished and guided you your entire life here. I think that classifies as being connected and awake.

However, I know what you mean :) You are asking about that one thing (or series of events) that just turns your whole life around and catapults you toward some kind of "inward spiritual awakening". I believe this can happen in an infinite number of ways; discomfort and pain is but only one of these possible roads.

While I personally have had teachers to start me off early in life, it was just intellectual information to me then. It wasn't until certain other things happened in my life that caused me to really turn inward. Not all these things were painful, some were even pleasurable! But, don't worry...you are only 26yrs old, pace yourself. Your road is unique. I do think pain and discomfort serves us. It always manages to point us to some new experience.

Infinite Intelligence and all of it's qualities are certainly "hard wired" within ALL of us. Henceforth...I'm sure All of us at some point in our life cycle(s) in some kind of fashion; will be instigated from within... to dig deeper to Know Self. After all, isn't Knowing Self is what it's all about?

Not for all, for me YES. I am a channeler and my source explains to me that he choose me because of my seeing of the "darkest of the dark, and the brightest of the light" I think it can only help if you are aware of the true potential of the capability of your self. When you know how bad you are and what you are truly capable of.
It tends to help you hold on to the feelings of love just that much harder!!! I was truly in the dark, in HARDEST OF HARD CORE DRUG ADDICTIONS AN SEEN THE WORST IN HUMANITY , after this I now see the reality of you creating your own existence!

love n light,

rob

To live fully is to let go and die with each passing moment, and to be reborn in each new one. Jack Kornfeld

There is a fireman here in Sweden that has had suffered through a very bad fire and has become an inspirational speaker.
The picture is from a newspaper article with the headline I can only change myself-not others

Yes sometimes we must die in some respects to be reborn. And yes I can say I fell down and started to climb up out off the well. When you hit bottom there is only one way to go and that is up.
peace

There are many paths to spiritual awakening.

For some people, a crisis will bring them to God; you seem to have had such a crisis. But there are also other paths to spiritual awakening. Some people grow gradually into their beliefs. Some people seem to be "called" to their Higher Power- as if God Himself instigates the relationship (Saul of Tarsus was such a one). Other people are seemingly "born" spiritual; many of the saints (but not all!) just always were close to God. Some people deliberately take steps to reach God (or Universal Intelligence, or a Higher Power- I choose to call this power "God".) Mother Theresa chose to devote her life to helping the poor, and became a great spiritual influence because of her choice.

I want to say that I am deeply sorry for your loss, and I appreciate the pain that you must have and are enduring, and I am glad that you chose to use your pain to find God. The path of suffering and finding God through that suffering is one of the great spiritual mysteries- we ask why God would allow suffering and trials, and have no ready answer to this age-old question; however, many have turned to God in their suffering; that does not explain suffering, but it does mitigate suffering to a degree.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of those who are "poor in spirit", those who mourn", "the meek","those who hunger and thirst for righteousness", "those who are merciful" (NIV Bible)-these people will find God in their condition...that somehow, when we turn in our pain and sorrow to God, we will be blessed. It sounds like you are finding this out for yourself. It is a strange and wonderful mystery that in our lowest conditions, in our lowest moments, we become ready to let go of the world and turn to God. When we do this, we find great comfort.

When I consider my own path to God, I have to say that my trials did lead me onward and upward. As a matter of fact, I was recently asked if I could have my chronic pain suddenly and completely removed forever, would I choose to have it removed? I thought about it, and finally had to say, "No." Why not? Because of the pain, I have come to depend on God's strength and He has led me places in my pain that I otherwise would not have gone. The pain has made me stronger than I ever would have been.

My path to God has been a wondrous journey. I would not want to trade my scars for a blemish-free body, because that would mean that i would also have to give up my growth and my relationship with God as it stands today. I really doubt I would have gotten where I am without my scars.

Blessings and Love, Jai