I thought it would be nice to hear people's story of their awakening. I know for me it was the most profound moment of my life thus far. I also enjoy hearing all the different paths people have taken to awaken.

I was an atheist at a very low point in my life. I felt I could do nothing because of an illness I was suffering. So I decided that since there was no God I would love everyone in the world. All I had to do was love them, it cost me nothing and I could do it right from my bed I was periodically trapped in. I had issues with "evil" people. The ones who committed terrible crimes. I finally figured that we all come into this world innocent.  Uncorrupted by religion, politics, social restrictions and the challenges that life creates for people. I decided it was that innocence I could love, that tiny piece that was buried deep beneath the pain of this world. In essence I forgave them for all that they were so that I could love them for what they truly were inside. So I went to meditate and said to this world, to the universe that I love it. I love all who are in it.  I love the innocent spirit that resides in all people.  I wish to give my unconditional love to this world and universe. I believed every word to my core being and then the most unbelievable thing happened to me.  I connected with the Spirit, the Creator, the Energy that binds the universe.  My spirit left my physical body to become one with the Spirit. I was wrapped in unconditional love, peace, bliss and ecstasy. I felt the knowledge of everything, I felt connected to everything that ever existed, did exist and would exist.  I never, ever wanted to leave that feeling of pure bliss.  I thought I could never love anything more then my husband, but I was wrong, this was the spirit of all things and through it all was the Creator’s energy, that energy was unconditional love.  I felt as if the whole universe was pouring love into me, it was the be all and end all of the universe. I knew I had to return to my body but I didn’t want to go. I was at complete peace and wrapped in perfect love.  When I returned, my body shook and was covered in sweat. I cried tears of joy so profound I could not stop.  I believe!  We are all one with the Great Spirit; our soul is this Great Spirit of Love. We are only separated from it by this physical world we use to create in.  I know now that anyone can reconnect to this Primal loving energy by giving what we truly are in spirit, Unconditional Love. I also know that there are as many paths to this Source, as there are people in this world, so I wish you light on your journey to finding unconditional love.

Beautiful Soul Fire. I too have met the creator a couple time and both were the most amazing experiences ever which catapulted me in to a full state of wakefulness. Once you have been tapped on the shoulder and embraced by the light.... you can't go back to sleep. You can't unknow what you know. Thank you for sharing. :)

Through my meditations with Orin/DaBen I've found myself in that state of bliss. In my day-to-days, it comes and goes.

Rasha puts it nicely, that it's like the high tide coming in. The waves go up to your toes, and back out; back up to your ankles and back out; up to your knees and back out....When you finally find yourself immersed, you will KNOW Oneness...

Beautifully said Kris.

The story of my awakening is a long one. I am going to try and include as much detail as I can while at the same time not making it too long. I have always been semi unconsciously awake throughout my life. I didn't believe in God for most of my life, but oddly I seemed to have this innate knowing of God when I was a very young child, without my family programming it into me like most people experience. That knowing faded more and more the older I got until it was gone, what reinforced my disbelief in Source was when I was 12 I decided I was going to pray to God because the overwhelming depression I was experiencing was too much for me, so I prayed but when I did I felt like I was talking to nothing, like I might as well be talking to a brick wall. Perhaps it was because I was in such a deep dense cloud of suicidal depression, that hit me like a ton of bricks one random day out of the blue and stayed with me until very recently. So my feeling of non connection just convinced me even more that there was no Supreme Creator. I went through my life angry, depressed and all the other negative emotions. I met my ex husband in a yahoo pagan chat room when I was 18, 5 days after I graduated from HS....and w/o telling a soul I ran away to AZ. That was the beginning of my 7 years of what I can only describe as pure delusional dark hell that taught me A LOT. I have since figured out why I went through all of that and there are so many reasons. I started seeing 11s and 42s within weeks of beginning that relationship, which was essential to my spiritual growth, clearing Karma, finding the real truth and awakening myself consciously and completely. Jake is awakened, but rather sadly his knowledge of the truth is very twisted by the dark. He is rather connected to the universe….but is hampered by his continuing decisions to let the dark enslave his perceptions and soul. I eventually was free of my time and experiences with him; walking away from him, carrying our daughter in my arms, while he was pleading and begging for us not to leave was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. After I left I was still mentally attached to him and wanted to work things out, well reality hit when he filed for divorce and then began my awakening to the truth of the situation that I was actually in with him. I was very depressed and what not. I found myself at a book store - I always go straight to the new age section and there on the selves I saw Doreen Virtue’s books about angels, and I figured I should buy some because I knew I required deep healing. Read them, they of course talked of God, and I thought to myself, I believe in Angels, I know they are benevolent, despite what Jake tried so hard to twist me into thinking they are evil, he still believes they are evil. If the Angels talk of God, perhaps God really does exist. One day I was sitting there wallowing in my own darkness and self pity, and I thought to myself, I truly want to be done with this darkness, I do not want to feel this pain and depression any longer. I prayed to the Angels, ArchAngels and God, I took all my negativity and said, I surrender my pain to you God and Angels, I no longer want it, please take it and heal me. It was one of the most profound moments of this life, at that instant that I surrendered myself to the Light to be healed, it was like a huge, gigantic, heavy cloud was lifted off from me and taken away. I felt so much lighter and freer. It was amazing. After that point, I started to see the 11s and 42s again, that I had not seen in months and months while I was busy wallowing in my self pity, it had concerned me that I wasn’t seeing them and I was delighted to once again see them. I having a clear mind came to the powerful realization just how much abuse and lies I had put up with. Despite all the lies that were presented to me as truth, I announced out loud to the universe, I am a seeker of truth, I want to know the truth. I came to this page that presented the many different topics of ascension and so on and reading it felt right, I resonated with the info, which at that point I had never read of before. I rather liked what I read and wanted to know more. Not long after that, I saw an ad on FB, the only one I have ever seen, about this site. I liked Awakening As One to change the world for the better. I thought I should really check this out, I hesitated a little, but proceeded to sign up. The rest you all know about. Since being here, I have found out more and more about the Light and Truth of matters, such invaluable information contained at this site, all different flavors. I have had some awesome experiences with meditation, and further development. My process, was one with many steps, at times subtle, at times, in your face. I now feel I am extremely close to fully embracing the higher dimensions once again after being here on Earth for such a long time, or what seems like forever to me. I have immensely improved myself over the months, which is always a work in progress. I have found my truth, found my Light and found the Creator.

wow Khrystal<3,thankyou,great words,inspirational,cheers

That really is wonderful Khrystal! I forgot to read it when you posted it cause I clicked into the update but then had to go. Glad you commented Callum, thank you, both.

Wow!! to all the above - every post here is amazing! Wish i could have that moment of absolute connection too! I'm sure it's coming! it was great reading the posts here :)

Seek, Ask and Knock. When the moment is perfect it will come to you Jeremy, it was the perfect moment for me. Till then live your love, be the change you want to see, and be the person you want to be. Glad we could be of inspiration.

My story is a bit long too but I'll try to kep it brief. As a child I always believed in God but I suffered with bouts of depression and anxiety from an early age and repressed all my emotion and so began journaling at the age of 10. I was raised in a non-denominational Christian home but my dad was an avid reader of religon, philosophy and psychology.
By the age of 15 I was done with church and bible but I'd check out my dad's library from time to time and discovered Eastern religion. The pressures of college intensified my anxietry and depression and I prayed for peace of mind. I combed the shelves in bookstores and took psych classes to diagnose my own issues. One night, in a state of depression I just sat and stared at the wall until time had no meaning. I began to see what appeared to be a large portal (?) forming - like pulsing waves of light. As I focused on that space the room and everything of this world seemed to vanish and I felt this incredible wave of energy radiating peace and love. I wrote in my journal that it was like "listening to the heart of the world (universe)." It filled in all my empty places and washed away all my pain. After awhile - maybe 30 or 40 minutes(?) I could feel the energy subsiding and as it slipped away I tried desperately to hold onto it. I never told anyone about it because I couldn't find words to describe it and thought they would think I was crazy. In the weeks and months that followed I searched for ways to reach that place again and discovered meditation. My prayer for peace gave way to an urgent prayer to know the truth.
Slowly, I began to trust my intuition more and becme more aware of all the layers of energy operating in us through us and around us. I would find just the right book or teacher when I needed it. I discovered that being near trees and water gave me a special kind of energy and I felt connected to them as if there were a secret that only we knew. I began to explore my American Indian heritage and traditions and began to see the sacred in everything. The natural world holds so many spiritual lessons.Over the years, I have experienced many beautiful moments with Spirit, some intense, some euphoric, some magical, some pure beauty and bliss and I am learning to connect to that same beauty by simply being mindful and fully present in each moment, bringing the mountain top to the marketplace.
Recently, while going through the process of grieving for my son, I discovered that giving to my fellow beings brings me great comfort and joy so I give whenever I can, even if it's just a smile.
Journaling, poetry and art have heped me to express those repressed emotions. Through giving I am connected to my brothers and sisters. Prayer and meditation help me connect to the Creator. Being mindful and fully present helps keep me connected to Spirit. Gratitude is my vehicle of choice on this journey and I am grateful for all of life and for all of you.

Liz, thank you for sharing your story, really empowering.

Soul Fire - you have and you are an inspiration!! i've been thinking about the stories on thread all day!! :)

Liz, im again absolutely blown away by your story - wow! I think you have amazing strength and insight and you truly are a gift to the world and to everything which experiences you! I'm blessed to have read your stoory xxx :)

Hi everyone! All my life I've been very Intuitive, though I didn't always listen to it or follow it. I knew things no one told me but never dared speak of, after being ridiculed for it. I knew things I had no words to express; many I was barely aware of consciously. My Intuition was my guide, best friend, teacher, protector, counselor, and healer. The only thing I got from anyne else was their disapproval of me because I was disaabled. They were ashamed of me, but thankfully they gave me the one thing that'd save my life- MUSIC. Soon that also became my best friend, and taught me many things. It gave me hope. At a very young age, I suffered a trauma that changed me forever. Soon other traumas followed, and I was already deeply depressed by the time I was four. Not much changed wherever I went, though I still believed things would get better, especially when I'd be free of them. After realizing one day their shame was not of me, but of themselves, it was a great revelation, though a very sad one. I knew I'd tire of being that way, and tried to break out of the shell they created for me, which they accused me of not coming out of. I had a few small victories and accomplishments- one major one was, I knew I had abilities I couldn't share, but vowed to never let anyone take from me. This Empowered me, though it saddened me that I had to always keep silent about my feelings, needs, hopes and dreams. Despite that, I kept searching for that missing thing I needed to heal deep inside me. I did my best, with very little help, fading hope, and more traumas. After many years of abuse and self abuse, I began to learn about human potential and words like "metaphysics", "spirituality", and related concepts. When the holistic ideas began to be rediscovered, I soaked it up as much as I could, along with all the other things I mentioned. I had an idea I might be a healer, after something happened to me several years before. Of course I had to keep that to myself, too. Now I was learning things I soon realized I knew a lot about already. Soon I started developing a self-help healing service, because I knew I was beginning to Awaken, and I wanted to share it all. Soon I met more like-minded people who I could learn from and share with. My Intuitive abilities were developing faster, too. I listened to and read about those various techniques and ideas which I soon adapted into my own life, sharing as I went. I'd meditate, chant, write, draw, find songs and music that helped me unlock the knowledge and wisdom I knew was already within me, and I was finding some Peace. Occasionally I'd realize, and share how I knew that most of what we obsess over is trivial. One night, while asleep, I suddenly found myself in a different place, watching the world below me, while a flood of information poured through me, and I Knew it was True that mostly we focus on unimportant matters. The information came swiftly and seemingly all at once- it was so overwhelming it made me cry. I went through so many pathways and then to the peak. All this happened in an instant, I think, though it felt like several minutes, until I felt as if I had been flung back to my body. It was very intense. This is why Awakening must come gradually, I realized. That led me to another BIG Awakening, after meeting someone who helped me spiritually and metaphysically. I knew I could never go back, though I have done some serious backsliding; I could never go completely back to the person I was, though I had to be that person before evolving into who I am now. I still have awakenings, mostly from lessons that teach me more about myself. I renamed my healing service, and put a W in front of holistic, having seen it that way occasionally, knowing that's what we all need to be- WHOLE. A few people have taken the time to guide me and help me, especially those who worked in wholistic health and healing. Although I've come a long way on my Journey, I know I still have a lot of healing, learning, growing, and evolving to do. Along the way, I've helped maniy people, which helped me, too. My Deepest Wish is for us all to realize we are All One, then we'll have Peace, which must come from Within. Inner Awarness and Self Empowerment are the Keys. Real Self Empowerment is when we conquer our fears, etc., live in Harmony with ourselves and each other, be One with our Universe, find and know our place in it, and be guided by Love. My Intuition, and Music, are still my Very Best Friends; I've connected with some amazing people, I've witnessed miracles that I'm still in awe of, some I was part of; I've learned many things, and still have a LOT to learn. We are all students and teachers, and We Are All One. When I Am Completely Awakened, I Will Know.

Thank you all for sharing this intimate and profound experiences. They are an inspiration to us all.

Dear Soul Fire,

In response to your query, I shall describe the circumstances of My awakening.

  On a beautiful spring day, May 10, 2010, I recollected the teaching of the Dalai Lama: "I think of everyone as an Old Friend.", and put it into practice.  I immediately felt a great liberation!  I soon descended the stone-work steps to the sea-wall (I was living in West Vancouver at the time).  I was ecstatic, moreso when I discovered the love and peace I felt toward all, and the fact that they returned it!

  I spent many hours, over the following summer, blissfully walking the sea-wall, visiting the Memorial Library and Garden, attending outdoor concerts and exchanging greetings with (and talking to) very many beautiful people.

  I have dwelt in virtual permanent bliss ever since!

  I now live in North Vancouver, by Grand Boulevard Park, and My happiness has only increased!  Of course, I have My challenges, like anyone, but I now see them as an honour!

  I would like to congradulate you, and all others on your awakening!

  I hope I have satisfied your interest!

Sincerely,

  Siddhartha Marr.

Wow such beautiful and powerful sharings!! I'm moved beyond words!!! However, I can't seem to recall any one significant event which propelled me towards awakening - I have no idea? I'd like to share a piece of note i've written when I was utterly shattered and broken..

men and women necessarily and intrinsically swim in an ocean of meaning,

i find myself, weary.

struggling against the lapping tides.

surfing the waves of uncertainty.

perfectly, masterfully.

it is, but a vision.

the board beneath, slips away.

tumbled around, engulfed - i fought, and fought!

only to be spun around, and around, yet again.

there is no end !

it is then, with eyes wide open,

all shred of resistance melted away.

swaying with the flow,

looking upon void, it looked back.

alas, the beauty i have missed.

Beautiful Vinny.

You are singing my song.

they are all as fleeting as they are eternal,

they come and they go, yet they always have been..

these illusions,

these notions,

these emotions.

ever present,

but it was never there.

we scramble within the confined spaces, of which we engineered,

clinging on to the fragments of self we perceive to be, of which we created.

like a puzzle, put together to reflect... an ideal.

self-absorbed,

blinded and confused.

the need to,

the want to,

the have to.

are we no better, to be governed as such.

look beyond the horizon, witness and realize.

they are all as fleeting as they are eternal,

they come and they go, yet they always have been..

and always will be, just this.

written alongside the previous note. it seem as though i wasn't even fully able to comprehend what i've written, it takes several re-reading to absorb the message that i've written in the past - for me in the future...

Those are wonderful Vinny, thank you for sharing.