Clear Signs You Are Experiencing Spiritual Growth
Are You a Spiritual Explorer? A Seeker of Truth
by Stephen Canning
Human beings have always ‘grown’ because some of us were willing to step into the unknown and are actually drawn to do so.
Long before maps, borders, or certainty, people moved — out of Africa, across land and sea — not knowing exactly what they would find. Some led. Others followed. And most simply trusted something inside them that said, “There is more.”
I was partly inspired to write this after watching a five-part BBC documentary, ‘Human’, which explores the evolutionary story of Homo sapiens. It highlights how early humans survived only because they were willing to seek new environments out of necessity. That same instinct to survive — and to thrive — is clearly visible throughout the animal kingdom.
Only now, the exploration is less about geography and more about self-development and spiritual development….being a spiritual explorer.
In my previous post, I explored how spiritual exploration doesn’t usually begin with beliefs or labels. It begins with a quiet feeling — a sense that the way we’ve been living, thinking, or seeing ourselves no longer quite fits. So we become seekers, seekers of a truth that has so far eluded us, but is also leading us, even ‘pulling’ us in a certain direction! (See my previous post for clarification on this: Outward Signs of Spiritual Growth (Inner Change in Everyday Life).
Along the way, for me, that exploration led me to many traditions and philosophies, such as Ascended Masters, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, Sant Mat, Scientology, Eckankar, Spiritualism, and The Urantia Book. Some held my attention for a few weeks, some for months, and others for years. In the early stages, this questioning also led me through agnostic and atheist positions. Each offered insights that shaped my understanding in different ways.
Many spiritual traditions also suggest that the Divine is not concerned with religious identity at all, but with sincerity, inner practice, and love
As Charan Singh (a Sant Mat Spiritual Master) reminds us:
“Spirituality does not consist in knowing scriptures or reading books. It consists in knowing ourselves.”
What Spirituality Means to Different People
Are You ready to explore?
Early spirituality was simple and grounded. People respected nature, honoured ancestors, and sensed that life — and death — held meaning beyond what could be seen.
In modern times, spirituality has taken many forms. For some, it centres on God or devotion, for others, philosophy, psychology, or consciousness. Many think about an afterlife. Other philosophies are more focused on how to live this life well.
But beneath all of these approaches is the same question humans have always asked:
What does it mean to live wisely and truthfully, and for some, with a higher purpose?
The Inner Journey
At some point, many of us realise that the most challenging territory isn’t “out there”.
It’s inside. This is where spiritual exploration becomes real — and personal.
You begin to notice your reactions. Your fears. The stories you tell yourself. The ways you protect, defend, or hold on.
You start asking more honest questions:
- Why does this affect me so strongly?
- What is missing from my life?
- What am I really afraid of?
- Who am I – when I really think about it?
- What am I searching for?
- What is definitely true?
This kind of exploration isn’t always comfortable. In fact, it often brings uncertainty before it brings clarity.
Which is why Susan Jeffers’ book title still resonates: “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
Many philosophies say:
We must reach Self-Realisation before we can reach God-Realisation.
Self-Realisation Comes First
This is an important point — and one that often gets missed.
Before spiritual realisation comes self-realisation. A spiritual explorer is someone drawn to inner development and self-realisation.
Not in a grand or mystical sense — but in a very human one.
(See my previous post for clarification on this: Outward Signs of Spiritual Growth (Inner Change in Everyday Life).
It’s the gradual honesty of seeing yourself clearly:
1. noticing your conditioning
2. understanding your emotional patterns
3. recognising ego habits
4. becoming aware of unconscious reactions
5. acknowledging and accepting that we are not meant to be perfect
6. responding to situations rather than reacting
7. less judgemental of others
Without this, spirituality can easily become something we talk about rather than something we live.
As Krishnamurti said: “Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.”
Charan Singh (a Sant Mat Master) echoed this same truth:
“Unless we understand ourselves, we cannot understand anything higher.”
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What It Means to Be a Spiritual Explorer
A spiritual explorer isn’t someone with all the answers. They are someone willing to stay curious and search for a Truth that genuinely resonates with them.
They don’t rush to conclusions. They don’t cling too tightly to beliefs. Be willing to be uncertain, to be wrong, and to grow slowly.
Over time, you begin to trust inner discernment more than external validation, and you understand that confusion isn’t failure — it’s often part of the process.
As Rumi wrote: “Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure.”
Your body also plays a very important role in discernment. It often signals when something is out of alignment — through fatigue, tension, anxiety, discomfort, or a general sense of unease. These signals can arise when our thoughts, attitudes, diet, exercise, or wellbeing practices are no longer supporting us.
The body rarely lies. When we learn to listen, it can help fine-tune our lifestyle and guide us back toward balance. I explore this relationship in more depth in The Language of the Chakras – Heal Your Life, where the body is viewed as a practical guide (often through the chakras) rather than something to override or ignore.
When Growth Becomes Visible
Spiritual exploration doesn’t remove life’s challenges. It changes how you meet them.
Over time, you may notice:
1. less reactivity
2. more emotional steadiness
3. fewer inner battles
4. greater acceptance
5. a quieter confidence
6. it’s easier to meditate
7. acceptance of what is
Not because life becomes easier — but because you become steadier.
As Charan Singh expressed: “Spirituality is a way of living, not something to be talked about.”
Keep Exploring
The early pioneers crossed continents without knowing the outcome. The spiritual explorer does something similar — but inwardly. Guided not by certainty, but by sincerity.
If you feel drawn to look within — not because it’s fashionable or comforting, but because something inside you is gently calling — you are already exploring. You are a seeker.
Not as someone trying to become “spiritual”. But simply as a human being, seeking truth.
For some, this journey may eventually include a teacher, mentor, guru, or guide — someone who resonates with what they are seeking.
As a Zen saying reminds us: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
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