What are the results of your spiritual journey?

I get the feeling a good chunk of you guys are deep into some kind of spiritual journey or self-improvement grind... and honestly, I'm curious—what’s actually happening on your end? Like, what are the real results of all this work?

I know it's hard to pin down specifics, but I bet there's still an answer somewhere in there.

I’m also interested in the heavy stuff, like if anyone here has actually hit that "dark night of the soul" phase.

But hey, obviously feel free to lean more into the wins and the positive shifts too.

If you can, try to give me something a bit more... I don't know, unique? Let's skip the cliché stuff about having a "peaceful mind" and all that blah blah blah.😉

In my case, I’ve noticed this weird extra sensitivity to the weather. It sounds strange, but I basically experience heaven and hell through the shifting seasons and the atmosphere outside.

Another thing—which I honestly think is a byproduct of all the spiritual heavy lifting I've been doing—is this growing addiction to beauty. My taste has become so hyper-sensitized that, frankly, the US feels like a pretty ugly planet sometimes. Sure, there’s some stunning natural scenery when the weather hits just right, but otherwise, the ugliness just adds to my stress.

I once had this experience—kind of an intro to what I call "freedom from the mind"—while sitting in padmasana, or the lotus position. It wasn't even my first time; it happened after years of grinding through practice. It was just a brief glimpse into what I’ve dubbed the "lotus state." I call it that because of the whole symbolism, you know? A flower rising out of the mud to bloom above it all... which is exactly how it felt while I was working through lotus and a few other poses.

Nowadays, I’m pretty convinced my intuition is always spot on. Whenever I see someone putting on a fake spiritual act, I immediately get hit with this wave of cynicism. I can tell the real deal from the total frauds, and I'm definitely not letting anyone sell me a bridge anymore.

I’m tolerant of any path, really. If someone's soul feels like it needs to walk a certain way, I’m all for it. But if I feel like they've outgrown a particular stage, I give myself permission to point things out.

Honestly, I’ve got way more empathy and self-confidence these days—plus, I'm starting to spot connections everywhere that used to fly right over my head. Seeing auras gives me a little boost too, which is always a nice touch. Getting things done according to plan feels much smoother now, but even if things go sideways or the path to my goal ends up looking totally different than what I mapped out, I’m way calmer about it. There’s just too much good stuff to list here.

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Honestly, I’ve got way more empathy and self-confidence these days—plus, I'm starting to spot connections everywhere that used to fly right over my head. Seeing auras gives me a little boost too, which is always a nice touch. Getting things done according to plan feels much smoother now, but even if things go sideways or the path to my goal ends up looking totally different than what I mapped out, I’m way calmer about it. There’s just too much good stuff to list here.

There is profound wisdom in silence.

"Quote:"

mistygull16 said:I get the feeling a good chunk of you guys are deep into some kind of spiritual journey or self-improvement grind... and honestly, I'm curious—what’s actually happening on your end? Like, what are the real results of all this work?

I know it's hard to pin down specifics, but I bet there's still an answer somewhere in there.

I’m also interested in the heavy stuff, like if anyone here has actually hit that "dark night of the soul" phase.

But hey, obviously feel free to lean more into the wins and the positive shifts too.

If you can, try to give me something a bit more... I don't know, unique? Let's skip the cliché stuff about having a "peaceful mind" and all that blah blah blah.😉

There once existed this exclusive Order of Initiates, an organization where members were bound by a solemn vow of silence that lasted for four entire years. Can you imagine? Not a single word would be uttered, not even a whisper, for four years straight.

mistygull16 said:I get the feeling a good chunk of you guys are deep into some kind of spiritual journey or self-improvement grind... and honestly, I'm curious—what’s actually happening on your end? Like, what are the real results of all this work?

I know it's hard to pin down specifics, but I bet there's still an answer somewhere in there.

I’m also interested in the heavy stuff, like if anyone here has actually hit that "dark night of the soul" phase.

But hey, obviously feel free to lean more into the wins and the positive shifts too.

If you can, try to give me something a bit more... I don't know, unique? Let's skip the cliché stuff about having a "peaceful mind" and all that blah blah blah.😉

A wonderful topic; thank you for the creativity. Amidst all these intense arguments over who is more enlightened...

Results? Well, there aren't any results. At least, not the kind I was hoping for. It’s more like a silencing of my craving for results—a zooming in on the peace and love already within a person, even though my restless heart keeps searching for fulfillment in places where none exists.

In a way, that answers your question about the "dark night of the soul." It is, essentially, the training ground for enlightenment. That makes it nearly impossible to write about (perhaps like Buddha's pain when he realized the nature of the world and turned that realization to his advantage, or Jesus's time in the tomb/hell and his subsequent departure from it).

Positive? A diminished craving for "positivity" and a quieting of the ego.

mistygull16 said:In my case, I’ve noticed this weird extra sensitivity to the weather. It sounds strange, but I basically experience heaven and hell through the shifting seasons and the atmosphere outside.

Another thing—which I honestly think is a byproduct of all the spiritual heavy lifting I've been doing—is this growing addiction to beauty. My taste has become so hyper-sensitized that, frankly, the US feels like a pretty ugly planet sometimes. Sure, there’s some stunning natural scenery when the weather hits just right, but otherwise, the ugliness just adds to my stress.

I once had this experience—kind of an intro to what I call "freedom from the mind"—while sitting in padmasana, or the lotus position. It wasn't even my first time; it happened after years of grinding through practice. It was just a brief glimpse into what I’ve dubbed the "lotus state." I call it that because of the whole symbolism, you know? A flower rising out of the mud to bloom above it all... which is exactly how it felt while I was working through lotus and a few other poses.

Nowadays, I’m pretty convinced my intuition is always spot on. Whenever I see someone putting on a fake spiritual act, I immediately get hit with this wave of cynicism. I can tell the real deal from the total frauds, and I'm definitely not letting anyone sell me a bridge anymore.

I’m tolerant of any path, really. If someone's soul feels like it needs to walk a certain way, I’m all for it. But if I feel like they've outgrown a particular stage, I give myself permission to point things out.

I sign my name to that entirely.

I still count this as one of those "negative consequences"; I am still adjusting. People constantly try to fill my head with things like, "How on earth can you find the country so ugly? Have you been to other planets to make such a claim?!"
As if it were my intention to say anything at all. 😉
🙂 😵 😵 😉

Results !!??

Maybe this bit of nonsense:

But there isn't a single trace of what's written right here:

The reasons people take up Transcendental Meditation are endless:

cutting down on stress and finding some kind of balance in life
boosting health and dealing with all those stress-related issues
personal productivity—things like mental clarity, creativity, and more success
improving how you get along with other people
self-knowledge—actually meeting your core life needs

Developing mental potential—basically just being more efficient
Deep relaxation
Inner peace
Stress reduction
Health improvements
Lessening the negative effects of aging
Better interpersonal relationships
Higher quality sleep
Increased creativity
Clearer thinking
Better concentration
Self-awareness—addressing those deepest life requirements
Improving your surroundings and fostering world peace


Out of everything listed above, meditation has brought me absolutely NOTHING:

I have this feeling that I actually know way less now than I did when I first started. Back then, those intense spiritual experiences used to blow my mind, but now? I'm pretty sure they're just projections. Or maybe just identifications. At the end of the day, the only real takeaway seems to be realizing how little I actually know and just spinning my wheels.
Regarding that whole thing about calming down the temperament—losing the urge to be aggressive and just feeling generally more level-headed in most situations—it might be because of meditation or spiritual practice, I guess. But honestly, it’s probably just maturity (though I suppose I could call it "getting older" 😁).

Scott Miller4 said:I have this feeling that I actually know way less now than I did when I first started. Back then, those intense spiritual experiences used to blow my mind, but now? I'm pretty sure they're just projections. Or maybe just identifications. At the end of the day, the only real takeaway seems to be realizing how little I actually know and just spinning my wheels.
Regarding that whole thing about calming down the temperament—losing the urge to be aggressive and just feeling generally more level-headed in most situations—it might be because of meditation or spiritual practice, I guess. But honestly, it’s probably just maturity (though I suppose I could call it "getting older" 😁).

That bolded part is my only takeaway here.

Ryan Gomez4 said:That bolded part is my only takeaway here.

Honestly, it’s a solid point. It keeps us from getting all stuck in fanaticism or acting like we’re better than everyone else.

You know how it goes—some newbie thinks they've cracked the code, gets all fired up, starts preaching to anyone who'll listen, and acts like they're some kind of guru. But then, once that ego starts to melt away—once you realize most of what you "knew" was just a bunch of built-in biases—that's when things actually get interesting. That's when there's room for real understanding. Though, I guess I'd call it more like spiritual maturity or actual insight.

Alright, let's dive into this. Now the real question is... what does everyone actually mean when they talk about "spiritual progress"?
We all tend to rack up more knowledge as we get older—that's just life, right? But are we actually becoming better versions of ourselves? Like, as human beings? That’s the part that really matters to me—all that wisdom doesn't mean a thing if there isn't love behind it.

Ryan Gomez4, just make sure you don't give away who you are. 😬

Ryan Rogers5, I’m not really a fan of talking about love in that specific context. I feel like we tend to get tripped up by using terms like "unconditional love" while completely ignoring our own underlying conditioning, so I guess I’d rather stick to discussing acceptance.

But anyway, putting my semantic issues aside, the question you asked is actually pretty interesting. People we generally consider to be at a high spiritual level usually seem to have this incredibly deep sense of empathy and altruism. It makes me wonder—is "kindness" actually one of the core ingredients of a higher spiritual state?

That’s where I see a bit of a mental loop forming. Solipsism has become such a huge trend lately, which leads to the idea that everything we do is ultimately just for ourselves. If you look through that lens, how much of our kindness is just conditioned by a desire to benefit ourselves, and how much is truly authentic goodness that just naturally emerges as a result of spiritual growth?

You can't really make any massive strides in life without making some sacrifices along the way.

Think about it—since most of what we do in this life is basically just labor, we might as well put that effort toward something meaningful. It’s all about putting in the work without getting obsessively hung up on the end result or the payout—that's the core wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita.

I'm looking for something along those lines:

I don't really buy into that anymore, to be honest. I guess you can't have a sacrifice without some kind of expectation attached to it; if you try to claim otherwise, it just feels like madness. Most people who act like they're sacrificing something are actually just looking for a payout, which is pretty much standard behavior in everyday life. It’s all about self-interest, really. :nezna:
Personally, I think it's all a bit pointless.

Scott Miller4 said:I have this feeling that I actually know way less now than I did when I first started. Back then, those intense spiritual experiences used to blow my mind, but now? I'm pretty sure they're just projections. Or maybe just identifications. At the end of the day, the only real takeaway seems to be realizing how little I actually know and just spinning my wheels.
Regarding that whole thing about calming down the temperament—losing the urge to be aggressive and just feeling generally more level-headed in most situations—it might be because of meditation or spiritual practice, I guess. But honestly, it’s probably just maturity (though I suppose I could call it "getting older" 😁).

Ryan Gomez4 said:That bolded part is my only takeaway here.

Ae 😁

bluemason3 said:Ae 😁

The moderators at Tempo might think you're just spamming with this one. 😬

Scott Miller4 said:The moderators at Tempo might think you're just spamming with this one. 😬

Nah, it's more than just an emoji ☕

Everything's by the book 😈

Ryan Rogers5 said:You can't really make any massive strides in life without making some sacrifices along the way.

Think about it—since most of what we do in this life is basically just labor, we might as well put that effort toward something meaningful. It’s all about putting in the work without getting obsessively hung up on the end result or the payout—that's the core wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita.

I'm looking for something along those lines:

If my boss hears you talking like that, he'll probably call you into the office at Goldman Sachs just to have you work for him. And naturally, it'll be unpaid—because apparently, a true spiritual seeker doesn't give a damn about money.

This is exactly what I'm looking for:

Then go ahead and join this crowd: http://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion

Scott Miller4 said:Ryan Gomez4, just make sure you don't give away who you are. 😬

Ryan Rogers5, I’m not really a fan of talking about love in that specific context. I feel like we tend to get tripped up by using terms like "unconditional love" while completely ignoring our own underlying conditioning, so I guess I’d rather stick to discussing acceptance.

But anyway, putting my semantic issues aside, the question you asked is actually pretty interesting. People we generally consider to be at a high spiritual level usually seem to have this incredibly deep sense of empathy and altruism. It makes me wonder—is "kindness" actually one of the core ingredients of a higher spiritual state?

That’s where I see a bit of a mental loop forming. Solipsism has become such a huge trend lately, which leads to the idea that everything we do is ultimately just for ourselves. If you look through that lens, how much of our kindness is just conditioned by a desire to benefit ourselves, and how much is truly authentic goodness that just naturally emerges as a result of spiritual growth?

I think this is a false dilemma.
"Authentic goodness" is often driven by that very "desire to benefit ourselves."
Think of kindness as fuel for life's growth.
Since we’re all one with the universe, there isn't really a fundamental difference—any good I find within myself or the world, and any good I do, is just... good.
The real issue is how we perceive and actually uncover that goodness.

I can't say much about being on-topic, though—my lazy Southern genes won out, so I haven't exactly put in the work that would lead to any real results.
(Sometimes people just hit a certain level of maturity and things happen naturally.) 😍

Ryan Rogers5 said:Alright, let's dive into this. Now the real question is... what does everyone actually mean when they talk about "spiritual progress"?
We all tend to rack up more knowledge as we get older—that's just life, right? But are we actually becoming better versions of ourselves? Like, as human beings? That’s the part that really matters to me—all that wisdom doesn't mean a thing if there isn't love behind it.

I feel like, first off, we just gotta be honest with ourselves. Only then can we even talk about being truly good people. 🤷

Or, even better... maybe we should start noticing how we react to things, and then figure out the weird little subconscious gears that drive those reactions in the first place.