Why Spiritual Awakenings Can Cost You Your Friendships

A lot of things change when you begin going through a spiritual awakening; Your priorities are different, you see the world in a new way—and sometimes, your friendships will also feel the effects.

A spiritual awakening, put simply, can be thought of as the initial moment, or "awakening," that sets you on a spiritual path. As spiritual author Shannon Kaiser tells mbg, it's an internal shift in energy and consciousness that goes on to affect our external lives, too (i.e., friendships).

"When we go through a spiritual awakening, we grow into new beliefs and perceptions. This means we advance our energy field and mind as well as our heart," Kaiser explains, adding, "In this expansion, we often will rise up into a higher frequency."

And when it comes to relationships that are no longer aligned with the "frequency" we're on, sometimes the contrast can be "so polarizing that we drift apart, or the relationship changes to the point where it's unrecognizable," she notes.

The main thing to note here is that growing out of certain relationships following a spiritual awakening is not a bad thing. As Kaiser puts it, all relationships are divine assignments in that "we often come together to learn lessons that our souls need—and we grow from the partnerships—and when the growth and the lessons have been learned, it's time to part ways."

While it may not be fun or easy to accept, your soul will tell you when certain relationships are no longer working or serving you, and you'll be better for walking away. (Here are some other signs it's time to end a friendship.) "During a spiritual awakening, people will often see relationships that are no longer aligned to the new path they're on, so it's best to part ways so each person can be their truest expression of self."

And this isn't to say you're judging or blaming friends, lovers, or family members for not being on the same path as you.