Why so many "awake" people are still suffering...
On emotional repression, embodiment and the limits of transcendence
Some of the most fearful people I know would consider themselves awake.
And I believe many of them are genuine seekers. Bear with me for a second as we break it down.
They know there is more to reality than what meets the eye. They sense a deeper truth beneath appearances. They don’t take life at face value. They are true seekers. They are willing to see what most people would rather disregard.
They also romanticize their higher self. And often, they are deeply committed to self-improvement, healing and transcendence.
Yet many of them are also silently suffering.
→ Before we dive in deeper, let me clarify something. I am not saying that when you are “truly” awake it makes you immune to fear and suffering. I am not even sure it is something that it is advisable to pursue. The only intention is to plant the seeds of a spiritual practice that creates true liberation, not escaping from the human condition.
The issue that is rarely named in spiritual spaces:
Awakening does not automatically resolve fear. Awareness does not automatically heal trauma. Insight does not automatically free the nervous system.
Actually, awakening can happen while the body is still deeply conditioned by fear.
What many of us do in that situation is that we can develop an addiction to transcendence. And while I am saying this, I am a deep believer of going above our limitations. But transcendence can often become suppression. And that suppression can often masquerade as “peace”.
Numbness is not peace. Avoidance is not peace. Repression is not peace. At least not the kind of peace I am aspiring to at this stage of my life.
I’ve seen this over and over again.
Someone says, “I’m just observing the fear.”
But the fear is still running their decisions.
Someone says, “I’ve let that go.”
But their body tightens when the topic comes up.
This is where our misuses of spiritual principles can turn against the human and the body.
**PS: This is not a criticism of spirituality. I fall into these traps more often than i probably know. The only intention here is be honest with ourselves and to broaden our practices so that they can deeply free us instead of being a way to escape ourselves.
This is what I explore on this week’s episode of ENHEARTENED with Scott Kiloby.
*** YES! the interviews are back!!! ***
This week on ENHEARTENED.
This week on the Enheartened podcast, I sit down with Scott Kiloby, founder of Kiloby Inquiry and a pioneer in trauma-informed nondual work, for an honest conversation about what happens when spirituality is used to avoid feeling rather than to liberate.
In this episode, you’ll explore:
Why awakening does not automatically resolve fear, trauma, or emotional repression
How transcendence can easily become a strategy for suppression
The difference between peace and numbness in spiritual practice
Why “letting go” often fails when the nervous system doesn’t feel safe
What embodied, trauma-aware spirituality actually requires
This is a conversation for anyone who senses that awakening and awareness alone aren’t enough, and who is ready for a spirituality that includes the body, emotions, and a balanced nervous system.
Episode 22 of ENHEARTENED with Scott Kiloby is live!
*PS: If you find value in the HeartCast, please support the show by subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite streaming platform.
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Thank you for bein here.
In gratitude,
- Xavier
These are very important distinctions. Thank you for always providing a very discerning discussion about topics related to the pursuit of the NEXT best version of ourselves😊
First, thank you for even considering for a”moment” the idea to consult on the the Epic Musical! —Mythos Rising. It was inspiring to me. Second, I would concur. I’m “suffering” now more than before. Being awake to realities’ true, true uncertainty is not easy—particularly the world/systems collapse. “Watching it go to ruin, knowing it must, wondering if I can raise and maintain a frequency that becomes my “neutral” in order to ride this.