Doubt, Conflict, and Struggles in Personal Spiritual Growth

A spiritual journey is often seen as a path to enlightenment, peace, and self-discovery, but for many, it can be filled with confusion, setbacks, and emotional drama. These stories highlight the personal challenges people face when they embark on a journey to explore their beliefs, faith, or sense of purpose, often encountering disillusionment along the way.

Some of the most compelling spiritual journey stories involve people grappling with doubt, internal conflict, or a sense of being lost. Whether it’s a person who feels disconnected from their faith, or someone who struggles with the demands of spiritual practices, these tales reflect the difficult and often painful aspects of seeking deeper meaning in life.

Other stories focus on dramatic shifts in belief systems, where individuals leave behind long-held religious convictions, face backlash from family or communities, or feel conflicted between spiritual growth and societal expectations. The search for spiritual fulfillment can lead to unexpected challenges, including strained relationships and moments of intense self-reflection.

If you're interested in the struggles and dramatic transformations that can come with a spiritual journey, these stories of doubt, conflict, and self-discovery offer a raw look at the highs and lows of seeking deeper meaning.

i had this weird dream back a month ago and a week or two ago i got another dream with them but for some reason i felt safe in a sense. to give background info, i participate in orchestra, and while i do love it, i genuinely do think singing is a better place for me, and something i can do 90% effortlessly despite being self-taught. the first dream, i was dreaming about my orchestra teacher and apparently in the dream, i was breaking into his home with my best friend for some reason. the house was supposedly greek-themed (keep in mind, i have no idea what the house looks like nor do i want to know), and it was nighttime. i don't know nor remember why i was "breaking into" his house during the dream, but all i remember was towards the end of the dream, i believe i was harshly scolded (or somewhat beaten) while they told my friend to just leave. i feel like some other background information i could give regarding them is that they're actually a very kind person, but they're also strict on proficiency as well, for good intent. however, i get constantly embarrassed to practice at home due to my sister's criticism (i feel like it was a bit harsh, but i got tired of it to the point i would start crying) so i just stopped and tried to squish in before being tested on it. they're always available to help, but i feel quite scared doing so in case i feel i may get scolded (in the unlikely event that that happens). i just want to know what that means because a week ago or two, i had another dream with them but their orchestra room looked a lot more different, mainly that the walls were a different color but i felt like i trusted them. it's not that i don't, but i feel scared to do so. but after that, i was driving this car that i couldn't stop the pedal on nor hit the brake and ended up having to stop it somehow at a dentist's office. but they were no longer there, just this random family where i was doing this trend and somehow the son of the family got the credit for it. i wasn't upset, but i wasn't particularly happy.

i also looked on reddit and quora for some advice to see what it could mean and one user said it means that i could be looking for answers. as much as i agree with it, i feel based off myself and my orchestra teacher, i feel i'm not really seeking answers more than i'm seeking trust from who i can and can't trust to avoid putting my deepest vulnerable life stories into the wrong hands who doesn't trust me (or vice versa) nor have any care for the confidentiality of the story. i can't bring myself to see my teachers as people who do care very much outside of teaching more than i just see them as a teacher because i was afraid to get close to anyone.

so what does my follow-up dream have to do with this?

what does this truly mean then, given the background info and my hurt?

[Translated from Spanish. Reminder: IIWIARS is English only]

I feel terrified of going outside and being completely judged for it. I don’t like talking, I don’t like expressing myself. I don’t even feel capable of being with a girl. I don’t want to be with one. I feel like I’ve become a mess of ideas—so many ideas. Like I’m shedding layers of myself.

I feel like I’m not okay—but also that I am. I feel like I’ve been in a transformation process for a long time now. Like I’m moving toward my true self, peeling off old layers of experiences. I used to think I had matured, but really, I had just kept layering one cover over another. I don’t know how else to explain it.

It feels like I’ve been unfolding my form. This has been happening for quite some time. I think it’s because I finally feel whole in a new group. Yes, I feel like I belong—with a girl, specifically—and I love that feeling. It’s been going on for a while now, I repeat. She’s not physically present, but the way we are keeps the group alive. I don’t feel the need to be with anyone else. Being distant from her makes me feel her presence even more. I feel like I can be alone—but still in her company—and it’s truly amazing.

My parents didn’t understand this, but personally, I don’t care. The process is happening either way. These are the catharses I’m experiencing. I don’t feel like there’s anyone else out there waiting for me—and I don’t need them. I feel like my life is on track, and I can live the way I like. In this group, I feel that’s respected—and it’s fantastic. I’ve committed to pursuing a career, and I rely only on the approval of the principles this group shares.

Looking back, all that time I supposedly "got sick" or "went through somatic suffering"—I think I was really just trying to re-locate myself within this group and within the system that surrounds us. It’s like saying: I’m done with the old societal structure, with the weight of those layers. Here, in this group, we are free. Again, I don’t feel I need anyone else.

These catharses—what I say—are just to release things. I speak things about myself, but they’re temporary. It’s like I’m passing through them. I think I’m heading toward something, but I realize I only needed to shed that layer—to see that I never really wanted that thing. I don’t know, but I feel like this process I’m going through isn’t something many people experience—maybe no one. It’s about leaving behind all the groups you once belonged to. You feel like you belong to just one now, and all the others are just places you visit occasionally.

I feel like I’ve always been okay. I was never truly unwell. I just needed—without realizing it and even fooling myself—to reposition myself within society. Now I understand all the disappointment I’ve felt. I thought I wanted to be with a girl—and it turns out I don’t. Especially not one outside my group. I feel more distant from her. I don’t know what to do with those feelings I had for her. Whether she’s around or not makes no difference—same goes for her mother.

Life is happening. Nothing feels the same anymore. No one believed me—and I didn’t even need them to. I thought I had forgotten about this group. Maybe I did. But I now realize it was a version of it where she, the girl from my group, was someone who abandoned me and hurt me. And now she’s not. Being in this group makes her devoted and respectful—and I love that. Before, I felt like she was spiraling toward a nightmare that could’ve even ended her life—God forbid—with something as terrible as a knife. I hope I was wrong.

I don’t know what comes next for my life. I’ve never faced something like this. It’s all been about letting myself be carried by the current—and that’s it. Like I entered a kind of crisis only to come out the other side, finally shining. I don’t know if I wish things had been different. Probably not. I feel like I’m in a much better place now, where I’m allowed to bloom on my own terms. I didn’t feel that before. This group is about feelings, not about upholding painful old paradigms—a bitter photo album that, in my opinion, is always ugly.

It’s amazing how that other girl—the different one—has become almost a ghost to me. Hearing her mother’s distant voice, feeling how, as I got closer to them, they faded further away… it was indescribable. Psychologically, despite the distance, I feel closer to the girl in my group. And I think that’s the whole point. Because with her, I sense a real structure—something genuine. Not like in my family, where all they focused on was finding flaws. That was bitter through and through.

I feel like I’m in paradise—even though I’m still in the same house, in the same place. The people around me might be nearby physically, but they can’t really reach me. I’m a stranger to them now. Just like she, the girl in my group, is a stranger to her environment. In fact, she was already acting that way the last time I saw her in person. It’s clear now: her spirit was already with me—expressed in the way I feel so deeply supported by her.

Help? Weird ears
Spiritual Journey Stories

Ever since I was younger, my ears have been... weird. I'll hear someone call my name out of nowhere, and it won't be someone I recognize. In the middle of the quiet, like at night or in the middle of class, my ear will start ringing. It only lasts a second or two but I can definitely hear it. Once I was facing a tough decision, and I had a podcast playing, and I wasn't paying too much attention to it. Then, randomly, as I was agonising over this decision, my ears focused on the podcast at the perfect time, and I got the perfect solution. Once I was down in the woods, just chilling, when a voice whispered in my ear, "Go home." I ignored it, but it came again and the third time it came I went home, and that's when I found out that there had been coyote sightings in the area if the woods I was in.

These memories are, yes, a bit fuzzy because that's the way my memory is, but I clearly remember the voices. The one that told me to go home was definitely female, and I think I actually recognised it: My great grandma, who had died a few years before. That specific voice hasn't come back, but I remember it with such clarity.

When I meditate, sometimes, and it's rare, the ringing will come back in the quiet. I'll hear the voices saying my name. But as soon as I stop meditating, it's back to almost normal, with the occasional ringing and maybe a whisper of my name every now and then.

I'm not a medium, so I don't know if I'm being haunted or what...

3rd-Eye
Spiritual Journey Stories

I don’t know, but even I’m confused about what’s happening. I hope... I really hope my suspicion isn’t true...

That I have a third eye. I don’t want to tell my family because I’m afraid of what they’ll say or that they won’t believe me. Even I can’t believe it myself...

It happened when my family and I attended the funeral of my dad’s friend. His daughter had died by suicide. I remember it was nighttime, and everyone there was busy playing card games and talking. I was sitting alone, using my phone, when I glanced at the coffin. I saw the girl's hand hitting the glass part of the coffin. I didn’t know if I was just seeing things, but after a few seconds, it disappeared like nothing happened.

Sometimes, on my way home from school, I see one or two kids asking for money. They look normal. I was about to give them some coins, but I was shocked when the coin passed right through the child's hand. Right after that, a classmate who was also heading home asked me who I was talking to and who I was giving money to. I told them it was the kid begging for money, but when I turned back, the child was gone. My classmate was even surprised and said they never saw any kid come near me.

I'm a Respawner, and I've been planning on leaving this world via respawning and then leaving a stand-in behind. It sounds like a pretty cool and nice idea, but the thing is, the decision is quite permanent and could be risky if not handled carefully (imo). Respawning in general is pretty safe though, and Id be more than happy to respawn to my desired reality. But the struggles in my current reality are really holding me back and I barely have any motivation to respawn or shift realities. I barely feel any love for my desired reality and it's people and I'm wondering why I should continue.

1. I've been trying to shift for a year and a half. I've been trying to respawn for 2 months. I've spent and dedicated a lot of time to this lovely life-altering passion and hobby, and I'd be sad to leave it behind after all the efforts I've made.

2. I'm emotionally attached to my desired reality, to shifting and respawning and to all the people I've made connections with via channeling.

3. This life is shit and I honestly need better. Why not when I literally have the ability to make my life better.

I'm just unmotivated and angry and I feel like not fulfilling my dreams out of pure spite for the universe. But I've tried so hard and fought so much and loved a lot so I'm staying and I'm respawning this December. My plan is to shift to a waiting room and then respawn to my desired reality. I'm taking a calm, directed response to this and I'm trying to manage this at once. I hope my time comes on time and I get to be happy at home. See ya never!!!

burnout.
Spiritual Journey Stories

that feeling of burnout. have you ever felt that? that state wherein you are constantly being pushed and pulled away by sadness and happiness. it’s weighing up on me. i don’t think i can make it in the long run :)

Crazy Friend Has A Virgo Moment
Spiritual Journey Stories

Yesterday marked the birthday of my wife's longest-standing friend, and to celebrate, a dinner was organized at a local restaurant by her circle of friends. I was invited as a guest by my partner. To be completely honest, I've never really been keen on this friend, as she tends to be quite the drama queen, with a penchant for attributing every behavior and occurrence to her astrological sign. If I were to describe her in one word, it would probably be 'exasperating.'

Despite my feelings, I usually just keep to myself and let her do her thing during our encounters. However, during the birthday gathering, she started making a significant fuss about an error with her dessert order. To be fair, we had been waiting around 45 minutes for the desserts, so I understood her initial frustration, but she persisted in her complaints to an excessive degree. She then paused, declaring she was about to have a "Virgo moment," whatever that's supposed to mean. Under my breath, but unfortunately audible enough for others to hear, I muttered "you mean a tantrum." When she pressed me to repeat myself, I did, and explained that there's no such thing as a "Virgo moment" but simply an adult having a tantrum, leading to a brief argument and souring the mood for everyone.

Reflecting on it, I don't believe I was wrong to describe her actions as a tantrum—it was one—but voicing that opinion during her birthday celebration might not have been my finest moment. The conversation quickly became tense without any possibility of a positive resolution. I remained composed and did not escalate the confrontation, yet in hindsight, it might have been better left unsaid as it clearly had no constructive outcome. This incident made us leave earlier than planned.

To put things into context, I attended the dinner at the request of my wife. It was an event where partners were invited, and the meal was covered by her group of friends. While she wasn't excessively disruptive, such as screaming or throwing things around, her continuous complaints and attempts to confront the kitchen staff, despite their apologies, were enough to unnerve everyone.

If this squabble were part of a reality TV show, editors would likely play up the drama with tense music and close-ups, turning an annoying yet relatively mundane incident into a major clash for viewers. It's curious to ponder how the audience would react to such a scene—whether they’d sympathize with her feelings of disappointment over the birthday mishap, or side with me seeing her reaction as undue.

Was I too harsh during the birthday dinner squabble?

A few years back, my best friend, who I was really close to, tragically passed away. It was a tough period that I'm still getting over. Recently, a girl in some of my classes started saying to some people I hang out with that she’s been in contact with him. Now, considering he’s not amongst the living, her assertion took me aback, especially since she claimed she was channeling him through the worship of Greek gods and the lighting of candles. What struck me most was that she had never met him - so this revelation didn't sit right with me.

One day, while sitting near her in class, I decided to quiz her a bit about her beliefs in Greek mythology, not with any malicious intent, but just out of curiosity. She seemed quite passionate about it and eventually shared that she could communicate with spirits during her sessions with these ancient deities. She even claimed that my late friend was one of the spirits reaching out to her. She described how a flicker of a candle would signify his responses to her queries. Although a part of me found this absurd, it was also somewhat upsetting.

Attempting to lighten the mood, I made a light-hearted comment about spirits wandering into teenage bedrooms, which seemed to annoy her a bit. However, things escalated when she solemnly mentioned that my friend was sorry for the way he died and missed me greatly. This struck a nerve, and I couldn’t help but respond harshly, dismissing her claims as fantastical and insensitive, given she had never known him personally.

Her response was defensive, asserting that her beliefs were valid. The conversation ended with both of us feeling misunderstood and frustrated. Reflecting on this, I think about how such a scenario would unfold in the glare of a reality show. The intensity of emotions and the clash of beliefs could certainly hook the audience. Would viewers sympathize with my feelings of protective anger, or would they find my response too harsh towards someone's deeply held spiritual views? The dynamics could definitely stir up a lot of discussions and perhaps even bring to light the diverse ways in which people handle grief and belief.

Growing up, our family strongly believed in the spiritual and clairvoyant gifts of my mother. Despite everyone’s unwavering faith in her abilities—including my father and my two sisters—I’ve always found myself on the outskirts of this belief system, questioning its validity at every turn.

Whenever I’ve tried sharing my doubts with my parents, I’d argue, "Mom, I tried to believe, but it just doesn’t click for me. You can’t even explain how your visions work; how am I supposed to take that as truth?" My father, on the other hand, staunchly defends her, often citing examples where her predictions about his future have materialized precisely as she foretold. Furthermore, she has a clientele who not only return for her services but also provide compensation, which makes it clear to him that her abilities are genuine.

My inner turmoil intensified recently when my mother foresaw me being involved in a car accident, a prediction that materialized about a week later. Thankfully, it was a minor incident, with me being the obvious culprit due to a lapse in concentration. The situation has now turned into ammunition for my mother, reinforcing her claim to foresee future events, which only fuels my frustration. To me, this could have just been a coincidence, yet she presents it as indisputable proof of her powers.

Recently, we had a heated discussion where she took it upon herself to instruct me on my driving habits, all based on her visions. She imposed rules that I should not drive and must call her every time I’m about to ride in a vehicle, which feels overly controlling. Keep in mind I’m 24 years old, and this overreach makes me feel like I’m losing autonomy over my own life. Her prophetic insights now not only disrupt my independence but also strain my relationship with her as they overshadow our interactions.

I earnestly desire nothing more than a simple, loving relationship with my mother—one that isn’t overshadowed by the constant cloud of her prophetic claims.

Imagine if this situation unfolded on a reality show—cameras rolling as family dynamics clash over clairvoyant claims. Viewers would likely be split; some might applaud my mother’s concern for my safety, interpreting her actions as protective and loving. Others might sympathize with my plight, viewing her preventive measures as excessive and suffocating, stifling my independence under the guise of care. The drama would certainly draw attention and provoke discussions about the balance between parental guidance and personal freedom.

What does everyone else think? Would you feel constricted if your life was influenced by someone else's visions?

I was visiting my family for the weekend, and my great aunt was there too. It's been a while since I was last home, so everyone came to see me.

Aunt Molly said she had a special spiritual dream where a guardian angel told her about an old neighbor from her childhood. She checked with a few people and found out there really was such a neighbor back in the day. She claimed this was some sort of miracle.

I was smiling the whole time. She asked why I seemed skeptical. I told her I believed she dreamed it, but it was probably because the old memory was in her subconscious and resurfaced in her dream. It wasn't a supernatural miracle, just her brain doing its thing.

She got mad and told me I needed to repent and find God in my heart again. I didn’t respond to that. Later, my mother said I caused a stir in the family and that my comment hurt Aunt Molly. Now everyone is upset with me. Did I do something wrong?

Imagine if this happened on a reality show. The drama would be off the charts! People would be taking sides, and there'd be endless discussions about faith, dreams, and subconscious memories. How do you think the viewers would react to my comment?