My take on the stages of spiritual knowledge from my anecdotal evidence.
Note, some people go through these stages faster than others, some may skip stages, some may combine them, and some may do them in a different order, or even regress. For some this process is tumultuous, for others, it's moderate. I don't think God punishes us for not following a set time frame, or order, but I do know that God appreciates one's effort to attain it, consciously or subconsciously.Stage 1 (Childhood) - The default state of being connected to God, in which, society and community either educates us to deviate from, or strengthen.
Stage 2 (The Rebellion) - The period in which hedonism becomes important. Often defined by sex, drugs, traveling, dating, partying, accumulating wealth, "keeping up with the Joneses". One is often in competition during this phase.
Stage 3 (Opening consciousness) - The period of inner exploration, questioning, sorting out. One may have a sudden stirring interest in religion(s), history, metaphysics, conspiracies, or fighting for a cause.
Stage 4 (The Father/Mother as the Sacred Child) - This is the final stage, in which the knowledge from all previous stages get affirmed, yet become secondary to everyday life matters, both mundane and important. Also, the Fatherly and Motherly instinct takes over, even if one chooses not to have children. One often finds the serendipitous feeling of opening their consciousness in everyday activities. They become hardwired into the mind, accepted and appreciated without much overt excitement. Despite the lack of overt enthusiasm, the potency is just as powerful, or more. An activity such as drinking a cup of coffee becomes an affirmation of one's connection to God, and get's added into one's bank of accumulated wisdom. One becomes like a child again. If you've ever spent time around elderly people, you can feel their level of spiritual mastery shining brightly like the sun.
Peace and hope you found something interesting from this small write-up.
