Countries, individual persons, families, communities – all of them have stories. Some untaught, some twisted within, some known, some lost. To make all this simple, every human has stories nestled within them. Some are born during the genesis of one’s life. Some filled with kindness, some filled with warmth. Some bruised, some quiet, and some deeply cut words, which are seldom emotionally expressed. Childhood wounds – Such is the name of these actions. Spirituality gazes at them as divine pacts or karmic lessons. “Contemplating the interface of these two schools of thought reveals the stark reality,” the wounds we used to curse were the same we step on to reach enlightenment”.
Wounds of childhood are not as evident as one thinks. They do not require the presence of the traumatic incidents, and some are just a figment of the imagination. It’s the little critical instances that create adverse conclusions. A parent who dismisses the child emotionally, a comparison-forming teacher, or friends who lead the psyche of “ not enough.” We regret acquiring phrases like “I'm unworthy,” “ heavily rationalize,” and “ Repulsively illogical,”. Psychology states this isn’t right. The pliable and flexible during the young years are sculpted into illogical forms. The lessons were chosen to be learnt before life. To enable the further growth of one’s soul.
You may say that a child’s pain that goes unattended will echo in their future. A girl whose existence was ignored by her parents might find herself in situations where she goes unnoticed. A boy who was always scolded may become a fiercely self-critical man. The start of an Inquiry is the start of a wonder. In this case, that wonder is awakening. Healing childhood traumas is not about grudge-holding towards parents or about rage towards the past.
It is about approaching these moments with kindness and rewriting them in a way that is advantageous to us. Psychology tends to point towards the importance of the inner child, the younger self. The process of healing is anchored in the fact that these are the lessons our spirit chose for us to learn: unconditional love, strength, and forgiveness. When nurturing begins, the inner child starts to become a little more animated and active, and soon we see the first gentle signs. A sense of internal acceptance starts to overshadow the feelings of emptiness. Bond of attraction, coupled with urgency, begins to dissolve while more nurturing bonds grow. Most importantly, we understand that the kindness we were in search of outside has been waiting for us for so long.
There is a beautiful contradiction. The wound is not your enemy. The ache of abandonment teaches you the power of self-belonging. The wound of rejection teaches you lessons of self-worth. Neglect makes you care more. Sink a little deeper. Without the wound, you would not seek the light. Without suffering, there is no joy of freedom. Spiritual awakening does not necessarily mean meditation under a tree or chanting mantras without a single word. Other times, it means ‘sitting down with your tears.’ It means listening to the cries of that child, that you once were, and wrapping them in the love they were starved of. That simple gesture is what sacred is. It is prayer, in its purest form.
Psychologically, unhealed wounds become pain. They form psychological defenses. We build walls around our hearts. But spiritually, those walls are calls to action. They are invitations to break them down and come closer to our divine essence. Each time we break a wall, we lose a piece of our ego. And with every ego death, we reconnect with our soul and step into the light of awakening. Healing is beautiful because it does not just end with us.
To heal is to break generational cycles. It is to make sure the neglect, the sting of criticism, or the sting of fear is not carried forth. Healing one’s childhood wounds is, thus, not just personal but a soulful act of service to the world. So, when triggered, or when you find yourself reverting to an old pattern, take a moment. Instead of the question, “What is happening to me?” try, “What’s the lesson here?” It is the answer to that question that takes you out of victimhood. It is that answer that connects the unconnected, the unbridgeable; the psychology and the spirit, the mind and the soul, the past and the awakening.
Always remember the child you were carries that image. Not your parents, not the world to bring about some validation, but you, to take their hand. And when you finally do, magic unfolds. You will find out that what has been a wound and an awakening are not different. They are two sides of the same journey.