Do Spiritual Seekers Experience More Stress?

VICTOR KANNAN examines why those on a spiritual path may feel more stressed—and how that very turbulence can become a catalyst for peace and inner transformation.

The universal pursuit of peace and happiness is a multifaceted drive with profound roots in both ancient wisdom and modern understanding. Scriptures across traditions mandate this search as a path to divine connection and righteous living, framing true peace not as the absence of struggle but as an inner state achieved through a deeper understanding of life and its purpose. It is rooted in faith, forgiveness, service to others, and adherence to a moral purpose.

This spiritual perspective aligns remarkably with scientific findings, which identify specific reward systems and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, involved in feelings of contentment and joy. Psychology further supports the scriptural emphasis on community and meaning, showing that strong social bonds, a sense of purpose, and practices such as gratitude and mindfulness are the most robust predictors of long-term well-being and emotional resilience.

Whether viewed through the lens of spirituality or the science of evolutionary psychology, human flourishing seems dependent on transcending self-interest, fostering strong relationships, and cultivating a mindset that values inner tranquility and purpose over fleeting external pleasures. This combined understanding provides a comprehensive basis for humanity’s enduring quest for a more peaceful and fulfilling existence.

Peace indeed is the characteristic of the soul, which longs for peace and rest. However, the soul is at the mercy of the mind, intellect, and ego. And they, in turn, are expressed through the faculties of the body and senses. So, all three aspects of life—body, mind, and soul—work together in an astonishing and wonderful manner.

A spiritual seeker leads their life consciously, practicing a discipline to improve themselves every day. However, experience shows that they also appear to go through exalted levels of stress. Why is it so?

First, the comparative state of mind that seeks peace gets more irritated by even small things in life, magnifying any experience of stress. This is especially common in the early days of spiritual practice and progress. For a spiritual seeker, a stress score of six on the PSS-10 (Perceived Stress Scale) could easily feel like an eight or a nine on the same scale. This is because they seek peace and expect peace around them. When they get stressed, they feel its effects in an exaggerated way. It’s like the sound of a pin dropping in a silent room—more striking than a loud clank in a crowded New York City subway station.

Another aspect of this is that when we are on a path of self-improvement, especially through practices like mindfulness, Vipassana, or Heartfulness, our awareness increases, our sensibilities are refined, and our ego is challenged. Taken together, these three shifts form a spiritual trifecta that, I believe, is how Nature accelerates our progress. It is through the refinement of the ego that we advance more rapidly.  Refinement of the ego results from both conscious practice and how elegantly we deal with our difficulties.

In Heartfulness, our earlier Masters, Babuji and Chariji, often reminded us that “Nature always cooperates.” I heard this line many times when I began my practice about forty years ago, but I struggled to accept it. My mind went instead to other sayings, like the Tamil proverb “the toe that is hurt will be injured repeatedly,” or the Japanese proverb “the nail that sticks out shall be hammered down.” And although it isn’t literally true, we also hear people say that suffering comes in threes. If that were the case, I would say it is Nature’s mercy to get the job done quickly and efficiently when the ego is weak. When we suffer and ask, “Why me?”, it would seem that more suffering piles on us. When we learn to accept and cultivate the qualities of gratitude, love, and compassion, our ego transforms into humility, the final gate to complete spiritual emancipation. You see, from suffering we have the possibility of accelerated progress, and our self-transformation is assured, provided we have the right attitude.

The true transformation of the self begins as our consciousness evolves. This evolution is an intimately lived process that touches every part of who we are. As consciousness grows and expands, the mind gradually gives way to the heart. Our thoughts start to carry the warmth of feeling and empathy. We experience these feelings with our deep presence and sensitivity. We vibrate at a different frequency, calming others around us.

As consciousness grows and expands, the mind
gradually gives way to the heart. Our thoughts
start to carry the warmth of feeling and empathy.
We experience these feelings with our deep
presence and sensitivity. We vibrate at a different
frequency, calming others around us.

In this state, we begin to detach from both material and emotional turbulence. Success and failure, praise and blame, pleasure and pain lose their power to shake us. The intellect becomes clear, guided by discernment and quiet wisdom. We start seeing life as it is, without the fog of emotional reaction or the pull of desire.

Even the ego, often misunderstood as the enemy of spiritual growth, transforms. It no longer drives us toward control or recognition. Instead, it matures into courage, wonder, and humility: the courage to face the truth, the wonder to keep learning, and the humility to know that we are part of something larger.

This inner shift is why spiritual seekers sometimes appear to struggle more. They are undergoing deep reconstruction. The old structures of mind and ego dissolve, making space for something more expansive, more luminous, and far more peaceful. This process is like a butterfly forcing its way out of the chrysalis: a long period of apparent stillness followed by intense effort and a new form of life.

If you have chosen a spiritual path, why resist life’s gifts even if some of them are in the form of suffering, grief, and loss? As your awareness expands, the layers of resistance begin to dissolve. In time, what once felt like turmoil gives way to stillness. The struggle subsides, and in its place arises a constant connection to the divine and hence a lasting peace. In that peace, the soul is joyful, and the evolution of consciousness is in full swing.