Until today, reaching spiritual consciousness has always been a challenge for humanity. The stages of human development range from caveman to cosmic consciousness, starting with six basic stages followed by six spiritual stages.
Today, humanity at large stands in the latter part of stage five of the twelve, which is the mental or intellectual development stage. Meanwhile, every day, people are making the transition into stages six and seven. The Shift is gaining momentum as more and more people move into these stages, both of which are heart-centered in nature.
Stage six is the lower heart phase where community and world awareness awakens and stage seven is the upper heart phase of spiritual awakening. The doorway to spiritual consciousness is through the heart, when the person moves from stage six into stage seven.
Centuries ago, in Eastern cultures, spiritual aspirants would have to dedicate themselves to long hours of daily meditation in order to reach that stage of spiritual awakening. Then, upon reaching it, they would become self-motivated to continue along the path of spiritual unfoldment.