Humans have been working with trauma for eons. We have always been coping with wars, genocides, death, illness, and natural disaster. Overcoming these things builds resilience and grit. It is in our DNA to overcome and survive.
Can trauma be a catalyst for profound awakening? In my experience it can. I have walked with myself through trauma and into a level of awakening, and I have witnessed hundreds of clients also transform (in a good way) because of their trauma.
Does this mean we have to be grateful for our trauma? NO! We are likely to experience all of the symptoms of trauma, the incredible discomfort and distress. We are pretty unlikely to be grateful for the trauma while we are still experiencing it, or even once it has fully resolved.
It is traumas that give the hero something to overcome. Something to focus on to build inner resilience. In many indigenous cultures coming of age rituals involve an element of hardship, something to overcome, to transform the boy or girl into a man or woman.
Have you found that healing trauma has been a catalyst for awakening? Put a ‘YES’ in the comments if it has.
Reference
Peter A. Levine, Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body