There’s a landscape on the spiritual path that not many talk about: the “in-between”.
It’s the space where your old self no longer fits, yet your new self hasn’t fully landed. Consciousness has already upgraded, but the rest of your life — your body, habits, relationships, choices — is still catching up. And let’s be honest, it can feel deeply uncomfortable.
In the Vedic tradition, this is understood as an upgrade of consciousness. Meditation, spiritual training, exposure to profound knowledge, even just the cumulative weight of thousands of meditations — they all expand our awareness. Suddenly, what used to feel “normal” no longer does. The strategies we once relied on — chasing validation, avoiding certain truths, postponing decisions — feel intolerable.
This is what I call the in-between. The old version of you doesn’t fit anymore, but the new version hasn’t fully embodied itself yet.
And here’s the truth: this isn’t a sign that you’ve failed or slipped backwards. It’s simply the natural process of integration. Think of it like peeling an onion — layer by layer, shedding what no longer belongs, even when some layers cling tightly.
Doing “Research”
One of my teachers once gave me a great analogy. Imagine you’re driving down a road and you keep hitting the same curb. You hit it again and again, almost like you’re checking: “Is this really not working for me anymore?”
That’s what he calls doing research.
We test our old patterns until they become so uncomfortable that we can no longer ignore them. And when you’re evolving slowly, you might hit that curb at 20 kilometres per hour — you’ll notice it, but it won’t rock you too much.
But when your evolution speeds up, as it naturally does with regular Vedic Meditation, you hit that same curb at 100 kilometres per hour. Suddenly, the bump feels like a jolt. That pain, that friction, is life’s way of telling you: You’ve completed your research. This doesn’t serve you anymore.
Karma as Correction, Not Punishment
In Vedic wisdom, karma is never punitive. It’s not about punishment. Karma is simply the mechanism of correction — nature nudging you back toward your most evolutionary path.
This is why so many meditators experience big life changes. The practice speeds up evolution, which means the things you’ve been resisting or postponing suddenly feel unbearable. Life won’t let you carry them anymore.
And here’s something I’ve come to realise: the degree of your suffering in the in-between space is equal to the degree of resistance to letting go. The more we cling to outdated patterns, the harder it feels. The moment we stop resisting, the path opens. It’s not punishment, but alignment — an invitation to step into our true dharmic path.
Living in the In-Between
So if you’re in the in-between right now, know this: you’re not failing but recalibrating.
Your consciousness has already expanded into infinity. Your body, your life, your choices — they’re simply catching up. And yes, it’s messy. Yes, it can feel like growing pains. But it’s also a sign that you’re moving forward.
The in-between is not the end of the path. It IS the path.