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What Is a Karmic Cycle?
A karmic cycle is a repetitious pattern of events, emotions, or realizations that occur in your life.
It appears in your life as an opportunity to break negative cycles and subsequently reap great wisdom.
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A karmic cycle isn’t a medical term and has minimal research backing.
Let’s dig into the history behind this concept.
The term karma is a Sanskrit word and a central idea in Hinduism and Buddhism.
In a karmic cycle, you’ll face a similar challenge in this lifetime.
These challenges can come through familial dynamics, relationships, and even experiences in the workplace.
Second, they’re relatively easy to spot once you recognize the signs.
Something Feels Very Familiar
Perhaps your boyfriend reminds you of yourangryfather.
Or, try as you might, you keep ending up intoxic work environments.
In psychology, such scenarios may be linked toattachment stylesorintergenerational trauma.
In spiritual terms, this scenario can be considered a karmic cycle.
The identifying factor is a repeated maladaptive pattern in your life.
However, on the inside, you may dream of a more fulfilling and creative career.
If you lose your current job, this could be considered a karmic opportunity.
Facing your biggest fear is a karmic opportunity to reevaluate your true desires.
Karmic cycles by design are for our healing.
Seeking the support of atrusted mental health professionalwho honors your spiritual beliefs is important.
You do not have to do this work or walk this journey alone.
Turn your focus towards your relationship with yourself.
Are you overly self-critical?
Do you find yourself acting out of alignment with your values?
Then, with gentle care, begin to extend grace to yourself.
The ride may not be easy, but it is always worth it.
The Impact of Karmic Cycles
A karmic cycle has the potential to change your life.
Remember, at the core philosophy of a karmic cycle is a lesson that transcends lifetimes.
Something to be aware of when navigating a karmic cycle is the concept ofspiritual bypassing.
This is when spiritual concepts are used to avoid unresolved issues.
Acknowledging you’re in the midst of a karmic cycle isn’t enough to create change.
It is merely the first step to meeting your new life.
Try not to overwhelm yourself.
The first step to change is acknowledging what you want to do differently and moving forward from there.
You may also turn to a mental health professional and/or spiritual leader for additional support.
In: Leeming DA, ed.,Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion.
doi:10.1007/978-3-030-24348-7_373
Van der Kolk BA.The compulsion to repeat the trauma.
Re-enactment, revictimization, and masochism.Psychiatr Clin North Am.
1989;12(2):389-411.
