In Episode 13 of Unseen but Not Untold: Overcoming Covert Narcissistic Abuse, Dr. Christine C. Zacharia, MD, integrative covert narcissistic abuse recovery expert and board certified endocrinologist, shares a profound spiritual development in her healing journey: a newly revealed avenue of communication with the Holy Spirit.
This episode explores divine timing, spiritual gifts, discernment, surrender, collective awakening and the growing call for survivors of covert narcissistic abuse to step fully into the truth of who God created them to be.
“This is your season. The Holy Spirit is speaking. And the world is waiting for your light.”
A New Avenue of Communication With God
Daily prayer, engagement with scripture, cultivation of a gratitude practice and intuitive discernment have remained central to Dr. Zacharia’s healing journey and connection with God leading up to this episode.
But over the last several weeks leading up to this episode, something deeper began unfolding in Dr. Zacharia's life.
“God revealed a new gift, something powerful and incredible that I am excited to share with all of you.”
For years, communication with God primarily came through subtle confirmations, recurring symbolism, intuitive nudges and angelic guidance.
“This also includes the angelic support I have received from the time Archangel Michael appeared to me in 2022 and continues to show up for me along with Archangel Gabriel and Raphael.”
These experiences became interconnected pieces of a larger spiritual blueprint.
“They interconnect with one another and build upon each other to provide me with clarity and the bigger picture of my God-given purpose.”
But in early 2026, that communication shifted into something more direct.
The 3 A.M. Wake-Up Calls
Over the past year, God repeatedly began waking her between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. for prayer.
At first, Dr. Zacharia viewed those moments as one-sided conversations.
“Up until recently, I thought of this morning prayer as a monologue.”
Prayer consisted of gratitude, worries, reflections and requests for guidance.
But one morning in mid-January, everything changed.
“God interrupted me and said, ‘You are talking too much. You need to let me talk.’”
“So I paused, thought, ‘Hmm, that’s strange,’ and immediately picked back up with my monologue. And that’s when God finally said, ‘SILENCE.’”
This was not an external booming voice. It came from within.
And what followed became one of the most profound spiritual experiences of her life.
“My mind went blank — as if God was wiping the chalkboard of my thoughts clean to make way for His.”
The energy in the room itself seemed to shift.
“The air around me felt different, like the room had shifted into a softer, more sacred space.”
And in the stillness, the Holy Spirit began speaking in a continuous stream of consciousness filled with peace, certainty and truth.
“The words weren’t just thoughts; they were a continuous flow of sentences that landed with truth, certainty and peace.”
The communication lasted nearly forty minutes.
“That’s when I knew this was the voice of the Holy Spirit.”
Learning to Listen Instead of Fill the Silence
One of the most powerful realizations explored in the episode is that prayer is not only speaking to God.
It is also listening.
“The key difference now is that I am listening, instead of just taking up the time with my own thoughts and consciousness.”
This shift required surrender, stillness, silence and the willingness to stop operating from constant striving and control.
“When I look back on the last seven months of my life, God has been guiding me toward full surrender and faith in the process.”
Leaving medicine and stepping away from toxic family dynamics created the quiet necessary to receive God’s word more fully.
“So He intentionally curated the space, stillness and rest I needed to fully prime me for this moment.”
For someone accustomed to productivity, structure and overdrive, rest initially felt uncomfortable.
“Moving into a state of rest, ease and calm felt completely opposite to what I was accustomed to.”
But God repeatedly called for surrender.
“God needed me to be in a receiving state so I could understand and receive His word fully.”
Understanding the Holy Spirit
A major focus of the episode centers on clarifying what the Holy Spirit is and how He communicates.
“The Holy Spirit is not a separate or lesser force — He is fully God.”
God exists as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells within all believers. His communication is deeply personal and intimate.
“He is the part of God that is closest to us — guiding, comforting and revealing truth in a way our heart can receive.”
The Holy Spirit communicates differently with different people.
- Sometimes through scripture.
- Sometimes through dreams.
- Sometimes through signs, patterns, symbols or repeated imagery.
- Sometimes through inner peace.
- Sometimes through other people.
"He also speaks through other people. He may communicate important messages to you through other believers"
"And because He speaks in different ways, I want you to know that the way He speaks to you may not look like how He speaks to someone else because He can communicate in many ways."
Healing involves reconnecting with discernment not only intellectually, but spiritually and physically.
“How Do I Know It’s the Holy Spirit?”
The episode also addresses a question many survivors wrestle with:
How does one distinguish the Holy Spirit from anxiety, intrusive thoughts or imagination?
The answer, according to Dr. Zacharia, lies in understanding the nature of God’s voice.
“The Holy Spirit doesn’t fracture your peace.”
His communication is described as being grounded in clarity, calm, love, steadiness and truth.
“The Holy Spirit is grounded in clarity, calm and love.”
Unlike fear-based thinking, ego-driven impulses or manipulation, the Holy Spirit leads people back toward God rather than toward confusion or self-glorification.
Dr. Zacharia explains that many survivors later realize the Holy Spirit had been guiding them long before they consciously recognized His presence.
“The symbolism, the intuitive nudges, the confirmations I used to recognize as God communicating with me—those were coming (specifically) from the Holy Spirit. And even though I didn’t attribute it to Him specifically before, I now understand that He has been speaking to me the entire time, even when I didn’t know to attribute this communication specifically to Him."
Spiritual Gifts and Divine Purpose
This episode builds further on the themes introduced in episode 12 surrounding spiritual gifts and divine calling.
“These revelations of your gifts I mentioned in episode 12 — it is the Holy Spirit who gives them to us.”
Referencing 1 Corinthians 12, Dr. Zacharia explains that spiritual gifts differ from person to person but all originate from the same Spirit.
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”
These gifts are not meant for self-glorification. They exist for service, truth and the betterment of humanity as a whole.
“The Holy Spirit is present in all believers, but expressed uniquely.”
The Seven Gifts of the Spirit and Covert Narcissistic Abuse Recovery
The episode also explores the seven universal gifts of the Holy Spirit through the lens of covert narcissistic abuse recovery.
- Wisdom allows survivors to recognize truth even when manipulation disguises itself as love.
- Understanding transforms pain into purpose rather than victimhood.
- Knowledge exposes darkness masquerading as light.
- Counsel strengthens discernment and pattern recognition.
- Fortitude provides strength during spiritual attacks and resistance.
- Reverence anchors survivors in God’s truth rather than fear.
- Piety restores intimacy, trust and safety with God after betrayal.
“These gifts become the shared foundation we all have.”
And as survivors heal, these gifts strengthen.
Spiritual Resistance and the Armor of God
As alignment with purpose deepens, resistance intensifies.
“The more I’ve been connecting with God and my gifts… the more resistance I have encountered ...”
This is presented not as coincidence, but spiritual warfare.
“Satan knows where your weak points are and he will move in where he can.”
This is why healing triggers is essential. Unhealed wounds become access points for manipulation, fear and self-doubt.
“That’s why healing your triggers is so important — it gives Satan less to target.”
The Armor of God discussed in episode 11 also becomes crucial layer of protection. This can be found in Ephesians 6:10-18:
- The belt of truth
- The shoes of peace
- The breastplate of righteousness
- The helmet of salvation
- The sword of the Spirit
- The shield of faith
“This isn’t just helpful when dealing with a covert narcissist. It’s also how we stay strong when the enemy tries to pull us off course.”
Faith Over Fear
One of the most important spiritual lessons explored in the episode comes through the story of Peter walking on water toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:28–31 (NLT) summarizes this pivotal moment:
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
The moment fear and doubt entered, Peter began to sink.
“And that’s what Satan likes to do: instill doubt, fear and hesitation.”
This becomes deeply relevant for survivors stepping into visibility, healing and purpose.
Fear often emerges right before expansion and discernment becomes essential during periods of awakening and transition.
A Collective Spiritual Awakening
Dr. Zacharia also discusses the global awakening occurring simultaneously among many survivors and truth seekers.
The timing of increased awareness, collective unrest and exposure of hidden truths is presented as spiritually significant.
“What happens in the dark will not stay in the dark.”
Social media, increased consciousness and collective resistance against injustice are all framed as evidence of a larger spiritual movement unfolding in real time.
“There is a global spiritual movement happening right before our eyes.”
People are speaking up, standing together - rejecting injustice, hatred and manipulation.
“That’s the Holy Spirit moving through people, calling us to justice, calling us to truth, calling us to love.”
Symbolism: Batman
One of the most unexpected and symbolic sections of this episode centers around Batman.
Repeated sightings of Batman imagery throughout the week leading up to the episode prompted deeper reflection from Dr. Zacharia.
And what emerged was a profound metaphor for covert narcissistic abuse recovery.
“Batman’s story illustrates the power of transforming trauma into purpose.”
Batman’s origin story begins with profound childhood trauma. Instead of allowing that trauma to destroy him, he transformed it into strength, discipline and mission.
The Batcave itself is symbolic of isolation and healing.
“It was his sanctuary — his place of isolation, restoration and transformation.”
This mirrors the survivor journey after covert narcissistic abuse:
- Withdrawal
- Silence
- Inner healing
- Confronting wounds
- Rebuilding identity
- Transformation in isolation
The key point Dr. Zacharia stresses here as well is that Batman eventually leaves the cave.
“He didn’t stay in the cave forever.”
Covert narcissistic abuse survivors are being called to do the same.
"And this is why Batman is such a powerful symbol for survivors of covert narcissistic abuse. Because he teaches us something essential: even when you have been targeted and dismantled by the covert narcissist—you can still rise. You can still become a force for good. You can still become a guardian—not just for yourself, but for others."
The Holy Spirit’s Message to Covert Narcissistic Abuse Survivors
Toward the end of the episode, Dr. Zacharia shares a direct message from the Holy Spirit. The message is presented as a call to spiritual courage during a time of collective awakening and increasing discernment. Here are some highlights from that message:
“Now is not the time to be afraid but rather to rise and shine.”
The message calls survivors to stop shrinking themselves, hiding their truth and operating from fear rooted in past conditioning and covert narcissistic abuse.
Instead, the Holy Spirit calls survivors to walk as vessels of truth, courage and divine purpose.
“Your voice, your truth needs to be heard and understood - for it holds the key to the future and the well being of this planet - something people are not prepared for nor do they see it coming.
The complete message shared by Dr. Zacharia is available in the full podcast episode.
Stepping Out of the Cave
As the episode closes, survivors are reminded that this season is not accidental.
“This is your moment.”
The 3 a.m. wake-ups, intuitive nudges and periods of stillness are reframed not as random disturbances, but invitations into deeper communion with God.
“God often connects with us in those early morning hours — when the world is still and distractions are minimal.”
And while the Holy Spirit may communicate differently with every individual, the invitation remains the same: Listen. Be still. Remain open.
“The Holy Spirit may not communicate with you immediately. But the more you choose to connect instead of sleep through it, the more He can meet you — deeply, clearly and personally.”
Ultimately, episode 13 reinforces a central truth woven throughout this podcast series:
Survivors of covert narcissistic abuse are not merely recovering from trauma. They are awakening and they are being refined. They are being called into alignment with the divine purpose God placed within them long before the abuse began.
“So step out, stand firm and shine knowing God is not only near, but within you.”