Scribd
Upload
10 views14 pages

Chapter 2, Lesson 4 - The Spiritual Self

Chapter 2, Lesson 4 explores the concept of the spiritual self, emphasizing the importance of religious beliefs and practices in shaping one's identity and coping with life's challenges. It highlights how spirituality can enhance emotional well-being, resilience, and community connections, while providing practical steps for individuals to embark on their own spiritual journeys. The lesson underscores the value of nurturing the spiritual self for overall health and happiness.

Uploaded by

elephantkiller39
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views14 pages

Chapter 2, Lesson 4 - The Spiritual Self

Chapter 2, Lesson 4 explores the concept of the spiritual self, emphasizing the importance of religious beliefs and practices in shaping one's identity and coping with life's challenges. It highlights how spirituality can enhance emotional well-being, resilience, and community connections, while providing practical steps for individuals to embark on their own spiritual journeys. The lesson underscores the value of nurturing the spiritual self for overall health and happiness.

Uploaded by

elephantkiller39
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

Chapter 2, Lesson 4:

The Spiritual Self


The Spiritual Self
Lesson Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. identify various religious beliefs and practices;

2.describe the self in relation to religious beliefs; and

3. explain ways of finding the meaning of life.


Introduction
The body is believed to be made up of three components: body,
soul, and spirit. The body is the physical being that responds to
stimuli and communicates with the surroundings. The soul
comprises the emotions and thoughts of a person, while the
spirit is the intangible aspect that communicates with deities in
the spiritual realm.

Human beings are incomplete without the spirit. Religion


teaches us the value of a higher being who develops in us our
morality and conscience. It is vital that we explore how to
nourish the spiritual self through our religious beliefs and
practices.
Abstraction
The Spiritual Self

"When you examine the lives of the most influential people who
have ever walked among us, you discover one thread that winds
through them all. They have been aligned first with their
spiritual nature and only then with their physical selves."

- Albert Einstein
The Spiritual Self

The spiritual self is considered as the higher self, the inner self, and
a person's true being that is greatly influenced by a spiritual deity.
Spiritual deities whom people believed vary from one religious
group to another. From history, people's lives have been shaped by
their religious traditions and practices. Meditation practices
increase positive emotions, which may yield positive
consequences for life satisfaction. Research has also shown that
when facing trials, greater religiosity predicts greater subjective
well-being mediated by greater social support and meaning in life
(Diener et al. 2011).
The Spiritual Self

Individuals with faith in a higher being are able to face life


challenges with greater confidence and hope. The impossible
becomes possible and the difficult becomes manageable,
because of divine intervention and guidance. Christians, for
example, gain a new sense of direction and strength after
devoting some time in prayer and meditation of the Bible or
the word of God. These two may be heightened with their
involvement in small groups of fellow believers and
engagement in ministry or outreach activities. The faith in a
higher being gives them a sense of purpose, one that is greater
than the physical self. This purpose drives their other affairs,
such as family and career.
Spiritual Self and Coping with Stress

According to Dr. Seppala of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and


Altruism research, spiritual people engage in practices that can help reduce
levels of stress (Miller, K. 2020). It has been observed that spiritual people are
more likely to help the poor through donations or volunteer work. They are also
involved in community services. Spiritually active people cope with stress
through meditation rather than overeating or engaging in unhealthy coping
behaviors. Meditation provides benefits, such as focus to decrease pain and
depression together with improved health and happiness. Religious people
choose to spend quality time with family, and they feel a strong sense of
belonging to a community of like- minded people. Lastly, spiritual people have a
very high regard to prayer. Prayer helps people find comfort by assisting them in
dealing with difficult emotions, encouraging forgiveness, and leading healthier
relationships.
Spiritual Self and Coping with Stress

Furthermore, positive emotions, increasing levels of


psychological resilience, and improved immune response have
all been associated with spirituality (Miller, K. 2020). Spirituality
is not a simple subject for experiential study. It is actually a
complex system that requires serious and dedicated effort.
Nevertheless, considering the positive correlation between
spiritual, physical, and psychological well-being, health experts
and practitioners can undeniably include spirituality in
practice in order to help patients recover from their illnesses
and have a happier and longer life.
Starting Your Own Spiritual Journey

People worldwide have diverse religious views and practices. The


decision to seek spiritual enlightenment is driven by the innate
need for meaning. Joining a spiritual group helps people find
meaning in their lives. Through the spiritual group, people find
connections in troubling times. The connection group helps ease
their stress and their depressive symptoms, and increase their
immune response. With these benefits, it is just essential for us to
start embarking on spiritual transcendence.
Starting Your Own Spiritual Journey

Miller (2020) proposed a simple guideline on how to start with our


spiritual journey.

1. Start small and make new habits easy. We are not required to
strictly follow a set of beliefs overnight. Spiritual journey is a
process and it is progressive. Becoming spiritual can be as
simple as staying silent for five to 10 minutes a day in a peaceful
environment.
Starting Your Own Spiritual Journey

2. Commit, it is a matter of perspective. Decide to start and


continue with your spiritual journey. Begin with self-love. With
growing measures of love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness
and gratitude, one can start being more spiritual right away.

3. Practice. Just keep on doing and progressing. Human beings


must continually practice mindful attention to their thoughts,
emotions, and behaviors to find experiences in spirituality.

4. Study. Explore and relate with others' experiences of spirituality,


whether through religion or personal journeys. Seek advice and
guidance from people who have been through the same path.
Starting Your Own Spiritual Journey

5. Choose love and respect. Commit to loving and respecting


yourself above all else, then do it with others. If you truly accept
your own strengths and weaknesses, you can easily and
unconditionally offer love and respect to others. Even in awkward,
conflicting situations, choose to remain calm and interact with
compassion and grace.

Aside from these simple steps, you can think of your own practical
steps so you can start with your spiritual pursuit and enjoy it to its
fullest.
REFERENCES
Diener Ed, Tay Louis, and Myers David. 2011. The religion
paradox: if religion makes people happy, why are so many
dropping out? J. Pers. Soc. Psychol.
101, 1278-1290. doi: 10.1037/a0024402.

Miller, Kelly. 2020. "The Science of Spirituality: 16 Tips to


Build Your Spiritual Practice." Accessed August 30, 2020.
https://positivepsychology.com/science- of-spirituality/.
That’s All! Thank You!
That’s All! Thank You!

You might also like