EXPLORING SPIRITUALITY
How 5 Types of Spirituality Show the Way to Your True Self
KTHT Bonus Prompt
This week, Ravyne Hawke shared this writing prompt, based on the following web article:
Spirituality has always been something personal for me and my values are based on what seems right to me.
I fundamentally believe in a God. How this is defined now as a higher being, however, remains open. But it also comes down a little bit to what I want to believe.
I would not be able to obediently follow any power that forbids same-sex love, for example.
Love is something wonderful and people should be free to live their love, whatever it may be, as long as it does not harm anyone.
This applies not only to same-sex couples but also to couples who do not wish to marry or to polyamorous relationship constellations.
The most important thing remains that a person should never intentionally hurt anyone. And whether the Bible speaks of a man and a woman or a man and a man, remains irrelevant to me.
Especially since the Bible is a scriptural document that was written and translated by humans. And the faith of the people has always been exploited to consolidate their own power or to enforce their own interests.
So you could say, I believe in a wonderful higher being, who is responsible as the origin for the beauty of this world. But I do not believe literally in what is written in the Bible.
Now that this has been clarified, let’s talk about the different types of spirituality.
Mystical Spirituality
I understand this kind of spirituality as the kind you find particularly in esoteric circles.
☯ We are all part of the universe.
☯ We are one.
☯ Everything happens for a reason.
Years ago I was engaged in esoteric spirituality.
In search of myself, I longed for an existence that follows a higher meaning. I would include here “nature magic”, in the sense of perceiving and using the energy that surrounds us.
Looking back, I find this kind of spirituality very exhausting. Especially as an HSP, this conscious perception of the environment was simply energy-draining, because really every sensual impression reaches the conscious mind unfiltered.
Today, I prefer to rely primarily on scientific facts, even though one does not have to exclude the other. But science is now my first resort when it comes to the questions of life and the universe.
Authoritarian Spirituality
In short, the spirituality of the most widespread religions, such as Christianity or Islam.
At this point, my previously mentioned concerns stand again:
Mainly, it is people who pass on and spread the rules and commandments, which are most likely abused in several places in favor of their own interests.
We humans should be able to intuitively recognize what is right and what is wrong. But anyone who blindly follows a religious leader, be it the pope, the village priest, or the church as an institution, is abdicating responsibility.
Yet bad deeds do not become better by giving up on the responsibility for one’s own actions. We should weigh things up ourselves and, if necessary, admit to ourselves when we make a mistake.
And we should try to protect other living beings when they encounter suffering — even if that means speaking up against a priest. That, to me, is charity. A Christian value in which I firmly believe.
Intellectual Spirituality
The continuous seeking of knowledge and new insights is, in my opinion, one of the healthiest forms of spirituality.
I am convinced that education is the key not only to success but also to wisdom and happiness. And I am sure that most of the global problems could be solved with the help of comprehensive education for everyone.
Through knowledge, we also gain freedom in the sense of independence. For if we do not know the details, we are left with hardly anything else to do but to trust the word of others. However, if we have learned to think for ourselves and also have the necessary background knowledge, then we are also in a position to question.
And it is precisely this ability that is so important!
- If more people had been able to question the intentions of the Inquisition in the Middle Ages, some women might have been spared great suffering.
- And if in some countries people were able to question what their church leaders tell them about homosexuality, affected same-sex couples might be able to live more freely.
In order to actively practice charity with the necessary civil courage, it is absolutely essential that we acquire a lifetime of knowledge.
Service Spirituality
This kind of spirituality is described as altruism, so to speak.
However, I think it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be truly free from also wanting to benefit ourselves.
Be it simply because we want to be a good person or because it gives us a sense of living up to our spiritual expectations. If our actions give us the feeling that we are doing the right thing, we are already benefiting.
If, however, we become a little more generous with the term, then what remains is a desirable action entirely in the spirit of charity.
However, we should always take into account what we can expect of ourselves. No one is helped if the burden of responsibility out of neighborly love crushes us one day.
On the contrary.
Just imagine someone keeps helping and supporting you and they collapse from exhaustion one day. Even if that person never blames you, can you be certain that you remain completely free of guilt?
Therefore, self-care is essential not only for our own well-being but also for the well-being of those around us.
Social Spirituality
For many people, living their faith with like-minded people is an integral part of their existence. And although spirituality is something very personal for me, I cannot deny that community has its own beneficial effect.
How I miss the annual Christmas service, which has not taken place since the pandemic. The absence of this event has indeed taken some of the magic out of Christmas Eve.
Peaceful words by the priest, the friendly villagers, and the glow on the children’s faces when Santa enters the church, …
All this creates an invisible bond of community.
Moreover, when you consider the scale of the challenges we face globally, such as climate change, the Ukraine conflict, or Covid-19, community ties only become more important, because a single one of us could never take on the problems of our time alone.
Summary Overview
In conclusion, I would say that each of the mentioned types has its reason for being. And what meaning they take is ultimately up to each person individually.
Our own personality plays a role and also where we are currently on our journey.
Whether such a classification is necessary? Maybe.
People like to sort into different boxes, it creates order and gives a sense of control.
I also don’t think that such a division is harmful.
On the contrary. Spirituality is a complex matter. The division into different types sort of serves up the subject in small bites, which makes it easier for many people to deal with it.
