As much as I admire the fact that spirituality is becoming a more widespread idea, I also feel that not enough nuance, context and depth is being given related to this journey. And because of this lack of nuance, context and depth, I've noticed that many spiritual seekers, especially those who are following a more new age or new thought path, are arriving at a particular space which can look and feel great but can also serve as an impediment to continued spiritual development. I'll be discussing this in today's blog.
The current form of spirituality that is prevalent in our world at this time is primarily based on what people can acquire, whether it be physical items or information. It's also based on what people appear to be or what they are "doing" for work or as a career. Much of these assumptions have a lot to do with spirituality being sellable, which removes important foundational wisdom that is pertinent to the journey. So if you can buy crystals, candles, meditation tracks or work with tarot, it is assumed that you are "in tune" or spiritually evolved. However, this can spell trouble for those who go into spirituality without understanding exactly what they want or what they may be getting themselves into. Don't get me wrong. I think it's very common for modern spiritual seekers to express spirituality in this way if they are just getting started. For many people, this is the easiest expression of spirituality to explore because it is accessible and easy to work with. The problem that can arise however is the potential becoming trapped in a particular phase of the spiritual journey and never looking beyond that phase for further development.
The phase of the spiritual journey many seekers get trapped into is the recognition of personal power and a sense of spiritual identity.
On the surface, this doesn't sound bad does it? Well, technically there is nothing wrong with honing your power as a human being and knowing who you are. But the problem here is many times the basis for this personal power and sense of identity is rooted in the ego. Allow me to clarify by stating that the ego is a natural part of our human existence, and I for one do not believe in destroying the ego. Rather, it's an aspect of ourselves that can be transformed so we can perceive life through a lens of wholeness as opposed to projecting our wounding onto the world and life itself. But this is exactly what is happening in modern spiritual circles. A lot of people are getting trapped in what spirituality appears to be instead of what it actually is. What spirituality is portrayed as in our society is being able to have superpowers, to be able to traverse dimensions at will or to be this being who is emotionally affected by nothing. This is not the truth of spiritual life...it is a mere idea, a vision that we've created in our society of what we THINK spirituality should look like. So when people explore spirituality and get caught up in these ideas of what spirituality should look like, it can cause them to get caught in their ego and become attached to their sense of identity...which because they are looking into spiritual stuff, this sense of identity is now a "spiritual identity." It is my belief that many people enter the spiritual field with these ego issues, so if the possibility of moving beyond these issues is not shared, the issue may persist.
People that become caught in their ego are not tapping into true spiritual power. It is a version of power which is based upon what you can do, what you can display or prove. This is why many people who get caught in the ego or get attached to their spiritual identity on the spiritual journey are always on a quest for power. They are always seeking ways that they can show and prove how powerful they are, whether through displaying their spiritual powers of element bending or always talking down to those who have not found their power yet, calling them low vibrational yet elevating themselves as Divine beings. For many people, feeling this sense of egoic power helps them to feel better about themselves, since the more power you display, the better of a person you appear to me. Unfortunately, spiritual seekers that become trapped in this space are having a hard time moving beyond the wounds of the solar plexus, which when unresolved, causes people to fall into comparison by elevating some and diminishing others. I remember hearing one morning as I was waking up from sleep, "The devil is in the solar plexus" which for me represented our tendency to be attached to our ego and sense of identity. When we are attached to our ego and sense of identity, it can keep us from seeing how we are interconnected to those around us, resulting in cold-heartedness, disconnection and even violence towards others, whether verbal or physical.
True spiritual power has no need to display or prove anything, for it is grounded in the reality of existing as a spark of consciousness. And this truth speaks for itself. It is this spiritual power that I believe people are actually searching for, so that regardless of what you do or don't do, what you have or don't have, you are always whole. When you have merged with your true spiritual power, the desire to diminish others fades. Of course, no one is perfect. We all have our moments from time to time. But there is a difference between having a moment and spending most of your time engaging in something. As I've said in past blogs, your sense of identity is something you must acknowledge but not hold onto too tightly. Even a sense of identity as a "spiritual person" should be approached with flexibility. It is my opinion that who we truly are exists beyond the labels and layers that we have created to place ourselves in a category. If you give yourself permission to dive deeper into your inner realms, this is a lesson that unfolds as life is lived. In truth, spirituality is life. And this is what this path is meant to show us. Even though you may need certain practices or objects at first to help you see beyond the illusion of separation from your spiritual nature, if you keep going, you will come full circle and embrace the fullness of life as it is...as a spiritual being.
I believe that many of the issues I mentioned previously are temporary. As long as the person's intentions are pure, realization then resolution can occur. If not, then the spiritual path has its own natural vetting system, so those who do not have pure intentions will eventually be drawn to something else. And that is fine too.
As I've mentioned before, the heart must be the anchoring point on this journey. We all have our trials and tribulations to get through. We all have our lessons to learn. But if our hearts are the focus, we always have love to come back to and therefore, can see ourselves and others through the eyes of love. Through our hearts and through opening to the power of love we can accept ourselves and others as sparks of consciousness that are sharing in this experience of life together as one interconnected family.
Much love,
Saiedah
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