The Inner Soul
This section discusses the nature of spirituality, how it is different from religiosity, the factors that shape one’s spirituality, and its impact on oneself.
Spirituality
The concept of the “whole person” is usually associated with the idea of human beings as having physical and psychological aspects. However, there is a third aspect of being human that is as important as the 2 precedents: the spiritual aspect.
Highlighting the mind-body-spirit connection, the spiritual self is an ongoing, personal life journey, contextualizer by the belief in a higher being, culture, relationships, nature, and the discovery of meaning in one’s life.
There are several definitions that have been formulated regarding spirituality.
Puchalski (2014), spirituality is the aspect of the self that is associated to an individual’s process of seeking and expressing meaning and how he or she is connected to the self, to others, to the moment, and to everything else that composes his/her environment, including the sacred and significant.
Beauregard and O’Leary (2007), spirituality is any experience that is thought to bring the experiencer in contact with the divine; it is not just any experience that feels meaningful.
Sinnott (2002), spirituality is also posited as the individual's personal relation to the sacred or transcendent, a relation that then informs other relationships and the meaning of one’s own life.
Myers and his colleagues (2000), spirituality is the “personal and private beliefs that transcend the material aspects of life and give a deep sense of wholeness, connectedness, and openness to the infinite.”
What do these definitions have in common with regard to spirituality?
Spirituality talks about meaning and purpose that go beyond the physical realities of life. Going through development, people are inevitably programmed to make realizations about life, and those insights are not always about observable phenomena or environmental experiences.
Spirituality is focused on a person’s connections to different aspects of his/her existence: to other people, to nature, and to sacredness and divinity. In the pursuit of and applying meaning to one’s life, relationships are created and sustained not only with people but with other life forms or with a higher being.
Spirituality talks about the sacred and transcendent. It is a general belief that in this vast universe, there is a force higher than the self.
However, people are not born with an innate spirituality. It is something acquired as a result of various personal, social, and environmental factors present throughout one’s lifetime. In this regard, spirituality is related to religiosity, which is often used interchangeably with the former. There are, however, distinct differences between the 2.
Religiosity is defined as the adherence to a belief system and practices associated with a tradition in which there is agreement about what is believed and practiced. It is a formal attachment to the set of beliefs, values, and practices of a particular religious sect. It includes specific practices, prescriptions (what should not be done and avoided), and participation in a specific community that shares the same beliefs and practices.
However, as one grows older, he/she begins to form questions that are rooted in religious orientations, slowly making realizations and insights until his/her search for meaning and transcendence goes beyond his/her religious orientation.
There are distinctions between religiosity and spirituality:
If religiosity is communal, then spirituality is individual.
In religiosity, beliefs and practices are within religious groups, and religious commitment, conservatism, and skepticism are manifested. Spiritual attributes include the need for a spiritual quest, ecumenical worldviews, compassion, service, and inner peace.
A person can possess spirituality even his/she does not subscribe to any religion. Spiritual models are present everywhere. They function for respondents as exemplars or spiritual qualities, such as compassion, self-control, or faith. Thus, q person can be spiritual without being religious.
What does spirituality bring to one’s life? For many people, the search for sacredness and transcendence can bring positive consequences to life. A spiritual person finds contentment and serenity in his/her life circumstances. Through spirituality, questions such as “am I a good person?” and “how can I live my life to the fullest?” are answered. Most importantly, spirituality allows one to become resilient amidst challenges and roadblocks that occur in daily life.
How is spirituality enhanced? The best way of enhancing spirituality lies within the self. Constant reflection and meditation of life choices and decisions, developing empathy and compassion toward other people, and having faith in a higher being can enhance spiritual intelligence. It is not about finding meaning in life, but rather, how meaning is applied to life.
