Chapter 4 focuses on the nature of spiritual self, the aspects of spirituality, the difference between

spirituality and religiosity and an assessment of one's spirituality and religiosity.

In Chapter 1, you learned that the Physical Self has dual characteristics: it has a physical mind, the
subject part; and the physical body, the object part. It is the physical mind that directs the body to
maintain itself for survival, protection and reproduction. It was emphasized that we need to keep our body
in good condition so that the other selves, especially the spiritual self, would function very well.

In our daily life, we need vitamins to keep our body and mind active. If we provide our physical self with
either good, or evil, so would our spiritual self also be. That is because the physical self and the spiritual
self are partners. The good or bad conduct of the physical self is the main determinant when the spiritual
self can be good, or evil. If the physical self is tainted with negative energy, like selfish motives and evil
actions, the spiritual self would be anxious and unhappy; but a wholesome, physical energy coming, for
example, from good motivation and righteous actions, would create a good and happy spiritual self.

This is similar to the idea that a good tree would bear good fruit, while the evil one, evil fruit.

Our catechism taught us that the physical body, apart from the spirit, is dead. So it is with the spiritual self
since it grows only in the flesh. The physical self can only thrive as long as the spiritual self is in it. Such is
the relationship of the spiritual self and the physical self.

The Nature of Spiritual Self

Spiritual self is another dimension of the Self. It is personal to each of us. It is referred to as the real, true,
or authentic YOU, without influence, stereotypes, or assumptions. It is not related to our race, our religion,
gender, nor our concerns, NOT even our physical appearance. It is the YOU without patterns. It is the
beautiful YOU in appearance form.

How much do you know of your spiritual self? It is good to ask ourselves about this because while we pay
more attention to the other selves, like physical and material, the spiritual self is the least explored. That is
because we focus more on our physical realities, rather than on the spiritual. But, we have to remember
that our spiritual self is always there in the background of our existence, continually providing us the
needed inspiration and motivation. She is the invisible force that holds the whole self together. It
recognizes all the needs of the other selves that may lead to self-integration, increased awareness,
intuition, insight and communication between and among the other selves.

David James Lee, Spirituality expert of Wei Wu Wisdom, described our spiritual self as our intangible and
invisible self, the gut feeling and inspiration inside us. It is true to us ONLY. Lee compared it to a beautiful
candle that never extinguishes. No one else could extinguish it, but ourselves. It is the spiritual energy
that makes intuition flow without effort from within, the source of inspiration that motivates us to move on.

The word "inspiration" connotes the presence of a spirit within us. Inspiration keeps us going, living a
more positive life. One who is inspired never stops moving forward. He is motivated to go a mile more and
achieve more and live a more productive life. Such is the role of inspiration in our life.

Lee considers spiritual self as the higher self. He emphasizes the importance of getting connected with
the spiritual self since this helps us find a balance between the physical and spiritual selves to enable us
to live to our full potential. It is through our spiritual self that we can communicate with the Divine. If we
are disconnected from it, we hang on to our old self, continue living in the carousel of negativity, being
critical, judgmental and continue comparing ourselves with others, protecting ourselves from them. But
according to him, we have nothing to fear of others as regards our spiritual self because it is only us who
can create a spiritual disturbance on it.

Bob Mangroo, in his blog, Your Spiritual Self, beautifully referred to spiritual self as the eternal self, the
intangible, non- physical, invisible part of our existence. He called it, SOUL. He claims that with our
physical reality, we can identify our date and place of our birth, meaning the beginning of our existence.
However, it is not true with our soul. We cannot tell when our soul was born, when it began to exist and
where it is located within us. That is so because our soul has been in existence even before our physical
existence and will continue to exist even after we are gone.

The idea of the existence of the soul leads us to understand that the nature of spiritual self is not
connected with religion. Our Christian faith taught us, that our body is the temple, the in-dwelling, of the
Holy Spirit. We believe that we have a soul and that, when we die, our physical body is buried, or
cremated, as the case may be, but our soul goes to either heaven, or hell, to remain there eternally,
depending on the kind of life we lived when we were still alive. This is exactly the idea purported by
Mangroo. He insists that the nature of our eternal self is to live in the spiritual realm for eternity after it
leaves our physical body. Our spiritual self should manifest how we live our Christian faith, regardless of
religion. We live our spiritual life highly motivated, aspiring for eternal life because our soul is destined for
eternity.

Spirituality and Religiosity

The terms spirituality and religiosity are often times used interchangeably but one is distinct from the
other. Let us clarify this distinction.

Spirituality

Typically, spirituality is usually associated with our own existence and a search for the purpose and
meaning of life. It is a universal human experience that has touched us all. Some people deem spirituality
as a spiritual experience that is sacred and transcendent, or something that is beyond any other ordinary
experience; to others, it is simply an awareness of being alive and of how one lives his life.

Others may view their spiritual life to be intensely linked to their association with a,church, a temple, a
mosque, an organization, or a person and it is within these entities where they see their worth and real
value in life. Still others see the value of their life according to their personal relationship with their God,
realizing that apart from this God, they are nothing. Some others realize their spiritual life becomes alive
in any form of art or in the practice of their profession. We know of many retired teachers who still devote
their life teaching. despite their age. Asked why? The simple, candid reply was, "I find joy and fulfilment in
teaching." It is their way of expressing their spiritual life. It is in what they do that they experience
contentment. Like our sense of purpose, we view spirituality according to the way we adjust to our
experiences and relationships.

Spirituality may be connected to some larger questions about life and identity. Questions like: Am I a good
person? Why do I have to go through this difficulty? Why are these things happening to me? Are they
worth my sacrifices?

What is spirituality? To Christina Puchalski (2014), MD, Director, Division of the South Wales Institute for
Spirituality & Health, spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and
express meaning and purpose of the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, the self, to
others, to nature and to the significant or sacred. To Beauregard and O'Leary, (2007), spirituality is any
experience that is thought to bring the experiences into contact with the Divine. But, it is not just ANY
experience that feels meaningful; it is one that is beyond the ordinary; one that puts some meaning into
one's life. Another definition of spirituality refers to the dimension that is in harmony with the universe and
strives for answers about the infinite that comes into focus when a person faces emotional stress (Murray
& Zenter, 2015).

What do these definitions tell us about spirituality? The definitions reveal the aspects of spirituality. The
first aspect is spirituality emphasizes the idea of meaning and purposes that go beyond physical realities
of life, The idea helps us understand why we go through difficult situations and why such happen to us. It
makes us realize that things happen for a reason and they have a purpose. Having this in mind, we
become more enlightened and inspired and more appreciative of the experience.
The second is spirituality allows us to build connections to other people, nature and to the sacred and
divine. Our spirituality leads us to adopt a more positive attitude and practice the appropriate behavior
towards others. Spirituality makes us kind, considerate of others; it encourages us to live out the gift of the
Spirit in us, namely: prudence, kindness, counsel, fortitude, wisdom, piety and fear of the Lord. All these
are a reflection of our core values.

The third aspect of spirituality that we can deduce is that spirituality suggests sacredness and
transcendence. It is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul. It is a broad concept that
includes a sense of connection to something bigger than us. It typically involves a search for purpose and
meaning of life, answering such questions as: Who am I? Why am I here? Why should I go through this
experience? Admit it or not, many, if not all, have gone through this because, as already mentioned,
spirituality is a universal human experience that touches us all.

Spirituality is not innate in us, meaning, we were not born with it. It is developed and acquired through our
personal, environmental and/or social exposures and experiences. Our spirituality is often times
expressed through our religious practices which explains why it is sometimes confused with religiosity.
While spirituality may incorporate elements of religion, spirituality is not the same as religiosity. In what
ways do they vary? Let's find out how.

Religiosity

Religiosity is defined by Sherkat (2015) as a characterisitic of individuals and collectivities that displays
various features of beliefs about the supernatural. It refers to how individuals and social groups engage in
a behavior related to the Higher Being. It is a term used to describe the extent to which religion influences
societies and intersects with the other areas of public life. Generally, it is related to how much a particular
religious doctrine is internalized. Macayan, et. al, (2018) said religiosity refers to adherence to a belief
system and practices associated with a tradition in which there is agreement about what is believed and
practiced. This includes proscriptions of a particular church, like manner of dressing when attending
church activities, obligatory contributions for the support of their church, proper observance of feasts and
rituals, even in the choice of hair style, the kind of food to be eaten or not eaten, etc.

We are aware that different churches have different ways of expressing their beliefs and values and
participating in religious communities. Some of these include attending regularly church services and
activities and other periodic church events, paying their tithes, reciting prayers and doxologies and other
similar activities. Instrumental to these is the influence of the parents, teachers and the type of religious
communities or congregations they are affiliated with and/or the leaders of such organizations.

Schools play a very important role in the religiosity of students. Their curriculum allows the formation of
clubs and organizations. The involvement of the students in these organizations provides them with the
opportunities to work and get connected to and interact with, other students, faculty and staff. Eventually,
they help and guide the school publics to understand and appreciate the value of the things they do, like
what the teachers require, in the case of the students, and even find themselves appreciating their school
life.

Professionals also organize themselves to express their faith and religiosity in the religious communities
they formed. Take the case of the charismatic movements of different churches. Through their prayer
meetings, some people claim having experienced the supernatural, feeling closer to God, especially
during the worship part of the meeting. To others, this is an opportunity to come to terms with themselves
and the other members of the movement.

We have heard of prisoners organizing themselves as a charismatic group, joining Bible sharing sessions
and participating in praise-and-worship gatherings while in prison. There are many who claim they have
experienced intervention from a supernatural power, leading them to personal conversion. As a result,
they live a reformed life.
We are aware of the involvement of the media, taking part in national spiritual formation through their
special programs on TV, the radio, magazines and other means of social communications. We recognize
their effort in promoting family and universal values, like compassion, respect for life, love of country,
respect for authority, concern for the least, the lost and the last of society. We see how people respond to
calls for assistance especially during natural calamities.

From all these, we see that religiosity is communal, happening in communities and in groups. People
express their beliefs and values, their commitment and conservatism and even, their skepticism. In
contrast, spirituality is individual; conversion is something personal, because individuals behave and react
differently to the same situations and events. For instance, the manner of exercising attributes like
compassion, inner peace and spiritual conviction may vary from person to person. One may demonstrate
compassion in ways he/she knows best, like giving donations, visiting the affected area, etc. Some
contribute cash, others, in other forms.

While we see distinctions between spirituality and religiosity, they are closely related to each other. With
spirituality, we find answers to such questions, as-Where do I find meaning? How do I feel connected?
How should I live? Religiosity, on the other hand, leads us to respond to such questions, as: What
practices, rules, or rituals should I follow? What is right or wrong? What is true or false? Where these
questions overlap is our individual experience which affects the way we think, feel and believe. These
spiritual questions sometimes overlap and we reflect and ask: Where do we personally find meaning,
connection and value?

From the above discussion, we see that spirituality is not dependent on one's religious orientation or
affiliation. One may be spiritual even if he/she is not attached to any church or religion in the same
manner that one may be religious but is not necessarily a spiritual person.

The Importance of Spirituality

Our spirituality helps us live a balanced and focused life, a balanced mental health and well-being. With
this kind of life, we become aware of our choices, behavior and actions. We live simply and in moderation.
Our spiritual life will direct us to focus only on the basics and essential with preference to what is sacred
and transcendental. In such a state, we can enjoy a more peaceful life and develop our fullest potentials.

What are the consequences of having a well-balanced life? The person who is healthy physically and
spiritually develops into a spiritual person. Being one he/she believes and accepts that suffering and
death are parts of life. He/she is positive in his/her disposition; he/she lives in serenity and enjoys peace
of mind; he/ she counts his/her blessings. He/she focuses on what is good in others; he/she is
appreciative of the world around him/her and is connected to himself/herself.

A person with a healthy spiritual life takes things in stride. He/she accepts any circumstances in his/her
life positively and embraces them as part of his/her existence. He/she believes that any experience in life,
difficult though it is part of a greater scheme of things and therefore, has, a purpose and meaning. He/
she puts his/her trust and faith in the Divine that provides him/ her anchorage in life. He/she is aware of
his/her behavior and actions and owns up the consequences of such. As a loving and forgiving person,
he/she forgives his/her offenders and apologizes whenever he/she himself/herself offends others.

A spiritual person engages in activities that boost his/her self- identity and self-actualization and that lead
him/her to exercise such virtues as compassion and social concern. He/she enhances his/her
interpersonal relationship through proper communication, trust in and respect for others and his/her ability
to resolve conflict. He/she avoids all forms of negativity in his/her life because he/she has self-confidence
and high self-esteem.
In contrast, a person who does not have a healthy physical and spiritual well-being is not balanced,
focused and connected to self and others. Being in this state, he/she continues his/her habit of being
critical, judgmental and negative. His/her usual reaction to any situation is negative. Getting angry and
being defensive is normal to this type of person. He/she has no time to appreciate those around him/her,
nor does he/she have the time to love himself/herself, others and anything that has life, including nature.

Strengthening Spirituality

Spirituality is part of our natural process of self-development. It grows as we live in and within, our
respective communities and as we maintain our relationship with our family and the society, in general.. In
the home, children can imbibe spirituality from their parents by the positive and nurturing relationship
experienced from them and through the spiritual orientation parents provide them with to serve as a solid
foundation of their healthy spiritual life. In schools, mental health and well-being may be imbibed by the
students from their teachers and from the vision, mission, goals and the core values of the school. The
curricular programs including seminars and activities on the development of humanitarian values of
compassion, empathy and sensitivity for the welfare of others and other activities, like retreats and
recollections, can foster reflection, self-evaluation and contemplation.

Through contemplation, we can answer such questions as: Who am I? Am I a good person? What is the
meaning of all that are happening in my life? To where are they leading me? How can I put meaning into
all these? As a result, we become more aware of our connection with the Divine Being who leads us to
see the purpose and meaning in every circumstance we go through, and helps us appreciate our
blessings in life.

According to Lee, it is beneficial to remain connected with one's eternal self. To do this, he suggests three
ways. First, have a specific intention and stay focused on it; keep it in your heart and mind and decide
when and how you would accomplish it. Second, live life cheerfully, honestly, truthfully and authentically.
Enjoy what you are doing. Never lie to others or to yourself, as you work in achieving your intention. And
third, be self- responsible. It is your desire to be a spiritual person. It is therefore, your responsibility to live
out consistently your goal, your target, that is - to become a spiritual person.

How spiritual are you? How is this related with the way you live your physical life?