TOPIC 4: THE SPIRITUAL SELF

Dr. Ma. Angelita S. Rabanal, RN, MSN, LPT

“The soul feels what the mind ignores.”

– Stace Morris

You have just unpacked your material self in the previous topic.
Now, you will be given the opportunity to explore questions such as,
“What does it mean to be a spiritual being? What molds your
spirituality? How can you best cultivate your soul and deepen your
connection with the divine creator?”
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On a more personal level, this chapter will offer you in 6 hours a
wide range of resources to draw on which will help you search and discover your own unique
spirituality, to find your own ways of creating sacred space in the midst of everyday life and to
identify those particular paths to the Sacred that have the potential to connect you more deeply
with your spiritual self.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. describe the concept of spiritual self;

2. identify your experiences with God;
3. demonstrate personal ways of deepening your faith and spirituality;

DEVELOPING YOUR SPIRITUALITY

Andrew Wallas, has been described as a
“Modern Day Wizard”

If you were able to correctly identify the four sections in the

gallery walk, you have dealt into the ‘New Model of Spirituality’
that Andrew Wallas presented in one of his works. The four stages
according to Wallas, are the following:

Stage 1 - Anything Goes. In this corner you viewed objects such as

(1) a letter of a narcissistic (2) photo of a manipulative classmate
(3) self-love placards (4) images of self- absorbed people and (5)
narcissists phrases. This stage represents your undeveloped spirituality; at this point of spiritual
growth, you are manipulative and self-serving. Though you may pretend or you even think you
are loving toward others, you are narcissistic and don’t really love yourself or others.

Stage 2 - Rigid. In this corner, you saw things like (1) copy of the Ten Commandments (2) Holy
bible/ scriptures (3) prayer books (4) images of a prayerful family and (5) illustrations of
different religious worship activities. This stage is characterized by firm set of external rules
which you need to follow.

The prescriptive nature of this phase provides you comfort, as you do not have to think for
yourself. In religion, you will mainly view your God as an external, transcendent Being. You
generally need a legalistic God, who will punish misdeeds, to keep you from chaotic behavior.

Stage 3 - Questioning. In this corner you found things such as (1) quotations about questioning
God (2) image of an angered person toward his God over the death of his mother (3) photos
depicting peer pressures (4) news clips on issues about clergy/ priests and (5) a question mark
icon.

This is a difficult, troubling **stage as what you have taken to be untouchable is now being
challenged. The biggest stumbling block in this stage is the fear that you are falling back to Stage
I and hence you often retreat into the perceived safety of the second stage.

Stage 4 - Free Flowing. In this corner you saw materials like (1) image of peace and serenity (2)
quotes about happiness and contentment (3) the book on Purpose Driven Life (4) sample
personal reflection on life, love and God and (5) photos of good deeds and acts of love.

Through the struggle and insecurity of Stage III, either suddenly or slowly, you emerge into the
final stage which is characterized by an acceptance and peace with who you are. You discover an
alignment with the flow of life. You recognize, not as an intellectual concept but as a lived
experience, the true unity and interconnectedness of all things.

It is essential to embrace each stage of your spiritual journey and not try to rush on to achieve the
next. Wanting to move quickly towards enlightenment is often an ego need rather than a spiritual
one. Embracing each stage fully and accepting yourself as in the perfect place in every moment
of your journey can make the process of spiritual growth smoother and less challenging.

SACRED PATHWAYS

There are nine different spiritual styles proposed by Gary L. Thomas in his book, Sacred
Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to God. These are the 9 segments as described below:

1. Naturalist: Loving God Out of Doors. You feel closest to God when you are surrounded
by what He has made- the mountains, the forests or the oceans. (Segment 1)
2. Intellectual: Loving God with the Mind. You feel closest to God when you learn
something new about Him that you didn’t understand before. (Segment 2)
3. Ascetic: Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity. You feel closest to God when you are
alone and there is nothing to distract you from focusing on His presence. (Segment 3)
4. Sensate: Loving God with the Senses. You feel closest to God when you are in a church
service that allows your senses to come alive – when you can see, smell, hear, and almost
taste His majesty. (Segment 4)
 5. Activist: Loving God through Confrontation. You feel closest to God when you are
cooperating with Him in standing up for His justice: writing letters to government
officials and newspaper editors, picketing at a place of injustice, urging people to vote or
becoming informed about current issues. (Segment 5)
6. Caregiver: Loving God by Loving Others. You feel closest to God when you see Him in
the needy, the poor, the sick and the imprisoned. You feel God’s presence most strongly
when you are sitting quietly by the bed of someone who is lonely or ill or when you are
taking a meal to someone in need. (Segment 6)
7. Contemplative: Loving God through Adoration. You feel closest to God when your
emotions are awakened, when God quietly touches your heart, tells you that He loves you
and makes you feel like you are His closest friend. (Segment 7)
8. Enthusiast: Loving God with Mystery and Celebration. You feel closest to God when
your heart is sent soaring and you feel like you want to burst, worship God all day long
and shout out His name. Celebrating God and His love is your favorite form of worship.
(Segment 8)
9. Traditionalist: Loving God through Ritual and Symbol. You feel closest to God when
you’re participating in a familiar forms of worship that has memories dating back to your
childhood. Rituals and traditions move you more than anything else. (Segment 9)

YOUR LIFE PURPOSE AND MEANING

Pay close attention to the lyrics of the song “I See You Lord” by Aiza Seguerra. Upon hearing the
song, what emotional response does it suggest? What might be the message, viewpoint or lesson
the songwriter was trying to convey? What examples or concrete experiences can you relate from
the song? Does it help you find your real purpose and the true meaning of life? Why or why not?

In like manner, Victor Frankl (1959) theorized

that we can discover meaning in life in three
different ways: (a) by creating a work or doing
a deed; (b) by experiencing something or
encountering someone; and (c) by the attitude
we take toward unavoidable suffering and that
everything can be taken from a man, but one
thing: the last of the human freedoms - to
choose one’s attitude in any given set of
circumstances.

Victor Frankl‘s (1964) Meaning Triangle.

THE SOUL: ACCORDING TO INDIGENOUS FILIPINOS

In understanding the spiritual self, we also need to know the role of the spirit of a sacred or of a
God. Even in today’s modern era, we are still influenced by the world views on the presence of
spirits.

Let us read the article published in Lopez Museum and Library about how primitive Filipinos
understand the concept of soul or spirit. It can be downloaded from
http://lopezseum.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-soul-according-to-indigenous.html

RELIGION, BELIEFS AND WITCHCRAFT IN THE PHILIPPINES

Roman Catholic, Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ, Islam, 7th Day
Adventist, Protestant…these are just but some of the religions in the Philippines. Each of which
has religious rituals and ceremonies that are formed out of Filipino beliefs in spirits or souls and
supernatural beings. You also have learned from the previous lesson that many rituals were
practiced to welcome and foster the coming back of the Dungan or Karurwa to the human body.