IN BRIEF
The Facts:Being “spiritual” has become a trend. Many people are caught up in trying to look/act the part without a desire to do the true, sincere inner work that is required to grow.
Reflect On:Are you ready to do what it takes to really get to know yourself? Have you perhaps unknowingly participated in “spiritual bypassing” like so many of us on the path of awakening?
These days it seems everywhere you look – people are donned in crystals, mandala tattoos, dreadlocks, bright colors, patterns and often a wisp of palo santo smoke found trailing behind them. One might look at these people and think, “wow people are really waking up and it’s incredible to see,” while there is a rising of global consciousness, many of these people merely look the part. It has become trendy to be spiritual, but really, it has nothing to do with how spiritual a person actually is, but whether or not they can dress the part, go to the workshops and say the right things. People seem to have hopped on the spiritual bandwagon and (my past self included) have inflated egos, thanks to months or years of spiritual bypassing. Many have yet to actually take responsibility for their actions and do the work that is required for true spiritual freedom.
The term “spiritual bypassing” was coined by psychologist John Welwood in the early 1980’s to refer to the use of spiritual practices and beliefs to avoid confronting uncomfortable feelings, unresolved wounds, and fundamental emotional and psychological needs.
Now, as I’ve said, I have very much been caught up in the hype and what I like to call spiritual fluff – that is the identity of being a conscious, spiritual person. Because of this, I have no judgment towards the people who are still playing out this role. Everyone is on their own path towards awakening, and maybe by stumbling upon something such as this, or something else that causes deep reflection, it could trigger their own true awakening and identity loss.
There Is No Identity Required To Be A Spiritual Person
The truth is, true spirituality requires no labels, and can really not be defined so easily with words. Someone dressing a certain way, acting a certain way, or even having some type psychic ability is NOT a measure of how evolved a person is or how much inner work they’ve actually done. There is a lot of deception in this realm, and not necessarily intentionally, but because it is one thing to intellectually know about spiritual concepts and I can say from personal experience, an entirely different thing to live that knowledge and actually embody the wisdom.
Here are some common misconceptions about what a “spiritual person” should do:
Wear bright colors
Not wear a bra
Not wear makeup
Hug everyone they meet even if they aren’t feeling drawn to do so
Always be smiling and happy
Attend numerous spiritual workshops
Quote many new age books
Meditate every day
Be a yoga aficionado
Be a vegan
Not drink alcohol
Regularly go to music and art festivals
Wear crystals, talk about crystals, be crystalline
Practice reiki
Reads tarot cards or oracle decks
Have psychic abilities
Use specific language, including a lot of talk about love and light
Not get angry
Claim to be ‘woke AF’
Ultra Spiritual, JP Sears has many great satire pieces on what it means to be spiritual, his famed video ‘How To Be Ultra Spiritual” is just one example:
http://www.youtube.com/v/1kDso5ElFRg&fs=1https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/11/06/the-problem-with-pop-spirituality-how-to-recognize-if-you-are-falling-victim-to-this-new-age-trap/