Spirituality – what does it mean and how can it be developed?

The spiritual world of man is a kind of mirror in which the intellectual life of the entire society is reflected. Its basis is social consciousness with all its structural elements and social levels. At the same time, the individual also has his own, separate world, capable of functioning independently, regardless of what is happening in society.

The formation of a person’s spiritual world is influenced by:

conditions of everyday life, both domestic and general political;
targeted influence on the individual by society;
practical activities in society;
training, education, improvement, self-control.

Worldview and meaning of life evolve over time on a rational and empirical level, taking into account the psychology of society, its consciousness and ideology. Social consciousness becomes the fundamental basis on which the formation of personality takes place. Unlike the consciousness of an individual, which is focused mainly on its own intellectual content and structure, the spiritual world of a person is aimed at the embodiment of ideological goals and human essence as a whole.

Why is spiritual development needed?

People need to experience joy and excitement more often to get the most out of everything they do, feel superior, and be open to new opportunities. Don't neglect the people around you.

If you often do bad things, constantly get angry and complain about life, the likelihood of getting pleasure decreases to zero. Such people do not feel harmony with the world around them; they increasingly withdraw into themselves, and then become hostages of their own negative feelings. (See table of feelings and emotions). Most likely, such a person will not be able to experience true happiness.

Spiritual development is a very important stage in life’s journey. A person who has no desire to improve is doomed to constant torment and suffering. Usually such people cannot achieve any success, and begin to sow hatred in the world around them.

Spiritual development provides an excellent chance to experience more positive emotions and simply enjoy life every day. Starting the path of enlightenment, every person must cleanse himself of all negative ideas and bad thoughts. The inner world of a positive person allows him to receive inspiration from everything that happens around him. Thanks to spiritual development, each of us can create incredible conditions for our own lives, as well as for everyone around us.

Spirituality is not just a word, but a real way of life. All actions must be aimed at good purposes. Encourage a person to take actions that bring positive and useful results.

The spiritual world for a person is the basis of harmony in life

Many people think that living in complete harmony with the world around them is impossible, but this is not so. Despite all the barriers and obstacles that come our way in life, there is always the opportunity to overcome them and not stop. At the same time, always remain in a positive mood, constantly rejoice or admire achievements.

Surely there is a person in your circle who adheres to spiritual values. Such people never fall into a desperate state; they are always ready to move forward and achieve their goals. Even in those moments when something doesn’t work out for them.

When, in the midst of gray everyday life, you see such a person in your environment, all everyday problems and work routine are smoothed out. A spiritual person charges everyone around with his positive energy and you don’t feel so sad. Everyone around begins to do more good and right things.

When the team is filled with positive energy, when everyone becomes kinder to each other, then the spiritual life of the society around us is formed.

In order for a person’s spiritual world to comply with all the norms and rules of spirituality, it is necessary to work well on one’s own mistakes. First, try to understand yourself and start changing something, then you will understand the full power of this teaching

Spirituality of any person is not just a word! It lies in harmony with yourself and your environment. The soul of such people is filled with light and love. In the spiritual world there are no such feelings as:

Envy;
Anger;
Contempt;
Humiliation;
Anger, etc.

At all times, spiritual and moral canons were observed thanks to proper upbringing, from childhood. Spiritual life in modern society can lead all of humanity to new discoveries. Spirituality is the path of every person who strives for creation and knowledge of the unknown secrets of existence.

In the world of good there is no negativity or failure. Here everyone is ready to help each other. No one will leave someone in need of support in trouble. The real spiritual world of a person consists only of the positive qualities of a person. The inner state of the soul of such people is very vulnerable, since these people are always open to others. They try to avoid any negative events towards themselves and the world around them.

Spirituality is a definition of the inner state of the human soul, which is always based on the moral and ethical relationships between people and the environment.

Do not blindly follow religious scriptures or philosophical teachings. Each person must independently determine their own boundaries in order to make this world more colorful and kind. There is no need to become a religious fanatic, because this will only lead you to disappointment and self-destruction.

It is worth considering that spiritual development can lead a person to rash actions, which, in an unconscious state and without any intent, can harm one’s own well-being. This applies to those people who are fanatical about such teachings of spirituality. Of course, we must constantly improve, but the knowledge we gain must be used wisely and carefully. Spiritual development should not become a tool for hiding one’s complexes or shortcomings.

The main task is not to just blindly follow what some leader says or believe everything that is said in the religious scriptures. First of all, you need to look into the depths of your soul and find all the vulnerable spots. In order to further protect ourselves from injustice, anger or hatred, which shrouds our entire world. On the path of every person there are obstacles and obstacles that at first glance cannot be overcome. However, this is a false perception of what is happening. In fact, there is nothing in our world that could prevent us from making our lives more fun and useful.

About finding the meaning of life

The spirituality of a person is always determined by the extent to which he thinks about the meaning of life. Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl argued that such reflections are the spiritual core that distinguishes normal people from those who suffer from any pathologies.

A person discovers the problematic nature of his existence and experiences the ambiguity of his life. During certain periods of life, these issues become the most “acute”, which speaks of spiritual quests.

A deep mental shock can lead to a search for the meaning of life. Regardless of the reasons and the chosen path of spiritual development of the individual, such quests are an indicator of the meaningfulness of life and personal development. The existence of a person is not meaningless, and until consciousness leaves him, he must realize his values and bear responsibility.

A person’s “justification” of his true destiny occurs through experience, through trial and error. The conditioning of mental programs is eliminated when certain experiences and emotions and feelings associated with them arise. Until a person curbs his mind and learns to be aware of the games of the mind, unity with the spirit will be incomplete.

It is equally important to establish a connection with your own body, learn to hear it, develop feeling and purposefully use the mind. These skills will help you get rid of dissonance in feelings and self-perception and help you achieve complete spiritual harmony.

Unresolved problems and conflicts are barriers to spiritual growth

Any unresolved emotional conflict is an obstacle to the development of spirituality and expansion of consciousness. Therefore, such problems need to be solved voluntarily, and we need to learn to take responsibility for our behavior, beliefs and relationships.

In the first stage of emotional growth, a person takes responsibility for his actions, which leads to spiritual development. If a person continues to blame other people for his misfortunes and problems, he cannot resolve his emotional conflicts, as a result of which spiritual blocks are created.

Between responsible subjects and those who avoid this responsibility, misunderstandings, strong tensions, and unconscious reactions arise, creating tense relationships. A person needs to learn to maintain self-awareness in such situations, especially in relationships with loved ones, which will allow them to remove emotional blockages.

Many dysfunctional behaviors and reactions are formed in early childhood and are reflected as unhealed traumas and wounds in adulthood. As a result, concepts such as love, sex and emotional needs can be confused with abusive behavior with a lack of boundaries.

If this dysfunction is not corrected, deviations will distort and define actions and interpersonal relationships. A person with a dysfunctional pattern feels disconnected from the world, unloved, experiences sexual distress, and is unable to satisfy emotional needs for communication and set personal boundaries. Therefore, on the path of spiritual growth, the subject needs to heal his personal emotional traumas, which can inhibit all areas of self-development.

One of the important stages of spiritual development is the creation of a space of Love-Wisdom in your closest environment (loved one, parents and children). Otherwise, the imaginary flight to freedom will further distance the individual from taking responsibility for his life, the ability to manage it and achieving true freedom. In other words, by avoiding pressing problems, changes and transformations in the first main circle of life connections, a person falls even more into mental slavery.

Close communication with parents and their children helps a person learn life lessons. If you do not realize and go through them, it is impossible to achieve a new level of spiritual development. Consequently, personality problems act as a trigger to launch a wave of spiritual quest.

The word spirituality, what does it mean?

If we pay attention to the interpretation of the word “spirituality” in different dictionaries of the Russian language, we will see that the meaning of this internal state of a person will be somewhere between the religious and moral understanding of this state.

In fact, that's how it is!

Practice more to know your own soul. Only through practice can you fully learn to control your emotions and achieve perfection in everything. The teaching of a person’s inner spirituality does not imply anything bad. Both in religious scriptures and in various scientific works of famous philosophers. The spiritual world is described as something high and perfect.

By following the basic rules and principles, you can achieve maximum perfection of your own will and state of mind. But it is also worth considering the fact that, depending on national characteristics, each country has its own moral principles and rules. Based on this, it is necessary to highlight the main similarities in all scriptures and teachings. The concept that is embedded in the understanding of spirituality has its similarities everywhere.

It is in this way - by comparing different interpretations, that one can comprehend the real spiritual truth. That is, to understand the very essence of spirituality throughout the world. The word “compassion” is found in many sources, both religious and philosophical teachings. It may look a little different, or be called by other words, but still the main task is to teach all people to understand and show a sense of compassion.

A spiritual person, finding harmony with his inner world, begins to feel stronger and more necessary for this world.

This message is carried by all religions of the world without exception. Except in those cases when political beliefs begin to interfere with the spiritual world. Politicians always try to use any means to achieve their goal. There are no barriers or moral principles for them. They manage to achieve their political ambitions, and even make good money by deceiving ordinary people.

Hell

Hell is, first of all, the state of the soul of the unsaved, but also a certain place where lost souls are located before the Last Judgment.

God and the saints embrace hell with their love and do everything to ensure that its inhabitants are saved.

Hell is a place where people cannot see each other. Everyone there seems to be alone and there is no one around. This is the ultimate projection and embodiment of human egoism. When we pray for those in hell, they get the opportunity to see its other inhabitants, that is, for the first time they see people in people.

Elder Paisios of Athonite said: contemplating hell, he noticed that only 30% of people in it are in a demonic state and blaspheme God, and the majority want to repent.

The Church’s prayers for the dead are based on the possibility of salvation from hell. On Pentecost, the church prays “for those in hell.” And they get help.

There is a certain antinomy here. The Holy Fathers (John of Damascus) say that repentance is impossible in hell.

But church prayers for those in hell can be effective not from the outside (after all, this is a state of soul, and then a place), but from the inside. And for salvation, only repentance is necessary. This means that you can still repent in hell. Obviously, it is the prayer for someone who has gone to hell that leads his soul to such an opportunity and such a desire, softens the soul, and gives it the strength to repent.

What is spirituality for a person

What is spirituality and how can it be explained in simple words? Considering each religion where we are talking about the spiritual state of a person, we can notice that many understandings may differ from each other, and in some cases even contradict their “competitive communities”. Here, moral principles or other qualities that are considered to be the rule in a particular country or religion may differ.

It is necessary to do a lot of work on oneself so that a person’s spiritual world is strong and strong throughout his entire conscious life.

But, as mentioned above, it is necessary to select the best of all teachings and interpretations. It must be taken into account that our world is so diverse that the understanding of good and evil is relative.

All religions are determined to curb the negative feelings of humanity. Everywhere there is talk about humility and submission. But this will not make a person stronger or smarter. The fundamental canons and commandments of all religions are also aimed at ensuring that everyone can choose for themselves those basic principles and patterns that can lead us to an understanding of the higher mind.

This is not connected with material values or the benefits of peoples, but with the simplest instinctive impulses that lead every person living on earth to a state of peace and bliss.

Their main task is to make this world as kind and fair as possible, so that all living beings live in harmony with each other and interact with all natural processes.

Differences between spiritual values and material ones

If we consider spiritual values as a system of ideals and beliefs that give meaning to our existence, then the difference is obvious. Spiritual values are an invisible force that moves us forward. Compared to them, material values are just the resources we need for life. They are needed for existence, work, comfort, and satisfaction of various needs. At the same time, spiritual values are eternal and priceless, while material values are finite, and their value is measurable and limited.

If we consider intangible cultural values, then they differ from material ones, first of all, in that they are the property of all humanity. They don't run out just because someone consumes them. In most cases, they can be stored and reproduced without restrictions. Moreover, their perception is subjective, so each person, consuming them, receives his own experience, which specifically influences his personality.

How to achieve peace of mind

If we blindly follow everything that is stated in the scriptures, we are unlikely to be able to achieve the desired result that each of us strives for. The path to ideal spiritual enlightenment lies through overcoming your own concerns and fears. The road to independent awareness is very long, but, nevertheless, every person can go through this difficult path in a short period of time. When others will not be able to comprehend the simple truth in their entire lives.

Of all the teachings about human spirituality, choose only the most valuable information. Under no circumstances follow everything that is written thoughtlessly, because you may lose your mind.

The idea of spiritual enlightenment is that every person himself must realize the seriousness and significance of righteous deeds. After all, it is much more pleasant to bring goodness, good intentions and thoughts into our beautiful world. It becomes especially pleasant in those moments when you feel the return on your efforts. Then new abilities open up in us, our soul becomes much wider.

We begin to notice all the beauty and tenderness of our nature. The main achievement in such aspirations is complete dedication and a sense of significance. When our actions bear fruit, then endless possibilities open up for us. A flame begins to “burn up” within us. There is an interest in further self-development.

Once you begin to feel that you have reached the maximum level of awareness, do not rush to stop and give up. After all, it is impossible to achieve absolute knowledge, because everyone chooses the criteria by which they begin to evaluate their actions and thoughts. However, basic knowledge is enough to get closer to self-improvement.

You shouldn't stop halfway to self-improvement. As soon as you feel that you have reached the maximum point of development of your inner world. Think a little and you will find many more errors and shortcomings that need to be corrected

To get started, all you need is a basic understanding of spirituality, as well as a little patience and perseverance. Further actions will be much more productive. Thoughts and actions will give results that until recently may have seemed unattainable to you.

However, you should not relax, since working on yourself is a long process that requires special attention. Then you need to go deeper and deeper, and there are no certain boundaries in self-development. We ourselves must choose at what stage we can stop. Or move on without stopping to get the most effective return on your efforts.

What does the inner world of an individual consist of?

Every personality has its own spiritual world. He has:

a value system that determines a person’s worldview and gives meaning to his existence;
goals necessary to implement the mission on Earth;
the needs of the soul, manifested through knowledge of the surrounding reality, expression of oneself through art, scientific and cultural activities, as well as other forms;
the desire for self-knowledge and self-realization in society;
understanding the significance of one’s actions for other people, formed views on the world around them;
emotional and sensory support for one’s own vision and actions from society.

All of the above is based on people’s knowledge of the surrounding reality and belief in a fair outcome.

A person's worldview can be divided into:

Everyday, based on life experience. It is formed as a result of various circumstances.
Religious, in accordance with the religious ideas of the individual.
Scientific, with an emphasis exclusively on scientific knowledge.
Humanistic, based on ideas about scientific views: how fair and highly moral they are for society, as well as the degree of their environmental friendliness.

The system of human values, which is the basis of any worldview, contains a guideline for the aspirations of the individual and the meaning of his life. The ideals of an individual act as a standard of behavior in society and become the motivation for the behavior itself.

But it is important to note that a person’s spiritual values cannot be eternal . They are directly dependent on living conditions and change taking into account the influence of circumstances. But the social values that have evolved over centuries represent the spiritual practice of all generations of the human race and contain the universal needs of any individual, regardless of who he is. Race, nationality, class, religion, age - all this becomes unimportant.

It is clear that universal human values rise above individual ones, therefore a person must form his inner world taking into account these frameworks. The life of an individual is intertwined with social life and gradually assimilates the rules formed by time and which are part of the moral foundation.

In Western psychology

In Western psychology, which received the greatest recognition in the post-war years of the 20th century, there are a number of areas:

transpersonal - does not deny the religious influence on the consciousness of the individual;
humanistic - the emphasis is on the individual as the only integral system;
existential - refers to humanistic psychology, affects several aspects of an individual’s life: his inner world, personal experiences, etc.

According to Maslow's system, if a person has spirituality, then he is at a high stage of evolution. Such people lack primitive desires, dirty thoughts and misdeeds. They are filled with kindness and are condescending even to those who are not worthy according to society. At the beginning of the 20th century, psychologists and psychotherapists were of the prevailing opinion that a low level of morality was nothing more than a disease that needed to be gotten rid of. But the paradox is that many undeveloped cultures practiced healing the soul, with the help of shamanic rituals, sacrifices and other things.

What does spirituality mean and its development

The spiritual development of a person includes several basic principles, adhering to which, a person strives for the internal evolution of his own qualities. Constantly improving the internal state of one’s own soul helps to overcome all negative feelings and emotional manifestations, such as:

Envy;
Anger;
Discontent;
Fury;
Hatred;
Anger;
Oppression;
Depression;
Aggression;
Fear;
Doubt;
Uncertainty;
Confusion, etc.

This is not the entire list of feelings and emotions that impede a person’s spiritual development. But we should not forget that positive emotional manifestations, on the contrary, help to develop and grow above oneself.

The understanding of spirituality is different for each of us, but there is still something that unites all concepts for any society, regardless of religious beliefs

In order to gain spirituality, you need to understand a few simple truths. First of all, we must understand that spirituality is a combination of moral and ethical qualities of one person or an entire society. Finding spiritual balance, a person receives a comprehensive understanding of justice and learns self-sacrifice.

Lack of spiritual harmony

People in whom the spiritual component is poorly developed are in the sleep mode stage. Such people are not used to enjoying life; for them there are no moral boundaries. They are completely subordinate to their base instincts and suffer from their own powerlessness.

A person who lacks spirituality simply exists without any meaning; the life of such people is filled with grief and pain. They don’t want to change anything in their lives; they are closed to themselves and others. This state of mind leads humanity to the most vile actions and deeds.

It is necessary to develop your spirit and body throughout your life. Such harmony within us allows us to achieve the highest results.

To achieve a spiritual state, you need to work long and carefully on your mistakes and go through the entire path of spiritual development. This is a huge amount of work on yourself.

We are what we think about

Consciousness determines being - this is what the classics of philosophy say. What is the spiritual life of a person? We can say that development is awareness, clarity of consciousness and purity of thoughts. This is not to say that this entire process occurs only in the head. The concept of “awareness” implies some active actions along this path. It starts with controlling your thoughts. Every word comes from an unconscious or conscious thought, which is why it is important to control them. Following words come actions. The tone of voice and body language correspond to words, which in turn are generated by thoughts. Monitoring your actions is also extremely important, as they will become habits over time. But it is very difficult to overcome a bad habit; it is much better not to have it. Habits shape character, and this is exactly how other people see a person. They are not able to know thoughts or feelings, but they can evaluate and analyze actions. Character, together with actions and habits, shapes the path of life and spiritual development. It is constant self-control and self-improvement that form the basis of a person’s spiritual life.

Afterword

A spiritual person has a large set of cultural and moral values, and his consciousness is much more developed and open, which makes other people feel uncomfortable being around an enlightened person. The manifestation of spirituality can be seen both in religious books and teachings, and in many cultural works. The main message of spiritual enlightenment is the harmony between the human soul and its bodily shell. Such people always bring only good deeds and thoughts into this world. One of the accompanying manifestations of spiritual life is the acquisition of conscience. A spiritual state helps all humanity to live in harmony with themselves and the world around them.

Values and guidelines

What is the spiritual life of a person? If we talk about this concept, then it is necessary to remember about the value guideline. This is the most precious and even holy moment for every person. It is these guidelines that collectively reflect the individual’s attitude to facts, phenomena and events that occur in reality. Value guidelines are different for different nations, countries, societies, peoples, communities and ethnic groups. With their help, both individual and social goals and priorities are formed. We can distinguish moral, artistic, political, economic, professional and religious values.