What ‘being spiritual’ actually means is subjective. For the purposes of this article I’d love to discuss the concepts of Spiritual Authenticity and Spiritual Hubris – the deeper meanings and how these differences manifest into real life behaviour.
So, what does ‘being spiritual’ mean?
Is it an interest in the deeper mysteries of life? A greater understanding of our place in the world? Or is it much more than just these things?
A lot of people claim to be ‘spiritual’. Many people have been in relationships with ‘spiritual’ people who turned out to do very unspiritual things, or even be narcissists. This is very distressing and disturbing if you believe spiritual people can’t be anything other than genuine.
The truth is self-proclaimed ‘spiritual people’ are like all people – ranging from wonderful to despicable, and from conscious to deeply unconscious. It’s important to know the difference.
Purported Spirituality
Let’s be very clear: anyone can say whatever they want, yet their real-life behaviour is another thing altogether.
I’ve discovered that when a person themself CLAIMS they are spiritual, and claims to be the fount of all knowledge, the very opposite is likely.
People accomplished in anything, who are in healthy self-acceptance, don’t need to telegraph it.
There are two main reasons why someone does need to do this. Either they don’t feel ‘whole’ enough to simply be themselves and are trying to bolster their self-esteem, or they are using their purported spiritual position to gain power over someone for their own benefit.
This is especially likely when they are NOT humble or real enough to discuss their own vulnerabilities, human skirmishes, wounds and growth path whilst applying spirituality. This is key!
Learning something out of a book and keeping it at head level is not a congruent embodiment – which brings us to the Spiritual Hubris part of this article.
What is Spiritual Hubris?
I believe it is “listen to what I say, but pay no attention to what I do.”
Those with spiritual hubris will use spiritual terms and ideologies to lecture you about your life. Yet, who are they to do that? It’s a set of rules “for thee but not for me”.
Their spiritual ideas could be wholesome, and this person simply isn’t living up to them themselves. Alternatively, their ideas could be downright twisted to suit their own desires and enable them to carry out their agenda. They are not congruent with being awake, aware, accountable and activating their own spiritual growth.
Let me give you some crazy examples:
• “My guides tell me smoking is good for me.”
Whilst refusing to address and heal the inner trauma keeping them addicted to self-medicating with a health-threatening toxic substance.
• “Multiple sexual partners means engaging in True Love; love without jealousy or possessiveness.”
Whilst indulging in sexual promiscuity without thought of consequences for self and others.
• “Expressing my anger is me having a voice and honouring myself.”
Whilst continually raging and blaming another without looking deeply at self.
• “I know this person is my Twin Flame.”
Whilst holding on to someone who hasn’t seen them for years, or clearly doesn’t want to be in a relationship with them, rather than doing the inner work on their own trauma bonds.
• “I want to experience this part of my self – my shadow side.”
Whilst have sex with married people, taking illicit drugs or engaging in other destructive behaviours.
• “It’s my spiritual duty to hold others to account for my wounds.”
Whilst powerlessly requiring this outside condition to heal, instead of just healing themselves.
The list goes on and on.
When you hear someone say these things, your inner being recoils.
You feel that it is out of alignment with the truth of spirituality, which is wholesomeness, truth, Oneness, sanity and growth.
You KNOW it is garbage.
Your inner GPS (God Protection System), your intuition, lets you know this. Please note: listening to, and trusting your intuition is a HUGE part of being authentically spiritual.
If you challenge these false assertions, those in spiritual hubris will justify their position and righteously defend it. That’s their position and that is that.
Interestingly, this spiritual ‘excuse’ is the very stronghold that is holding this person separated from the personal growth that they espouse to be living.
Let’s look at what this true personal growth would look like…
What is Spiritual Authenticity?
This has nothing to do with being perfect in either your outcome as a person, or the growth you have achieved.
It has all to do with applying spirituality to take down the defences of hubris. This means being humble and vulnerable enough to meet yourself, life and others at a level of realness.
Those in spiritual hubris would view this as supreme weakness, yet it is the greatest power-full-ness of all.
It is this spirituality – understanding and embodying “I am a spirit in a human encasement having an experience for the purpose of my soul evolution” – that grants true meaning, purpose, wisdom, freedom and real fulfilment in life.
Let’s check out some examples about an imperfect human undertaking an authentic spiritual path.
• “I know smoking is an act of self-harm and avoiding my unhealed inner trauma. It’s time to face and heal this.”
• “I know I am promiscuous because I fear intimacy and commitment. I really do want healthy, real love with a Soul Mate one day. I want to heal my fears and change this.”
• “I am triggered and angry today, because of my unhealed childhood trauma – those times when I felt powerless and abused. It’s time to set myself and everyone around me free from this.”
• “I want to discover and heal why I stay in love with people who are unavailable, instead of loving myself and creating a healthy life for me.”
• “It’s time to face and heal the ways I self-destruct and self-sabotage with dangerous and destructive acts. I don’t want my life to be like this anymore!”
Spiritual Authenticity is being able to admit “I’m imperfect, I have wounds, and I am accessing a deeper, Higher level of learning and healing in order to raise myself from who I was being to Who I Can Be.”
It is being prepared to genuinely face, assess and do whatever is required to activate the Oneness, Unity Consciousness and true ideals of spirituality. These inspire, ignite and lift self and others to know the truth – that the Source of All Things and Love is WHO we are all a part of.
We are all capable of being so much more than we think we are when stuck in our defences, guardedness and lack of realness.
In Conclusion
Those is spiritual hubris won’t admit the truth to themselves, let alone others. They are in denial and delusion.
Please know I’m not saying this from a position of righteousness, but rather from the place of communicating what does work and what doesn’t work in relation to where you would like to travel.
Spiritual Hubris is Wrong Town – it doesn’t bring spiritual growth. It equals being stuck, and doomed to repeat the same painful spiritual lessons until enough pain and disaster has broken down the egoic defences for the grand spiritual awakening to happen.
This awakening is: “I am the generative source of my experience. There is no ‘outside’, no excuses and no ‘one’ to blame. Until I can be real and honest with myself, and heal me, these areas of my life won’t heal and change”.
Spiritual authenticity means taking your power back in order to breakthrough spectacularly in your life.
As a sidenote, spiritual authenticity is also incredibly sexy. It is real, approachable, beautifully transparent, stands in courage and strength rather than excuses and victimisation, is wise and conscious, and leads by example.
Spiritual authenticity grants others permission to be real and authentically love themselves – warts and all. It also enables us to accept others lovingly and co-create mutual growth, realness and grand expansion together – beyond previous limited cycles.
What is there NOT to like?
Spiritual authenticity also means being tough when needed – speaking truth, laying boundaries and not doing the ridiculous spiritual bypass (that many ‘spiritual’ people do) which is practicing ‘Love and Light’ to try to be liked by everyone, and then getting disturbed when it doesn’t work.
Of course you can’t just click your fingers to get to spiritual authenticity. It takes inner healing and development. We have all suffered layers and layers of programming that has primed us – from the collective society, our forebears, teachers, caretakers and painful experiences – to default to spiritual hubris, rather than move into spiritual authenticity.
Which feels better?
Your soul knows…
Does this article relate to people you know? Maybe this describes individuals you had in your family or were in intimate relationships with.
Are there parts of yourself, honestly, that fall into spiritual hubris?
Do you want to break free, to be able to have authentic, honest and real relationships with others, as well as the freedom to be FULLY yourself?
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