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The Complexity of Religious Journeys
Religious journeys are often more complex than they appear, many times masking deeper psychological issues. Someone with anxiety might cling to strict rules to feel more in control. People with identity issues, unsure of who they are, might jump from one group to another, or from one belief system to another, hoping to find themselves in the process.
Obsessive religious practices can appear to be devotion when it's actually a sign of underlying compulsive tendencies. Sharing religious knowledge can be used to seek attention or garner admiration, which could point to narcissistic traits. Sometimes, traumatic experiences and major life changes can push people towards or away from faith as they cope. Even mood regulation can play a role, where high-energy leads to intense spiritual experience, while low energy might cause someone to question their attachment and thus their faith entirely.
These factors often hide behind the seriousness of religious topics, making the difference between real spiritual growth and using religion as a coping mechanism hard to differentiate. There are, however, and few ways to spot patterns, based on consistency of behaviour is, how emotions are handled, and whether the person affected displays humility or defensiveness.
Deep Cover For Deeper Issues
Religious and intellectual journeys can sometimes serve as a complex cover for deeper personal struggles. Scholarly pursuits and intricate theological debates can be a clever distraction from confronting inner turmoil. This manifests itself in a few ways: sharing thoughts publicly, writing articles, or engaging in online discussions - while appearing to just contribute to a broader conversation - can at times be driven by a need for validation or approval from others. There's also a tendency to see oneself as the vanguard for protecting others. When you frame personal choices as a religious duty or responsibility, it can very well mean that you see yourself as enlightened and mandated to share your ideas. Why? Because you now know it, everyone else does not and never did! It’s thus your duty to clarify the truth as you have been shown.
This sort of epiphany serves a dual purpose: it a) masks mistakes of the past as a matter of person growth, not something to be responsible for, and b) sets the person up to lead the initiative in correcting others, essentially repositioning themselves in the “vanguard” that will lead to the “true path.” Both of these are a way to justify actions that might stem from unaddressed psychological needs. Besides, had this truth been known, they would have preceded us to it! This sort of universalization of experience and deflection from one’s own choices is often coated in a veneer of finding a new path or even confessing to a new truth. The inherent complexity of religious scholarship serves as a convenient shield against more personal, highly emotional inquiries.
What are the signs that such things are going on in the mind of someone and that this isn’t about actual religious growth? As alluded earlier, defensiveness is a key trait that hints at underlying vulnerability or insecurity. There are a few others as well.
Bypassing The Real World Through Spirituality and Religion
Spiritual bypass, i.e. the tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to avoid confronting unresolved emotional issues and psychological wounds, is a form of avoidance that can masquerade as spiritual growth. There are a few ways this shows up in the public narratives about religious transformation. First, people engaging in spiritual bypass might claim to have "transcended" their problems, when in reality they're suppressing or ignoring them. This can be in the form of intellectual posturing, vehement attacks on others, or a lack of balance in reading one’s past and present. Another way this manifests is through emotional suppression. "Negative" emotions are down played in favor of always appearing peaceful, loving, or accepting of others, especially those you were previously intolerant of. Wearing a mask of constant positivity shows up in many religious contexts, unless of course it is positivity for one’s ‘previous self.’ A form of cognitive dissonance can arise from this, where the space between your newly found professed spiritual beliefs and your unresolved psychological issues create creates internal conflict and tension.
This dissonance can show up in a form of escapism, where commitment to an unattainable ideal allows the person something to consistently strive for, albeit never obtain. For example, moving overseas, being in the presence of “holy” people, and discussing in great detail knowledge that never seems to be settled or “can’t be concluded” can be ways of escaping the day to day life one feels trapped in.
Spiritual Narcissism, where you believe you're more evolved or enlightened than others, can also be a form of bypass. You are no longer at the lowly level of the misguided, so your role is now to guide. The by-product of this can be neglect of basic psychological health and everyday life skills.
Spiritual bypass complicates our understanding of authentic vs. inauthentic religious experiences because it can closely mimic genuine spiritual growth. The key difference is that authentic spirituality integrates all aspects of human experience, including the painful or difficult parts, rather than trying to leapfrog over them.
Recognizing spiritual bypass requires looking at the whole self - emotional health, relationships, ability to handle challenges, and consistency between professed belief and actual behavior. True spiritual growth isn't about escaping our humanity, but fully embracing and integrating it.
What is “Real” Religious Experience
If we wanted a shorthand in determining what is genuine spiritual growth versus what is simply masking our mental struggles, perhaps the following points stand out the most.
-- Authenticity vs. Deflection: Genuine spiritual journeys are characterized by honest self-reflection and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about oneself, not just others. Defensive posturing vs. being open about struggles and uncertainties, and using debates as tools for understanding vs as a shield to deflect with are perhaps most prominent.
-- Growth vs. Fixation: genuine spiritual growth tends to lead to personal growth, increased empathy, and a broader perspective. This contrasts with the rigid thinking or constant ideological shifts we might see in those using religion to mask psychological issues. Real growth often involves becoming more comfortable with ambiguity, not less. Fixation with one’s past, while claiming to have moved beyond it, often belies actual growth.
-- Humility vs. Narcissism: A genuine spiritual path often leads to greater humility. A person who is growing recognizes the limits of their knowledge and are open to learning from others. This is quite different from using religious knowledge as a way to seek admiration or assert superiority.
-- Community vs. Isolation: While genuine spiritual growth can involve periods of solitude or study, it usually leads to deeper connections with others. This contrasts with the isolation that can come from using religious pursuits to avoid real-world interactions or relationships.
-- Peace vs. Restlessness: Authentic spiritual growth, even when challenging, often leads to a sense of inner peace or purpose. Contrast this with the restlessness or anxiety that might drive someone to constantly seek new ideologies, engage in endless debates, or decry their former selves. Knowing one’s faults and being at peace with them is very different from having to constantly proclaim to others why the people doing what you used to do are wrong.
-- Openness vs. Defensiveness: People of genuine spiritual growth often remain open to advice, questions, and alternative viewpoints. They are not threatened by challenges to their beliefs because their faith isn't serving as a psychological crutch.
Essentially, when you experience authentic spiritual growth you tend to become more whole, balanced, and at peace, even while you grapple with deep questions. This stands in stark contrast to the person that uses religion as a mask for their psychological issues, which often leads them to feel scattered and disconnected inside, struggle with inner conflicts and feelings, and to constantly seek approval and external validation.
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