Module 6.

Unfolding the Spiritual Self

This module focuses on the spiritual dimension of self. This broadly tackles the different aspects
of spirituality from existence, relatedness or connections, and inner soul

UNIT 1. The Inner Soul

This unit discusses the nature of spirituality, how it is different from religiosity, the factors that
shape one’s spirituality, and its impact on one’s self.

When we talk about the “whole person”, we usually think of human beings as having a physical
and a psychological aspect. The physical domain covers the biological aspects of our development,
including growth, maturation, and other bodily changes. The psychological aspect covers aspects of
development focusing on consciousness and attributes that are not directly observable but manifested in
behavior. However, there is a third aspect to being human that is as vital and as important as the two
precedents; this refers to the spiritual aspect of ourselves. Spirituality has been widely studied by a
number of researchers across several disciplines but remain to be elusive in terms of making a standard
definition. Highlighting the mind-body-spirit connection, the spiritual self is an ongoing, personal life
journey, contextualized by belief in God, culture, relationships, nature, and discovering meaning in one’s
life.

Spirituality
“the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and
purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature,
and to the significant or sacred.” (Puchalski, 2014
“any experience that is thought to bring the experiencer into contact with the divine; in other
words, not just any experience that feels meaningful (Beauregard & O’Leary, 2007).
“one’s personal relation to the sacred or transcendent, a relation that then informs other
relationships and the meaning of one’s own life” (Sinnott, 2002).

First, spirituality talks about meaning and purpose that goes beyond the physical realities of his
life. Going through development, we are inevitably programmed to make realizations about life, and those
insights are not always about observable phenomena or environmental experiences; we observe
phenomena happening around us, the personal experiences we go through, and subsequently, we assign
meaning and make philosophical rationalizations about why it happens and why it happens to us. While
many researchers have said that we need to discover the meaning of life, what we should be asking
ourselves is “what meaning do I put in my life?” The meaning and rationalizations we make influence the
way we view life and become the basis for our value orientations and other personal standpoints. We
assess the “meaningfulness” of our life, if it is worth living.

A second aspect of spirituality is focused on a person’s connections to different aspects of his

existence; connections to other people, to nature, and to sacredness and divinity. Spirituality is relational;
in the pursuit of and applying meaning to one’s life, we create and sustain relationships not only with
people but with other life forms and with God. The way we relate to other people, to members of our
family, our peers in school, to nature speaks of our core values.

Third, spirituality talks about the sacred and transcendent. We believe that in this vast universe,
there is a force greater than ourselves. In believing that death is inevitable, we believe that there is life
after, and it guides our lifestyles and core behaviors. Our search for sacredness is also triggered by our
drive to attain peace and life fulfilment. We develop acceptance and contentment, despite problems
that occur.

Religiosity
“adherence to a belief system and practices associated with a tradition in which there is
agreement about what is believed and practiced”.

It is a formal attachment to the set of beliefs, values, and practices of a particular church. It
includes specific religious practices, religious proscriptions (what should be done and avoided), and
participation in a religious community. While it is true that spirituality is not innate but, rather, developed,
religiosity can be a starting point for spirituality. Specific practices like going to church, participating in
religious events, reciting prayers and doxologies, and other similar activities are usually imbibed to us by
our parents.

What does spirituality bring to our lives?

For many people, the search for sacredness and transcendence can bring positive consequences
to one’s life. It has been associated with positive physical and mental health and well-being. A spiritual
person finds contentment and serenity in his life circumstances. He finds anchor in God and aligns his
thoughts, words, and action to his spiritual beliefs. He engages in activities that boost his self-respect and
actualization. Spiritual well-being entails wisdom, self-transcendence, acceptance of life, and meaningful
existence. It increases our self-esteem, enhances our interpersonal relationships through establishment
of trust, questioning, repair of conflict, and encourages us to engage in positive, meaningful behavior.
Through spirituality, we are able to answer questions such as “am I a good person?” and “how can I live
my life to the fullest?” Most importantly, spirituality allows us to become resilient amidst challenges and
life storms that occur in our lives.
Spirituality is a natural aspect of our self-development. For parents, fostering quality parent-child
relationships have significant, positive influence in our spiritual orientation. For schools, introducing
programs and interventions, including retreats, recollections, seminars, and worship, imbibing teaching
strategies that foster contemplation, reflection, and self-evaluation can strengthen spiritual well-being.
However, the best way of enhancing spirituality lies within ourselves. Constant reflection and meditation
of your life’s choices and decisions, developing empathy and compassion toward other people, and having
faith in a Higher being can enhance your spiritual intelligence. It is not about “finding meaning in your
life”, but rather “how do we apply meaning to our lives?” Spirituality allows us to create meaning, vision,
and values in the things that we do. Most importantly, it permits us to find ourselves.

UNIT 2. Connections with Nature

This unit discusses our natural affinity with nature and similar constructs, the factors that
contribute to such connections, how we manifest our relations to nature, and how we can enhance it in
the context of our spirituality.

Our spiritual self is not only tied in our connection with God and other people; it is also related to
how we commune with nature. As what is stated in the Bible, “we are appointed as stewards of God’s
creation” and this implies our responsibility to take care of nature and the world, in general. In fact, during
precolonial times, our ancestors practiced animism, that venerated animals, trees, bodies of water, and
land. They offered prayers and respected nature because they believed that damaging their environment
would anger the gods and result to dire consequences in their daily living. Even now, some religious
practices in other parts of the world imbibe similar traditions by avoiding eating certain animals that are
considered sacred within their religious orientation.

Taking aside religiosity, a significant number of people have made a serious commitment to
nature by taking care of pets, pledging advocacy for environmental issues, and imbibing daily behaviors
that manifest a growing concern for our world. These are embodied in the concepts of “affinity with
nature” and “Ecopsychology”.

Affinity with nature can be defined as “the ties that bind people and nature together.” It can
also mean nature connectedness, defined as “the extent to which individuals include nature as part of
their identity.”
If people feel they are one with nature, then destroying it can mean self-destruction and vice
versa. An individual with a strong level of affinity with nature feels that his identity is tied to his natural
environment, genuinely cares for his environment, and commits to taking care of it. This is also linked to
pro-environmental human actions, which refer to behaviors manifested in caring and protecting one’s
surroundings.

Ecopsychology shares many similarities with affinity with nature. It is concerned with
“fundamental interconnections between humans and natural world through a phenomenological and
sensorial link, and integration of practices based on the notion that direct contact with the natural world
has healing potential.”

How do we develop affinity with nature and Ecopsychology?

Just like other aspects of the Self, these are brought about by experiences with nature and
observations of our environment. Parental behavior accounts for much of our beliefs about nature and
our environment. For example, having pets in the house and giving responsibility of taking care of them
can lead to love for animals and for some, advocating against animal cruelty, on the grounds that they are
creatures of God and deserve gentleness and respect. Teaching children the value of recycling, taking care
of gardens, and throwing trash carefully can instil respect for the environment and love for nature. In
schools, certain programs are imbedded within their curricula that provide exposure to nature and the
environment, such as community service programs, outreach activities, camping trips, and school clubs
(i.e. mountaineering, boy scouts and girl scouts organizations).

How do we establish and improve on our connections with nature?

First, it is not enough that we simply conform to what society says about taking care of the
environment; research has shown that personal standpoints (such as locus of control, self-construal,
spirituality, values, identity) have a strong relationship to our affinity with nature and ecopsychology.
Second, the emergence of technology has hampered our engagement with nature-bound activities.
Whereas before, children can be seen playing outside and engaging in nature-bound activities (swimming,
fishing, hiking, boating), most children today can now be seen using electronic gadgets, surfing the
internet, or as simple as watching TV. These activities have weakened the human-nature connection.
Lastly, while not all people are meant for being active environmental advocates, incremental
behaviors toward protecting the environment can go a long way. Proper disposal of trash, avoiding use of
plastics and other non-biodegradable materials, and taking care of pets can be some of the ways by which
we show our unity with nature.

UNIT 3. Discovering Meaning of Life

 This unit highlights the concepts of well-being and life satisfaction. We’ll explore facets of
wellbeing and life satisfaction, what it means to individual, the factors that contribute to it, and their
consequences to daily living. We will also discuss its significance in these challenging times.

Human beings are naturally inclined to assess their life, reflect on choices they have made,
evaluate the consequences of such choices, and learn lessons from various experiences. As what we have
seen in the prior lessons, discovering meaning, and how we put meaning in our lives is a vital function in
achieving wellbeing and life satisfaction. When we find ourselves lost, we often engage in unhealthy and
negative behaviors; indulging in vices, being pessimistic and negative in our worldviews, and isolate
ourselves from others. When we are able to put life into perspective, see the beauty of the world around
us, and see meaning in the things that we do, then wellbeing and life satisfaction naturally follows. This
can be seen in various contexts, including our home life and school setting. We are able to foster healthy
relationships with our family members, and experience academic achievement.

Wellbeing and life satisfaction are interchangeably used but they have a thin line that
distinguishes one from the other; wellbeing is an inner, personal construct, associated with self-esteem,
self-understanding, and intrinsic in nature. Simply put, it is how good we feel about ourselves that
permeates our entire being. On the other hand, life satisfaction is our contentment with the direction our
life is going, the circumstances we find ourselves in, and elements that make up our life conditions. It is
also intrinsic but in this case, it is our general attitude towards life. When wellbeing and life satisfaction
are present, happiness naturally flows. However, in some cases, happiness is generally regarded as the
emotional consequence of life satisfaction. Further, happiness can be subjective to the moment while life
satisfaction is more encompassing. It can refer to the desire to change one’s life; satisfaction with past;
satisfaction with future; and significant other’s views of one’s life." (Diener, et. al., 1999). It is also
associated with quality of life.

Research has cited many factors that influence these concepts. Personal factors such as
personality (such as openness to experience and extraversion), cognition, physical health and vigor have
been associated with wellbeing and life satisfaction. Further, environmental conditions also comprise
individual life satisfaction. Socio-economic status, home environment, interpersonal relationships, and
education also influence one’s wellbeing and life satisfaction. Life satisfaction is also dependent on
whether basic needs and other goals are met. The more goals are met, life satisfaction increases. We also
need to adopt healthy mindsets that can lead to healthy lifestyles; engaging in forward thinking (enabling
forethought and planning) and becoming community oriented are only some of the things that we can do
to enhance over-all quality of life.

However, wellbeing and life satisfaction are highly personal and relative. Similar to personal
meanings we attribute to and generate in our lives, how we feel about ourselves and the life we live is
dependent on what attributions we make. This is also influenced by cultural contexts; the collectivistic
nature of the Filipinos is manifested in the close-knit relations of the family, classroom peers, teachers,
and friends. We attribute much of our life satisfaction in how we value others and are valued in return.
When we feel support from other people, life satisfaction is better achieved and wellbeing is better felt.
Depression is highly related to negative life satisfaction; if such is the case, then positive life satisfaction
can alleviate or eliminate depression.

Literature has posited a variety of qualities associated with such individuals, among them effective
self-perception (being able to change their attitudes about themselves and engaging in self-monitoring to
minimize negative attitudes), realistic self-esteem and self-acceptance (self-valuation, self-respect, and
respecting yourself), control of behaviour (behaviour awareness and regulation), true perception of the
world (harbouring healthy perceptions of your environment and your place within it), sustaining
relationships and affection (manifesting empathy, and sharing of positive emotions with others), and self-
direction and productivity (making sure our goals and behaviors are aligned to our core values and
conscious beliefs of ourselves). Manifesting these qualities promote healthy wellbeing and increase our
life satisfaction, which in turn, results to positive mental health and healthy dispositions.