LESSON 4: SPIRITUAL SELF Soul (kaluluwa, ikararuwa or kararuwa) – taken

from the root word duwa which means two.

 Includes functions and ceremonies.
 Objective is to appreciate the role of
religion to individuals and societies.
THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION: BELIEF IN
SUPERNATURAL BEING AND POWER
Soul has two parts:
PHYSICAL PART – where it is connected to the
body and its life.
SPIRITUAL PART – where it exists on its own.

 Supernatural being is a being that is
better and powerful than any creature
in the natural world.
 Includes all that cannot be explained by
the laws of nature (ex: ghosts, gods or
other types of spirits or other things
beyond nature)
Study conducted in America (21st Century):
 Decline of religiousness in US was
observed in adolescents in 14-20 years.
 Measured by frequency of prayer,
discussing religious teachings, deciding
moral actions and overall importance.
 Less likely to attend religious services or
activities.
 Adolescent girls are more religious than
the boys.
ANIMISM – one of the oldest beliefs taken from
the Latin word anima. Meaning breath or soul.
Animism is the belief that everything in nature –
living like trees, plants and even non-living –
have their own spirit or divinity.
For the Ibanags, the soul is the principle of life
in man. Body is the matter; soul is the form. As
long as body and soul are one unit, man is
alive.
Body cannot stay alive without the soul,
but the soul can live without the body. (ceases
to experience thirst and hunger, cold and heat)
For the Ilonggos, they call the soul, Dungan
which cannot be seen by the human eye.
Sometimes may show itself in form of insects.
(moth, housefly, lizard etc.)
RITUALS AND CEREMONIES
RITUAL – religious or solemn ceremony
consisting of a series of actions performed
according to prescribed order.
Consists of sequence of activities involving
gestures, words and objects, performed in a
specific place, according to a set sequence.
(traditions of a community, including religious
community)

RITES – refer to the spoken word used in ritual

Kaluluwa – Tagalogs
to convey meaning and value, to evoke an
Gimokud – Bagobos
image through the use of metaphor, or elicit
Makatu – Bukidnons
commitment or loyalty to a cause, set of beliefs,
Dungan – Ilonggos when alive: kalag or
community or persons.
detached, free when he is dead.
Ikararuwa – Ibanags
FUNCTIONS OF RITUALS: (Van Gennup)
Kadkadduwa (when soul is in the physical body)
1. a symbolic expression of actual social
-Ilokanos
relations, status, or roles of individuals in a
Karuruwa - (when it departs) – Ilokanos
society.
2. a transcendent, numinous (spiritual) reality
that shows the ultimate values of a community.
3. a set of behaviors and beliefs that are
symbolic of social, psychological, or numinous
realities.
 Functions may involve activities that
can be both secular and /or spiritual as
well as healing or destructive.
 Rituals show people’s commitment to
culture and family.
CEREMONY – refers to movements or gestures
expressing feelings or beliefs beyond the
limitations of speech. Can be elaborate or
simple, formal or intimate.
RELIGION (Santrock 2014) – is an organized set
of beliefs, practices, rituals and symbols that
increases an individual’s connection to a sacred
or transcendent other (GOD, higher power,
ultimate truth).
William James defined personal religion as the
feelings, acts and experiences of individual men
in their solitude, so far as they apprehend
themselves to stand in relation to whatever
they may consider divine.
RELIGIOUSNESS – is the degree by which one is
affiliated with an organized religion in terms of
the person’s participation in the prescribed
rituals and practices, connection with its beliefs,
and involvement with its community of
believers.
SPIRITUALITY – involves experiencing
something beyond oneself in a transcendent
manner and living in a way that benefits others
and society.
(search for the sacred)
SPIRITUAL IDENTITY – is the persistent sense of
self that addresses ultimate questions about
nature, purpose, and meaning in life.
“A high level of spirituality leads to a higher
level of self-efficacy” (De Guzman and
Larracas, 2014)
MAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT
MAGIC – is the power of apparently influencing
the course of events by using mysterious or
supernatural forces. Ability to use supernatural
forces to make impossible things happen.
MAGICIAN – one who performs magic like
casting spells/ summoning spirit. Derived from
the Old French magiciien, ‘magician or
sorcerer’ which is rooted from the Greek word
for magical, magikos or magos.
SORCERER – translated from the Greek word
pharmakos, and carries it with the idea of
medicine, magic potions, drugs and poison.
WIZARD – is one who is taught to be acquainted
with the secrets of the nonmaterial or unseen
world.
NECROMANCER – is one who is ‘seeking the
dead’. It’s a term that includes all forms of
attempt to make contact with departed spirits.
BARANG – Filipino term for sorcerer, malignant
sorcery or familiar spirits (usually a swarm of
destructive insects, specifically carnivorous
beetles)
MAMBABARANG – person who practices
BARANG. Binarang is the target of the sorcery
or witchcraft.
KULAM – is the tagalog word for “voodoo” or
witchcraft. After spell cast, the victim will
experience a form of illness which cannot be
cured by medicine, misfortunes to himself and
loved ones, unexplained events.
MANGKUKULAM – is a person who uses black
magic or spells on a victim.
2. Will to Meaning – The meaning that one
attaches to experience is not obvious. Since the
meaning varies from person to person and
situation to situation, its challenging to discover
what the experience means to be fulfilled.

ALBULARIO – or mananambal is a Filipino 3. Freedom to Will – People are given freedom

practitioner of traditional medicine, medicine to make life choices which includes how they
man who is capable of performing sorcery. A respond to life events. Can discover meaning
witchdoctor, folk healer. through the values they attach to things
connected with their lives.
When a person feels that his ailments and
misfortunes are caused by Kulam, he consults
an albularyo who performs rituals to defeat the
spells.

Most Filipinos believe in the mythical creatures

of local folklore which includes aswang,
manananggal, kapre. Dwende, sirena, syokoy,
engkanto, sigbin, tikbalang, tianak etc.

Usually comes out in the night looking for food

in the form: fresh blood, pregnant mothers
(they target the fetus) and human organs.

FINDING AND CREATING MEANING IN LIFE

LOGOTHERAPY – is a term coined by Victor
Frankl an existential philosopher. Logos is a
Greek word which stands for meaning.

Logotherapy aims to help the person search for

the meaning of his existence.

LOGOTHERAPIST – assist and guide the client in

finding meaning to his life.

THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES ON DISCOVERING

MEANING IN LIFE
1. Meaning in Life – man should see existence
as experiencing life’s ups and downs. Doesn’t
mean that people strive to become perfect.