SELF Module 9: The Spiritual Self

Dr. ELVIRA C. PRIETO

AssociAte Professor V,

Doctor of EDUCAtion in EDUCAtioNAL LeAdership

MAED in LIBRARY Science

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URS-IM-AA-CI-0169 Rev 00 Effective Date: August 24, 2020
“ I have so much to do that I shall spend
the first three hours in prayer.
Martin Luther

MODULE
9

This module focuses on the spiritual dimension of the self. It broadly tackles the
different aspect of spirituality from existence, relatedness or connections, and the inner
soul
 This section discuss the nature of spirituality, how it is different from religiosity,
the factors that shape one’s spirituality, and its impact on oneself

The spiritual self is quite difficult to discover as it is impossible for every human
being to know the true will of God. People rely only on their faith and faith dictates that
the reason for leaving is to follow the works and examples of Jesus Christ. The life of
Jesus Christ on earth is a perfect example of what love is – love that is unconditional
and without limit, love that is willing to endure all pain. He sacrificed his life to save
human kind and from being God, he became man and died on the cross. His sacrifice
shows selflessness. This is the self that Jesus Christ wants people to follow.

Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of the section, students are expected to

1. Explain the practice of religion and the belief in the supernatural;

2. Examine the different concepts of soul an d the importance of ritual; and
3. Evaluate the varying views about the meaning of life.

The Practice of Religion

Does God really exist? From the point of view of an atheist, He does not exist. God
is dead and God is irrelevant. However, using reason and logic, one may be convinced
that He really exists by answering such questions as “Why does it seem like everything
in the universe is perfect?,” “Why are the distance between the Sun, the Moon, and
Earth very exact?,” or “Why does the human body seem to be perfectly designed from
the brain up to the bones, blood, and internal organs?”
 With these questions, there has to be an “architect” who constructed and
designed all these things in the universe. This supposition leads people to the idea of a
god, or a supreme being.
Religion introduces the concept of supreme beings (God, gods, or goddesses) as
cause or reason of all phenomena. The traditional concept based on Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam regards god as an independent being, the creator of the
universe, and distinct from the universe that this supreme being created. It is widely
accepted that this god is the highest being who shows concern for the suffering of
humankind, the face of justice that manifest ultimate forms of rationality and morality. All
agree that this supreme being is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing),
and omnipresent (everywhere at once). This god is regarded as the most merciful, most
just, most patient, and cannot be represented in any worldly form.
Religion has many functions such as providing sense of the world, strengthening
norms and identity, setting sanctions for individual behavior, and giving serenity in
facing life challenges.

The Concept of Soul

Monism is a view that there is only one substance and only one being. It means that
the soul and the body are one. On the contrary, dualism is a view that mind and body
are two independent substances.
Western philosophers believe d that the human person is a rational being which
constituted of soul and body. The soul is superior to the body and can exist
independently without the body. It is invisible and immortal and it directs the physical
body, but death does not mean the end of personal existence. The soul is the life-force
of the body. It is the source of motion as well as the intelligence or mind of the person
that pre-exists bodily existence.
The Filipino term for soul or spirit is kaluluwa. It is believed that it has two
existences. One is physical, in which the soul is connected to the human body and its
life, and the other is spiritual, which exists on its own (Demetrio, Cordero-Fernando,
Zialcita, & Feleo, 1991).

Dungan: The Bisayan Concept of Soul

Dungan is the Ilonggo term (by people of Panay and Negros) for the soul. It lacks
material substance and is extremely light that it travels with the wind. It is believed that
dungan dwells above the surface of the earth before inhabiting the human body. It
patiently chooses an unborn child’s body to inhabit. The dungan does not stay in any
specific part of the body but it grows proportionately with the physical body – the bigger
the person, the bigger the dungan. Ilonggos believe that it must be protected and
nurtured when a person is at a young age it is to one’s vulnerability to usug which may
manifest through a headache, nausea, stomachache, fever, or other diseases. When
one is afflicted by usug, the dungan that causes the usug is said to be overpowering the
person.

Religious Ritual
Rituals are patterns of behavior or practices that are related to the sacred (Tischler,
2011). In Catholicism, rituals are called sacraments. There are seven sacraments,
namely, baptism, Holy Eucharist, confirmation, reconciliation, anointing of the sick,
marriage, and holy order. Baptism, for example, is much more than pouring of oil and
washing of the head with water; it is celebrated to welcome the child to the Catholic faith
and to free him or her from the original sin inherited from Adam and Eve. In the Holy
Eucharist, the host and the wine represent the body and blood of Christ which are
believed to be very important for the forgiveness of sins.

Magic and Witchcraft

Anthropologies call the practice of compelling the supernatural forces to work or
behave in a specific way as magic. Spoken words (or spell) and objects are key
components of magic (Frankle & Stein, 2005). Magic may involve manipulation of the
supernatural for good or for evil purposes. Magical rituals are usually performed to
ensure production of good crops, the replenishment of game, the fertility of domestic
animals, and the prevention and cure of illness. The belief in magic is often associated
with simple or primitive societies, but some people in complex societies take magic
seriously and still perform magical practices. (Ember & Ember, 2011).
Two of the many forms of magic are sorcery and witchcraft. These practices are
attempts to invoke the spirits to inflict harm against people. Although often used
interchangeably, they are also distinguished from one another. Sorcery makes use of
materials, objects, and medicines to invoke supernatural malevolence while witchcraft
may accomplish the same ills by means of thought and emotion alone. Suspected
sorcerers and witches are usually feared because of their ability to manipulate the
supernatural to cause illness, injury, and even death. Because sorcerers using materials
for their magic, evidence of sorcery can be found and suspected sorcerers are often
killed for their malevolent activities while witches and the performance of witchcraft can
neither be proven nor be disproved due to lack of evidence (Ember & Ember, 2011).
In the Philippines, barang (magic of sorcery in Cebuano) is done as an act of
revenge for the wrongdoing done by the inflicted person. A victim of sorcery is called
natabang or nabarang. A natabang may experience illness like stomachache, whereas
a nabarang may have a more painful and deadly experience as a swarm of insects may
enter through the anus, nose, ears, and other openings of the victim’s body. Victims of
witchcraft in the Philippines are called nagaway or nakulam. Many forms of illness may
be inflicted by the manggagaway or mangkukulam through the use of dolls, candles,
and prayers during the ritual.

Finding and Creating Meaning in Life: Perspective from the Roman Catholics and
the Atheists

For the Roman Catholics, God is the architect and the designer of all things on earth.
He created the world according to his plans and purposes. He created the world out of
his love and everyone is called to follow his examples. Catholics also believe that
human existence on earth is temporary; faith gives the believers hope that in life after
death they will meet their Creator in a place where there is no sadness and pain, a
place they call heaven.
 On the contrary, what if there is no life after death? What if humans are just body
without soul? If these are not existing or real, will life have meaning? What if we are just
one of the species of animals bound to perish on a certain era? Are we still willing to
submit ourselves to religion and norms of society or will we live our life according to
what brings us happiness?
For existentialists, God is dead, there is no life after death, and life has no meaning.
They posit that it is the person who should create his or her own meaning of existence.
For Albert Camus, a well-known existentialist and atheist, human life is absurd. In
this context, the term absurd does not men illogical or unreasonable. He posited that life
is absurd because people constantly looking for answers, reasons, or justifications for
the good and the bad things happening in the world.

Man’s Searching for Meaning

Victor Frankl, who wrote the book Man’s Search for Meaning (1946), was a
neurologist who developed logotherapy. Logotherapy is based on the guided principle
that the primary motivational force of every individual is to find meaning in life. A
psychotherapeutic approach, logotheraphy is anchored on three basic principles:
1. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones;
2. The impetus to live is one’s will to discover meaning in life; and
3. Humans are free to discover meaning in everything they do, in what they
experience, or at least in the decision they make when faced with immutable
suffering.
References:

Corpus, R. M., Estique, R. S., & Tabotabo, C. V. (2019). Understanding the Self. C&E
Publishing, Inc.
Otig, V. S., Gallinero, W. B., Gimeno, F. C., & Garcia, M. R. (2019). A Holistic Approach in
Understanding the Self. Mutya Publishing House.
Brawner, D. G., & Arcega, A. F. 2018. Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc.
Macayan, J. V., Pinugu, JN. J., & Castillo, JC. D. (2018). Understanding the Self,
Outcome Based Module. C&E Publishing, Inc.

Degho, S. E., Degho, G. S., & Declaro, LJ. S. (2018) Understanding the Self, An Outcome
Based Workbook for College Students. Mutya Publishing House.

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/teachings/qa-on-the-eucharist-178

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/sacrament-of-confirmation/

http://www.beginningcatholic.com/sacrament-of-reconciliation

https://www.catholic.com/tract/anointing-of-the-sick