SPIRITUAL SELF

“peace with God is

peace with yourself”

Edited By: Keno Alvir G Suni, MAP-CP, RPm, RPsy, Ph.D.C

Prepared by: Ms. Donna P. Sombrea, MS, RPsy & Ms. Hazel B. Mendoza, LPT, MA
Department of Psychology
Adamson University
“When reason ends,
Faith begins.”
-Saint Thomas Aquinas
Learning Objectives

Demonstrate an understanding of spiritual self

Explain the three ways of discovering meaning in life

Discuss how spirituality is connected with religion

Identify the differences among the major world religions

Explain the importance of spirituality in one’s life

╺
Quo Vadis? Where are you going?
If you do not know where you are going,
no road will take you there.
SPIRITUAL SELF

Spirituality influences the

individual through acts of:
 faith
 hope
 love

This chapter provides an overview of spirituality and

religion. It also includes topics on the practice of animism.
 SPIRITUAL SELF

 The inner essence.

 The part of the self that connects the person to the sacred,
supernatural, and the universe.

 Enables the person to experience a feeling of oneness with a

higher being and the universe and gives a deeper purpose or
meaning of one’s life.
 Spirituality

• Begins at an early age but develops throughout life.

• The root meaning is taken from the Latin word
S P I R I T U S

• meaning breath or life force.

• Generally refers to meaning and purpose in one’s life.

• A search for wholeness, and a relationship

with a transcendent being or sacred transcendence.
 Spirituality
Christians use the term “spirit” to describe the Holy Spirit.
In Christian Ethics, Peschke (1994) describes that the
Experience of the Sacred is characterized by:
Reverence
Faith
Fear
Trust
Love
Admiration
Spirituality

WORSHIP is regarded as an essential act

to realize the ultimate meaning of
transcendence and human life.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT ACTS OF WORSHIP?

Prayer
Reading the Bible
Attending sacraments.
Doing sacrifices.
SPIRITUALITY
Generally refers to
meaning and
purpose in one’s
life.
LOGOTHERAPY

Is the pursuit of human existence as well as

on man’s search for such a meaning.

According to this therapy, the striving to

find the meaning in one’s life is the primary
motivational force in man.
WHAT ARE THE THREE DIFFERENT WAYS IN DISCOVERING
THE MEANING OF LIFE IN LOGOTHERAPY

╺ 3.

1. BY DOING A DEED
2. BY EXPERIENCING A VALUE
3. BY SUFFERING
╺ DOING A DEED
╺ EXPERIENCING
╺ A VALUE
SUFFERING
An Application to
Everyday LIfe

Searching for Meaning

and Purpose
An Application
to Everyday Life
" SEARCH FOR
MEANING, PURPOSE
AND DIRECTION"

The first step in searching for

“meaning and direction”
is to reflect on: the
 very purpose
of our existence and
 our ultimate destiny.
 Life becomes
meaningful to the
extent that we are
able to comprehend and
actualize the significance
and the very
purpose of our
existence
ACTIVITY 1: SOUL SEARCHING EXERCISE
1. What do you consider as your ultimate destiny?
Do you believe that man is destined to be reunited
with his Creator after death.
2. What struggles are you now facing in your journey to God?
A. Are there things in your life now that you need to give
up since they may hinder or deter you from reaching
your destiny?
B. What temptations and situations in your life make it
difficult for you to live in the Spirit of God (a Life that
conforms to God's plan)?
3. How do you want to be remembered when you are
gone? What legacy would you like to leave behid?=
Share your reflections with a partner
Your partner will write a comment on your paper
SPIRITUALITY
Latin word spiritus, meaning breath or
life force

Spirituality can be understood as a

search for the sacred, a process through
which people seek to discover, hold on
to,Godand,
and when necessary, transform
whatever they hold sacred in their lives
transcendence
 SPIRITUALITY RELIGIOUSITY

your own conscious

self recognizing that
Could be associated
you are more than just
with behaviour and
a body, that you are a
practices
soul with infinite
potential

Religion separates, Spirituality unites

Religion tells you the truth – Spirituality lets you discover it
“Religion is belief in someone else’s experience.
Spirituality is having your own experience.”
– Deepak Chopra
EARLY EVOLUTIONARY
APPROACHES
TO RELIGION

One’s spirituality is expressed through religion

 RELIGION Set of beliefs and
practices deemed
Durkheim as sacred and it
units believers as
on moral
community

• Animism
– Belief that spiritual beings can have good and ill
effects on people’s lives
• Totemism
– Belief that plants, animals, or objects possess spirit
• Theism
– Belief that one or more gods have created the
universe and have supernatural powers to influence
and control people’s lives
 Theism
Belief that there is only
one supreme being to
be worshiped
(e.g.Christianity/ Islam)
Monotheism

Belief that there are

more than one god to
be worshipped
(e.g. native religions)
Polytheism

PREPARED BY: HAZEL B. MENDOZA, LPT, MA &

DONNA P. SOMBREA, MPsy Adamson Universitu
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF
ANIMISM/TOTEMISM
• KNOWLEDGE
Ignorance
• PROPER EDUCATION
• FAITH
Lack IN
of GOD
proper education
Lack of faith in God
 Religious groups

1.CULTS- New emerging religious groups (all religions began as cult)

2.SECT- formed from being cult. When people accept the new religion
& increase in numbers of followers
3.DENOMINATION- pluralism or the existence of various
religious groups simultaneously. (independent)
4.CHURCH- highly organized religious groups, RULES & POLICIES
from the higher authority
5.ECCLESIA- recognized official state religion. (in Christian
theology: Body of faith & whole body of faithful)
 Monotheistic: one supreme being coexisted with the universe
Polytheism: the belief in or worship of more than one god.

Eastern and Western Beliefs:

A Snapshot of the Religious Differences

WESTERN BELIEFS EASTERN BELIEFS

Analytic : the whole is understood when emphasis is placed on the
differentiated into parts (Analytic-deductive)
whole itself.
THE FOUR GREAT SYSTEMS OF
Materialistic and Rationalistic: EASTERN THOUGHT:
focused on material things, favors rational-empirical
approach over superstitious explanations 1. Hinduism
2. Buddhism
3. Confucianism
4. Taoism
 Confucianism
Hinduism
o The Golden Rule
o human suffering
o The self is a subdued self
o Brahman and Atman
o Law of Karma
o Concept of reincarnation

Buddhism
o Siddharta Gautama Buddha
o The four noble truth
o Eight Fold Path
o Man has no self (or no soul).
There is nothing permanent but
change.
Taoism
o The perfect man has no self
o The self is an extension of
the cosmos, not of social
relationships
THREE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF
RELIGION
Durkheim

1. Religion provides meaning,

reasons and purpose to man’s
existence
2. Religion fosters unity among
believers by sharing common
rituals, practices and values
3. Religion offers guidelines on how
to live a moral life based on the
written doctrines and teachings
 DIMENSIOMS OF THE EXTENT OF THE
BELIEVERS’ COMMITMENT TO SPECIFIC
RELIGIOUS GROUPS (RELIGIOSITY)
Gluck

1. Experiential Religiosity puts emphasis on the believer’s

emotional attachment to his religion
2. Ritualistic religiosity puts emphasis on the frequency of
attendance in his religious activities
3. Ideological religiosity places significance in the
believer’s degree of acceptance and beliefs of the
doctrines and teachings of his religion
4. Consequential religiosity revolves around how the
believers observe and practices the beliefs of his
religion
5. Intellectual religiosity centers on the extent of
information and knowledge about religion’s historical
backgrounds and doctrines
SPIRITUAL PRIDE
• Strongest hindrance
to gain spirituality
• Selfishness,
ingratitude; all the
achievements and
successes are
attributed to oneself.
• PRIDE is the number
one sin of people
 SPIRITUAL SELF
o He gives a kind of love known as agape, an altruistic
love which is selfless and does not expect for
anything in return, He just loves without any
conditions and returns

o A man of spirituality finds joy in doing good deed for

God’s pleasure
o He lives a life in accordance with the will of God

o He is patient in waiting for God’s answers to his

prayers
o He knows and understands his own sense of purpose
in life
o He discovers his meaningful existence
 SPIRITUAL SELF
o He feels blessed in God’s grace , wisdom and
love
o When he forgives, he also forgets
o He does not entertain negative thoughts
o He is happy when he is able to help the needy
and the less fortunate
o He never feels alone because God is always
with him at all time, good or bad
o He practices humility the way God through
Jesus Christ lives his life on earth
What he
needs
Take time to do what
makes your soul happy

PREPARED BY: DONNA P. SOMBREA, MS, RPsy & HAZEL B. MENDOZA, LPT, MA
Adamson University
Credits:

The preparation of this presentation was done in collaboration

with Vince Saniel, Hazel Medoza, Donna Sombrea, and Michelle Delos
Santos
 REFERENCES

Textbook

Malabuyo, T., Moises, L., Varela, R., Zarraga, I. (2019). Understanding the Self, Adamson
University, Manila, Philippines.

Supplementary Material:

Mollina M.J. & Ramirez N. (2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing, Inc.