SPIRITUAL SELF

2. Ritual - Rituals are the repeated physical

THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION: BELIEF IN
SUPERNATURAL BEING AND POWER
Religion
 Defined as "the belief in and worship of a
superhuman controlling power, especially a
personal God or gods" (Oxford University
Press, 2017).
 It is also a "particular system of faith and
worship. " (University of Minnesota Human
Rights Center, 2003, 2016).
 Religion, however, may best be understood
as a systematic "attribution of human
characteristics or behavior to a god, animal,
or object" (Anthropomorphism).
actions or behaviors, such as mantras and
prayers, that are intended to bolster religious
doctrine, arouse mystical experiences, and
establish a connection between worshippers
and a supreme being (Little, 2016).
3. Spiritual Experience - This dimension
delves into the personal and emotional aspects
of religion, such as mystical experiences,
personal encounters with the divine, and the
impact of faith on one's inner life.
“To one who has faith, no explanation is
necessary. To one without faith, no explanation
is possible.”
-Saint Thomas Aquinas

The Psychology Behind Religion 4. Unique Social Forms of Community - This

dimension examines the communal aspects of
An explanation for why people are drawn to
religion, including the organization of religious
religion was put out in a 1990 study by Ohio
communities, leadership roles, and the social
State University psychology professor emeritus
impact of religion. It practices “unite in one
Steven Reiss. According to him, religion has a
single community called a Church, all those
large following because it meets all 16 of the
who adhere to them”.
fundamental needs that all people have (The 16
Strivings for God, 2016). According to Reiss,
the 16 basic desires that humans share are;
Social Dimensions that religion shares (Dawson
and Theissen, 2014)
1. Acceptance
2. Curiosity
When accepted and shared by a group,
3. Eating
religion becomes more credible. If those you
4. Family
respect around you also hold a certain belief,
5. Honor
it will be simpler for you to do so.
6. Idealism
7. Independence
Religion offers a source of authority that
8. Order
expressly addresses social or moral issues,
such as choosing the appropriate course of
The 4 Dimensions of Religion
action. It offers a foundation for ethics and
righteous conduct, establishing the
It is difficult to come up with a specific definition
community's normative base.
of religion that applies to all of them because of
how drastically different one religion is from the
Religion fosters the development of self-
others. Sociologists identified four dimensions
discipline and serves as a type of social
that appear to be present in all religions in
control, both of which are essential
varied degrees of shape and intensity (Dawson
components of a healthy community.
& Thiessen, 2014). Which are:
Religious institutions serve as social hubs in
1. Belief
their localities, offering a place for
2. Ritual
amusement, networking, and support.
3. Spiritual Experience
4. Unique Social Forms of Community

1. Belief - Religious beliefs are an overarching

set of principles and ideals that influence how
members of a particular religion learn to
interpret the world around them. This authority
may include priests, imams, or shamen. These
doctrines and creeds were official, but more
informal lessons were also taught through lore,
songs, and myths.
 DUNGAN, SPIRIT AND, SOUL
In pre-colonial Philippines, our ancestors looked
up to a "Babylan". Described as a priestess or
shaman, a babaylan acted as healer, spiritual
leader, and medium.
"Animism" is the attribution of a soul plants,
inanimate objects, and natural phenomena.
Our ancestors believed that soul quasi-physical
and can exist outside the body and that they
can transfer from one body to another.
They also believed that souls persist after death
and become ghosts, in the same way that
modern Filipinos believe in "multo".
Our ancestors already believed in spirit, beings
that dwell in the environment, these includes
deceased ancestral souls, and forces in nature
(wind, moon, stars).
Central to the traditions of our ancestors was
the belief that animate and inanimate creatures
have "life force”.
DUNGAN AND GINHAWA
According to Magos, "dungan" was a life force,
an energy, as well as an ethemal entity a spirit
with a will of its own that resides in the human
body and provides the essence of life.
Once "dungan" returns to the person's body, he
or she becomes fully conscious again. If any
other spirits harm the "dungan" while it is
outside the body and cannot return, the person
dies.
aside from a "dungan" a vital force also
occupies the body. This vital force was called
"ginhawa" (translation: breath of life).
"Ginhawa" and "dungan" both exist in every
person. Ginhawa was the breath of life while
dungan was the conscious intellectual and
emotional aspects.
SOUL AND SPIRIT
The soul and the spirit are the two primary
immaterial aspects ascribed to humanity.
There are different shades of meaning between
the idea of the soul and the idea of spirit from
culture to culture and religion to religion.
I. Etymology
Old English for "soul" was "sawol" that mean
spiritual and emotional part of a person's,
animate existence
"spirit" is directly from Latin "spiritus" a
breathing (respiration, and of the wind), breath,
breath of God, hence respiration means "breath
of life”.
II. Biblical beliefs
Soul refers to the conscious, the moral, and
thinking part of a person. The soul is immortal; it
will go to hell, purgatory, or heaven after the
person dies.
Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit, the third part of
the Trinity. It is the force of God through which
blessings are bestowed upon His people.
III. In Western Culture
Soul can often be taken to mean someone's
moral consciousness. For example, a cruel
killer could be said to have no soul.
Spirit may also refer to ghosts or any other
supernatural beings. It is believed that the souls
of people who died with unfinished business
wander the earth until their task is fulfilled.
IV. In Eastern Culture
Soul is the part of the person that has dharma.
In Hinduism dharma is one's obligation with
respect to caste, social custom, civil law, and
sacred law. Dharma incurs karma.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma is the sum of
a person's actions in this and previous states of
existence. The fate of one's future existences
depends on one's karma.
Nature and ancestor spirits are common in
Taoism.
Shinto, an animistic folk religion from Japan,
places an emphasis on shamanism, particularly
divination, spirit possession, and faith healing.
Confucianism tolerates the Chinese folk
recognition of the existence of animistic spirits,
ghosts, and deities.
THE SOUL ACCORDING TO SOME
ETHNOLINGUISTIC GROUPS OF THE
PHILIPPINES
Linnawa or “soul of the dead” by the ifugao.
Kaduwa of the lsneg (an igorot tribe native to
apayao province in the philippines cordillera
administrative religion). the isneg believes that
the dead exists in a realm called the
aglalanawan. The kaduwa (soul) is believed to
cross a pond in ferry piloted by a kutaw (spirit).
The kankanaey (another member of the igorot
people) believes that the human person is
composed of the physical body and the ab-abiik
(soul). when spirits summon a person’s ab-abiik
he or she becomes sick. A ritual will be
performed to appease the spirit who summoned
the ab-abiik so that it will allow the ab-abiik to
return to its body, and the person recovers from
the illness.
Kaluluwa is the tagalog people’s concept of soul
however, it refers more to the soul of the
deceased. the soul of living person is called a
“kakambal”. The “kakambal” leaves the physical
body at night to roam, and any bad encounter
causes bangungot (nightmare).
The Ilocano has a Four-Soul System
The kararua, or the soul proper. it is
the equivalent of a soul in the Christian
concept.
Karkarma stands for natural vigor,
mind, and reason. it can leave the physical
body when one is frightened. Karkarma can
also be stolen if this soul fails to return to the
body, the person becomes insane. Sacrificial
ceremonies may be performed to lure back a
lost karkarma.
Aniwaas can leave the body during
sleep and visits places familiar to the body. If
one wakes up while the aniwaas is visiting
these places, he or she may lose the aniwaas
and become insane.
Araria is the liberated soul of the dead,
It visits relatives and friends in the physical
world to ask for prayers. It can also perform a
duty it failed to do in life.
The Ibanag/Ybanag (who inhabits the
provinces of Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva
Vizcaya) has a distinction between baggi (body)
and ikaruruwa (soul). The Ibanag believes that
the soul has physical characteristics. The soul
may have color, and the souls of dead babies
can reach adulthood in the spirit realm. The role
of the soul is to give direction and wholeness to
the man, but body can survive without the soul,
and even without the body the soul experiences
material wants and needs.
The Hanunoo Mangyan (of Mindoro) believes in
the plurality of souls. For instance, they have
karaduwa tawu/tawo (human soul), karaduwa
manok (chicken soul), karaduwa baboy (pig
soul) karaduwa kuti (cat soul), and karaduwa
hipon (shrimp soul). A soul can also separate
itself from the physical body. When a person
sleeps, the karaduwa roams the world. What
the person dreams of are actually the
experiences of the karaduwa while roaming
around.
The Tagbanwa of central and northern Palawan
believes the people have one ‘true soul’ or
kiyaraluwa and five secondary souls. The
kiyaraluwa is given at birth by the God
Magindusa. The secondary souls are located in
both hands and feet, while there is also one in
the head just below the air whorl (alimpuyo).
The ethnic tribes of Bukidnon believe in the
ginukod. According to their custom, there are
two types of ginukod: The one in the right hand
and the one in the left hand. The ginukod in the
right hand is the good soul, and the one in the
left hand is the bad soul. The right hand is
associated with life, health, activity, and joy. The
left-hand soul is the cause of lethargy, pain, and
illness.
The Function of Rituals
Rituals, as defined, are structured and often
symbolic sets of actions or ceremonies
performed for a specific purpose. They
encompass a wide range of activities, from
religious ceremonies to everyday customs and
habits.
Rituals gives fulfillment of religious obligations
or ideals, satisfaction of spiritual or emotional
needs of the practitioners and strengthening of
social bonds.
General approaches to theories about the
nature and origin of rituals
Origin Approach - The earliest approach was
an attempt to explain ritual, as well as religion,
by means of a theory concerned with historical
origin.
Functional Approach - The aim of
functionalism is to explain ritual behavior in
terms of individual needs and social equilibrium.
Ritual is thus viewed as an adaptive and
adjustive response to the social and physical
environment
History of Religions Approach - A third
approach to the study of ritual is centered on
the studies of historians of religion. A third
approach to the study of ritual is centered on
the studies of historians of religion. ritual
behavior signifies or expresses the sacred (the
realm of transcendent or ultimate reality). This
approach, however, has never been
represented as an explanation of ritual. The
basic problem with it remains that it cannot be
 confirmed unless scholars agree beforehand
that such a transcendent reality
Classification Of Rituals
1.Imitative Ritual
o The meaning of every ritual is based on
some belief system.
o These are patterned after myths, and the
ritual repeats the myths or aspects of the
myths.
o Example: Filipinos make noises at the strike
of twelve every New Year.
2. Positive and Negative Rituals
NEGATIVE RITUALS
o “Avoidance”
o The word ‘taboo’ has been applied to those
rituals that concern something should be
avoided because it is forbidden.
o Thus, negative rituals focus on the rules of
prohibition, which cover almost infinite
variety of rites and behaviors.
o “If someone breaks the ritual, it will result in
misfortune.”
POSITIVE RITUAL
o Positive Ritual - mostly giving blessings to
an object or to an individual.
Example: A commonly believed Chinese taboo
of the Chinese New Year, families are advised
against sweeping, washing clothes or hair, or
taking out garbage on New Year’s Day as it is
believed to take away good fortune or wealth.
3. Sacrificial Rituals
o Seen as the earliest form of religion.
o The distinct feature of this type or ritual is the
total destruction of the sacrifice as an offering to
a “higher being”.
o The sacrifice can be a human being, food
crops, or objects. The destruction can be by
burning, dismembering, cutting the sacrifice into
small pieces, eating, or burying it.
Example: The Ilocano ritual of Atang (food
offering) is intended to drive away evil and
malevolent spirits.
4. Life Crisis Rituals
o It is the transition of one mode or stage of life
into another.
o usually defines as the life of an individual.
Example: It is a Filipino tradition to bury the
placenta right after birth, and it is the father who
is tasked to do this. Moreover, for the
succeeding children, it is important to bury the
placenta of the siblings together so that they will
always love and care for one another the rest of
their lives.
Finding And Creating Meaning in Life
Philosophy by: Viktor Frankl
Finding Meaning in Life (Viktor Frankl)
1. Frankl believed that meaning could be found
in life by recognizing the inherent significance
of situations and experiences, even in the
face of suffering or adversity.
2. This perspective suggests that meaning is not
something we necessarily have to create from
scratch but rather something we can discover
in our daily existence.
3 Ways of Discovering Meaning in life,
1. Creating meaning through work or
achievements:
o Frankl believed that individuals can find
meaning in their lives by accomplishing goals,
pursuing creative endeavors, or contributing
to society.
2. Finding meaning through experiencing
something or someone:
o This approach suggests that meaning can be
found through love, relationships, or by
experiencing the beauty and goodness in the
world.
3. Discovering meaning through suffering:
o Frankl's own experiences in concentration
camps during the holocaust influenced this
idea. He believed that even in the most
extreme suffering, individuals can find
meaning by enduring it with courage, dignity,
and a sense of responsibility.
Creating Meaning in Life (Viktor Frankl)
1. While finding meaning is about recognizing
the inherent value in life's experiences, creating
meaning involves actively shaping and defining
your own purpose and values.
2. Frankl argued that we have the freedom to
choose our responses to life's circumstances,
and this freedom enables us to create meaning
in our lives, even in the most challenging
situations.
 Frankl's work continues to be influential in
psychology and existential philosophy,
reminding us that, even in the face of suffering
and adversity, individuals have the capacity to
find and create meaning in their lives, which can
provide a source of resilience, purpose, and
fulfillment.

LOGOTERAPHY

Psychotherapeutic approach developed by

Viktor Frankl, it is based on the belief that the
primary human drive is the search for meaning
and purpose in life.

1. Search for meaning: logotherapy posits that

the fundamental human motivation is to find
meaning in life. Frankl believed that individuals
are driven to discover purpose, significance,
and a reason to live.

2. Freedom of will: central to logotherapy is

the idea that individuals have the freedom to
choose their attitudes and responses to life's
challenges. Even in the most difficult situations,
individuals can choose how they perceive and
react to their circumstances.

3. Three central tenets:

a. Creative values: logotherapy encourages
individuals to create their own meaning by
pursuing values that are unique to them. This
could include finding meaning through
relationships, work, creativity, or even in the
face of suffering.
b. Experiential values: Frankl believed that
meaning could be found in experiencing life fully
and embracing each moment. It involves
recognizing the value of every experience, even
suffering, as it can teach us important lessons.
c. Attitudinal values: this tenet focuses on
choosing one's attitude, even in the face of
unavoidable suffering. Frankl argued that one
can find meaning by responding to suffering
with courage, dignity, and a sense of
responsibility.

In essence,

Frankl's philosophy emphasizes that meaning

can be both discovered and created.
Discovering meaning involves recognizing the
inherent value in life's experiences, and it often
involves appreciating the positive aspects of
life, even in difficult situations. Creating
meaning, on the other hand, involves actively
choosing your attitude and responses to life's
challenges and actively shaping your own
purpose and values.