LESSON 4: SPIRITUAL SELF: BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Spiritual self is one of the four (4) constituents of the “self” according to William James in
his book, The Principles of Psychology in 1890. The spiritual self is the most intimate, inner
subjective part of self – the most intimate version of the self because of the satisfaction
experienced when thinking of one’s ability to argue and discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility
and conscience, and our unconquerable will is purer than all other sentiments of satisfaction.

Religion
Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on the definition of religion "as a set of beliefs and
practices that usually includes some or all of basic characteristics. These characteristics are:
1) A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and gods
2) A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence and
awe
3) The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural beings as
well as physical beings and objects
4) The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred object to
communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control events
5) The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and other means
6) Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social control
within a community; provide explanation for unknown and a sense of control for
individuals.

An individual life in a society where there are many practices of religion. The choice of
religious belief lies within the spiritual self although the choice may be influenced by the
society and its culture.

Ritual
It is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law
(Britannica 2017). Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known
societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.
There are three fundamental characteristics of rituals according to Penner (Britannica
2017). Ritual has the characteristics of:
1) A feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the sacred

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 2) Dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of myth
3) Is symbolic in relation to its reference

The self can be described as a ritual being who exhibits a striking parallel between
their ritual and verbal behavior. Just as language is a system of symbols that is based upon
arbitrary rules, ritual may be viewed as a system of symbolic acts that is based upon arbitrary
rules. Participation to rituals is expressions of religious beliefs.

Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices

There are different religious with different beliefs and practices. Some of the major
world religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Excerpt of some
religious beliefs and practices are found in the University of London's Religion and Belief
Guide 2017.

Core beliefs

Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering, pain, and
frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience the goodness of life and avoid
disappointments. It becomes a habit known as the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like
and dislike, band craving and aversion. This reactive cycle can be broken through the
practice of mediation, acquiring more wisdom and deeper understanding, and acceptance of
things as they are.

Customs and Practices

There are two types of meditation practices: samatha and vipassana. The Samatha is
practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness (Metta Bhavana).
Vipassana practices aim developing insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by studying
Buddha's teaching, the Dharma. Through the reflection of Dharma, Buddhist can achieve a
deeper understanding of life. Buddhists believe in non- violence principle.
Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February; Buddha
Day (Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in October; and Sangha
Day in November.

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Christianity
Core beliefs
Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three personas: God the Father
(Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit Sustainer). Eternal after death will
be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is, God the Son, who came into flesh,
to spread the good news of salvation. He died on the cross for the sins of the humanity but
resurrected from the death, so that anyone who believes in him will be saved in have eternal
life. The holy bible is a selection of books, which is divided in to two, the Old Testament and
New Testament.
Customs and Practices
Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Communion are practiced by Christian
churches. The sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian world, while the
sacrament of communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus Christ 's sacrificial love. Jesus
Christ teaching in unconditional love that is expressed in loving the poor, oppressed, and
outcast of the society
Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in Christianity.
Christmas, usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ while
Resurrection Sunday (depends on the lunar calendar, sometime in March or April) celebrates
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.

Hinduism
Core beliefs
Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus, there is
no single founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and
rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a concept where the reincarnated life will depend on
how the past life was spent. Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of
successive lives and it's next in carnation is always dependent on how the previous life was
lived. Vedas are sacred Scriptures of Hindus. Mahabharata and Ramayana are two other
important texts of the Hindus.
Custom and practices
Diwali and Navrati are the most celebrated festivals of the Hindus. Diwali is the festival
of lights while Navrati is the festival of nine nights, which celebrate the triumph of good over
evil. Hindus have set dates to honor particular manifestations of God.

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Islam
Core beliefs
Muslims believe in Allah, who is their "One God" They believe in the unity and
universality of God. Muslims also have a strong sense of community or "ummah" and an
awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims worldwide. Islam means "willing submission to
God ".
Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from God through the
Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy Bible of Islam is called the Quran, which
was taught to be recited in Arabic because any translation is seen as inadequate.
Customs and practices
Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim life:
1) Shahadah - statement of faith: "There is no God but the one true God and Mohammed
is his messenger".
2) Salat - the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3) Zakat - the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises the 2.5% of a
Muslim's assets.
4) Haji – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to do the
pilgrimage at last once in their lifetime.
5) Sawm – the fasting. Muslims do fasting from food, drink, and sexual act during the
celebration of Ramadan s the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fast is
from dawn to sunset.
Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. The first one refers to
the celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is the celebration within the
completion of the Pilgrimage, the Haji.

Judaism
Core beliefs
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated the Hebrew
slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the promised land through the leadership of Moses and later,
Joshua.
The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture of the

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Jews is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is the guide of the Jewish living. The study
and interpretation of Torah is part of the Jewish culture.
Customs and Practices
There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1) Rosh Hashanah - the New Year
2) Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement
3) Pesach - Passover
4) Shavuot - Pentecost
5) Sukkot - Tabernacles. The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset and is
an important time when families gather for the Shabbat meal.

Finding and Creating Meaning of Life

Another extensive study of self can be found in the works of Dr. Viktor E. Frankl. [The
following are the excerpts from the website:
http://www.victorfranklinstitute.org/About_Viktor_Frankl.html
He was born on March 26, 1905 in Vienna, Austria, where famous psychiatrists
Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler lived. He graduated with medical degree from the University
of Vienna in 1930. He was assigned in Vienna Hospital suicide ward and headed thee
Rothschild Hospital.
A survivor of the holocaust, he published a book about logotherapy. In 1959, the book
was translated to English and was revised in 1963 as The doctor and the Soul: An
Introduction to Logotherapy. His book, Man‟s search for meaning has been used as a
textbook in high school and college courses. He died in 1997.

Logotherapy
It is a psychotherapy introduced by V. Frankl, who is considered the father of
logotherapy. The main belief of logotherapy is that “man’s primary motivational force is search
for meaning.” Logotherapy aids individuals to find personal meaning of life, whatever life
situation they may be.
In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing deed,
experiencing something or encountering someone and the attitude toward unavoidable
suffering. According to V. Frankl institute of logotherapy, it uses the philosophy of optimism in
the face of tragedy, where people are capable of turning suffering into human achievement
and accomplishment deriving from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for the better; and

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deriving from life’s transistorizes an incentive to take responsible action.

Basic concept of Franklian Psychology

There are three basic concepts using Franklian Psychology:
1) Life has meaning under all circumstances.
2) Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
3) Freedom to find meaning.

Furthermore, his psychology aims to: 1] become aware of spiritual resources; 2] make
conscious spiritual resources; and 3] use defiant power of the human spirit and stand up
against adversity.
Logotherapy assumptions (that cannot be proven w/ certainty) These include the
following:
1) The human being is an entity consisting of body [soma], mind [psyche] and spirit
[noos]. i.e. according to him, the body and mind are what we have and the spirit is
what we are.
2) Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable. Ie. it’s hard to
grasp but it is something everyone experiences and it represents an order in a world
w/ laws that go beyond human laws.
3) People have a will to meaning. When we see meaning, we are ready for any type of
suffering. This is considered to be different than our will to achieve power and
pleasure.
4) People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning. This
deals with change of attitudes about unavoidable fate.
5) Life has a demand quality to w/c people must respond if decisions are to be
meaningful. The meaning of the moment is more practical in daily living than ultimate
meaning. Unlike ultimate meaning this meaning can be found and fulfilled.
6) The individual is unique. This enhanced by the realization that we are irreplaceable.

In essence, all human are unique w/ an entity of body, mind and spirit. We all go through
unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning.

Frankl’s Sources of Meaning

There are three possible sources of meaning of life: 1] purposeful work – meaning of

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life is unique to every individual; 2] courage in the face of difficulty – a meaningful life is a life
with suffering. Suffering is part of life; and 3] love – is the only way to grasp another human
being in the innermost core of his personality. The ultimate factor to find meaning of life is
love.
Costello captured V. Frankl’s message: “The ultimate secret on the spiritual foundation of life
is that love is salvation and joy eternity.” The ultimate factor to find meaning of life is love.

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