DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

COURSE MODULE

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF (USELF 133)

Topic 9: The Spiritual Self

Objective:
After completing the module, the students are expected to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the spiritual self
2. Explain the importance of spirituality in one’s life
3. Discuss how spirituality is connected to religion
4. Describe how spirituality develops
5. Understand the principle of logotherapy and meaning of life

Learning Contents:
SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality comes from the Latin word spiritus which means breath or life force.
According to Hill & Pargament (2003), Spirituality can be understood as a search for the sacred, a
process through which people seek to discover, hold on to, and when necessary, transform whatever they
hold sacred in their lives. It refers to finding meaning and purpose in one’s life, a search for
wholeness, and a relationship with a transcendent being (higher being).
One of the practices in Spirituality is worship.
Worship is regarded as an essential act to realize the ultimate meaning of transcendence and human life.
Acts of worship may include prayer, reading the scripture (e.g. the Bible or the Quran), attending
sacraments (e.g. mass), and doing sacrifices (e.g. fasting).
SPIRITUAL SELF
According to the book The Principles of Psychology (1890) by William James, the spiritual self is the
most intimate, inner subjective part of self. This is the only part of our self that is able and can
experience how to argue and discriminate, have moral sensibility and conscience, and the unconquerable
will.

The spiritual aspect of the self is the inner essence, the part of the self that connects the person to the
sacred, the supernatural, and the universe. The nurturing of the spiritual self also gives a deeper purpose
or meaning of one’s life.
People develop spirituality through interaction, observation, and imitation. Thus, making the family,
school, and church play a very important role in the spiritual development.
 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

According to Rebecca Stein (2011), religion is a set of cultural beliefs and practices. Religion is an
organized system of ideas about the spiritual sphere or supernatural, and to know God is its central
function; thus, making it connected with spirituality.

Basic Characteristics of Religion

• belief in the anthropomorphic supernatural being
• focus the sacred supernatural
• presence of supernatural power or energy is found on
• supernatural beings as well as physical beings or objects
• performance of ritual activities
• articulation of worldview and moral codes
• provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social control
There are five major religions:

RELIGION CUSTOMS & PRACTICES

Buddhism Two types of meditation practices
• life is unsatisfactory • Samatha - calm, concentration, and
• When people suffer, they want to positive emotion practiced through
experience good and pleasant experience mindfulness of breathing and development
and avoid disappointments. of loving kindness.
• The reactive cycle of craving and aversion • Vipassana – developing insight into
can be broken by practicing ethics and reality; developing and cultivating wisdom
meditation, and cultivating wisdom. happens through the studying and
reflecting the Dharma-Buddha’s teaching.

Christianity • Sacrament of Baptism - sharing in the

• God became fully present in the person of death and resurrection of Jesus
Jesus Christ. • Holy Communion – taking bread (body of
• Believes God as a trinity: Father, Son, and Christ) and wine (blood of Christ)
Holy Spirit. • Christians pray, worship, and read and
• Eternal life after death can be achieved study the Bible together,
through faith in Jesus Christ.
• Believes that Jesus Christ died on the
cross to reconcile all humanity with God.
 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

Hinduism • Follow the lunar calendar to celebrate and

• Cover wide range of ancient creeds, textual honor particular manifestations of God.
traditions, and religious groups
• No single founder; believes that one
supreme being incarnated in many forms
• Best understood as a complete way of life.
They believe that existence is a cycle of
birth, death, and rebirth (Karma).
• Vedas is their sacred scripture

Islam • Shahada - ”There is no God but one true

• It means willing submission to God God and Mohammed is his messenger.”
• Believes in Allah as the One God, and • Salat – pray fiver times
Mohammed as the final prophet. • Zakat – two and a half percent of assets
• Muslims believe in the unity of mankind given to benefit the poor
under Adam. • Hajj – annual pilgrimage to Mecca
• Sacred Scripture is the Quran • Sawm – abstinence from food, drink, and
sexual acts

Judaism • Jewish Sabbath – begins on Friday

• The Jewish people believe to be evening at sunset
descendants of the Semitic tribe from • The New Year (Rosh Hashanah) – this
Canaan. festival falls on autumn
• Early history was about the promise of God • The day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) –
to Abraham. most solemn day; celebrated ten days after
• The Torah, or Law, is their sacred The New year
Scripture. • Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot),
• The integral part of Jewish life is the study Tabernacles (Sukkot) – three pilgrim
and interpretation of the Torah. festivals

LOGOTHERAPY AND SEARCH FOR MEANING OF LIFE

Another extensive study of self, which is Logotherapy, can be found in the works of Dr. Viktor Frankl.
Get to know Viktor Frankl:
• Born in Vienna, Austria on March 26, 1905
• Died in his hometown on 1997 due to heart failure
• Involved in Socialist youth organizations
• Due to his interest in psychiatry, he began writing to Sigmund Freud at the age of 16.
 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

• Earned his medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1930

• Nazis made him the head of the Rothschild Hospital
Viktor Frankl’s personal experiences in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II led him to
develop the principle of logotherapy.

Logotherapy – the pursuit of human existence as well as on man’s search for such meaning
- Logos is a Greek word that translates as “Logotherapy focuses on the future.”
In Logotherapy, man can discover meaning in three ways:
• Doing a deed – this is by finding meaning in life through work, achievements, and
accomplishments. This way differs from man to man, and from moment to moment.
• Experiencing a value – it is by experiencing something, or someone, such as loving a person.
During Frankl’s time in the concentration camp, he observed that the transcendental power of
love helped the prisoners stay alive. He also defines love as “Love is the only way to grasp
another human being in the innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of
the very essence of another human being unless he loves him.”
• Suffering – Frankl once said “to live is to suffer, to survive is to find the meaning in the
suffering.” There is a purpose and meaning for each suffering. It is when the person can use the
unconquerable will to find and discover that meaning.
Important aspect of this therapy is known as the “Tragic Triad” which are:
• Pain – turning a suffering into an achievement
• Guilt – drive to use it as an opportunity to change oneself for the better
• Death – reminder that life is impermanent, so make and take responsible actions
According to Frankl, each person has his or her own vocation and mission, and he or she can be the only
one to find the meaning in life.
ANIMISM
Spirituality is also associated with animism.

Animism is the belief that creatures, objects, and places possess spirits. It still exists in the modern days
despite of all the scientific progress and technological advancements. Animism is practiced in the
Philippines by some indigenous people. Some believe that the spirit of the sun, sky, and moon are their
gods. Others also believe that animals, trees, rocks, mountains, and bodies of water are inhabited by
spirits. Thus, respect must be given through acts of worship.
 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

Assessment:
Activity: The Spiritual Self: How Spiritual Are You?
Spirituality is developed through interaction, observation, and imitation; and the family, school, and
church play a very important role in its development. Nurturing it is as important as the other aspects of
the self. Describe the development and nurturing of your Spirituality from childhood up to the present.
My Spirituality

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Application: Essay
Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy teaches that man is in search of the meaning of life. Friedrich Nietszche
once said “He who has a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’.” Write an essay about your existence.
Minimum of 5 sentences. Consider the following questions in writing your essay:
1. Who am I?
2. What is the purpose of my existence?

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________________________________________________________
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 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

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Rubrics for Activity and Application:

Criteria 5 4 3 2
Ideas The paper is clear The paper is The student is The topic is not
and focused. mostly focused, beginning to well-defined.
Captures and holds and has some good define the topic.
reader’s attention. details and quotes. Basic or general
Relevant details development.
and quotes enrich
the central theme.

Organization The organization Sentences and There is some The writing lacks
enhances and paragraph(s) are level of a clear sense.
showcases the idea mostly organized organization Difficult to follow.
or theme. Easily in order. The paper though
followed and well- makes sense to the ambiguities or
organized. reader. irrelevances may
appear. Sentences
and paragraph(s)
still make sense.
Expression Student is able to Student is able to Student makes Errors in spelling,
express his demonstrate and acceptable writing punctuation,
 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

thoughts and ideas express ideas; has style. Makes little capitalizing,
fluently and very few errors in effort to use grammar, etc.
directly. Has a writing conventions Confusing and not
good grasp of conventions spelling, clear.
standard writing (spelling, punctuation,
conventions punctuation, capitalization,
(spelling, capitalization, grammar, etc).
punctuation, grammar, etc).
capitalization,
grammar, etc).

Quiz: Identification
Identify and write the correct answer of the space provided.
_____________1. The Latin rood word for Spirituality which means “breath or life force.”
_____________2. This means beyond our physical being. It is also synonymous to “higher being.”
_____________3. The book of William James where he said that the spiritual self is the most intimate,
inner subjective part of self.
_____________4. It is an organized system of ideas about spiritual sphere or supernatural.
_____________5. It is the central function of the answer for number 5.
_____________6. This festival is the most solemn day for the Jewish people.
_____________7. It is the pursuit of human existence as well as on man’s search for meaning.
_____________8. According to Viktor Frankl, it is the only way to grasp another human being in the
inner most core of his/her personality.
_____________9. This beliefs says that creatures, objects, and places possess parents.
_____________10. The belief in number 9 is still practiced by some _________ people in the
Philippines.
 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

Student’s Feedback

References:
1. Alata, E.J.P., Caslib Jr., B.N., Serafica, J.P.J. & Pawilen, R.A. (2018). Understanding the Self. Manila: Rex Book Store.
2. Go-Monilla, M.J.A. & Ramirez, N.C. (2018). Understanding the Self. Metro Manila, Quezon City: C.E. Publishing, Inc.
 DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND PHILOSOPHY
Cabambangan, Villa de Bacolor 2001, Pampanga, Philippines DHVSU Main Campus, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
ISO 9001: 2015
Tel. No. (6345) 458 0021 ; Fax (6345) 458 0021 Local 211 E-Mail Address: cssp1861@gmail.com
QMS-Certified
URL: http://dhvsu.edu.ph

Answer Key:
1. Spiritus
2. Transcendent being
3. The Principles of Psychology
4. Religion
5. To know God
6. The day of Atonement
7. Logotherapy
8. Love
9. Animism
10. Indigenous