Spirituality is a broad concept that generally refers to the belief in the human spirit or soul as opposed to physical or material things.
Scholars state that spirituatliy is a universal human experience, a phenomenon that exists – at least potentially – in all persons.
But how do you determine whether or not a person is spiritual?
You can achieve this by looking for 9 signs, explained in the following section.
The 9 Elements of Spirituality
A research conducted by Elkins et al.1 (1988) defines spirituality as “a way of being and experiencing that comes about through awareness of a trascendent dimension and that is characterized by certain identifiable value in regard to self, others, nature, life, and whatever one considers to be the Ultimate.” (p.10).
Additionally, it defines 9 dimensions of spirituality, namely:
- Trascendence
- Meaning and purpose in life
- Mission in life
- Sacredness of life
- Material values
- Altruism
- Idealism
- Awareness of the tragic
- Fruits of spirituality
Using these dimensions as a point of reference, you can therefore identify 9 signs of a spiritual person.
Let’s explore them together.
Trascendence
Spiritual people have the belief that there is a trascendent element in life.
This may range from the conventional credence in a personal God to a psychological perspective that the trascendent element merely consists in “a natural extension of the conscious self into the regions of the unconsious of Greater Self.” (Elkins et al., 1988, p. 10)
Independently from how one comprehends the concept of trascendence, the spiritual person believes in the “more”, i.e., that what can be seen in the world is not everything that there is.
The spiritual individual is one who has experienced these “unseen dimensions“, and believes that being in contact with them is beneficial.
Meaning and purpose in life
Another important belief of the spiritual person is that life itself has a deep meaning, and that one’s own existence has a purpose.
The meaning that spiritual individuals attach to their own life, as well as their personal life mission can differ from person to person.
What unites them is the belief that life is not incidental and that there is a reason that they were born.
Mission in life
A third integral element of the spiritual person is a sense of mission in life.
Spiritual people often have a sense of vocation and they feel some kind of responsibility to life, “a calling to answer, a mission to accomplish, or in some cases, even a destiny to fulfill” (Elkins et al., 1988, p. 11).
Spiritual people are metamotivated, i.e., they strive to develop, express, and mature their character, as well as grow as a person in general.
Sacredness of life
The fourth dimension of spirituality is sacredness of life.
The spiritual person believes that life is filled with sacredness “and often experiences as sense of awe, reverence, and wonder even in ‘nonreligious’ settings” (Elkins et al., 1988, p. 12).
Spiritual people do not distinguish between what is sacred and secular, profane and holy. They believe that life itself is sacred and holy.
Material values
Another important element characterizing spiritual people is that they are aware that true satisfaction derives from spiritual things.
A spiritual person can appreciate material goods (e.g., money), but does not look for a sense of fulfillment from them, nor does he/she tries to utilize them as a replacement for unsatisfied spiritual needs.
Altruism
The sixth dimension of spirituality is altruism.
Spiritual persons firmly believe that humans are responsible for the welfare of others, and they are “touched by the pain and suffering of others”.
They are driven by a significant sense of social justice and are devoted to altruistic love and action.
Idealism
Another important element of spirituality is idealism.
Spiritual persons are visionaries devoted to improving the world; they are committed to high ideals and to the realization of positive potential in all life spheres.
Awareness of the tragic
The eighth dimension of spirituality is awareness of the tragic.
Spiritual people are aware of “tragic realities of human existence”, and they are conscious about “human pain, sufering, and death”.
On the one hand, this awareness provides spiritual people with “an existential seriousness toward life” while, on the other hand, it increases their spiritual joy, appreciation and valuing of life.
Fruits of spirituality
Finally, spiritual people are those whose spirituality has provided them benefits and value in their life.
Spirituality has a discernible impact on human’s relationships with themselves, others, nature, and whatever one regards to be the Ultimate.
I hope that you enjoyed this article, and that it helped you to better understand what a spiritual person is.
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References
- Elkins, D., M. Toward a Humanistic-Phenomenological Spirituality: Definition, Description, and Measurement, Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Volume 28, Issue 4, 1988.