Binalonan, Pangasinan

MODULE 9: Spiritual Aspect of Self

Course Title: Understanding the Self
Course Code: GE 1

Name: __________________________________________________________
Course and Year: _________________________________________________
Contact Number/E -mail Address: _____________________________________
Date and Time Allotment: ___________________________________________

Introduction
The Spiritual self is quite difficult to discover as it is impossible for every human being to know their
true inner will. The word "spiritual" refers to that core dimension of you - your innermost self - that provides
you with a profound sense of who you are, where you came from, where you're going and how you might
reach your goal. Spirituality is linked to many important aspects of human functioning—spiritual people have
positive relationships, high self-esteem, are optimistic, and have meaning and purpose in life and also,
spiritual people are more likely to be self-actualized.

I. Objectives
At the end of the end of this module, students should be able to:
1.Explain what is spirituality and its benefit for our identity
2.Differentiate religion and spirituality
3. Evaluate the varying views about the meaning of life.
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II. Lectures
Spirituality
There is no single definition for spirituality, but many define it as a way of life that seeks to connect with
a higher being with the true self, or with nature or with the universe.
Religion VS Spirituality
Religion refers to a set of doctrines or beliefs espoused by a certain group. Example of this are the
Catholic Faith, Hinduism, Taoism, Islam and etc. whereas Spirituality goes beyond these doctrines or beliefs
and is more personal in nature.

Different perspectives about Spirituality and Religion

1.) Sigmund Freud

• A major figure in psychology and founded the practice of psychoanalysis
• According to Sigmund Freud, religion is an expression of distress
• Freud's psychoanalytic perspective viewed religion as the unconscious mind's need for wish fulfillment.
Because people need to feel secure and absolve themselves of their own guilt, Freud believed that they
choose to believe in God, who represents a powerful father-figure.

2.) Carl Jung

• He was Sigmund Freud’s protégé
• However, disagreements between them led to him leaving his teachings
• His perspective on religion is more optimistic than Freud’s
• Jung believed spirituality is essential to our well-being
• He believed life has a purpose beyond material goals, and this espouses the spiritual self.
• Jung studied Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Taoism and other traditions in depth, because,
for him, the spiritual life constituted the very root of psychic life. One of its backbones was that to understand
the human mind we also have to study its products.
• Jung differentiates between religion and spirituality. He understood our spiritual needs as, “as real as hunger”
and the “fear of death” (Jung, 1928) – as basic, as profound, as essential as these other deep guides, or
archetypal patterns, which govern how we try to live.

3.) Kenneth Pargament

• A psychologist and expert on religion and spirituality
• He theorizes that the purpose of religion and spirituality is to cope with life’s stresses.
• He called this religious faith as “coping strategy”
4.) Victor Frankl
• A psychiatrist who was captured by the Nazis and imprisoned in a concentration camp
• His experiences in the concentration camp gave him the insight to develop logotherapy

Logotherapy
Logotherapy is a philosophy based on the idea that we are strongly motivated to live purposefully and
meaningfully, and that we find meaning in life as a result of responding authentically and humanely.
Frankl believed that humans are motivated by something called a "will to meaning," which equates to
a desire to find meaning in life. He argued that life can have meaning even in the most miserable of
circumstances and that the motivation for living comes from finding that meaning. Taking it a step further,
Frankl wrote:
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in
any given set of circumstances.
This opinion was based on his experiences of suffering and his attitude of finding meaning through suffering. In
this way, Frankl believed that when we can no longer change a situation, we are forced to change ourselves.

Fundamentals
"Logos" is the Greek word for meaning, and logotherapy involves helping a patient find personal meaning in
life. Frankl provided a brief overview of the theory in Man's Search for Meaning.

Core Properties
Frankl believed in three core properties on which his theory and therapy were based:
1. Each person has a healthy core.
2. One's primary focus is to enlighten others to their own internal resources and provide the tools to use
their inner core.
3. Life offers purpose and meaning but does not promise fulfillment or happiness.

Finding Meaning
Going a step further, logotherapy proposes that meaning in life can be discovered in three distinct ways:
1. By creating a work or doing a deed.
2. By experiencing something or encountering someone.
3. By the attitude that we take toward unavoidable suffering.

Basic Assumptions
Logotherapy consists of six basic assumptions that overlap with the fundamental constructs and ways of
seeking meaning listed above:

1. Body, Mind, and Spirit

The human being is an entity that consists of a body (soma), mind (psyche), and spirit (noos). Frankl argued
that we have a body and mind, but the spirit is what we are, or our essence. Note that Frankl's theory was not
based on religion or theology, but often had parallels to these.

2. Life Has Meaning in All Circumstances

Frankl believed that life has meaning in all circumstances, even the most miserable ones. This means that
even when situations seem objectively terrible, there is a higher level of order that involves meaning.

3. Humans Have a Will to Meaning

Logotherapy proposes that humans have a will to meaning, which means that meaning is our primary
motivation for living and acting and allows us to endure pain and suffering. This is viewed as differing from the
will to achieve power and pleasure.

4. Freedom to Find Meaning

Frankl argues that in all circumstances, individuals have the freedom to access that will to find meaning. This is
based on his experiences of pain and suffering and choosing his attitude in a situation that he could not
change.

5. Meaning of the Moment

The fifth assumption argues that for decisions to be meaningful, individuals must respond to the demands of
daily life in ways that match the values of society or their own conscience.

6. Individuals Are Unique

Frankl believed that every individual is unique and irreplaceable.

Benefits of Spirituality

Spiritualism—a search for something sacred—is an increasingly important topic to people today. Individuals
approach the realm of spirituality through religion, meditation, yoga, and even personal reflection.
Spiritual people are gracious. Psychology has demonstrated that expressing gratitude is associated with many
positive emotions such as optimism, being generous with time and resources, and overall vitality. Spirituality
encourages people to be positive, which may be expressed in many of these life practices.

Spiritual people are compassionate. Experiencing compassion toward others is one of the strongest
correlates with living a spiritual life. A variety of positive or pro-social emotions have strong links to spiritualism,
including allowing one to feel good about the little things in life and look at the world through empathetic eyes.

Spiritual people flourish. Spirituality is linked to many important aspects of human functioning—spiritual

people have positive relationships, high self-esteem, are optimistic, and have meaning and purpose in life. 

Spiritual people self-actualize. Spiritual individuals strive toward a better life and consider personal growth
and fulfillment a central goal. Spirituality can be considered to be a path toward self-actualization, because it
requires people to focus on their internal values and work on becoming a better individual.

Spiritual people take time to savor life experiences. Individuals who value spirituality take the time to reflect
on their daily activities and ultimately build lasting memories of their experiences. Because spiritual people are
more conscious of small, daily activities, they experience positive emotions associated with the smaller
pleasures in life.

III. Activity

ACT. 9.1
Answer the following questions below.

1.) Do you believe in the existence of God? Explain your answer.

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2.) Do you believe that life has a meaning? In your own perspective, what is the meaning of life for you?
Explain your answer.

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IV. Assessment

In this discussion wherein religion and spirituality are differentiated. Answer the following.

1.) What is your religion or the faith you believe in and do you believe that your faith goes within your spiritual
self?
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2.) Basing on the differentiation of spirituality and religion. Do you think that a person can still be a good person
even if he or she is not religious but is being spiritual?

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Prepared by:

REZZIE P. MENSALVAS, CHRA

Instructor

Submitted to:

RAYMOND N. CLARO, PhD.

Asst. Dean, College of Teacher Education