The Spiritual Self

“He who has a why to live can bear with almost anyhow” – Viktor Frankl

Spirituality is a broad term with a room for many perspectives. Some

experts’ definition of spirituality includes:

a. The aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express
meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness at the
moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred (Christina
Puchalski, Director of George Washington Institute of Spirituality and Health).
b. Any experience that is thought to bring the experiencer into contact with the
divine (Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary, researcher and authors of The
Spiritual Brain, 2007).
c. Set of personal and private beliefs that transcend the material aspects of life
and give a deep sense of wholeness, connectedness, and openness to the
infinite (Myers et al. 2000, p.265).

According to a research by Mansukhani and Resurreccion (2009), Filipino

adolescents describe a spiritual person as someone who has faith in God, a strong
sense of morality, positive personal qualities, a positive sense of self, well-being, spiritual
connectedness, transcendent and relational sources of happiness, and an ability to
solve problems.

Three Main Themes of Spirituality as Viewed by Filipinos (Yabut, 2016):

a. Connectedness with the sacred – the development and maintenance of one’s

connection to the sacred
b. Sense of meaning or purpose – generally associated with the development of a
focused sense of self, individuality, and values
c. Expressions of spirituality – manifesting values in one’s relationships and activities
with family, friends, and other people

I. The Soul

The soul or spirit of a person is called: Kaluluwa (Tagalog), Gimokud (Bagobo),

Makatu (Bukidnon), Dungan - alive and Kalag - dead (Ilonggo and Bisaya), Ikararuwa
(Ibanag), Kadkadduwa - in the physical body and Kararuwa - departs from the body
(Ilokano).
Kaluluwa, ikararuwa, and inikaduwa all come from the root word duwa, which
means two. It is because the soul has two existence: (a) Physical, where it is connected
to the human body and its life and (b) Spiritual, where it exists on its own.
In Western Philosophy, the soul is the life source of man. They believe that the
body cannot stay alive without the soul. Hence, death is the separation of the soul from
the body. For Filipino groups, the soul is not considered as the source of life. This could
be seen through the beliefs of the different ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines:
 The Souls and Gods According to the Ethnolinguistic Groups of the

Philippines

Excerpts from “The Soul Book” by Demetrio, Fernanddo, and Zialcita (1991); and
High Banks Entertainment, Ltd. (2018). Retrieved from
https://www.aswangproject.com/soul-according-ethnolinguistic-groups-philippines/.

1. Ibanag (Mekararuanan) - aware of the distinction between body (baggi) and soul
(ikararuwa) but not in the Western way. The Ibanags believe in mekararuanan, is a state
in which, because of shock, the soul leaves the body. The body is alive but it is without
sense. For the Ibanags, the role of the soul is to give direction and wholeness to a
person, while the body can stay alive independently of the soul.
2. Ilonggo (Dungan) - Dungan is not normally seen by the human eye. But sometimes, it
comes out of the body and takes on a visible form such as that of an insect or a small
animal. No one should also miss their dinner and go to bed hungry because dungan will
roam for food.
3. Bisaya (Dungan) - Bisayans believe that the dungan may leave the body voluntarily
as when the person is asleep. Therefore, the sleeping person should not be awakened
abruptly. A slumbering person must be softly called first and then gradually louder and
louder to give the soul a chance to return to the body. The dungan’s travel outside the
body must also be free from accidents because whatever happens to the dungan
happens to the physical body as well. Only when the soul has safely returned to the
body would the owner be able to wake up.
- a soul can also be captured by bad spirits or engkantu. It can be imprisoned in
a spirit cave guarded by old Tan Mulong. Sickness is the temporary loss of
thesoul, permanent loss is death.
- The Bosayans name call their creator god as Laon, which denotes antiquity. The
world was without human beings and animals except for Manaul, a bird who
was the pet of Laon. The bird was allowed to wander freely but it must not soil its
feathers. However, Manaul was caught on a thorny stem of a rattan tree and
most of its colorful feathers were torn. The god Laon was furious and made the
Manaul’s life miserable by creating other creatures that will molest and frighten
the bird. Hence, man and other creatures were made by Laon. Manaul died in
an agony of despair.
4. Bukidnon (Makatu) - the makatu already exists before a child’s birth but that it is
separate from its body. In a pregnancy ritual, a miniature cradle is hung over the place
where the pregnant mother sleeps. This is where the soul of the unborn baby is
supposed to sleep before it joins the infant at birth.
5. Tagbanwa (Kiyaraluwa) - the Tagbanwa of Palawan believes that he has one true
soul (kiyaraluwa), which is given to each infant by the god Magindusa as the nose of
the child emerges from the vulva. There are five secondary souls which are located in
the extremities of both hands and feet and in the head just below the hair whorl.
6. Mangyan (Karaduwa) - besides the karaduwa tawu (the human soul), a person may
have two to five other souls: a karaduwa manok (chicken soul), karaduwa baboy (pig
soul), karaduwa kuti (cat soul), and karaduwa hipon (shrimp soul). Any of these animal
souls can temporarily wander away from the body.
7. Ilokano (Kararuwa, Karkarma, Aniwaas, and Araria) - the kararuwa (the soul proper)
is the vital element of man. It can leave only after death.
- the Karkarma (second soul) can leave the body when one is frightened or
it can be stolen from the body when the person goes to isolated places. The owner
becomes insane if the soul fails to return. Karkarma stands for natural vigor and mind or
reason. It is the counterpart of psyche.
- the aniwaas (third soul) can leave the body during sleep and visit places
which the person who owns it frequents when awake. If he wakes up he may lose his
aniwaas and become insane.
- the araria (fourth soul) is the liberated soul of the dead. It is the soul that
comes down to earth to visit its relatives and friends, asking them to pray or perform a
duty it failed to do in life.
8. Cordillera – Kabuniyan, the creator god, is found in all regions of the Cordillera
except Apayao. From Bontoc to the Baguio region, Kabuniyan is the supreme teacher
who taught man many things like fire-making, rice cultivation, and marriage rituals.
“Kabuniyan” has many meanings in the Cordillera. Aside from being the name of a sky
god, it is applied to all culture heroes. It signifies ultimate power and may also refer to
the lowest level of the skyworld – the sky that can be seen every day.
a. Ifugao (Two souls) – the Ifugaos believe that man has two souls: (a) residing in
the eyes and (b) residing in the breath. Withdrawal of the soul in the eyes causes illness,
while withdrawal of the soul residing in the breath causes death.
b. Ibaloi – the Ibaloi afterlife is populated by ancestral spirits and explains animal
sacrifices. In that spiritual world, when the soul arrives with physical treasures, it receives
a great welcome. An empty-handed soul finds himself the object of scorn. He is
unwelcome and unaccepted in his new world and this feeling of insecurity may cause
the spirit to bring evil, disease, and even death among his relatives. In the light of all
those believes; relatives of the dead bring donation of cash or animals.
c. Kankana-ey (Ab-abiik or Kadkadwa) – Ab-abiik is the spiritual self as opposed
to the physical self (Awak). The Ab-abiik can also apply to inanimate objects such as
mountains, trees, or rivers. It can also mean inspiration in some contexts.
11. Tagalog (Kaluluwa and Kakambal) – Kaluluwa is the Tagalog soul, which can
leave the body involuntarily. It refers more to the soul of the deceased. Kakambal on
the other hand, is the soul of the living, which may travel around at night and some
particularly bad encounters are the cause of nightmares.
- the Tagalos call their supreme god Bathala Maykapal or Lumikha (The
Creator). An enormous being, he could not straighten up due to the lowerness of the
sky and the sun burned brightly near him. One day, Bathala got a bolo and pierced
one of the sun’s eyes so that it could generate just enough heat to sustain life. And he
was able to straighten up with his hands pushed the cooler sky to its present level.
12. Bagobo (Gimokud) – according to the Bagobos of Davao, each individual is
inhabited by two souls called gimokud. The right hand gimokud is the good soul that
manifests itself as a shadow on the right-hand side of the path. It is associated with
health, activity, and joy. The right-hand soul is also associated with life itself and remains
in the body throughout one’s life. The left hand gimokud is the bad soul that shows itself
as a shadow on the left side of the path. It is harmful to the body it inhabits because it is
the cause of sluggishness, pain, and sickness. It also leaves the body at night and
wanders about risking various dangers. The left-hand soul inevitably becomes a busaw
or demon ghost. The Bagobos also believe that large animals like fowls, big birds,
carabaos, cats, and horses have two souls, while small animals like insects have only
one soul.

II. Rituals

A ritual is “a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects,

performed in a sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence”
(Paarlberg & van de Wiel, p.219). All peoples have rituals and these are actions that
follow a prescribed pattern and are believed to be highly efficacious. It is often viewed
as a sincere religious series of actions which follow a certain order.

Many rituals intervene at the different stages of the life-cycle: birth, courtship,
marriage, and death (Demetrio, Cordero-Fernando, & Zialcita, p. 139). Some reasons
for doing rituals are:

a. Seeking help for a child;

b. Success for the suitor;
c. Fertility for the spouse;
d. Smooth journey to the next world;
e. Healing the sick and the dying;
f. Success in fishing and hunting;
g. For an abundant harvest; and
h. Victory over enemies

Related practices:

1. Life-cycle Rituals - these are often known as rites of passage as they signify a status
change from one vital life stage to another. There are three stages: (a) Separation or
parting from the old state; (b) Transition, which is a form of segregation; and (c)
Reintegration, which is being incorporated with the society. In these rituals, the
presence of a Supreme being is often invoked for guidance and blessing
2. Pilgrimage - a trip to a place viewed sacred for the purpose of devotion. A
pilgrimage often has hardships and is meant to achieve spiritual change.
3. Rituals of Reversal - these require that usual social roles be momentarily reversed.
Some believe that these rituals allow for a social “blowing off of steam” and allow
individuals to go against certain social norms
4. Sacrifice - the offering of something valuable to a supernatural being. This is often
done to please or appease deities as a sign of gratitude, humility, worship, and/or
devotion.

III. Logotherapy: Finding Meaning in Life (Viktor Frankl)

Human beings are motivated by a “will to meaning,” an inner pull to find a

meaning in life. The meaning in life according to Viktor Frankl lies in finding a purpose
and taking responsibility for oneself and others. Humans do not have an obligation to
define the meaning of life in general terms. Each person will do it on his way, starting
with himself, with his own potential and experiences, and discovering himself every day.
 The following are the philosophical assumptions of Logotherapy:

1. Human being is an entity consisting of body, mind and spirit. The body and the
mind are what we have and the spirit is what we are.
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable. As Viktor
Frankl puts it: “You can find meaning in suffering.”
3. People have a will to meaning. If a man finds meaning, he is ready for any type
of suffering.
4. People have volition under all situations to activate the will to find meaning. We
do not have restrictions to look for what is sensible.
5. Existence has a mandate characteristic to which individuals feel must
acknowledge. The essence of the circumstance is more applied in routine life
than ultimate meaning.
6. Each individual is unique. This deals with one’s sense of meaning. This is
heightened by the understanding that we are irreplaceable.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl said that there are three ways
of finding meaning in life:

1. By creating a work or doing a deed;

2. By experiencing something or encountering someone; and
3. By the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering

The most important, however, is the third avenue. Even the helpless victim of a
hopeless situation, facing a fate he cannot change, may rise above himself, may grow
beyond himself, and by so doing change himself. Frankl also puts it as: “Everything can
be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s
attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

References:

Demetrio, Fernando, & Zialcita. (1991). The Soul Book. GCF Books.
De Guzman, S. (2018, August 27). Mental health of Filipinos today. Retrieved
August 2019, from PhilStar:
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2018/08/27/1846128/mental-health-filipinos-
today

Logotherapy Institute. (n.d.). Logotherapy. Retrieved from

http://www.logotherapyinstitute.org/About_Logotherapy.html.

Hook, J. (2017). 3 ways to find meaning in life. Retrieved from

https://www.joshuanhook.com/3-ways-find-meaning-life/.

Mansukhani, R. & Resurreccion, R. (2009). Spirituality and the development of positive

character among Filipino adolescents. Philippine Journal of Psychology, 42 (2), 271-290.