SUPERNATURAL: BELIEVE

IT OR NOT!
Spiritual Self
SPIRITUAL SELF
Spiritual self is one of the four constituents
of the "self" according to William James in his book,
The Principle of Psychology in 1890. The spiritual
self is the most intimate, inner subjective part of
the self.
It is 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 sensitivity and conscience, and of our
unconquerable will (James 1890) is pure than all
other sentiments of satisfaction (Green 1997).
Moral sensitivity and conscience may be seen
through the expression of religion, its beliefs and
practices. In the same manner, cultural rituals and
ceremonies are some manifestation what people
believe in.
Seeking the meaning of life is a journey that the
spiritual self is on.
RELIGION AND RITUAL

Rebecca Stein works on the definition of religion

as a set of cultural beliefs and practices that
usually includes some or all of basic characteristics.
These characteristics are the following:
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 involve 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
RITUAL
is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by
a tradition or sacred law (Britannica 2017). Ritual
is a specific, observable mode of behaviour
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

1. A feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relations to the sacred

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
behaviour. Just as language is a system of symbols that
is based upon arbitrary rules, ritual may be viewed as a
symbolic act that is based upon arbitrary rules.
Participation to rituals is expressions of religious beliefs
BUDDHISM:
Belief, Customs and Practices 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, and craving and aversion.
This reactive cycle can be broken through the
practice of meditation, acquiring more wisdom and
deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as
they are.
Customs and Practices
 Two types of meditation practices: samatha and
vipassana. The former is practiced as mindfulness of
breathing and development of loving kindness (Metta
Bhavana) and the later practices at developing insight
into reality. Dharma- acquiring wisdom by studying
Buddha's teaching. Buddhist can achieve a deeper
understanding of life through the reflection of Dharma.
They 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.
CHRISTIANITY: BELIEF, CUSTOMS AND
PRACTICES
The center of belief by Christians is in Trinitarian
God. One God in three personas: God the Father
(Creator), God the Son (Savior) and God the Holy
Spirit (Sustainer). Eternal life .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 sin of the humanity but resurrected
from the death, so that everyone who believes in
Him will be saved and have eternal life. The Holy
Bible is a selection of books, which is divided into
two, the Old Testament and New Testament.
CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES

Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of

Communion are practiced by Christian churches.
The former symbolizes the birth of Christian World
and the latter 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 Christ
while Resurrection Sunday (depends on the lunar
calendar, sometimes in March or April) celebrates the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.
HINDUISM:
 Belief, Customs and Practices
 Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional
belief and religious groups; thus, thre 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 its next
incarnation is always dependent on how the
previous life was lived. Mahabharata and
Ramayana are the two other important texts of
the Hindus.
Customs 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.
ISLAM:
Belief, Customs and Practices
 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 revelation from God through
the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy
Book of Islam is called 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. -statement of faith. "There is no God but the one true
Shahadah 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 least once in their
lifetime
5. Sawn -the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink and
sexual act, during the celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan
is 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 former is the celebration at
the end of Ramadan and the latter is celebrated
within the completion of the Pilgrimage, the Haji.
JUDAISM:
Belief, Custom and Practices
 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 Saviour The
sacred scripture of the Jews is called the Torah or
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
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- the Tabernacles. The Jewish
Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset
and is important time when families gather
for the Shabbat meal.
Religious beliefs, rituals, practices and customs are all
part of the expression of the spiritual self. What to
believe and how to manifest the belief is entirely
dependent on the individual, to the self. A person might
believe that there is a higher being, a supernatural
being, usually termed as God, but not necessarily wants
to be affiliated or identified with a certain religious
group. Others may have religious practices which are
perceived to be contrary to the practices of other groups.
Religious beliefs, therefore, are formed relative to its
context and culture.
FINDING AND CREATING MEANING OF
LIFE

Another extensive study of self can be found

in the works of Dr. Viktor E. Frankl. The Victor
Frankl Institute in Vienna was created in 1992.
The Institute has a website where there is a
synopsis of his life and works and present
programs
The Psychiatrist
 Dr. Victor E. Frankl was born on
March 26, 1905 in Vienna, Austria,
where famous psychiatrists Sigmund
Freud and Alfred Aldner lived. At a
young age, he wrote a short paper to
Freud which was published after
three years. Dr. Frankl graduated
with a medical degree from the
University of Vienna in 1930. He was
assigned in Vienna Hospital suicide
ward and headed the Rothschild
Hospital, eight years later.
 A survivor of the Holocaust, Dr.
Frankl 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. Dr. Frankl died in 1997.
LOGOTHERAPY

 It is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor Frankl,

who is considered as the Father of Logotherapy. The
main belief of Logotherapy is that "man's primary
motivational force is search for meaning."
Logotherapy aids individual to find personal meaning
of life, whatever life situation they may be.
 In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by
creating a work or doing a deed, experiencing
something or encountering someone and the attitude
toward unavoidable suffering. According to Victor
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
deriving from life's transitoriness an incentive to take
responsible action."
3 BASIC CONCEPTS OF FRANKLIAN

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

FRANKLIAN PSYCHOLOGY
Aims:
1. become aware of spiritual resources

2. make conscious spiritual resources

3. use of "defiant power of the human spirit"

and stand up against adversity.
LOGOTHERAPY ASSUMPTIONS:

1. The human being is an entity consisting of

body, mind and spirit.
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances.
3. People have a will to meaning.
4. People have freedom under all
circumstances to activate the will to find
meaning.
5. Life has a demand quality to which people
must respond if decisions are to be
meaningful.
6. The individual is unique.
FRANKL'S SOURCES OF MEANING

 Popova (2017) discussed Viktor Frankl's work.

There are three possible sources of the meaning
of life: Purposeful work- holds a future goal,
Courage in the face of difficulty- recognize
suffering as part of life, and love- the ultimate
factor to find the meaning of life.