SUPERNATURAL

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

REPORTERS: FAJUTNAO, MARLO

MARTINEZ, MARK ANGELO
FETALCO MAYBELLE
INTRODUCTION
• Spiritual self is one of the four constituents of the “self” according to William James in
his book, The Principles of Psychology in 1890
• The spiritual self is the most intimate, inner subjective part of 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 sensibility and
conscience, and of our unconquerable will.
• The ability to use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the
expressions of religion, its beliefs and practices.
• In the same manner, cultural rituals and ceremonies are some manifestations what
people believe in
• Seeking the meaning of life is a journey that the spiritual self is on
RELIGION
• The word “religion” is derived from the Latin word “religio,” which originally referred to
a sense of awe or reverence for the divine or supernatural.
• It is also associated with the verb “religare,” meaning “to bind” or “to tie back.”
• Over time, “religio” came to denote the rituals, beliefs, and practices associated with
organized forms of worship and spirituality.
• Religion encompasses a set of beliefs, practices, rituals, and moral values that revolve
around the existence and worship of a divine or spiritual being or force.
• It often provides a framework for understanding the universe, humanity’s purpose, and
the relationship between individuals and the transcendent.
• Additionally, religion frequently influences cultural norms, societal structures, and
individual behavior.
REBECCA STEIN (STEIN 2011) WORKS ON THE
DEFINITION OF RELIGION "AS A SET OF CULTURAL
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES THAT USUALLY
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 involves 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

• Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition

or sacred law (Britannica 2017). Ritual is a specific, observable mode of
behavior 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 ACCORDING TO PENNER (BRITANNICA
2017). RITUAL HAS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF:

a feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread

in relation to the sacred
dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed
in the language of myth
1.is symbolic in relation to its reference
SOME WORLD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES

There are different religions with different beliefs

and practices. Some of the world religious are:
• BUDDHISM
• CRISTIANITY
• HINDUISM
• ISLAM
• JUDAISM
BUDDHISM

BUDDHIST MONKS

IMAGE OF BUDDHA BUDDHIST TAMPLE

 BELIEFS
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
mediation, acquiring more wisdom and
deeper understanding, and acceptance
of things as they are.
 CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES
• There are two types of meditation
practices: samatha and vipassana.
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness
of breathing and development of
loving-kindness (Metta Bhavana).
Vipassana practices aim at developing
insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom
is by studying Buddha’s teaching, the
Dharma. Through the reflection of
Dharma, Buddhists can achieve a
deeper understanding of life.
Buddhists believe in non-violence Samantha Meditation
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

PARINIRVANA DAY Wesak or Vesak Day

CHRISTIANITY

PROTESTANT CHURCH

PORTRAIT OF JESUS CHRIST CATHOLIC CHURCH

BELIEFS
• Christians believe 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 anyone 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 Sacrament of Baptism
symbolizes the birth in Christian World, HOLY BAPTISM
while the Sacrament of Communion is
an act of remembrance of Jesus Christ’s
sacrificial love. Jesus Christ teaching in
unconditional love that is expressed in
loving
HOLY COMMUNION SYMBOLS
• Christmas and Resurrection
(Easter) are the two major
celebrations in Christianity.
Christmas, usually on
December 25, commemorates
the birth of Jesus Christ while EASTER SUNDAY SYMBOL
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
Resurrection Sunday (depends
on the lunar calendar,
sometime in March or April)
celebrates the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from death.
EASTER EGG HUNTING
HINDUISM

PORTRAIT OF SHRI RADHA-KRISHNA

PORTRAIT OF VISHU MARIAMMAN HINDU

 BELIEFS
• Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional
beliefs and religious groups; thus, there 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. Vedas are
sacred scriptures of Hindus. Mahabharata and
Ramayana are two other important texts of the
Hindus.
• 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, DIWALI FESTIVAL
which celebrate the triumph
of good over evil. Hindus have
set dates to honor particular
manifestations of God.

NAVRATI FESTIVAL
ISLAM

PROPHET MUHAMMAD
MASQUE
 BELIEFS
• 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.” MUHHAMED
ALLAH

Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God Mohammed
was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from God through the Angel
Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy Book of Islam is called the Quran, which
QURAN
Hajj. The Pilgrimages of Mecca
CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES
Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim life:
1. Shahdah- statement of faith: There is no God but the one true 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. Hajj – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to do the
pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
• 5. Sawm – 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.
EIDUL-FITR IS THE CELEBRATION AT THE END OF RAMADAN, WHILE EIDUL-
ADHA IS CELEBRATED WITHIN THE COMPLETION OF THE PILGRIMAGE, THE
HAJJ

CELEBRATION OF EIDUL-FITR
JUDAISM

Jewish Temple

ABRAHAM (The Father Of Faith) Inside of the Jewish Temple

 BELIEFS
Image of Moses with the Ten
Commandments in stone tablets

• 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 Savior. The sacred scripture of the Jews
is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is
the guide of the Jewish living. The study and
interpretation of Torah is part of the Jewish
culture. TORAH
CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES
• There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
• Rosh Hashanah – the New Year
1.Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement
2.Pesach- Passover
3.Shavuot- Pentecost
4.Sukkot-Tabernacles. The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday
evening at sunset and is an important time when families
gather for the Shabbat meal.
ROSH HASHANAH YOM KIPPUR PESACH

SHAVOUT SUKKOT
• 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 and practices,
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 Viktor 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. Viktor E. Frankl was born on March 26, 1905 in Vienna,
Austria, where famous psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and
Alfred Adler 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.
• Survivor of the Holocaust, Dr. Frankl published a book about logotheraphy . 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
LOGOTHERAPHY
• Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr.
Viktor Frankl, who is considered the Father of
Logotherapy. The main belief of logotherapy is that
“man’s primary motivational force is search for
meaning.” Logotherapy aids individuals 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 the Victor Frankl Institute of Logotheraphy (n.d.), 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.
CONCEPT OF FRANKLIAN PSYCHOLOGY
The Franklian Psychology has the basic concepts. These are the
following:
Life has meaning under all circumstances.
Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
• Freedom to find meaning
Furthermore, Franklian Psychology aims to: (1) become aware of
spiritual resources, (2) make conscious spiritual resources, and (3)
use “defiant power of the human spirit” and stand up against
adversity.
LOGOTHERAPY ASSUMPTION
All psychotherapies make philosophical assumptions about the human persons that cannot be proved
with certainty. Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy (n.d.) states the assumptions of logotherapy, which
include the following:

1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit. This first assumption
deals with the body (soma), mind (psyche), and spirit (noos). According to Frankl, the
body and mind are what we have and the spirit is what we are.
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable. Assumption two is
“ultimate meaning.” This is difficult to grasp but it is something everyone experiences
and it represents an order in a world with laws that go beyond human laws.
3. People have a will to meaning. The third assumption is seen as our main motivation
for living and acting. When we see meaning, we are ready for any type of suffering.
This is considered to be different than our will to achieve power and pleasure.
• 4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find
meaning. Assumption four is that we are free to activate our will to find
meaning, and this can be done under any circumstances. This deals with
change of attitudes about unavoidable fate. Frankl was able to test the first
four assumptions when he was confined in the concentration camps.
• 5. Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are
to be meaningful. The fifth assumption, the meaning of the moment, is
more practical in daily living than ultimate meaning. Unlike ultimate
meaning this meaning can be found and fulfilled. This can be done by
following the values of society or by following the voice of our conscience.
• 6. The individual is unique. The sixth assumption deals with one’s sense of
meaning. This is enhanced by the realization that we are irreplaceable.
In essence, all humans are unique with an entity of body, mind, and spirit. We all go
through unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning. We are free to do
these at all times in response to certain demands.
FRANKLS SOURCE OF MEANING
• Popova (2017) discussed Viktor Frankl’s work. There are three possible sources of the meaning of life:
purposeful work, courage in the face of difficulty and love.
• Purposeful Work. To find the meaning of life starts with holding a future goal. Each individual has each
own future goal to achieve or a task to perform. That task or goal to fulfill becomes the meaning of
their life. Therefore, meaning of life is unique to every individual.
1. Courage in the Face of Difficulty. A meaningful life is a life with suffering. Suffering is inevitable part of
life. To find meaning of life is to recognize suffering, pain, and death as part of life and to have the
courage to face these life difficulties.
2. Love. Popova (2017) quoted Dr. Frankl’s notes about his experience in the Nazi Camp: “For hours I
stood hacking at the icy ground. The guard passed by, insulting me, and once again I communed with
my beloved. More and more I felt that she was present, that she was with me; I had the feeling that I
was able to touch her, able to stretch out my hand and grasp hers. The feeling was very strong: she
was there. Then, at that very moment, a bird flew down silently and perched just in front of me, on
the heap of soil which I had dug up from the ditch, and looked steadily at me.”
• Dr. Frankl's wife, parents, and some relatives were victims of gas
chambers. His love for his wife kept him fight for his life. Popova
(2017) also quoted Dr. Frankl's definition of love: "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. By his love, he is enabled
to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and
even more, he sees that which is potential in him... Furthermore, by
his love, the loving person enables the beloved person to actualize
these potentialities. By making him aware of what he can be and of
what he should become, he makes these potentialities come
true."Costello (2015) captured Viktor Frankl's message: "The ultimate
secret on the spiritual foundation of life is that love is salvation and
joy eternity." The ultimate factor to find the meaning of life is love.
THANK YOU !