9 - Lesson 4

LESSON 4
The Spiritual Self

LESSON OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. identify various religious beliefs and practices;
2. describe the self in relation to religious beliefs, and
3. explain ways of finding the meaning of life.
INTRODUCTION
The body is believed to be made up of three components: body, soul, and spirit. The body
is the physical being that responds to stimuli and communicates with the surroundings. The soul
comprises the emotions and thoughts of a person, while the spirit is the intangible aspect that
communicates with deities in the spiritual realm.
Human beings are incomplete without the spirit. Religion teaches us the value of a higher
being who develops in us our morality and conscience. It is vital that we explore how to nourish
the spiritual self through our religious beliefs and practices.
Name:___________________________________________ Date:___________________
ACTIVITY
Complete the first two columns of the K-W-L chart on spiritual self. You will fill last
column after the discussion of the lesson.
What I know about the Spiritual Self
What I Want to know about Self Spiritual Self
What I Have Learned about the Spiritual Self
ANALYSIS
Think-Pair-Share
Look for a pair and share your answers to the first two columns of the K-W-L chart.
1. From your answers in the first column of the K-W-L chart, who taught you about the
concept of spiritual self and when did you learn it? How about your pair, when and who
taught him or her?
2. After sharing with your seatmate, how do you compare your answer for the second
column of the K-W-L chart?
ABSTRACTION
The Spiritual Self
"When you examine the lives of the most influential people who have ever walked
among us, you discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first
with their spiritual nature and only then with their physical selves."
- Albert Einstein
The spiritual self is considered as the higher self, the inner self, and a person's true being
that is greatly influenced by a spiritual deity. Spiritual deities whom people believed vary from
one religious group to another. From history, people's lives have been shaped by their religious
traditions and practices. Meditation practices increase positive emotions, which may yield
positive consequences for life satisfaction. Research has also shown that when facing trials,
greater religiosity predicts greater subjective well-being mediated by greater social support and
meaning in life (Diener et al. 2011).
Individuals with faith in a higher being are able to face life challenges with greater
confidence and hope. The impossible becomes possible and the difficult becomes manageable,
because of divine intervention and guidance. Christians, for example, gain a new sense of
direction and strength after devoting some time in prayer and meditation of the Bible or the word
of God. These two may be heightened with their involvement in small groups of fellow believers
and engagement in ministry or outreach activities. The faith in a higher being gives them a sense
of purposeone that is greater than the physical self. This purpose drives their other affairs, such
as family and career.
Spiritual Self and Coping with Stress
According to Dr. Seppala of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism
research, spiritual people engage in practices that can help reduce levels of stress (Miller, K.
2020). It has been observed that spiritual people are more likely to help the poor through
donations or volunteer work. They are also involved in community services. Spiritually active
people cope with stress through meditation rather than overeating or engaging in unhealthy
coping behaviors. Meditation provides benefits, such as focus to decrease pain and depression
together with improved health and happiness. Religious people choose to spend quality time with
family, and they feel a strong sense of belonging to a community of likeminded people. Lastly,
spiritual people have a very high regard to prayer. Prayer helps people find comfort by assisting
them in dealing with difficult emotions, encouraging forgiveness, and leading healthier
relationships.
Furthermore, positive emotions, increasing levels of psychological resilience, and
improved immune response have all been associated with spirituality (Miller, K. 2020).
Spirituality is not a simple subject for experiential study. It is actually a complex system that
requires serious and dedicated effort. Nevertheless, considering the positive correlation between
spiritual, physical, and psychological well-being, health experts and practitioners can undeniably
include spirituality in practice in order to help patients recover from their illnesses and have a
happier and longer life.
Starting Your Own Spiritual Journey
People worldwide have diverse religious views and practices. The decision to seek
spiritual enlightenment is driven by the innate need for meaning. Joining a spiritual group helps
people find meaning in their lives. Through the spiritual group, people find connections in
troubling times. The connection group helps ease their stress and their depressive symptoms, and
increase their immune response. With these benefits, it is just essential for us to start embarking
on spiritual transcendence,
Miller (2020) proposed a simple guideline on how to start with our spiritual journey.
1. Start small and make new habits easy. We are not required to strictly follow a set of
beliefs overnight. Spiritual journey is a process and it is progressive. Becoming
spiritual can be as simple as staying silent for five to 10 minutes a day in a peaceful
environment.
2. Commit. It is a matter of perspective. Decide to start and continue with your spiritual
journey. Begin with self-love. With growing measures of love, lo peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, and gratitude, one can start being more spiritual right away.
3. Practice. Just keep on doing and progressing. Human beings must continually practice
mindful attention to their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to find experiences in
spirituality.
4. Study. Explore and relate with others' experiences of spirituality, whether through
religion or personal journeys. Seek advice and guidance from people who have been
through the same path.
5. Choose love and respect. Commit to loving and respecting yourself above all else,
then do it with others. If you truly accept your own strengths and weaknesses, you
can easily and unconditionally offer love and respect to others. Even in awkward,
conflicting situations, choose to remain calm and interact with compassion and grace.
Aside from these simple steps, you can think of your own practical steps so you
can start with your spiritual pursuit and enjoy it to its fullest.
Name:___________________________________________ Date:___________________
ASSESSMENT AND APPLICATION
A. Create a comic strip comic strip showing how you have been shaped by your religious e
and practices. You can draw manually or you can use a digital online application.
B. In groups of three to four members, discuss your own personal religious experiences.
C. Vison board Doodle or draw what you dream to become after five to 10 years in your
spiritual self.

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LESSON 4

The Spiritual Self

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