What constitutes a spiritual person? Are there certain character traits that individuals possess, which make for a strong spiritual foundation in life?
Shafranske and Malony (as cited in Elkins, Hedstrom, Hughes, Leaf, & Saunders, 1988) found that 71% of psychologists considered spirituality to be relevant to their lives. Elkins, et al (1988) have also observed this trend in non-psychologists. They believe that a growing number of people are developing their spirituality. There is also confirmation on the importance of spirituality in our lives by such notables of psychology, such as Carl Jung and Abraham Maslow. Jung observed that he was able to cure only those patients who recovered a spiritual orientation to their lives. And Maslow believed that spirituality is a central component of what it means to be human.
Through literature review of Jung, Maslow, and other prominent persons in psychology, and by interviewing people from different faiths, Elkins, and his colleagues, formulated nine basic components of spirituality.
These components are indicative of the character traits of people who are intensely interested in spirituality, or who are defined as spiritual/religious people. These character traits are:
- Transcendent Dimension: Although the spiritual individual has personal experience with the transcendent dimension of life the actual content of a person’s belief system may range from the traditional view of a personal god to a broader world view, that we all possess a greater self. This personal experience can sometimes be what Abraham Maslow referred to as a “peak experience.” This is a moment of clear insight into the nature of oneself or the universe and is often accompanied by feelings of awe or ecstasy. The spiritual person believes that what is in the physical world is not all there is to life and that experiencing transcendent states of awareness can be of great benefit to the individual.
- Meaning and Purpose in Life: The spiritual person experiences the quest for meaning and purpose in his life. He has found life to be deeply meaningful and believes that his existence has purpose. During this process of awakening to individual meaning and purpose each person discovers his own path in life and what meaning and purpose means to him.
- Mission in Life: The spiritual person has a sense of mission in her “vocation,” and feels a sense of responsibility to life. Some people experience this as having a mission to accomplish, or feeling one has a calling towards a certain profession, or in some cases, feeling one has a certain destiny to fulfill. The spiritual person who has a mission in life understands that finding a mission is sometimes an individual journey and that in the process one may have to give up an old way of life in order to live a new more meaningful one.
- Sacredness of Life: The spiritual person believes that all of life is sacred and has experienced feelings of awe, reverence, or wonder, even in nonreligious settings. He does not view some places as sacred and others as secular but believes spirituality permeates all of life, even in the most ordinary of experiences.
- Material Values: The spiritual person enjoys material pleasures, such as money and possessions, but realizes that ultimate happiness cannot be gained from them. She realizes that material possessions are not a substitute for deeper spiritual needs. She understands that true and lasting satisfaction is found not in the material but by being spiritually oriented and aware.
- Altruism: The spiritual person believes that we are all fellow travelers on the journey though life. He has deep compassion, understands the suffering of others, has a strong desire to reach out to those who are in pain, and is committed to social justice. He believes in love in action and that our common humanity is what binds all of us together.
- Idealism: The spiritual person is committed to the betterment of the world and has hope for the future. She realizes the importance of making the world a better place, both now and for future generations. She is committed to high ideals towards realizing these goals and in actualizing her highest potential.
- Awareness of the Tragic: The spiritual person has a heightened awareness of the suffering and tragedies of life. He is acutely aware of human pain, suffering, and death. He has also personally come to understand that awareness of one’s own pain, and by working through it, brings about a deeper appreciation of life, tremendous joy, and a valuing of others.
- Fruits of Spirituality: The spiritual human being is aware that living a spiritual life bears fruit for herself and others. She has come to understand that awareness of the spiritual has a positive effect upon one’s relationship to self, to others, and to nature. She also prizes what she believes to be the Ultimate.
References
Elkins, D.N., Hedstrom, J.L., Hughes, L.L., Leaf, A.J., &Saunders, C. (1988). Toward a humanistic –phenomenological spirituality: Definition, description, and measurement. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 28, 5-18. Doi: 10.1177/0022167888284002
Shafranske, E.P., & Mahoney, H.N. (1985, February). Religion, spirituality, and psychotherapy: A study of California psychologists. Paper presented at the meeting of the California State Psychological Association, San Francisco.