ARE U PRACTICING SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM?

Spiritual elitism

I.e., using spiritual ‘achievements’ (like having a kundalini awakening) or one’s ‘gifts’ (like being able to channel or heal others) to disconnect from and feel superior to others.

Creating a spiritual resume

I.e., keeping a list of all the important spiritual people, workshops, certifications, etc. that one has achieved to impress oneself and others.

 Spiritual shopping sprees

I.e., habitually buying spiritual trinkets/tools/items or accumulating the blessings and initiations from sages, shamans, saints, etc., to somehow feel more “special,” “awakened,” “aligned,” or spiritually worthy.

 Future obsession

I.e., believing that “if I do ___, I will get to this special elevated state in the future” without living in the present moment or recognizing the fundamental ego-centricity of this driving belief.

Focusing only on the positive

I.e., so that the ego avoids the reality of its own shadow (that is, its hidden pain, wounds, and deceptions), it focuses on the purely positive aspects of spirituality, aka., “Think positive thoughts,” “be high vibe,” “love and light,” “good vibes only,” etc. Focusing only on the positive is a major aspect of spiritual bypassing (or avoiding our issues by escaping into spirituality).

InstaSpirituality

I.e., focusing on aesthetically-pleasing spiritual practices that are “Instagram-worthy” while neglecting the deeper and messier aspects of spiritual transformation that can’t fit into a pretty picture.

Spiritual narcissism ( the spiritual ego)

Spiritual narcissism is the climactic result of spiritual materialism; that is, the ego becomes so big, so bulletproof, that it not only unconsciously believes it’s more “awakened” than others, but it will do anything to reinforce that “specialness,” including harming others through arrogance and megalomania.