There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view from it is always the same. 

How do we know which way to go? Your intuition represents the answer and solution. The compass showing the right path is within you and it is your sovereign right to take what resonates with you and let the rest go.

The difference between spirituality and religion is crucial

Spirituality is connecting with the Divine through your own personal experience. It is primarily concerned with searching for, experiencing and embodying one's own spiritual essence.

Religion is about connecting with the Divine through the experience and guidance of another. It is primarily about believing, following and obeying rules.

Historian and philosopher Yuval Noah Harari explains the contrast between spirituality and religion this way: “ Religion is an agreement, while spirituality is a journey. Religion provides a complete description of the world and offers us a well-defined contract with predetermined goals. 'God exists. He told us to behave in a certain way. If you obey God, you will be accepted into heaven. If you disobey Him, you will burn in hell.' The very clarity of this agreement allows society to define common norms and values ​​that regulate human behavior.

The spiritual path contains nothing of the sort. He usually leads people in mysterious ways to unknown destinations. The search usually starts with some big question, like, “Who am I? What is the meaning of life? What is good?” While many people merely accept ready answers provided by the powers that be, spiritual seekers are not so easily satisfied. They are determined to follow the big question wherever it leads, and not just to places you know well or want to visit.”

Differences between spirituality and religion clearly

Are you more spiritual or religious? It is possible to be very spiritual and yet not be religious. It is also possible to be religious but not spiritual, or a bit of both. However, it is useful to understand which side you lean more towards. It will help you make clearer life decisions that align with your true needs, values, and desires.

Difference Between Spirituality and Spiritualism 

These two terms sound similar and can easily be confused with each other. Spirituality is a way of life in which a person tries to connect to the Divine, or to his true nature. Spiritualism is a movement based on the belief that we can connect with the souls of the deceased. Spiritualists primarily seek to make contact with the dead and thus gain knowledge, insight, and even healing through such a method.

Can spiritualists be spiritually grounded and can spiritual seekers be spiritualists? Yes, they certainly can, but it's not the same.

Many people benefit from the belief that they can get help from spirits. For some, direct communication with the souls of the deceased is an important part of their life journey. For others, spiritualism indirectly provided hope, emotional relief, acceptance of life and death, and other profound inner benefits where nothing else could. Be careful, however, because spiritualism can be very dangerous in the hands of amateurs, and this article is not a guide or recommendation for attempts of this type.

To successfully walk your spiritual path, it is not necessary to be interested in paranormal abilities and events such as clairvoyance, clairaudience and others. In some cases, spiritualism can become a mere distraction. An endlessly exciting rabbit hole to get lost in that actually takes you away from true spirituality, or oneness with your True Nature.

When we seek spiritual guidance outside of ourselves (in the form of mediums, spirits, etc.) it can become a hindrance, especially if spiritual liberation is our life's goal.

Is there a single true spiritual path?

Spirituality is extremely personal and means something different to each person. Therefore, there is no "true" spiritual path. If someone tries to claim that their spiritual path is "the only true path," they are adopting a religious mindset, not a spiritual mindset.

This is because religion is based on dogma, while spirituality is based on personal experience. Unlike religion, your spiritual path is tailored solely to your emotional, mental and spiritual needs. This means that your spiritual path will shift, change, morph and evolve with you many times throughout your life.

It is therefore okay and even desirable for you to change your mind, field, perspective, or technique over time. It is part of your natural evolution.

Transcendent vs. Immanent Spirituality

A spiritual journey can be transcendent or immanent (and in some cases both).

Transcendent spirituality sees the divine as greater than ourselves, which is beyond this world and is something we attain or become aware of.

Immanent spirituality sees the divine as living among us, which is very apparent in this physical world and something we embody.

Neither view is wrong. Whether you favor transcendent or immanent spirituality depends on our unique perspective. One example of the transcendent path is Neo-Advaita, while animism is a reflection of immanent spirituality. An example of a path that combines both transcendent and immanent spirituality is panentheism.

5 Main Spiritual Paths

There are an infinite number of different paths and methods. The important thing is that you choose what is close to you and what feels right to you. Remember that what you like and need now will probably evolve into something more and better for you in the future. So don't be afraid to dabble in something and then commit deeply if you see yourself in it.

Although there are as many shades of spirituality as there are spiritual people in the world, they can be roughly divided into five categories for simplicity:

Earth-Oriented Spirituality

A connection to the earth, or material realm, as a gateway to the Divine. Examples of this type of spiritual path include Nature Mysticism, Rituals, Shamanism, Plant Medicine, Crystals, Herbal Healing.

Metaphysical Spirituality

Connecting with the immaterial realm as a gateway to the Divine. Examples of this type of spiritual path include: Energy Healing, Esotericism, Occultism, Spirit Guides , Contact with the Divine, Divination (Tarot cards, dowsing, pendulum), Magic, Channeling, Astrology, Mysticism, Spirit Summoning.

Body-Based Spirituality

The Body as a Gateway to the Divine. Examples of this type of spiritual path include Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Breathing exercises, Tantra, Chanting and Mantras, Dance.

Heart-Based Spirituality

Using your heart as a gateway to the Divine. Examples of this type of spiritual path include Devotion, Prayer, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Unconditional love, Cultivating compassion, Finding meaning in life, Spiritual relationships, Philanthropy/service to others, Listening, Developing intuition.

Mind-Based Spirituality

Using your mind as a gateway to the Divine. Examples of this kind of spiritual path include Non-duality, Contemplation, Mindfulness, Visualization, Self-Hypnosis, Mind Alteration, Transcendental States of Consciousness, Law of Attraction, Solitude.

Spirituality is like a tree. Some named paths and practices are closer to the central stem, which is the ultimate goal of spirituality (which is awakening, unity, and freedom from suffering). Other paths and practices, on the other hand, form marginal branches. It's up to you to figure out what practices will help you get there.

When spirituality overlaps with psychology

Psychospirituality represents an integrative, balanced approach to life, which has long been presented on this website... But why do we actually need to bring psychology into spirituality?

Spirituality without psychology is vague, unsubstantiated and disconnected from everyday practical life. Spirituality alone usually does not solve our mental and emotional problems. If we focus only on spirituality, we tend to fall into the trap of spiritual excuses, which is using spirituality to avoid solving our problems, causing great harm to ourselves and others.

In turn, psychology without spirituality is dry, excessively theoretical, disconnected from the refreshing breeze of spiritual insight. Working on yourself and your problems is important, but if that's the only thing we focus on, it's boring and crampy. That is why I strongly recommend incorporating elements of psychology into your spiritual practice. It could be a therapist or a good book. Some things you can do yourself. Common psycho-spiritual inner work practices include, for example: Journaling, Automatic Writing, Artistic Expression, Dream Work, Learning to Love Yourself (Self Love), Inner Child Work, Shadow Work, Archetypes, Astral Travel, Hypnotherapy, Work with trauma (somatic experiencing, body-centered mindfulness). You can find free articles on many of the listed topics on this website.

The Process of Spiritual Awakening

Most people who become interested in spirituality have gone through or are going through some process of spiritual awakening.

Spiritual awakening is the experience of entering into a spiritual quest. Spiritual awakenings often occur as a result of illness, job loss, traumatic life experiences, and major life changes such as marriage or the birth of a child. Suddenly, the old, materialistic way of life no longer satisfies a person and he begins to desire something more. And so begins his spiritual quest.

If you have experienced a spiritual awakening, you have seen through the lies and illusions of this world. Deep in your soul, you realize that nothing external has ever brought you and never can bring you true happiness and fulfillment. This deep realization leaves you longing for something richer, more fulfilling, and something that makes you feel whole again.

Part of the spiritual awakening is also a painful condition known as the Dark Night of the Soul. The term was originally coined by a Spanish monk in the 16th century, Saint John of the Cross. It is derived from the poem of the same name, "Noche Oscura", which described his own painful experience.

The dark night of the soul is the experience of feeling completely disconnected from the Divine. This heavy feeling of isolation and spiritual abandonment can accompany a spiritual awakening, or it can occur naturally as a result of a traumatic life experience.

The dark night of the soul is a period of complete spiritual desolation, disconnection and emptiness in which one feels completely separated from the Divine. Those who experience the Dark Night feel completely lost, hopeless and engulfed in melancholy. The dark night of the soul can be compared to severe spiritual depression.

While this Dark Night sounds undeniably scary, it is also an important part of the spiritual journey that motivates us to prioritize our spirituality. Without death, rebirth cannot come. And without the dissolution of the old, there can be no transformation into the new.

So if you're reading this and feeling stuck, lost, or hopeless, take it as a sign that you're on a spiritual journey. Believe that there is hope for you and that what you are experiencing has meaning and purpose.

How to Begin Your Spiritual Journey

The spiritual life is deep and transcendent. You don't really choose; your spiritual path chooses you. This means that deep down your heart, soul, spirit, whatever you want to call it, knows what it needs most to develop, mature, heal and transform.

But to make things easier, here are some steps you can proactively take. Take what resonates with you and feel free to discard the rest.

Define what spirituality actually means to you

This is your life and your journey. You don't have to buy into someone else's definition of spirituality that doesn't resonate with you on a fundamental level. Your definition of spirituality must be true and intrinsically real—and if it isn't, drop it and move on.

You have to be able to really feel what spirituality is in your bones. That way you will find a real spiritual path that will really help you.

For me, for example, spirituality is a direct experience. It is not a belief; it is something that I actively live and experience in my daily life. It is the unifying force of the present moment. It's about finding out who I really am and developing and growing in that direction. To accept and be in unity. It is about the constant development, maturation, healing and embodiment of the Divinity of which I am an integral part.

Think or write down your thoughts. Few people clearly define what spirituality is for them and this results in a lot of personal confusion, frustration and disillusionment. It's easy to look to other people for answers, but no one is living your life for you but you, and you need to define what spirituality means to you in order to authentically walk your spiritual path. As long as you ask other people for everything, then it is not your own path, because you do not feel it internally.

Think about what you really want and why you want it

Why do you want to have your own spiritual path? How committed do you want to be? What are your real needs, motivations and desires? Asking yourself these three questions will save you a huge amount of confusion and frustration going forward. By asking the right questions, you give yourself the best chance to grow, transform, and heal.

Psychotherapist and yoga teacher Mariana Caplan writes about this nicely: "Ask yourself, 'Am I committed to this, or am I just involved?' which we strive for.

The problem arises when we profess one thing and live another, because we confuse ourselves and others and limit our growth. If we could honestly and unabashedly say, "I'm doing spirituality as a hobby," or "I want a spiritual practice that gives me peace, but without any commitment or discipline," or "I'd like spirituality to be my lover, but I want to maintain my comfort and safety,” or “I want to be seen as a spiritual man or woman because it will make me sexier.”

It's not bad to have that kind of approach to spiritual development. We grow from where we are, and if we pretend to be somewhere we're not and try to move forward, we're likely to travel a very crooked line and be more confused than necessary.

Choose a few spiritual paths and stick to them

Choose, for example, one to five areas of spiritual development that interest you the most. Try to choose methods to which you feel a real closeness and sincere interest. Let your heart guide your way.

Because the mind has a tendency to deceive us. We believe that we "must" like it or "should" practice this because... As a result, we try to live up to a mental ideal that looks attractive on the outside but doesn't mean much to us on the inside. And that's why we don't get anywhere and we stop having fun.

So follow your instincts and follow your passions. This is the best way to ensure that you stay motivated.

Include a Psycho-Spiritual Practice

As I've written before, without psychology, spirituality can be ungrounded, disconnected from everyday life, and can be used to bypass our inner shadows, traumas, and childhood issues. To truly get the most out of your spiritual journey, you also need to heal and mature on a personal level. This process is called individuation . For successful spiritual development, it is absolutely necessary for a person to be even a little bit of a psychologist and coach to himself, to be on the lookout for scattered theories torn from reality. This will ensure that he goes the right way and chooses wisely.

Create Your Unique Path

At first, you may need to formally set aside a certain amount of time each day to devote to your spiritual path. Even 15 minutes a day is enough, but if you want to devote more time to your spiritual journey from the beginning, go for it.  This is your journey, make it your own.

Based on long-term practice, you will gradually discover what you feel good about, what suits you, what has the potential to become a natural part of your being and your day. Experiments then become your individual method. Above all, be true to yourself. If you can't put your heart into it, get out of it.

Image and Translation by CrystalWind.ca

Article Title written by CrystalWind.ca. 

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