Characteristics of the Spiritual Person

Today there is a widespread turn toward spirituality, and many individuals in diverse cultures have embraced it because they "desire a deeper life, connection with ultimate truth, finding meaning in everyday activities, experiences of breakdown, moral challenges, sorrow, illness, and death." (Wolfteich, 2003: 829) Due to differing perspectives and cultures, numerous and varied definitions of spirituality have been offered. These definitions point to various meanings such as the inner journey, living faithfully, practices like prayer and meditation, and living consciously and authentically. (Wolfteich, 2003: 828) It seems that, given the conceptions of spirituality that exist,¹ a central component that can be identified—and one that common understanding also affirms—is a reality "beyond self," which has been expressed with various terms: Ultimate reality, the Holy, the Transcendent, Deity, God, Higher power, and the like. Each of these expressions and others used in religions and spiritual traditions carries a different semantic resonance, and the picture they present is more or less distant from one another. Yet their commonality lies in the reference they make to a "non-material dimension" and a reality "beyond self" that is other than the material aspects of life, toward which the spiritual person's striving for transcendence is directed.² Belief in this dimension "can range from a traditional view of a personal God to a psychological perspective according to which the 'transcendent dimension' is merely a natural extension of the conscious self into the realm of the unconscious or the Greater self. Nevertheless, whatever theme, typology, metaphor, or model is used to describe that transcendent dimension, the spiritual person still believes in something 'more'—that is, that what is 'seen' is not all that exists... The spiritual person is one who has experienced and tasted that transcendent dimension in the very sense Maslow intended by 'peak experiences,' and draws personal strength from connection with it." (Elkins, 1988: 10)

Types of spirituality, religious or secular, despite their differences, acknowledge the non-material dimension of existence and connection with it, and invite commitment to it, and it is this that causes them to be regarded as spirituality. For example, William James speaks of the distinction between "institutional religion" and "personal religion," and expresses what he means by personal religion—which refers to spirituality—as follows: "the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine" (James, 1391: 48-51). James places both the God of religions and non-religious creeds that, for instance, regard not a personal God but the structure of the universe as spiritual, under the meaning of the divine. Thus, spirituality can emerge in a religious or non-religious context; theistic or non-theistic, and with the various conceptions of God that exist, whether personal or impersonal.

On this basis, the question of this article can be formulated as follows: What are the qualities and characteristics of a person who is spiritual—that is, who has an existential relation with the world of meaning? In other words, when we hear that someone is spiritual, what image forms in our mind, and what kind of person do we expect them to be? What is the mode of being of the spiritual person in the world? Therefore, an effort is made, with regard to the prevalent literature of the discussion, to formulate and articulate the common understanding of the spiritual person. Before addressing the main question, it is fitting to state a few points for a clearer understanding of the material.

1

Until the twentieth century, spirituality was regarded as the essence and inner layer of religion; today this conception of spirituality is known as religious spirituality.³ What differentiates religious spiritualities from one another is that each organizes its conduct under a specific religion, and the type of relationship that an individual establishes with the ultimate truth within religious traditions varies according to the worldview and specific outlook of each religion. For example, in Christian spirituality, spiritual conduct is directed toward imitating Christ and building one's life upon his life and the teachings of the sacred text. After this period, however, a tendency emerged to distinguish spirituality from religion, according to which spirituality is not defined under religion; these types of spiritualities are known as secular spiritualities.⁴ Today, spirituality is not regarded as an essence exclusively confined to religion, but is also considered attainable through non-religious means. Secular spiritualities hold that one can benefit from the teachings and practices of religions and spiritual traditions without commitment to a specific religion and with openness toward all of them.⁵

As previously mentioned, despite the distinctions that exist among the various types of religious and secular spirituality, what has caused all of them to fall under the umbrella of spirituality is the belief in the non-material realm of the world as the ultimate truth and the existential connection of the deepest inner layers of the individual with it. According to the Encyclopedia of Religion: "Spirituality refers to a domain concerned with non-material life and can encompass both religious and secular attitudes... Spirituality has been recognized in academic discourse as a field of study that is both dependent on and independent of religion." (MacDonald, 2005: 8721)

The spiritual person not only does not consider existence to be confined to material and natural forces and deems the world of being too vast to be caught in the net of human perceptual faculties, but also has a heartfelt and existential perception of the non-material realm of existence. With the eye of the heart, they see the inner reality of the world and sense and taste the presence and influence of the world of meaning in their life; as James says: "The feeling of the existence and presence of a higher and intimate power is the fundamental characteristic of spiritual life." (James, 1391: 314) For this reason, the individual existentially feels reliance upon and dependence on a force beyond themselves. This heartfelt and inner connection of the individual with the world of meaning manifests in the form of religious or spiritual experiences.⁶ Religious experience is an internal/subjective or external/objective event that an individual undergoes, and for them that event holds spiritual and religious meaning and significance. Religious experience, which pertains to all spiritual traditions, is a broad concept and encompasses a wide spectrum of experiences, such as answered prayer, the feeling of forgiveness, and witnessing divine manifestation. (Abbasi, 1391: 22-20)

The following example well illustrates a religious experience in which the narrator feels the presence of God:

"God is more real to me than any thought or thing or person; I feel His presence and existence completely, and every day I become more and more attuned to His laws, as if His laws are engraved upon my body and mind. I feel Him in the sunshine and in the rain... When I pray, it is as if I am speaking with one of my companions, and our union and communication is exhilarating... The feeling that He is mine and I am His never leaves me, and it has instilled in me a constant and enduring joy and delight. Without Him, life is like a cold, lifeless desert and a fruitless mirage." (James, 1391: 92)

Thus, in the life of a spiritual person whose spirituality is built upon an existential and intimate connection with the non-material world, religious experiences, with all their diversity, occur frequently. The spiritual person seeks an ever-deeper connection with the sacred realm of existence, and its preservation and continuation through various means such as prayer and meditation.

2

The aim of religiousness and the result expected from it is the attainment of a set of inner and behavioral traits and dispositions by virtue of which the individual becomes spiritual—that is, through religious practice and theoretical and practical commitment to the doctrines and teachings of religion, an existential transformation occurs so that one may grasp the meaning of religious teachings and practices and sense the presence of God in life. The approach of religious and spiritual traditions is to place greater emphasis on inner practices and exercises rather than on theorizing and rational analyses, because they seek an existential change and transformation in the individual. These practices and exercises include various types—intellectual, emotional, physical, aesthetic, moral, and introspective. (Cottingham, 2005: 4-5 and Cottingham, 2014: 152) Thus, although the spirituality of the spiritual person possesses epistemic aspects, it is not merely a theory and a set of doctrines; rather, its foundation rests upon the experience of the transcendent. That is, the individual’s spirituality relies on an inner experience and an inward journey in the world of meaning, and does not halt at theoretical discussions and investigations.

On this basis, an individual may be religious—that is, believe in religious doctrines and teachings and also perform religious precepts and practices—yet not sense the presence of God in their life and have no existential experience of Him. Therefore, the ideal is for the religious individual to attain the essence of religion, which is spirituality, and to be spiritually religious; but, in any case, these two are distinct from one another.

3

Spirituality as lived experience is distinct from spirituality as academic reflection; spirituality in the first sense is an inner experience that a person undergoes and, through performing practices, strives to connect with ultimate reality and, in conformity with it, regulate their way of life such that they experience a different life.⁸ Spirituality in the second sense, however, is a reflective and rational approach to spirituality in the first sense, which considers it as a subject for research and thought in order to approach an understanding of it through theological, historical, anthropological, and other methods. (Spohn, 1997: 111-112) A distinction must also be drawn between spirituality as lived experience, as described, and spiritualism; spiritualism is a philosophical tendency emphasizing extrasensory epistemic tools, dealing with phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and clairaudience, and as a school, like the Theosophical school, it possesses specific components pertaining to reality, value, and duty. ( Boeving, 2010: 1725)

Characteristics of the Spiritual Person

1) All the activities of the spiritual person are overshadowed by an overarching and ultimate goal, and they possess a comprehensive philosophy for life: an ever-deeper connection with the inner essence and reality that exists behind the appearances of things. In this respect, their inner life is not fragmented and disjointed but possesses unity and coherence, and their inner integrity is owed to the single direction that governs their entire life. This single direction "encompasses body and spirit, thought and emotion, activity and passivity, and the individual and social aspects of their life. Hence, spirituality places the whole of the individual’s life in relation to reality as a whole." ( Schneiders, 2003: 167) This inner coherence, which results from establishing an existential relationship with the world of meaning, has not divided their life into two parts—material affairs and non-material affairs—such that some tasks pertain to daily, material, and bodily matters and others to transcendent, non-material, and spiritual matters; connection with the world of meaning pervades the entire life of the spiritual person like oxygen. (Underhill, 1385: 31-32)

The unity, coherence, and inner integrity attained in the light of connection with a world beyond oneself brings about meaningfulness in the life of the spiritual person. A meaningful life is the first characteristic that a spiritual person is expected to possess. In fact, the meaningfulness of life results from the fulfillment of four needs, and if one or more of these needs remains unanswered and neglected in life, the meaning of life will be disrupted to the same extent. ( Synder, 2002: 610)

1- The need for purpose: Purposes and ends give meaning to our present activities.

2- Need for Value: Our value system concerning good and bad, right and wrong, justifies our actions and, by providing criteria for judging them, reduces our moral sufferings.

3- Need for Efficacy: Acting and playing a role commensurate with our goals and values, and generally, the difference our being or not being makes in the world.

4- Need for Self-worth: To regard ourselves as good and valuable, and for the judgment we make about ourselves to be positive.

The spiritual person answers these four needs in the shadow of their spiritual life; each of them, in ways that may differ among spiritual individuals, relates to the non-material world and the ultimate reality. The spiritual person considers their life and the world in which they live to be encompassed by a greater whole and finds themselves in a universe that possesses consciousness and purpose. For this reason, they consider themselves to have a mission and a calling, which is a sense of responsibility for their continuous self-transcendence and drawing closer to the ultimate reality. (Elkin, 1988: 11) This image of existence and the role they play in it creates a state within them that can be called, in John Hick's phrase, Cosmic optimism. Cosmic optimism means that "we can be pleased to be part of this universe and be joyful and grateful for our humanity. In other words, the meaning of life is that even in the darkest moments of life, when we are afflicted with suffering and sorrow, we can be at the height of hope and confidence." (Hick, 1386: 100)

2) Such an attitude and finding of meaning gives rise to the second characteristic of the spiritual person, which is Life-satisfaction; that is, despite being exposed to all kinds of pain and suffering like others, they possess inner contentment and satisfaction. Satisfaction or dissatisfaction with life can be directed at a part of life or the whole of it, and can also be transient or enduring. ( Veenhoven, 2015: 736)

Types of Life Satisfaction:

1- Transient satisfaction with a part of life: such as the pleasure of eating ice cream in hot weather

2- Enduring satisfaction with a part of life: such as job satisfaction

3- Transient satisfaction with the whole of life: such as the experiences recounted by mystics

4- Enduring satisfaction with the whole of life

According to this division, the spiritual person enjoys enduring satisfaction with the whole of life. Although they may be dissatisfied and displeased with some matters and at times be subject to sorrow and anxiety, it never leads to ennui, restlessness, complaint, lamentation, or despair. The spiritual individual has a deep and continuous satisfaction with Life-as-a-whole, and for this reason, possesses peace, joy, and hope; peace in the face of anxiety, joy in the face of sorrow, hope in the face of despair. These psychological states, both quantitatively and qualitatively, are more enduring and stronger in them than in others.

In explaining life satisfaction, it can be said that each of us is in relation with six worlds that constitute our lifeworld. In other words, the totality of human connections is directed towards these six domains:

1- The psyche or one's own self; components such as self-esteem, acceptance of the past, and hope for the future.

2- The body; components such as the absence of pain and the proper functioning of the senses.

3- Individuals and groups; components such as intimate relationships with parents, friends, and colleagues, and feeling loved.

4- The material environment; components such as having a home, sufficient income, and security.

5- Culture; feeling comfortable in the culture in which we live.

6- Existence; the meaningfulness of life, answering questions such as the purpose and value of life.

As stated, each of these domains has components that collectively determine the degree of our inner satisfaction. For this reason, a deficiency in any of them reduces our contentment and satisfaction with ourselves. Although each of these components affects our level of inner satisfaction and a deficiency in them leads to reduced satisfaction, what ultimately determines our contentment is the meaning of life; the placement of other life domains within a meaningful context. For example, elderly individuals who lose a great deal physically or socially often strive, as the question of life's meaning arises, to place their current circumstances within a broader framework and, by finding a semantic context, to find a sense of worth and being loved. (Marcoen, 1994: 524-526)

Therefore, based on the explanation given so far about spiritual life, it can be said that spirituality "is based on the experience of a transcendent relationship with something greater than the individual. This spirituality overshadows the individual's perceptual-motivational system and may be the last refuge in moments of hardship, irreversible losses, and other manifestations that show the finitude of life. This transcendent relationship can pertain to a realm that is interpreted religiously, as well as to a realm of transpersonal realities that are interpreted non-religiously or agnostically." (Marcoen, 1994: 527) Thus, the second characteristic of the spiritual person, arising from the meaningfulness of their life, is inner satisfaction.

3) The spiritual person constantly strives for self-transcendence (Lane, 1987: 333), meaning to move beyond the current situation and toward a desirable and ideal state. This desire for transcending and self-improvement takes place in the light of ultimate truth and leads to the cultivation of moral virtues within them. Virtue is a character trait that is praiseworthy, for which the following characteristics can be enumerated: 1) It is a relatively stable personality trait, not something that appears sporadically, but can be observed predominantly in various aspects of the individual. 2) In different situations, it leads to a specific mode of thought, feeling, will, speech, and behavior, and 3) it results in a positive evaluation of the person's moral worth. (Timmons, 2013: 270) Furthermore, this stable character trait, which manifests in various areas of the individual's life, gradually becomes entrenched through continuous practice and perseverance, such that moral actions are issued from the individual with spontaneity and greater ease. Virtue also has two aspects: cognitive and motivational. In the cognitive aspect, the virtuous person holds specific beliefs related to the virtue, and in the motivational aspect, they possess specific desires related to it. (Audi, 2015: 529) For example, in the cognitive aspect, the spiritual person sees the phenomenal world and life as encompassed by a vaster realm and, behind the appearances of things, believes in an inner essence and truth; that is, they consider existence to possess consciousness and awareness, and consequently, they see the world's order as a moral order that is aware of and sensitive to good and evil. In the motivational aspect, they are oriented toward the world of meaning, and all their desires and aspirations are organized toward ever-greater closeness to the ultimate truth. Such inner conditions and the heartfelt belief that all phenomena and beings of existence have a relation to the transcendent realm and possess unity and sanctity cause them to have an ethical conduct full of virtue in regulating their relations with humans and, generally, all beings.

On this basis, Albert Schweitzer says: "Ethics... consists in my experiencing the necessity of showing reverence for the life of every living being, just as for my own life. The fundamental principle of ethics lies within this very experience. To preserve and protect life is good, and to destroy and halt life is evil... [A person's conduct] is truly ethical when they are committed to their obligation to help all forms of life... For such a person, life in itself is something sacred." (Quoted in: Hamilton, 1394: 191)

Therefore, the spiritual person, given their divine perception of the world, has a serious sensitivity and attention towards their inner life and the virtues that manifest in the form of motivations, personality traits, and intellectual characteristics, and their ethical life arises from inner virtues. They believe that "we are <responsible for one another>" and are affected by the pain and suffering of others. They are highly sensitive to social justice and are committed to altruistic love and action. The spiritual individual knows that <human beings are not like separate islands> but rather each one is <a part of the shared continent> of humanity." (Elkins, 1988: 11)

4) The spiritual person, in light of their connection with the Transcendent, has found an inner coherence that has harmonized all dimensions of their existence, has attained a profound meaning in life, possesses a broad understanding of the values and guiding standards of life and a clear conception of the good life, and is given to self-examination, self-knowledge, and self-improvement. These qualities make the spiritual person a person of wisdom. All perspectives on wisdom agree that wisdom is not merely directed at thought and theory but encompasses both theory and practice. The semantic weight of wisdom is more practical, and essentially, what is meant by it is practical wisdom, because the concern of the spiritual person of wisdom is living well in its general sense, that is, the best way of confronting the pleasant and unpleasant events of life. (Hosseini, 1388: 153-154) Hence, wisdom is "a form of understanding that combines a contemplative attitude with practical concern. The aim of the contemplative attitude is to understand the fundamental nature of reality and its significance for living well. The aim of practical concern is to create a reasonable conception of the good life considering the individual's character and life circumstances, and to evaluate the situations in which they must decide and act based on their perspective." (Kekes, 2005: 959)

Thus, since living well, which is the result of wisdom, requires deep knowledge and understanding of various aspects of life, the spiritual person necessarily possesses the component of reflection, that is, examining the foundations and implications of phenomena; looking at the various events of life from a higher vantage point, and examining their foundations and presuppositions as well as their implications, effects, and consequences. (Blanshard, 1388: 114) This kind of contemplative view creates a depth and insight into life that reveals itself at critical junctures of life; in confronting positive and negative events, and in making choices and decisions. In this way, the spiritual person has a deep and profound understanding of the various facets and everyday affairs of life that everyone is engaged in, and therefore, can offer wise advice and good guidance to others and assist them in their sorrows, anxieties, disappointments, and dilemmas of life.

Conclusion

In this article, we have tried to briefly and from a general perspective describe the characteristics and form of life of the spiritual human being; as common and universal understanding perceives it and within the framework of prevalent discussions on the subject. In general, the spiritual human being can be considered someone whose living, in the shadow of an existential connection with the Ultimate Truth, has taken a particular direction. The characteristics of the spiritual human being can be articulated and organized into four features: 1) Meaningful life; the individual's purposefulness, value system, efficacy, and self-esteem are coherently organized in a single direction. 2) Inner contentment; the individual has a deep satisfaction with the totality of their life and enjoys peace, joy, and hope. 3) Ethical living. The individual's relations and encounters with themselves, other human beings, and nature are based on moral values and virtues. The individual has an ethical conduct in all their actions and reactions. 4) Wisdom. The individual's confrontation with the minor and major issues of life is accompanied by insight and vision, and this deep perspective is manifested in their speech, behavior, and decision-making; others can draw inspiration from their guidance and way of living in looking at life and their own way of living.

It is worth noting that further characteristics can be imagined for the spiritual person, but what is minimally necessary for an individual to be spiritual are those features whose possession brings the individual into the ranks of the spiritual. Moreover, being spiritual is a matter of degrees, and human beings can possess the components of spirituality in varying proportions. These characteristics pertain to a person in whom, through the seriousness of their inner exercises, a series of attributes have emerged and become consolidated, by virtue of which they are called a spiritual individual. Accordingly, a distinction must be drawn between spirituality as a process and spirituality as a product, and discussion of each, despite their interconnection, must be conducted separately. Thus, the discussion of the exercises that cause features to become ingrained in an individual for becoming spiritual is an independent and noteworthy topic that deserves to be addressed.

Although an individual who has cultivated and realized such characteristics within themselves must always care for and safeguard them and diligently attend to their cultivation and strengthening in their inner being, within the context of discussions ongoing in the field of health, as long as they are spiritual, they enjoy spiritual health. It is therefore fitting that spirituality be addressed from the perspective of health, and its relationship with other dimensions of health—namely biological, psychological, and social health—also be examined.

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Endnotes

1_ For a review of the literature surrounding this topic, see:

McCarroll, Pam…, Assessing plurality in spirituality definitions in Meier, Augustine…(ed), Spirituality health: Multidisciplinary explorations, Wilfrid laurier university press, 2005, p43-48

McIntosh, Mark A, spirituality in Mcfarland…(ed), The Cambridge dictionary of Christian theology, Cambridge university press, 2011

MUELLER S. PAUL and…, Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: Implications for clinical practice, Mayo Clin Proc, December 2001, Vol 76, pp 1225-1235

Abbasi, Mahmoud et al., Conceptual definition and operationalization of spiritual health: A methodological study, Medical Ethics Quarterly, Year 6, No. 20, Summer 2012, pp. 11-37

2_ For an introduction to conceptions of spirituality that emphasize this very commonality, see:

Schneiders, Sandra.M, Religion vs. spirituality: A contemporary conundrum, Spiritus 3, 2003, The johns Hopkins university press, p 166

3_ When it is said that spirituality is the essence of religion, three meanings are conveyed:

1) Spirituality is the common ground of all religions.

2) Spirituality is the universal and essential aspects of religion, as opposed to its particular and accidental aspects.

3) Spirituality is the ultimate goal of religiosity and the purpose attained through true religious practice.

See: Malekian, Mostafa. In the Passage of the Wind and the Guardian of the Tulip, Vol. 1, Negah-e Moaser Publishing, 2015, pp. 294-297

4_ Secular spirituality. It should be noted that "secular" here means non-religious, not materialistic.

5_ Of course, attention to various religions and the selective use of all of them in secular spiritualities is a possibility, not a necessity, and some secular spiritual individuals pay no heed to any religion. Clearly, this text is not concerned with the correctness or incorrectness of such a view.

6_ The term "religious experiences" is a common term for experiences related to the non-material realm of the world. Therefore, for our purpose, the term "spiritual experience" is more appropriate, but with the awareness that the term "religious experience" is used in the relevant literature, we employ it. For an extensive discussion of religious experience, see: Peterson, Michael (ed.), On Religious Experience, translated by Malek Hosseini, Hermes Publications, 2010

7_ For the various meanings of the "meaning" of life, see: Malekian, Mostafa, Moshtaghi va Mahjouri, Nashr-e Negah-e Moaser, 2nd edition, 1386, pp. 209-237 and Thomson, Garret, On the meaning of life, Wadsworth, 2003, p. 12

8_ Lexically and etymologically, spiritual is not the opposite of material and physical, but rather stands against anything that is in opposition to the Spirit of God. Hence, this opposition is not related to spirit and body but indicates two approaches to life. Therefore, a spiritual person is one who lives under the influence of the Holy Spirit and whose life is organized in relation to the Holy Spirit. See: Sheldrake, Philip, A Brief History of Spirituality, Blackwell, 2007: p. 3

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Download the PDF file of the article Characteristics of the Spiritual Person

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Characteristics of the Spiritual Person

Author: Mehdi Ghafourian (PhD graduate in Western Philosophy)

[email protected]

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