If ever you’ve heard of semi-mystical practices such as Shadow Work, then you most probably have an idea of what spiritual psychology is. After all, this method of unraveling one’s psyche and spirit represents a transcendental approach to your reality.
But what is it, really?
A lot of questions plague us when these two seemingly incompatible terms are brought together. If you think that spirituality is incompatible with psychology, I can’t blame you for that. With human history seeking to elevate psychology as objective science, the last thing that a positivist psychologist would want is to associate their study with the mystical.
Why so?
If psychologists were to attribute some sort of mystical or transcendental angle to their interpretation, it would lose ground in the scientific world. Since science relies on accurate data and standardized methods, it would only be natural for them to reject inquiries that are non-verifiable by nature.
A good example of this is the Jungian notion of the Collective Unconscious. In Jung’s theory, he sought to explain the symbolism that exists transculturally. For instance, the imagery of the Mandala as representing the self is something that he attributed to what he calls as Collective Unconscious.
Arguing that common symbols exist beyond one’s culture and tradition, Jung theorized that such is caused by a shared unconscious plane amongst all of mankind. Like how we evolve as a species, Jung thought that this evolution included our psyche – something that transcendental by nature.
With that, it’s quite difficult to classify this Jungian theory even as a science. If psychology is being branded as a “soft” science, then this part of his theory is, perhaps, the epitome of such.
As a matter of fact, thinkers and psychologists alike agree that Jung’s theory does possess a mystical nature to it. And while not all may agree to such, still, it is one of the more popular ways to interpret a person’s perspective.
This example leads us back to our question:
What is Spiritual Psychology?
Given the concept above, spiritual psychology then would be an attempt to merge both the spiritual and psychological dimensions of our existence in an attempt to gain a better understanding of it.
As some of us agree that we go beyond merely being mental and physical, this trend of incorporating the spiritual existence in interpreting our ways seem to have been picking up. With more people being dissatisfied with the meaninglessness of consumerism and social media, this search for the higher self is bringing a meaningful spark in their lives.
For instance, we can see the trend of people enrolling in yoga classes. As an example of keeping yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually fit, yoga exemplifies an actualization of spiritual psychology itself. By creating exercises that integrate a long tradition of belief and healing, it reaches out to us in ways that a treadmill never can.
With that, this practice of spiritual psychology usually seeks to go for a holistic approach to understanding our pains. By going beyond a mental diagnosis, this approach offers a whole lot more for you. As it seeks to unravel even your higher self, you’ll naturally find a deeper sense of meaning as you go through it.
How to do Spiritual Psychology?
While the term itself already feels complex due to its all-encompassing nature, such pursuit is not as difficult as you may think it is. Instead, you might be surprised if I tell you that most New Age spirituality practices are already manifestations of such.
For instance, the western world has been slowly adopting the practices of Feng Shui. By locating certain areas and arranging them accordingly, Feng Shui believes that we are able to attract good luck. Simultaneously, we are also keeping bad luck away from our homes.
But if we were to take a deeper look in this form of geomancy, it wouldn’t take a genius to recognize that Feng Shui involves some sort of psychology as well. To give you an example, Feng Shui strongly advises against placing your bed too near to the wall.
Especially when you have a partner living with you, a bed that’s pushed all the way to the wall is known to bring bad luck. Why so?
First, doing this is known to trap negative energy. In Feng Shui, the general concept is to allow a good flow of energy in and out of your home. But by placing a bed too close to the wall, the air simply can’t pass through freely. As such, you’ll see a lot of dust underneath your bed because of this.
Second, when a bed is placed in this way, you or your partner will find it difficult to get out of bed at night. Needing to leap over the other, this will cause unnecessary disturbances during sleep. As such, it causes conflict and misunderstanding between you and your partner.
Now, if we were to put things into perspective, both spiritual and psychological elements are present in Feng Shui. Without our conscious knowledge, we are already doing this practice as its underlying foundations strongly adhere to our search for understanding.
Final Word
In retrospect, this is perhaps the reason why people find a certain level of solace in these seemingly irrational practices similar to Feng Shui. Able to target not only the spiritual but also the psychological, these practices are truly opportunities for psychological growth and progress.
By looking for ways on how to integrate them into your personal life, such practice will allow you to attain new heights. Pursuing a holistic understanding of yourself, it will grant you that inner sense of wholeness given how you’ll focus both on your mental and spiritual health.
With that, we wish you the best of luck in your journey forward!
