#Spiritual Discernment

[free-my-mindd]

[bitter-bats-cult-of-the-moon]

What is Toxic Spirituality?

Spirituality is the practice of getting to know yourself better on a deeper level and learning about the world around you.

While this can provide physical, mental, and emotional health benefits, it can also take a turn for the worse. Sometimes spirituality can push harmful messages, toxic positivity, judgment, gaslighting, and cultish behavior.

Nine Toxic Spirituality Habits

1.   Spiritual Bypassing and Toxic Positivity

Spiritual bypassing is when you use spiritual concepts to avoid certain emotions or situations in your life. 

Toxic positivity is when you believe you need to be always positive to gain proper manifestation of your desires.

Suppressing emotions can lead to a buildup of unprocessed thoughts dependent on circumstances, and eventually you will mentally implode.

2.   Spiritual Narcissism

Spiritual narcissism is the belief that your spirituality makes you better than others. It’s the Us vs. Them mentality.  

The stronger your ego identifies with a specific belief the more difficult it will be to see any issues.

3.   Idolizing Spiritual Teachers 

The best teachers are the ones that help connect you to your inner self. Their goal is to act as a guide more so rather than be the ultimate truth. 

The trouble idolizing spiritual mentors is that there will be a point you’re going to disagree, and it will cause cognitive dissonance if you see them for more than they are.

4.   Superstitions and Attachment 

If you heavily rely on spiritual practices, items, and rituals to exist in the world and become solely dependent about superstitious beliefs linked to any of them, you are diminishing yourself.

You don’t need crystals to protect yourself.

You don’t need the wand to draw energy.

You don’t need the cauldron to burn incense or make potions. Although, even I can admit having one makes things more interesting.

5.   Hyper Discipline

I see this a lot. There are those that talk about the importance of discipline in spirituality. Likewise, I see others talk up the importance of flexibility.

Spirituality is a personal experience. If disciplined daily practices or rigid rituals work for you, then great, but if it feels forced reconsider things.

6.   Lack of Discernment

Not every spiritual practice will be right for you. Not everything will resonate. Not every metaphysical concept will ring truth. That’s good. It’s healthy to ask questions and think for yourself.

If you accept without question, you’re allowing yourself to be programmed by external forces becoming conditioned.

7.   Clinging to Truth

What’s true for you may not be true for someone else, and what was true for you last year may no longer be true for you today. 

Our beliefs can change over time as we learn and experience different facets to spirituality. Fighting for the word of truth or standing behind a specific religion promoting acts of war is an act of blasphemy. In that regard, belief and religious culture do not always coincide.

8.   Emotional Hypochondria

It’s possible to become attached to your own healing, making you feel the need to become a better, and better version of yourself.

Always overanalyzing everything will lead to an emotional burnout, and you will be hyper aware of every single feeling.  You will become self-depreciating, and you will be running in a circle like a silly hamster in its wheel going nowhere.

9.   Manic Manifesting

Shut up about manifestation.  I’m tired. It’s everywhere.  Constantly visualizing your desires, parroting affirmations, and trying to control every single frequency makes it feel manic.

Thinking on what you don’t have will make you see less of what you do have, and it is like beating yourself up mentally every day for those things you do not have.

Thinking on it without action is an obsession. The secret was a fun concept for a book, but unless you put it into actual action. There will be no change, Laws of physics, every action has a reaction. Because thinking is more like potential energy, but that still needs an activator. No one is going to miraculously fix things for you. You can do worksheets on what you want every day for the rest of your life, but at the end of your life you will have nothing you want except a pile of worksheets with your hopes and dreams that never happened.        

Diminishing Toxic Spirituality

If you’ve been participating in toxic spirituality, own it and grow from it. Be mindful of your intentions, ask questions, and navigate your experiences.

When something isn’t working you will know it, when you realize that something is wrong, it may have already set you back. When something keeps replaying in your mind, maybe that’s an area to work on. Or delve deeper, but with an analytical mind, rather than one that accepts everything. It’s like eating at a buffet. You can see the chicken is green, you can smell its rancid. But the person with you says it’s good. Are you going to take that at face value and trust them, or make your own choice?

Correct motivations for spirituality, belonging to a group is great. They help people feel connected, and it gives joy to be able to connect. While it is not for everyone, some people see the appeal in it, but as a result can become absorbed into the group and lose their individuality. Their need to be accepted can drive them to poor decision making, at the expense of their autonomy due to peer pressure.

Some go into practice to fuel their ego or have something unique and quirky to talk about. If it’s a fad, it probably isn’t the best idea. If you must run around yelling to your bullies at school, I'm a witch I will curse you. That is likely not the right reason to delve into a spiritual journey. While it may be doing it for your own sense of internal control over an aspect of your life, the journey becomes more about what you have against others, rather than delving within yourself and finding yourself.

Money, Power, Quick fixes. Spirituality and religions offer seemingly quick results with fake promises. Love spells, Churches, Community support. While in theory sounds too good to believe. Often the promises made by various people, groups, and sectors of religion can be very appealing; at times it is used for the profit of the people providing the services.

You would be surprised how many people offer snake oil, or a djinn in a ring for money. To give you all you want. If you are looking for your life to magically be alright, please remember this isn’t a modern fairytale.

Happy endings happen in movies because they can’t fit it all into an 80-minute run. There's character development, there’s ups downs, trials and moments of success and happiness. Without those moments, we don’t really discover who we are. We are more of a hollow once off character in a movie playing a role. We do not find us; we do not create... an Us in such a short time.

It’s best to be yourself, and not part of some collective.

The spiritual journey is yours so do it for yourself.

[alchemyofmaya]

[turiyatitta]

The Illusion of Enlightenment

Beyond AppearancesIn the world of spiritual seekers, the image of enlightenment is often cloaked in stereotypes. We imagine the enlightened as wise sages with serene expressions, adorned in simple yet vibrant robes, often with a flowing beard symbolizing wisdom and age. These images, while compelling, can distract us from the true essence of spiritual awakening.The Fallacy of External…

[fratresdei]

Today is the summer solstice, which means it’s the last day of our 50% off referral special. Current clients always receive a 20% discount for a session for successful referrals, and through today (Thursday, June 20th), they will receive a 50% discount for successful referrals. The referred client will also enjoy a free first session and 50% off the sliding scale rate of their second. Have them use promo code FRIENDS50 and schedule today at the link in bio!

[skaldish]

Hi! I was looking at your website and saw the section on mental sock puppets and I've been doing a lot of work on getting better with discernment and I think I'm dealing with a mental sock puppet situation. I've been working with Loki for a while and I've been projecting onto them too much lately and I feel really bad about it and like I've been wasting their time. So my question is how do you get rid of a mental sock puppet? And how can I better communicate with my deities to avoid this happening again?

The good news is that mental sock puppets are nothing new for deities. It's a very common occurrence and something they're happy to help people overcome once they've come to that self-awareness. They don't blame us for being human and certainly don't criticize us for owning up to our own baggage.

First of all, sock puppets aren't a bad thing. They're actually a way for us to freely express and soundboard hidden emotions, desires, and/or fears, specifically ones that feel unsafe, shameful, taboo, or dysmorphic/dysphoric to associate with ourselves. By projecting those emotions onto something else (like an OC or favorite blorbo) we can vicariously experience what we wish to experience in a safe and controlled way.

The reason why projecting on deities is a problem is because a) it interferes with the relationship we're trying to build with them, and b) it imposes on their own agency.

Ultimately, the way you get rid of a sock puppet is by putting it in an appropriate context. Ideally, you'd want to put it in the correct context—yourself—but this can take a while. In the short-term, you can work to discern what it is you're projecting onto Loki and move them onto an OC instead.

As for better communicating with deities, I recommend learning to read Tarot, if you don't already. Tarot is a great way for deities to draw attention to your subconscious biases, because draws are random and cards are difficult for you to "spoof" like pendulums. If I'm struggling to disambiguate, I'll ask deities what they say about themselves, or ask if my understanding of them is accurate, which helps me draw a clearer line between "me" and "them."

[biblebloodhound]

Have Some Spiritual Discernment (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

"It is the nature of false prophets to create a conscience where there is none, and to cause conscience to disappear where it does exist." Martin Luther

Prophet, by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, 1902 Prophets or interpreters of dreams may promise a miracle or a wonder, in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before. Even if what they promise comes true, do not pay any attention to them. The Lord your God is using them to test you, to see if you love the Lord with all your heart. Follow the Lord and honor him;…

[anthropologistfromentropy]

Anyone else who is spiritual and who's parent is also spiritual, but condescending/underestimating you repeatedly?

It also frustrates me how my dad completely disregards the value of learning from other people. Like I have been on this path for 10 years, I *know* the importance of discernment and listening to my intuition. That doesn't mean it should be my only guide, tho.

And as someone who has experienced shaman sickness, I know it can be really dangerous if you don't have someone experienced supporting you. It can and has actually killed people or driven them mad.

It's basically like a spiritual version of alcohol detoxification in a way, a very intense and miserable experience of going through all your trauma and shadow stuff in order to learn to heal yourself. And like the physical kind, it's definitely no joke. I had a shaman mentor and 2 years of trauma therapy and it still nearly broke me.

Like come on man, do some research before you spread such dangerous and unethical advice.

It's probably mostly ego and ageism. Maybe partly a New Age thing - It's relatively new, there's no established tradition of spiritual mentors, and unfortunately a lot of unethical grifters

(*Cough* He's frankly the one with poorer discernment, given he fell for Q-anon *cough*)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Make Yu open my eyes to si di wonderful tins wey dey yor law.

Open my eyes [to spiritual truth] so that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. — Psalm 119:18 | Holy Bible: Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) and Amplified Bible (AMP) Holy Bible: Nigerian Pidgin English © Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. 2020 in cooperation with The Nigerian Pidgin Translation Committee and The Amplified Bible Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Cross References: Psalm 119:17; Psalm 119:19; Psalm 119:129; Isaiah 29:18

[compassionmattersmost]

Ramayana No. 5: A Choice of Paths—Righteous vs. Unrighteous Motivation

Previous Post in this Series: Title: 4: The Human Role in the Cosmic Drama—Reflections on Universal Responsibility Next Post in this Series: Title: 6: The Misuse of Power and the Path to Dharma—Reflections on Milarepa As we step further into the Ramayana, Chapter 2 presents us with a clear, timeless dichotomy—a choice point that reflects the world we live in today. On one side, we have a king…

[sharingheaven]

Is Your Church Secretly Calvinistic? 5 Signs You Need to Know Now!

James 5:19-20: “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

Wondering if your church might secretly follow Calvinistic beliefs? Calvinism is a set of ideas about how God works with people, especially about who gets saved and how. It can be tricky to spot if a church follows these beliefs because they might not talk about it openly. Here are five signs that your church might be influenced by Calvinism, and we’ll look at what Jesus actually said to help…

[biblepreacher]

Gender Ideology and the Christian

1 Timothy 4:1–2 (CSB) — 1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. Ephesians 4:15 (CSB) — 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 1 Peter 3:15–16 (CSB) — 15 but in your…

[selfhelp2024]

Is AI Deceiving Christians? Unveiling the Truth Behind Technology and Faith:

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) has woven itself into the fabric of daily life, from voice-activated assistants to complex algorithms guiding our choices, Christians face a pivotal question: Is AI deceiving us?

Read More HERE

[albertfinch]

EMBRACING SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

Only with God-given discernment can we tell apart the good and evil influences that surround us. We often come up against "demonic influences". This influence is a spiritual force that twists and taints and pollutes God's ways. It is like a spider web, and people get stuck -- writhing in their captivity, they act out of a "web mentality".

Religious spirits endeavor to interfere with the free flow of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Believers. They can be hard to discern precisely because they are religious; they are pious, even hyper-spiritual. Their influence can pervade a person's life and church -- like yeast pervades a lump of dough. That's why Jesus said, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees"  (Matthew 16:6).

In New Testament times, the Pharisees were the watchdogs of religious purity, chastising any Jewish person who transgressed even slightly, promoting the perfectionistic performance of their strict interpretation of the requirements of the law of Moses. They held to "a form of godliness, although they...denied its power" (2 Timothy 3:5).

JESUS HAS SECURED OUR ACCEPTANCE

Generally, the religious spirit promotes a works-based or performance-based lifestyle. Although the Cross of Jesus has made performance-based religion a thing of the past, the religious spirit likes to keep it alive so that people will labor under a triple burden of guilt, fear, and pride. Every person on earth rightfully seeks a sense of acceptance, but the religious spirit keeps the ultimate acceptance—God's—just out of reach.

The motivation of a religious spirit demands that we need to earn God's approval. By His death and resurrection, Christ Jesus has secured our acceptance with the Father once and for all as we are always in right standing with God, we place our faith in Him.

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

Yet when we live and breathe in an environment tainted by the religious spirit, it is difficult for us to discern that we're being affected by that demonic influence. It can be easier to spot the religious spirit in someone else, and to judge them, than it is to recognize it in ourselves.

We need to discern and look out for FIVE TELLTALE ATTITUDES:

1) Legalism, 2) Criticism, 3) Debate, 4) Opinion, and 5) Judgment.

Let's apply that measure to ourselves and take the log out of our own eyes instead of pointing out the splinters in others' eyes. (Matthew 7:4-5.)

Watch out for the big THREE EARMARKS OF THE RELIGIOUS SPIRIT :

1) Guilt, 2) Fear, and 3) Pride.

A proud demeanor often masks the fearful, insecure soul of someone who is trying desperately to make the grade. Yet looking for security within oneself just perpetuates the anxiety, because self-centered security is such a poor substitute for God-centered security.

In contrast, God's grace shines where His Word is made real to our spirit. That will make more of an impact for the Kingdom than perfectionism ever would, and will empower us to equip the body of Christ in their Christ identity, their right standing with God, and walking in the Spirit.

THE HOLY SPIRIT -- OUR HELPER IN DISCERNING THE RELIGIOUS SPIRIT

As passionate Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are each called to be "Worshipper of God and Deliverers of Men." As we worship God and surrender ourselves to Him through affirming and meditating on Christ identity scriptures (becoming one with His Word). He meets us with a revelation of our calling in Christ. As we ask the Holy Spirit to cast His light on the hindrances that keep us from receiving and discerning His revelation and acting upon it, He answers our prayers and sets us free, and we are inspired and spiritually driven to give away what we have received.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[fratresdei]

Welcome to week five of the FAQ o’ the week series! Today’s question is: How is spiritual direction different from therapy?

TL;DR: Therapy addresses mental health, and spiritual direction addresses spiritual health.

Spiritual direction and mental health counseling walk a fine line, because your spiritual health impacts your mental health, and your mental health impacts your spiritual health. However, spiritual direction and therapy serve different primary functions. Spiritual direction seeks to serve the whole person, body and mind, by helping the directee cultivate their spirituality. Spirituality helps individuals and communities find meaning and cohesion in all areas of life, which includes mental health. However, in the same way that you wouldn’t go to your PCP for surgery, spiritual direction is not a one stop shop for mental and emotional wellness. While some spiritual directors are licensed mental health counselors, not all are. While it may be appropriate to discuss mental health challenges in a spiritual direction setting, a spiritual director will not diagnose or treat mental illness. Part of spiritual direction training involves learning when it is appropriate to refer the directee to a mental health counselor.

That said, these two forms of care work beautifully in tandem with one another. Many individuals greatly benefit from alternating between spiritual direction and therapy sessions for holistic care.

[biblebloodhound]

Words of Wisdom (Proverbs 14:1-9)

If there’s no manure in the barn, there’s no money in the bank.

Words of Wisdom, by Aengus Boyle A wise woman builds her house,    while a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands.Those who walk with integrity fear the Lord,    but those who take a crooked path despise him.Pride sprouts in the mouth of a fool,    but the lips of the wise protect them.When there are no oxen, the stall is clean,    but when there is a strong bull, there is abundant…