5 spiritual pitfalls

When I was 9 years old, I first started asking questions about spirituality. Where do we come from? Where are we going? What happens after death? Who is God? Do fairies exist? You name it. At 16, I came into contact with a spiritual coach and a whole new world opened up to me. A world where much more was possible than could be seen with the naked eye. However, years later I saw that spirituality, although it can be very useful, can also have major and even dangerous pitfalls. After all, what exactly is spirituality? One definition is: 'your spiritual attitude to life'. You can, of course, see that very broadly.

Obviously, within the spiritual community, there's always a danger of spiritual scams; people who cheat you, or make you dependent on them. Also, "false light' is mentioned. This is a form of make-believe spirituality, where it appears that you are working on growth, but are actually taken out of your power. Especially now, in times when things are tough, I often notice this around me and I would like to highlight a few examples. People who are not aware of this, often go round in circles unnoticed. Moreover, we are all human, and each of us can always step into a trap. Being aware of this reduces this chance, or can ensure faster recognition if it happens to you at some point.

Everything is light and love

Maybe you have experienced it before. Someone in a group starts talking about a somewhat heavier subject, when someone says it's better to change the subject, because ''everything you focus on grows'', so you'd better only focus on nice and loving things.

What you focus on grows, that is of course true, but it should not mean that you should avert your eyes from everything that's dark(er). Life and human beings have their beautiful and less beautiful sides. There's a big difference between knowing there is darkness and not feeding it, or denying its existence. If you do, it can even become dangerous. It's sometimes said: the devil's greatest trick is to make people think he doesn't exist. And there is much wisdom in this. Denying darkness does not make it smaller, but larger. In fact, it can then take root in your life... out of your sight. After all, you don't pay attention to it. Think of it as a weed that grows in your garden. If you pretend it's not there, you soon have a little jungle taking the place over. The only way to get rid of it is to look at each weed plant, big and small, and remove it. This is also the best way to deal with darkness: by actually letting the light shine on it. Only by giving it attention and facing it can you resolve it.

The spiritual hermit

A serious consequence of not wanting to see and acknowledge darkness is that you can become a spiritual hermit, as it were. Everything you see as ''negative'' or ''low vibration'' you banish from your life, so that you don't have to learn to deal with it. Under the mantle of positivity and "light and love" you build an environment that's safe. But safe is not always helpful to growth. It's very easy to be completely ''zen'' on your mountaintop in the Himalayas, but to what extent can you maintain this serene feeling when you are back in a busy city? Only by being confronted with different energies can you test how strong you are spiritually. As the saying goes, a ship in its port is safe, but that's not what a ship is made for.

Without adventure, no growth.

A spiritual hermit often also has a big ego. Because how does he determine who is more and less spiritually developed than he is?

Higher-Lower thinking

That brings me to the following. What I've often heard in my environment are comments like: ''he is in a higher vibration'' or ''he can see deeper'' or ''he still lives in a lower frequency''. Unfortunately, in our society we are programmed to think in terms of higher and lower. It already starts in our school system, where you get a higher or lower grade depending on your performance. This even happens in subjects like art, which is pretty bizarre when you think about it. So thinking in terms of hierarchy is human, but again a pitfall. The danger is that you unconsciously create that you should have more respect for someone who, in your eyes, is more spiritually developed than someone else. But is that justified? Because who determines whether someone is more or less spiritually developed? And is everyone equally developed in every aspect of their lives? We are all amateurs and specialists from time to time. It just depends on which area we have gained more experience. So to label someone ''high or low vibration'' is very short-sighted. If you go overboard with this, then it can even become a judgment. Ironically, judgments often cause a stagnation in your spiritual growth. So while you are labeling someone as ''spiritually (under)developed'' you're undermining your own spiritual development. This is because your ego is taking over without you even realizing it. We have all done this at one time or another. Once you realize that you are doing this, make sure that you detach yourself from it. Try to take a lesson out of it. In this way, the event will not cause stagnation but rather growth. Ultimately, it would be nice if everyone not only realized that everything in life is holistic, equal and therefore one, but that we actually started living like this.

Spirituality out of the book

It's very good if you theoretically know how things should be. Because even thát is something we often don't have clear understanding of. We're all searching for answers, spiritual development and happiness. Once you have a full understanding about a certain subject, then you have taken the first step. You have experienced a partial awakening and can see an aspect of your life more clearly. Now the second step: actually walking the walk. Whether you feel more at home in esoterics, Islam, Buddhism or Christianity. Theory and practice are two different things. You can know the holy books completely by heart, but now you have to apply it. We as humans often have a tendency to know how things should be done and to tell others about it, but sometimes we forget to practice it ourselves. It's often underestimated and is something one should be alert to. Are you really living up to the values you believe in? This is food for thought and can, in turn, lead to new insights.

A spiritual deadline

Finally, don't fall into the trap of having to live with a spiritual deadline. We sometimes have the feeling that we have to develop as fast as possible at all costs. Because otherwise we will get left behind, or be less than others (there you have the higher-lower thinking again) or it may seem we don't try hard enough. Why? We are eternal. Don't forget that! So that means you literally have all the time in the world. Of course, this doesn't mean that you have to live completely passively, but it also doesn't mean that you have to read every spiritual book you can find and sign up for every spiritual course you come across. Find the balance. See in the moment what feels right, take your time, give yourself rest when needed and..... go with the flow!

Love,

Joelle

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