Spirituality: Faith, Intuition, Soul
Spirituality is another aspect, like creativity, that many perceive as out of reach of the lay person. Generations of religious organizations, forged intentional separation between the individual and their god. In the name of god, religion has weaved restrictive confines of limiting belief systems, causing humans to feel separate from each other.
Lifting core spirituality from within religion, we get a clearer sense of its universal essence. Spirituality is about opening ourselves to unseen forces of good. It is the source of peace and love. It is mysterious and more powerful than ego.
Clearly, historically and presently, religion has also doggedly; provided a foundation for human ethics, a framework of profound social connection, a lighthouse of compassion and inspiration for monumental creativity. It is only when perverted by our fear and/or unchallenged dogma, that religion morphs into a cesspool where love goes to die.
This perversion is a dramatic example of how the “stress side” (ala Ennegram) of an aspect, or how cognitive distortions (CBT), can create an essential block in our flow of energy, limiting growth.
Further Reading:
Conversations Without God - Neale Donald Walsch
Looking Beyond: A Teen's Guide to the Spiritual World - James Van Praag
