Understanding the

Self
PRESENTATION OF GROUP 2
Presented by:

Villanueva, Dena D.
Isla, Apple Joy
Delas Alas, Ronel
Foz, Mark Jay
Dongon, Hedjiemar
Dalahay, John Ronald
Villadares, Allen Phil
LESSON 7: THE SPIRITUAL
SELF
Philosophy started the moment humans started to
wonder (with just about anything). For the longest time,
humans have pondered on questions, like “Why do we die?
Why bad things happen to good people? Do we really have
free will? Is the future determined? Does God exist?
As a college student, it is vital that you develop a healthy
sense of wonder. Part of this curiosity should be about the
range of human beliefs. It is important, too, that you keep
an open mind as you seek to understand belief systems
that may not be the same as yours.
 Spiritual versus Religious
Spiritual is defined as “relating or affecting the human spirit or
soul as opposed to material or physical things.” Religion and
spirituality are both paths to God; however, they are different in their
approaches. A religious person is someone who believes in a god or group
of gods and consciously adheres to the beliefs of his/her religion. A
spiritual person, on the other hand places little importance on beliefs and
traditions and is more concerned with growing and experiencing the
Divine.
Quite often, religion takes the approach of fear. It emphasizes sin, guilt,
and the concept of a punishing God. The spiritual approach to God is
through the path of love. This is a love where there is no condemnation
and judgment, but where there is mercy and acceptance.
 Many religions feel their path is the only way
to salvation and that other religions are wrong.
Religious people feel the need to convert others
to their faith. On the other hand, like the analogy,
“different paths that lead to the same
destination,” spirituality feels all faiths are valid.
Spirituality embraces all the world’s religions, but
at the same time it is not constrained by any
religious dogmas or forms.
Why is spirituality important?
Sense of meaningless and lack of purpose in life can be
significant factors in causing anxiety, depression, and
phobias;
There is a growing body of evidence indicating that
spiritual practices are associated with better health and
well-being;
Spiritual fellowship can be a source of social support that
may provide a sense of belonging
A study found a strong association between church
attendance and improved health, mood, and well-being
Contemplative Practices

Contemplative practice can be broadly

understood as a method to develop concentration,
deepen understanding and insight, and cultivate
awareness and compassion. These practices can
have profound impact on students’ experiences
both in college and beyond.
Examples of contemplative practices:
[Link] – mental exercises (focusing on one’s breathing
or repeating a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a
heightened level of spiritual awareness
[Link] – a spiritual communion with God (or an object of
worship) as in thanksgiving, adoration, or confession
May elicit a relaxation response, along with feelings of hope,
gratitude, and compassion – all of which have a positive effect
on overall well-being
 rootedin the belief that there is a higher power that
influences our life
[Link] – a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline. It teaches the
suppression of all mind and body activity so that the self may realize its
distinction from the material world and attain liberation.
Ascetic – characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-
discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for
religious reasons.
 In Western Cultures – system of physical postures, breathing
techniques and sometimes meditation to promote physical and
emotional well-being.
[Link]– often overlooked contemplative practice
Helps you become more aware of your inner life and feel more
connected to your experience and the world around you
 writing during difficult times may help you find meaning in life’s
challenging and help you become more resilient in the face of
obstacles
The Practice of Religion: Belief in
Supernatural Being and Power

The vast majority of the earth’s more than 7

billion people practice some form of religion. The
number of religions and spiritual traditions that
the human population practices are estimate at a
little over 4,000. The reasons and theories of
humans’ having religion as just as many (if not
more).
 Religion is defined as “the belief in and worship of a
superhuman controlling power, especially a personal
God or gods” (Oxford University Press, 2017). It is also a
“particular system of faith and worship” (University of
Minnesota Human Rights Center, 2003, 2016). More than its
belief and practices, religion is an experience. Religion,
however, may best be understood as a systematic “attribution
of characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object”. One
reason humans attribute human characteristic to some other
“entities” is that the world is huge, ambiguous, and we need to
interpret it the best possible way we can.
The Psychology behind Religious
Belief
1990 research conducted by Steven Reiss,
professor emeritus of psychology at the Ohio State
University, posited a theory on why people are
attracted to religion. Religion, he said, attracts so
many followers because it satisfies all 16 basic desires
that humans share (The 16 Strivings for God, 2016).
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Reiss claimed that we all share the same 16 goals, but what
makes us different is how much we value each one. For
example, in social contact, religion attracts both the introvert
and extrovert. For extroverts, religion offers fellowship with
others. For introverts, religion encourages meditation, private
retreats, and solitude.
The Four Dimensions of
Religion
The incredible amount of variation between
different religions makes it challenging to decide upon
a concrete definition of religion that applies to all of
them. Sociologists noted four dimensions that seem
to be present in varying forms and intensities in all
types of religion (Dawson & Thiessen, 2014). These
are:
[Link] – generalized system of ideas and values that shape how
members of a religious group come to understand the world around them.
These beliefs are taught to followers by religious authorities such as
priests, imams, or shaman through formal creeds and doctrines, as well as
more informal lessons learned through stories, songs, and myths.
[Link]–repeated physical gestures or activities, such as prayers and
mantras, user to reinforce religious teachings, elicit spiritual feelings, and
connect worshippers with a higher power. E.g. baptism, wedding
[Link] experience–feeling of immediate connection with a higher
power; it is promised by various religions.
[Link] social forms of community –religious beliefs and practices
unite in one single community called a Church, all those who adhere to
them (Durkheim, n.d.).
RELIGIOUS WHAT/WHO IS EXAMPLE
CLASSIFICATION DEVINE
Polytheism Multiple gods Hinduism, Ancient
Greeks and
Romans
Monotheism Single God Judaism, Islam,
Christianity
Atheism No deities Atheism,
Buddhism, Taoism
Animism Nonhumans Indigenous nature
beings (animals, worship, Shinto
plants, and natural
world)
 THE MAJOR RELIGIONS
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Judaism – characterized by belief in one transcendent God who ha
revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets
Religious life in accordance with the scriptures and rabbinic
traditions
 Sacred text is Torah.
Christianity – Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the
life and teachings of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ serves as the focal point of the Christian faith.
 The word of God is written in the Bible.
Islam – religious faith of Muslims who worship Allah as the sole
deity and believes Muhammad is His prophet.
 Holy Scripture of Islam is Koran.
Hinduism – the world’s oldest religion
Combines the beliefs, philosophy, and cultural practices of
India.
 Guided by Vedic scriptures and believe in righteousness, the
laws of cause and effect
Believes in the cycle of life and death; reincarnation
One supreme God called Brahman who has multiple manifestations
as either a god or goddess.
 Gods and goddesses can be spirit, trees, animals, and even
planets
Buddhism – refers to the teachings of Siddharta Gautama or
Buddha
Gautama was originally a follower of the Hindu faith, experienced
enlightenment, or
Bodhi, while sitting under a tree.
Buddha was awakened to the truth of the world, or the Dharma
Buddha, an ordinary man, taught his followers towards the path of
Enlightenment
 Buddhism does not believe in a divine realm or God as
The Concept of “Dungan,” Spirit, and
Soul
In pre-colonial Philippines, our ancestors looked up to a “babaylan”.
Described as a priestess or shaman, a babaylan acted as healer,
spiritual leader, and medium. The babaylan perform rituals through
chants or prayers for spiritual intervention to drive spirit that cause illness
and misfortune. A babaylan is usually a woman, but there were some men
who were babaylans, too. Male babaylans, that souls are quasi-physical and
can exist outside the body (such as in dreams and visions) and that they
can transfer from one body to another – such as in the case of modern
possessions or sapi. They also believe that souls persist after death and
become ghosts, in the same way that modern Filipinos believe in “multo.”
Central to the traditions of our ancestors was the belief that animate and
inanimate creatures have a “life force” or the dungan.
 Dungan is a life force, energy, as well as an ethereal entity, a
spirit with a will of its own that resides in the human body and
provides the essence of life – similar to the Western concept of “soul”
(Magos, 1992). However, unlike the soul, the “dungan” can
temporarily leave the body when the person is asleep. Once “dungan”
returns to the person’s body, he or she becomes fully conscious again.
If any other spirits harm the “dungan” while it is outside the body and
cannot return, the person dies.
Meanwhile, our pre-colonial ancestors believed that aside from a
“dungan,” a vital force also occupies the body. The vital force was
called “ginhawa” (translation: breath of life). Ginhawa was said to be
responsible for the heart’s ability to beat. It was believed that if
ginhawa left the body, the person also dies. Ginhawawas the breath of
life while dungan was the conscious intellectual and emotional
aspects.
What is the Difference between the Soul
and the Spirit of Man?

The soul and the spirit are the two primary

immaterial aspects ascribed to humanity. There are
different shades of meaning between the idea of the
soul and the idea of the spirit from culture to culture
and religion to religion.
Here is a brief and general overview of the difference
between a soul and a spirit:

Etymology
Old English for soul was “sawol” – “spiritual and emotional
part of a person’s animate existence”.
 Spiritis directly from Latin “spiritus” – “a breathing
(respiration, and of the wind), breath, breath of a god,”
hence, “inspiration, breath of life.”
Biblical Beliefs
 Soulrefers to the conscious, the moral, and thinking part of
a person.
The soul is immortal; it will go to hell, purgatory, or heaven after the
person dies.
 Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit, the third part of the Trinity.
In Western Culture
Soul – someone’s moral consciousness. E.g. a cruel killer could be said to
have no soul
 Spirit – may refer to ghosts or any other supernatural beings
In Eastern Culture
Soul – the part of the person that has dharma
Hinduism dharma – one’s obligation with respect to caste, social custom,
civil law, and sacred law
Dharma incurs karma
 Karma (Hinduism/Buddhism) – the sum of a person’s actions in this
and previous states of existence.
Nature and ancestor spirits are common in Taoism.
Shinto, an animistic folk religion in Japan, places an emphasis
on shamanism, particularly divination, spirit possession, and
faith healing.
 Confucianism tolerates the Chinese folk recognition of the
existence of animistic spirits, ghosts, and deities.
The Soul According to some Ethnolinguistic Groups of
the Philippines
Ifugao – Linnawa which means “soul of the dead”
Isneg (Igorot tribe native to Apayao Province) –Kaduwa
The dead exists in a realm calledaglalanawan.
 The kaduwa (soul) is believed to cross a pond in a ferry
piloted by a kutaw (spirit)
Kankanaey (another Igorot tribe) – a person is composed of
the physical body and the ab- abiik(soul).
When spirits summon a person’s ab-abiik, the person becomes
sick.
A ritual will be performed to appease the spirits to allow the
spirit to return to the body.
Tagalog – Kaluluwa
Kaluluwa refers to the soul of the deceased
 The soul of a living person is called “kakambal”.
 The kakambal leaves the physical body at night to roam
 Any bad encounter causes bangungot (nightmare)
 Rituals and Ceremonies

A ritual is a ceremony or action performed in a customary

way. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a
community, including a religious community. Rituals include not
only the worship rites and sacraments of organized religions and
cults, but also rites of passage, atonement and purification rites,
oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations,
presidential inaugurations, marriages, and funerals – perhaps all
kinds of human activity.
Where does rituals originate?
The general approaches to theories about the nature and origin of
rituals are:
[Link] approach;
[Link] approach; and
[Link] of religions approach.
The origin approach was the earliest form to explain ritual. The basic
premise of this approach is that ritual behavior was part of the human
evolution.
The functional approach was to explain ritual behavior in terms of
individual and social needs.
 Nature of rituals was believed to be defined by its function in society.
The history of religions approach holds the view that ritual behavior is
an expression of the sacred; it is how the material human connects with
the transcendent realm or the ultimate reality.
 The basic problem with this approach, however, is that scholars need
Classification of Rituals
The meaning of every ritual is based on some belief system.
These are called imitative rituals because these are patterned
after myths, and the ritual repeats the myths. For example,
Filipinos make noises at the strike of twelve every New Year in
order to drive off bad luck and welcome another year. This
practice is actually based on a Chinese myth.
Avoidance is the best description for negative ritual. They
focus on rules of prohibition, which cover an almost infinite
variety of rites and behavior. One characteristic all negative
rituals share is that if a person breaks the ritual, it will result in a
dramatic change that usually brings some misfortune. On the
other hand, positive rituals are mostly concerned with giving
blessings to an object or to an individual.
 Sacrificial rituals are seen as the earliest form of religion.
The significance of sacrifice in the history of religion is well
documented. The distinct feature of this type of ritual is the total
destruction of the sacrifice as an offering to a “higher being”.
The sacrifice can be a human being, an animal, food crops or
objects. The destruction could be by burning, dismembering,
cutting the sacrifice into small pieces, eating, or burying it.
Life crisis ritual is the transition of one mode or stage of
life into another. These rituals often he life of an individual. They
include rituals of birth puberty (entrance into the full social life
of a community), marriage, conception, and death. For example,
it is a Filipino tradition to bury the placenta right after birth, and
it is the father who is tasked to do this so that the family will
always love and care for each other.
Thanks for
!!listening