One of the most dramatic and radical experiences a human being can undergo is spiritual growth. Unlike physical advancement, which is quantifiable in terms of material advancement (in the form of wealth, rank, or bodily achievement), spiritual progress takes place mostly in the unseen worlds of belief, faith, intuitiveness, and inner-knowledge. It is a very intimate process that is not really logical and certain and it is not validated by outsourcing it. The most intense challenge on the way of spiritual development is to learn how to trust in the unseen. This trust does not mean blind faith, rejection of truth; it is the creation of confidence in powers, meanings and truths which cannot always be made out or which cannot always be perceived by the senses. The unseen world is being reduced as an act of radicality and the inevitable spiritual progression in a world where evidence, control, and predictability are the dominant principles.
Realizing Spiritual Development
Spiritual development may be defined as the continuous journey of becoming more aware of the presence beyond the ego and the material self, to a higher level of connection with meaning, purpose, and the whole existence. To others this development is based on the religious customs, which are defined by holy books, rituals, and common worship. It is more of an individualized path to others influenced by meditation, self-reflection, nature, creativity or individual experiences of transcendence. Whichever the direction, spiritual development has got inward movement, a search of values, beliefs, fears, and hopes which stipulates ones association to the self, others, and the universe.
It is hardly a linear process. The process of spiritual development can be summarized as the situation of uncertainty, doubt and even crisis. Individuals might raise serious questions about the beliefs they have had, they may lose the meaning of their life and become disconnected with their sense of purpose during hard times in their life. However, these uncomfortable situations tend to be the catalysts of further development. They challenge people to look as far as they can understand and to be willing to see and make new visions. Spiritual development, in this regard, is not the goal of arriving somewhere but the process of constant learning, unlearning and widening of the inner world.
The Nature of the Unseen
The unseen is a concept about those features of reality that cannot be directly seen or measured yet have a significant impact. These concepts are faith, intuition, love, hope, destiny, and belief in a higher power or universal intelligence. It further includes the interior experiences of significance, relatedness and transcendence which individuals refer to as spiritual. Although these factors might not be physical, it is difficult to deny their influence on human behavior and wellbeing.
Scientifically, the invisible is disturbing. The contemporary society is constructed on the premise that the real should be visible, measurable and foreseeable. Nevertheless, not all of human experience can be explained in such a way. Feelings, ethics, arts and consciousness itself are not completely comprehended. This mystery is an ancient idea of spiritual traditions in all cultures, and the idea that all that is important in life cannot be understood by reason alone. Faith in the invisible is thus about belief in a bigger and more complicated reality than can be perceived by the senses.
The Reason Trusting Is the Key to Spiritual Development
Spiritual growth relies on the aspect of trust since it enables people to progress even in the absence of clarity. In the absence of trust, fear and doubt are likely to cripplize the inner journey. When individuals demand a sense of certainty before they can take an action, they can get frozen and fail to develop beyond the patterns and beliefs they know. Spiritual development must be open-minded- an openness to change, openness to doubts and openness to the fact that there are still in life unveiled meanings.
Reliance on the invisible is not to ignore critical thinking or individual accountability. It is actually an acknowledgment that certain truths can be uncovered in experience as opposed to proof. As an illustration, a person cannot comprehend the strength of forgiveness unless he/she does it, nor can he/she comprehend the fullness of compassion until he/she offers it to others. These qualities are attained through experience in life with an orientation towards the faith in values that do not always bring instant reward. This type of trust builds inner strength and strengthens one as time passes and one gains a sense of belonging.
Fear, Authority and the Rebellion against the Spreadsheet
Fear is one of the biggest impediments of believing in the unseen. Human control is a natural desire in humans to cushion against harm and uncertainties. It is a feeling of safety, predictability and stability that control gives. Nevertheless, over-indulgence in control will curtail the spiritual growth process by failing to allow the individual to give himself/herself to spiritual experiences they cannot comprehend. Holding onto familiar things too hard deprives the individual of openness to change, refusal to admit weakness, and self-exploration.
Most times fear is as a result of disappointments, trauma or loss in the past. Once there has been a breach of trust, by other humans, by an institution, or even by life itself, it may be unsafe to put your trust into it again especially in something as nonexistent as the invisible. However, the spiritual development challenges people to mildly push these anxieties aside and acknowledge that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but an opening to change. To release strict control is not to be passive, but to be willing to run with life as opposed to continually struggling with it.
Pure light and infinite love be with us!