As you begin to awaken to your sense of spirituality, it’s easy to get misguided by all of the disinformation that is spread online and in the book stores.  As we begin to work through our own personal thought programs and belief systems, some additional belief systems can become installed and act as viruses inside our being.

These viruses are really just false beliefs and spiritual myths that get installed inside of us and can prevent us from living fully and authentically.  Here are three very common spiritual myths that block us from living fully:

1) Spirituality is a belief system

Spirituality has nothing to do with subscribing to a new series of thoughts in your head.  When people shift from one worldview or religion to another, it usual comes in the form of switching belief systems and adopting a new ideology.  The number one biggest spiritual myth is that spirituality is just another belief system we have to adopt.  Sometimes, we end up confusing spirituality with a sort of New Age belief system instead of as a skillset, a way of interacting with thought and emotion, and a relationship with the present moment.

Instead of presence, emotional mastery, communication, self-realization, and self-awareness, things like crystals, channeling, divination, and and astrology receive the most attention.  There is nothing wrong with any of those things, but is spirituality about investing your belief in a new field of study? Or is it about self-discovery and the pursuit of wisdom?

All of the gurus, mystics, masters, and teachers that have inspired us through the ages never taught us anything that we have to believe in.  They taught us things we could discover and experience through reflection, meditation, and introspection.  Spirituality is not a belief system or a religious ideology.  It’s a way of life.

2) Spirituality is a job or a chore

Spirituality should not be some burdensome task that weighs on your shoulder.  Unfortunately, we are sometimes taught that spiritual practice comes with a to-do-list a mile long.  Meditate, reflect, do yoga, keep a journal, be silent, ascend, stay grounded, become enlightened, achieve Christ consciousness, etc.  Sometimes, it can be overwhelming if we think of spirituality as a sort of practice or state of mind we have to reach.

Spirituality is about returning to your natural state, and you do that by being nothing and being effortless.  The more beliefs, expectations, intentions, and desires you shed, the more of your authentic self you become.  Spirituality is not something you DO per se.  Resting in the present moment, being silent, and releasing yourself from attachment and desire don’t require any effort or work.  All it really requires is that we relax into our natural state.  It’s not a task, job, or to-do-list.

3) Living spiritually means living happily

Living spiritually does not mean living happily.  In fact, for the first while, you may become extremely unhappy as you begin to see your own shadows and demons bubble up inside you.  The more you meditate, the more you see.  The more honest you become with yourself, the more you realize you have room to grow.  Spirituality is about the crumbling away of untruths, and that can be a very uncomfortable process.

As you begin to spiritually awaken, you will also become much more sensitive to the negative emotions and energies around you.  You begin to see what is wrong with society, humanity, and the world at large.  Sometimes, being spiritual means being sad, disappointed, disgusted and angry.  This is because spirituality encourages us to face the darkness, interact with it, and learn from it.  There is no room for apathy, ignorance, or arrogance.

It’s not always about butterflies and rainbows.  It’s ultimately about experiencing the full range of human emotions, and learning from each one of them.  Everything ultimately comes back to Love in the end, but only after the journey has served its purpose teaching us what we need to know.

Contrary to some of what we hear about spirituality, it has nothing to do with what we believe in our heads, it’s not a exhausting job, and it’s not about living in a state of pure bliss.  It’s about living fully and honestly. It’s ultimately about self-mastery and self-realization, and this can never come without a little bit of pain and suffering.

If you are confused, uncomfortable, and going through a period of struggle, then you may actually be on the right path.

Hope this helps!

Steven Bancarz,

Team Spirit

Credit: thespiritscience.net