5 Powerful Signs That Show You Are Engaging in Toxic Spirituality

A spiritualized ego is the giant and the shiniest trap the mind creates for itself.

The mind is a cunning creature. On the spiritual path, the possibility becomes more vicious with sparkling show-off.

Life is a series of successes and failures. Nobody reaches the top of the ladder in one go, even in spirituality.

Like everything, the spiritual path has its pitfalls. One may slip into the deep trenches of the spiritual ego. Leonard Jacobson says it correctly,

One of the great dangers on the spiritual path is that the ego becomes spiritualized. The ego loves to think of itself as spiritually evolved. It is just another way that it manages to feel important and in control. It is very difficult to free yourself from an enlightened ego.

True spirituality is an inward journey. It brings humility, understanding, compassion, and oneness. You recognize everything is interconnected with love.

But toxic spirituality disconnects you from reality. A lack of empathy and a feeling of false superiority arises. It happens when you lose sight of your path. Some eye-opening signs may reveal if you or a loved one have fallen into the trap of toxic spirituality.

1. An Illusion That You Have Gone Above Any Rule

During my college time, while traveling on the local bus, I asked a person to put away the cigarette he was smoking. He wore saffron-colored saint clothes and said, "We sages are above any rule."

I immediately hit back and screamed, "Till the time you are in the body, you are bound by some rules."

Disregarding the comfort of others for your addictions does not depict your sainthood. The mind would love to think it might have gone beyond worldly affairs. But the ego is subtle to get stuck in minor cracks.

If you think no rule applies to you, then experiment with having no shelter, food, or drink. You will soon realize how nature's rules still bind the body.

Instead, true spirituality makes you more humble and merges with existence itself. Your demands drop.

The inward journey makes you see the futility of the regulations of the outer world. On the spiritual path, you challenge those restricted patterns of living. But 'you' experiment with it. You don't push others to support you.

Yes, some society's rules are sickened. You might try to avoid it. If anybody asks your opinion, you share it. But forcefully screaming your rules is silly.

Every person has the free will to accept or reject anything.

You do what you deem fit. Leave the others to their intellect. Understand that they have their learnings. You can not save them even f you want to. Let life take its control.

I realized the emptiness of power, position, and ego on my spiritual journey. Every being, from beggar to CEO, everybody is relevant. But positioning myself above any rules will be another attempt to seek power in the glittery costume of spirituality.

You accept others unconditionally. Ego dissolves in divine love.

The separation from others shatters. You slowly begin to merge with nature and the universe. Instead of demanding special treatments, your heart becomes like an innocent child.

2. Believing That You Are Superior to Your Fellow Humans

Spiritual ego feeds your superiority. A mind is a cunning tool that will slide you back into your ego game.

Even a subtle ego will try to survive and gain importance through trivial methods. The division of superiority and inferiority is nothing but mind deception.

I have seen many spiritual people boast about their knowledge and experiences. "What would an ordinary person know? I know because I've done years of Sadhana (spiritual practices)."

This division of spiritual vs. non-spiritual is itself toxic. A false sense of superiority drags you back to the egoic lifestyle.

Authentic spirituality is about being aware of the mind's play.

If you grow in true spirituality, you become extraordinarily ordinary.

All the definitions drop in genuine spirituality. You realize life itself is spiritual. It does not matter if one does spiritual Sadhana or not. Life is always teaching everybody to be close to their true nature.

Once my friend asked me, "What do you think of spiritual people?"

I said, "Everyone is spiritual. Life itself is spiritual. It does not matter if they know or not. I have seen non-meditative people close to life because of their open hearts. They understand life more intimately than an intellectual person who knows superficially. We can never judge. But accept how the other is."

True spirituality slowly kills judgment. When the ego dies, who is anyway left to judge? Only pure life flows.

The expectation of special treatment or anything crashes. Acceptance and kindness overflow.

3. Justifying Toxic and Harmful Actions

History is full of insane cults where people killed themselves or others to prove their beliefs.

A dangerous cult can mind wash you into thinking that you or others must atone for sins. Religion and cults feed on your gullible fears and may influence you into doing something unreasonable.

Justifying harmful action in the name of spirituality and religion is toxic manipulation. Beware if someone says, "I got signs from the divine. This is for your spiritual growth."

Spirituality is not outside of you. Your growth increases as you dive deeper into yourself. The universe does not support any animalistic or torturous behavior. For life, we all are the same, whether spiritual or not.

In true spirituality, one rises in compassion and empathy. You understand the limitation of others.

The mind loves to prove that it stands for something exceptional. It can do so by silencing others — emotionally, psychologically, or physically.

But in true spirituality, you deeply understand other's restriction and their paths. Empathy and compassion arise for others.

You realize there are just life lessons. And everybody is trying their best to understand life through their beliefs.

Instead of criticizing others, your heart meets others in kindness. The pain of others becomes yours. This is oneness, where there remains no two. Only life flows.

4. When Your Actions and Words Don’t Match

A false belief that you are not liable to act what you preach is toxic.

For example, anger is a typical emotional burst when you don't know how to handle your situation. But justifying your anger because of someone shows your lack of maturity and a sense of false power.

The mind loves power. It will wear the garb of spirituality to show its dominance.

If your action and words go in the opposite directions, then you need to get a grip on reality. You should explore other options and straighten your spiritual path.

In true spirituality, you align your actions where you want to grow.

No doubt, life's path is slippery. We all stumble invariably. But denying the consequences of your actions is immaturity.

Be accountable for your actions and words. It will make you cautious.

Blaming others does not help in your growth. It might temporarily satisfy you.

Real growth happens when you check your flaws and try to correct them.

Even spiritually advanced person regularly checks their actions and words. Not excusing your actions and taking full responsibility shows your spiritual maturity.

5. Taking Pride in Controlling Others

Spirituality gives power to shady persons. Power-hungry people take on spirituality to fulfill their desire to control others. They are manipulating the gullible people to exercise control.

Exploiting others by your commandments shows how irrelevant spirituality is for you. Losing your sight of spiritual purpose lengthens your journey. You increase your despair and mental agony as you know your hypocrisy.

True spirituality healthily channels your emotions. It uncovers the sleeping divinity that lies within you.

In true spirituality, you let go of your control.

As you move on your journey, you recognize that nothing in life is in your control. You might fantasize about it. But in reality, nobody can control anything.

Life is happening the way it wants to. You can either accept it or fight with it.

Controlling others might give you a sense of power. But letting go is the biggest superpower as you advance in spirituality.

Takeaways

Slipping on the spiritual path is easy because the mind is still active and wants to prove its dominance in the world.

A true guru is needed to guide you. If you can't find a true guru, measure your growth in terms of the subtle validity you seek from people.

True spirituality lies within you. It does not happen without you. Seek the answers within you, and you will find authentic answers. Check your motives and path from time to time.

Keep a company of people who are more advanced and in alignment with life. It is not about a spiritual tag but about who is more connected to life in the real sense.

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