We all know what a path of spirituality is, a path of eventually being united with everything. We might not fully know how to access it, but we are very aware of it. Let me ask you, what comes to your mind when you think of false spirituality? False spirituality is something that has been a major source of manipulation amongst people. Such leaders spread half-truths and fabricate them according to their agenda, hence, manifesting a wrong and false concept of spirituality in the masses.
Though it is definitely not always the case, new-age movements, awakening, enlightenment, etc., are oftentimes a way of manipulating us into becoming less human and going more towards a path of delusion and fakeness. We can very easily say that false spirituality is a lot like spiritual bypassing, where spiritual ideas and practices are fabricated and molded in such a way that the person can easily sidestep from the real issues he or she has to face, like acknowledging his or her emotions, wounds caused by traumas, and achieving true healing.
So, what exactly is false spirituality? It is basically something that promises us growth and healing where in reality it steals us of our independence and self-worth, and in the worst case even enslaves us into a cult-like lifestyle. False spirituality is present in every religion, from the early ages till the 21st century, when you can of course find it in temples, and churches etc.
But why are people find themselves in these places to begin with?
A Challenge We Need To Overcome
When we talk about the problems in the 21st century and the idea behind the new age development, we do not acknowledge that it is a manipulation that is being done by the so-called leaders who are only taking the masses towards self-destruction, either because they’re wrong (at the better case), or because they’re only in it for their own personal financial and power gain (the worse case). It is safe to say for people who are in search of true and authentic spirituality, it is a great challenge to recognize the true spirituality instead of the false one, which only aims to make people dependent and powerless.
It Is Tough To Differentiate Between The Two
It is difficult because many spiritual teachers and leaders, who are spreading false spirituality, work alongside those who are trying to make a difference in this world by spreading the true and authentic spiritual guidance. What makes it difficult to recognize such so-called leaders is that their teachings are not entirely different, what they do is they take matter and knowledge from authentic sources and fabricate them in such a way that they gain power over others, by manipulating them and making them believe that they are dependent on such practices. It is not black and white, you might think you will recognize it, but we only wish it was this easy. Because if it was, so many would not be so easily manipulated by these charismatic liars.
Do Not Be Blinded By The ‘White Light‘
Seekers are not the only people who are being blinded by the made-up ‘white-light’. In fact, our youth, adults, and masses have been plastering a positive sentiment on everything. We are now hearing mantras like “Good vibes only”, “Fake it till you make it”, etc. , on each and every platform and by each and every person. Though it can definitely effective for some, it can be destructive for people that it is far from right for them. Why is that so? Why are we not ready to face our fears and why are we not acknowledging them either? Why do we have to make everything positive, forcefully, why do have to fake our happiness so often?
All these mantras and taglines are only making us drift apart from the reality of the situations. We must, in order to heal and grow, acknowledge our emotions, and not side-step our wounds. False spirituality is the complete opposite of true spirituality, and exist by giving people an imaginary fake getaway from their emotions and pain. True spirituality teaches integrity, accepting and speaking the truth and acknowledging our own emotions. It teaches us to face our fear and face the darkness that is inside us, in order to look beyond it, to heal and grow from it.
Nothing Good Will Come Out Of Living In Fantasy Land
False spirituality tells us that the perfect reality for us is just around the corner if we only do a short simple set of tricks. It makes us live in a fantasy world where everything is positive. It basically sugar coats the reality whereas real and authentic spirituality tells us to face the world like it is, it tells us that we will find both good and evil in here, but it is on us to learn how to control ourselves and grow from every situation that we face, without relying on anyone or anything, but ourselves only. Always remember, angels and demons, both are spirits. If someone who says or seems spiritual, does not mean that you submit yourself to them. Because demons can be spiritual too.
Anyone who says that they are spiritual and has a very meaningful relationship with God, but has poor and bad relationships with people, is a living example of false spirituality. How can one have a great relationship with God, but not with his people? Isn’t God a part of all of us? If someone manipulates and hurts people for his or her own selfish reasons, or fabricates or molds the true and authentic teachings of the real spirituality, it is a lie and their practicing is nothing more than spreading false spirituality.
But how can we recognize false spirituality and guide ourselves early hand towards betterment?
NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN REALITY
When it comes to false spirituality, the false leaders tell you that there is no difficulty in life, everything is perfect, as long as you listen to exactly what they have to say. One greatest indicator of recognizing false spirituality is that there is no room for anything which is not great or sweet. It fills our heads with fake illusions of what love and how spirituality should look like, which makes us disregard real human feelings as well as experiences, which are both good and bad, easy and difficult. Real human emotions are frowned upon and are disregarded. False spirituality is all about ignoring the pain, anger, and wounds that we have and replacing them with fake, positive mantras, putting the fake leader as the center of your life that you should worship. Sweet and positive words are used in this process, when in reality these words only sound good, having no real value or power.
When it comes to true and authentic spirituality, it tells us to acknowledge the feelings, the emotions. It tells us to embrace the difficulties, the bad thoughts, the bad phase of life with open arms and explore it. It tells us to HEAL by not ignoring the pain, rather than accepting who we are at this current moment, guiding us towards connecting to our divine self, and helping us to grow and move forward.
Idolization
False spirituality, unlike the true and authentic one, often makes us idolize certain people in our lives, when it will usually be the teachers or leaders of the fake spiritual teachings. False spirituality leads us into believing and living by an example of others, by exemplifying their lives and their ways around things. It tells us to follow what that person will say, disregarding the wisdom that comes from our own hearts, putting them on a pedestal. Whereas when it comes to the true authentic spirituality, it says and believes that true wisdom is what comes from our own heart. That is something that is everlasting and absolutely vital for our enlightenment and spiritual awakening.
WRONGFUL THEORIES OF FAKE SPIRITUALITY
When it comes to false spirituality, there are certain theories that are absolutely wrong, and the opposite of what is taught in true spirituality. In false spirituality there are many such theories that suggest that we are all timebound, we have to reach a certain destination at a certain time and age otherwise we will not be able to move on to our next path. This is completely false, as true spirituality believes that we all have our own time for everything that happens to us. We are where we are supposed to be and with time, everything will make sense. Everyone has their own time and their own pace, no one is supposed to be compared with others as everyone has their own time for everything.
The astrologers, palm readers, and other fake mystic ‘practitioners’, are all advocates of false spiritualities as they make us fearful about our future and present by making assumptions and predictions. These predictions make us feel powerless and in no control over our life, hence causing us to rely on the solutions given by them, and leaving us dependent on their ‘expertise’ as they are ‘the only chance’ we have for living a good life.
How can you avoid being a victim of false spirituality?
GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELING
If something does not feel right, then it probably is not. If you read a book or have a conversation with someone after which you feel bad about your self-worth then the chances are there might be some elements of false power or ego in it. Something that is true might not always be pleasant, but it will never make you feel bad about who you are.
DON’T JUDGE YOURSELF
We are all humans. We are bound to make mistakes and this life is supposed to be a mixture of the goods and the bads, the ups, and the downs. Don’t judge yourself for the experiences that you had or the trauma you faced or the emotions that you felt. Take responsibility for everything and feel them. Only when you fully experience them, acknowledge them, and explore them, will you move towards a path of healing and growth.
Always remember, all the power you’ll ever need for changing your life and open yourself to a spiritual awakening lies within you. No external person, perception, or philosophy can ever replace you or be better than you. True spirituality allows you to be yourself. It does not judge you, in fact, it wants you to see how you are beyond your appearance, your financial state, your status, even beyond your thoughts that are not who you are, to witness the powerful self that you are.
