Spiritual development is an ongoing journey. Books, mentors, and other sources can offer invaluable assistance on this path. The actual Interesting Info about Spiritual Development.
James Fowler first proposed his stages of faith or spiritual development theory in 1981, later revised by M Scott Peck into six stages for spiritual growth: Stage 1 – Antisocial.
Stage 1: Antisocial
At this stage, it is necessary to combat base impulses that lead to selfishness and power-seeking. At times, you may find comfort in turning to religion or spiritual belief systems as ways of managing these impulses.
Religion may mean different things to different people; you could view God or the gods as powerful male beings at the top of a hierarchy, or you might worship a pantheon of deities with strong female powers who need to be respected and honored; in either case, your religion emphasizes obedience and strict observance of rules and rituals.
At this stage, you start to recognize that truth transcends your current beliefs or traditions. This may create an openness toward other religious practices while simultaneously sparking conflict as different faith traditions clash. At this point, you must learn not to judge others’ beliefs as “true,” though accepting others doesn’t always equate to agreeing with them – you may even disdain those at this stage in their journey.
Stage 2: Formal
At this stage, people begin to recognize layers of meaning behind stories, rituals, and symbols associated with their faith. Furthermore, their ability to think abstractly becomes more outstanding, which allows them to break down religious practices more efficiently, although this time can be very confusing.
One can believe in an ethical code, a sense of reciprocity (e.g., doing good will lead to good results; vice versa), and an anthropomorphic version of God that often becomes too literal (such as seeing him as an old white-bearded man living up in the clouds).
At this stage, people may still experience doubt and skepticism yet possess a profound sense of personal spirituality. They can relate to people from various stages and faith backgrounds without condescension or condescension; they enjoy life while not taking it too seriously; they put their faith into action by challenging status quo structures to bring about justice for all, perhaps being inspired by figures such as Gandhi or Mother Teresa.
Stage 3: Doubt & Skepticism
Stage 3 sees an individual struggling between their base impulses (such as lust, greed, and power desires) and higher spiritual principles of love and compassion. Individuals in this stage tend to be impulsive and self-indulgent and often act without thinking.
At this stage, individuals typically identify with religious institutions or belief systems and sense a sense of community affiliation. At times, however, doubt and skepticism may emerge during this phase.
People at this stage may become atheists or agnostics, yet are usually more spiritually developed than those content to remain in Stage 2. They can interact with people of varying religious perspectives, acknowledging that each one holds unique beliefs. Furthermore, these individuals tend to view other individuals with compassion since they see everyone as part of one big human family.
Stage 4: Mystical
At this stage, people yearn for beauty and transcendence and experience an overwhelming feeling of mystical unity with God. At the same time, they realize all aspects of reality are interdependent on a ground level and know He is present everywhere at once, not simply transcendent.
At this stage, people begin to relax their grip on religious dogma and trust their experiences to offer insight into the mystery. Furthermore, they start taking seriously virtues like self-sacrifice or martyrdom as virtues that must be respected and nurtured during this stage of development. A good spiritual director can support them during this phase as well as provide necessary relief when restrictions of this form of faith become an impediment to growth.
This stage, known as the mystic communal stage, refers to people in which there are no discernable religious movements or spiritual beliefs that differ across nations and that all beings deserve kindness and respect.
Stage 5: Conjunctive
After years of outward service and leadership (Stage Three), you realized you felt an inner hunger that neither doctrine nor evangelical practices could satisfy. An empty feeling was present within that was neither your fault nor manageable; you knew something was amiss within and had to find its source to heal it.
At this stage, your faith reaches new depths as it draws closer to God, and you become aware of your sinfulness. Unfortunately, this stage can often result in feelings of alienation from both Him and the church.
People in this stage tend to be open-minded toward various religious traditions and beliefs, seeing multiple layers of meaning within stories and rituals passed on from previous stages. Unfortunately, this can sometimes result in conflicts as different ideologies come into conflict with each other.
The solution to this stage is finding someone who understands the paradoxes and mysteries of transcendent values while remaining unfazed by your queries and expressions of frustration. You may also aid yourself on this path by adopting an intention of hoping well for all beings – including yourself!
Stage 6: Universalizing
Fowler describes those at Stage Six as possessing an extraordinary and transcendent faith that seeks to promote justice, compassion, and the well-being of all people. Fowler describes this level as being marked by “fearless implementation of universal principles of morality and justice,” with an expansive meaning system that finds divinity everywhere; examples such as Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King have reached this level.
People at this stage tend to be open-minded and can appreciate beliefs and traditions they once dismissed as foolish. Additionally, they understand there are no definitive answers to Big Questions, yet some answers might prove worthwhile.
Tears often arise at this point out of compassion for another rather than out of any personal unhappiness or anguish. People become aware of the spiritual/universal aspect of life through experiences of unconditioned bliss or inner peace that are accessible only from within themselves.
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