Material and Spiritual Selves PDF

**MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF** The dimension of the self that relates to **physical materials**. It refers to our body, as well as tangible objects, places, things, that we describe as "My" or "Mine". It has two subclasses: **the body self** which refers to our body and all its parts and the **extended...

**MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF** The dimension of the self that relates to **physical materials**. It refers to our body, as well as tangible objects, places, things, that we describe as "My" or "Mine". It has two subclasses: **the body self** which refers to our body and all its parts and the **extended self** consisting of extra-corporeal and beyond the body. It includes all the people, places, things, that we regard as OURS. It can also refer to our possessions. William James said that the Material Self basically refers to our body, clothes, immediate family, and home. - Self and body- we give prime importance to our body such as keeping it healthy and making sure that it is in state of good condition because it our body is not well, our other selves will suffer. Ex. If our body is sick, we cannot go to work and fail to attend out responsibilities, out attitude towards others may be affected and cannot appreciate the world around us. But if our body is healthy, relationships can be much better. Some of us give special attachment to some of our body parts like our eyes, nose, body shape. - Clothing- *Microcosmus,* a book by Herman Lotze commented that, anytime we bring an object into the surface our body, we invest that object into the consciousness of our own personal existence and making it part of ourself. This is true because, when you wear a new dress, you feel that you and your dress become one. Clothes protect our body from extreme temperature, enhance our physical appearance that's why we take a close look at style, color, and quality of the material used. This is also a way of distinguishing our social class, as well as culture, profession, sex preference. It is also a reflection of our personality, character, and even attitude. - Family- the most significant entity on child's life. The child depends on his/her family. The parents serve as a role model on how to act and experience the world. A child grows up according to what he/she sees and lives in the family. The family signifies **love and hope** it gives the members a sense of purpose and goal. With the family, we share and celebrate our successes. It is through them also that we seek support and comfort when shortcomings, as well as failures come our way. We value our **dignity, integrity, and respect** our name because it symbolizes us. In the family, we live out family tradition for instance, we hear of family of doctors, of politicians, engineers, or teachers. As the parents were, so are the children. Setting time for the family keeps the bond and love for each other alive. - Home- It is our sanctuary where we can relax, rest, and enjoy life with family and friends. It is in our home where we could be our real selves, our safest refuge, and a symbol of security. Some families put premium in the structure, style, size and the overall make up of their house because they reflect the economic and social status of the family. While this is important, it is not always a guarantee that it is a home based on the value of a happy home where everyone wants to experience acceptance and whose rights are respected. It is a witness to our becoming who and what we are. Our home is our extension of our self. It is where we develop our sense of what is right and wrong from our personality and self-identity. **On Material Possessions** We live in a fast-paced society where shopping malls abound, and sales are held the whole year round, offering all sorts of items at much discounted prices. Additionally, online shops where one could buy anything without leaving the comfort of home. Different goods are advertised to different platforms alluring consumers. Sadly enough, people submit to these allurements and they become **materialistic**. **Commercialism** and **consumerism** have successfully created the desire to acquire more, to update and upgrade our gadgets and buy more, to keep up with the trends. We are what we buy and what we have. What should we consider if we want to buy something? Important questions that you have to ask yourself are: "can I afford?" if yes, "is it necessary to buy, upgrade, or we just simply want it?" to objectively decide, we should clearly differentiate what we NEED from WANT. In the process of acquiring material possessions, smart consumers consider their capacity to buy and their economic sufficiency. Some people would satisfy their need in daily life but there are others who choose more luxurious materials, because they are aware of their economic identity and status. According to Barthes (1915-1980), a sign has two elements, the signifier, referring to its physical form and the signified referring to one's mental concept about the object and its effect on him. A person buys the object because he believes it is a reflection of who and what his is. Studying **semiology** (a study of objects as signs); objects as signs or things, could be decoded to convey a message beyond the object itself and about the person using it. **Objects are not just things** they are also a **reflection of the lives of communities and individuals**. **Our attachments to our Possessions** A child is in rage when deprived of the things they own. Piaget found out that it is part of human nature to develop a sense of ownership and attachment to things one values called **endowment fact.** For an instance, we value reward, in recognition of something we have done so we want to keep it. We keep the things that we received from a significant other, as something special and memorable. We are also attached to family heirloom because of its sense of history and connectedness. Adding to these, we keep memorabilia that we received from significant people whom we value, admire, and idolize in our life. **SPIRITUAL SELF** Physical body is the foundation of all the other selves. It has two parts the physical mind which is the subject part and the physical body as the object part. In our daily life, we need vitamins to keep our body and mind active. If we provide our physical self with either good, or evil, so would our spiritual self also be. The good or bad conduct of the physical self is the main determinant when the spiritual self can be good or evil. If the physical self is tainted with negative energy, like selfish motives and evil actions, the spiritual self would be anxious and unhappy; but a wholesome, physical energy coming from a good motivation and righteous actions, would create a good and happy spiritual self. **The Nature of Spiritual Self** - It is the real or authentic YOU, without influence, stereotypes, or assumptions. It is not related to our race, religion, gender, nor concerns, it is YOU WITHOUT PATTERNS. The spiritual self is always there in the background of our existence, continually providing us the needed inspiration and motivation. She is the invisible force that holds the whole self together. It recognizes all the needs of other selves, that may lead to self-integration, increased awareness, intuition, insight and communication between and among other selves. - David James Lee, spirituality expert of Wei Wu Wisdom described our spiritual self as our INTANGIBLE self, the gut feeling and inspiration inside us. Lee compared it to a beautiful candle that never extinguishes. The source of inspiration that motivates us to move on. The word "inspiration" connotes the presence of a spirit within us. Inspiration keeps us going, living a more positive life. Lee considers spiritual self as the higher self. It is through our spiritual self that we can communicate with the Divine. If we are disconnected from it, we hang on to our old self, continue living in the carousel of negativity, being critical, judgmental and comparing ourselves with others. But according to him, we have nothing to fear of others as regards our spiritual self because it is only us who can create a spiritual disturbance to it. - Bob Mangroo, in his blog, considered the spiritual self as the **eternal self**---the intangible, non-physical, invisible part of our existence. He called it, **SOUL**. We cannot tell when it began to exist and its location hence, the souls has been existing before our physical existence and will continue to exist even after we are gone. The idea of existence of the soul leads to understanding that the nature of spiritual self is not connected with religion. Our Christian faith taught us, that our body is the temple, the in-dwelling, of the Holy Spirit. We believe that we have a soul and that, when we die, our physical body is buried, or cremated, as the case may be, but our soul goes to either heaven or hell to remain there eternally, depending on the kind of life we lived. Mangroo insists that the nature of our eternal self is live in the spiritual realm for eternity after it leaves our physical body. Our spiritual self should manifest how we live our Christian faith, regardless of religion. We live a life highly motivated, aspiring for eternal life because our soul is destined for eternity. **Spirituality and Religiosity** - Spirituality- is usually associated with our own existence and search for the purpose and meaning of life. Others may view it in association with church, temple, or mosque; other see their value of their life according to their personal relationship with their God; others realize their spiritual life becomes alive in any form of art or in the practice of their profession. We know of many retired teachers who still devote their life teaching despite their age, asked why? Candid reply include: "I find joy and fulfillment in teaching." It may also be linked to questions like "am I a good person?" "Why do I have to go through this difficulty?" "Why are these things happening to me?" "Are they worth my sacrifices?" - To Christina Puchalski (2014), MD, spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose of the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, the self to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred. - To Beauregard and O'Leary (2007), spirituality is any experience that is brought to bring the experiences into contact with the Divine, one that is beyond the ordinary. - To Murray & Zenter (2015), spirituality is the dimension that is in harmony with the universe and strives for answers about the infinite that comes into focus when a person faces emotional stress. Aspects of spirituality: - *Spirituality emphasizes the idea of meaning and purposes that go beyond physical realities of life*. This idea helps us understand why we go through difficult situations and why it happens. - *Allows us to build connections to other people, nature and to the sacred and divine*. Spirituality makes us kind, considerate; encourages us to live out the gift of the Spirit in us namely: **prudence, kindness, counsel, fortitude, wisdom, piety, fear of the Lord**---the reflection of our core values. - *Spirituality suggests sacredness and transcendence*. It typically involves a search for purpose and meaning of life. **Religiosity** Sherkat (2015) defined religiosity as a characteristic of individuals and collectivities that displays various features of beliefs about the supernatural. It refers to how individuals and social groups engage in a behavior related to Higher Being. Meanwhile according to Macayan, et. al, (2018) religiosity refers to adherence to a belief system and practices associated with a tradition in which there is agreement about what is believed and practiced including: proscriptions of a particular church, like manner of dressing when attending church activities, obligatory contributions etc... While we see distinctions between spirituality and religiosity, they are closely related to each other. With spirituality, we find answers to such questions, "Where do I find meaning?" "How do I feel connected?" "How should I live?" Religiosity on the other hand, leads us to respond to such questions, "What practices or rules should I follow?" "What is right or wrong?" "What is true or false?" Important note: Spirituality is not dependent on one's religious affiliation. One may be spiritual even if he/she is not attached to any church or religion in the same manner that one may be religious but it not necessarily a spiritual person. **Importance of Spirituality** - Our spirituality helps us live a balanced and focused life, a balanced mental health and well-being. With this kind of life, we become aware of our choices, behavior and actions. What are then the consequences of having a well-balanced life? The person who is physically and spiritually healthy develops into a spiritual person where he/she believes and accepts that suffering and death are parts of life, he/she is positive in his/her disposition, he/she lives in serenity and enjoys peace of mind, he/she counts her blessings, he/she focuses on what is good in others, he/she is appreciative of the world and is connected to him/herself. - A person with a healthy spiritual life takes things in stride. He/she accepts any circumstances in his/her life positively and embraces them as part of his/her existence, he/she puts his/her trust and faith in the Divine, he/she forgives his/her offenders and apologizes whenever he/she him/herself offends others. - Engages in activities that boost his/her self-identity and self-actualization and that lead him/her to exercise virtues as compassion and social concern. He/she enhances his/her interpersonal relationship through proper communication, trust is and respect for others and his/her ability to resolve conflict. He/she has high self-esteem. **Strengthening Spirituality** - In home, children can imbibe spirituality from their parents by the positive and nurturing relationship from them and through spiritual orientation, parents provide them with to serve as a solid foundation of their healthy spiritual life. - In schools, mental health and well-being may be imbibed by the students from their teachers and from the vision, mission, goals, and core values. The curricular programs including seminars and activities on the development of humanitarian values of compassion, empathy, and sensitivity for the welfare of others and other activities like retreats and recollections foster reflection, self-evaluation and contemplation. According to Lee, it is beneficial to remain connected with one's eternal self. There are three ways: 1. Have a specific intention and stay focused on it. Keep it in your heart and mind and decide when and how you would accomplish it. 2. Live life cheerfully, honestly, truthfully, and authentically. Enjoy what you are doing. Never lie to other or to yourself, as you work in achieving your intention. 3. Be self-responsible.