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Since the mid 2000's, there has been a growing group of individuals who practice what I call ‘Spiritual Entertainment.’ These searchers of the easy way toward Truth have become professional masters who can absolutely WOW you or a group of people with their spiritual vernacular and perfected practice of various quotes from books they have obviously read many times over. And their talent in captivating a group is absolutely undeniable. And the confidence in their seemingly innate ability to capture a group's attention with epithets of the rules to SUCCESS and Soulful Nirvana are things worthy of America's Got Talent! But upon deeper investigation, you realize that their Spiritual Song and Dance Show is more surface based than they would have you believe. While they may have perfected the vernacular that enthralls those seeking The Way, with just one singular peak behind the true Wisdom of Their Wizard's curtain, you realize that what they are actually peddling is all Egoistic in nature. They wish to be liked, seen, heard, and validated by the rest of us. They ‘talk the talk’ but when it comes to actually living what they are teaching, well, their magical semantics become a hoax of well rehearsed riveting routines that falsely capture the hard work, dedication, and courage it takes to take the first steps toward your own Hero's/ Heroine's Journey.
This form of ‘Spiritual Entertainment’ is hollow, superficial and leaves us feeling empty. Not unlike any form of a quick fix we seek to fill any various forms of pain and disconnection that we all face when we become completely detached from our connection to SOURCE.
This form of spiritual narcissism is captured perfect in the following Bible quote:“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - 1 John 4:1
As you can imagine, during my 20 year history on my own path of self realization, I have come across many of these Spirits who peddle a get spiritual rich quick program of one from or another. And my goal here is NOT TO JUDGE THEM. They are on their path and like the rest of us, deserve the dignity of their own individual process. However, that DOES NOT mean that we must not choose to love them from the other side of the room! Right?! Many of us on the path of righteousness are fragile and vulnerable. Most of us are in pain and seeking a way toward's our own SOULS salvation. So I thought I would share some tell tale signs that you may be dealing with a “Spiritual Narcissist” in order to support you in continuing your path of functional and soulful Purpose!
1.) They Constantly Reference their own Achievements
The Spiritual Narcissist loves to self-promote. For them, every conversation is an opportunity to share just how superior they are to the average believer. They typically go about this by listing off their own achievements. You’ll hear them talk incessantly about their upcoming book, their latest achievement, sermon series, missions work, or that time they led someone to the TRUTH.
2.) They Invade Conversations
The Spiritual Narcissist craves control, and their highest authority is always their own self-reference. As a result, it’s not uncommon for them to invade the personal or private conversations of others. They’ll often do this under the guise of “helping” or “correcting” fellow SEEKERS, but they have no real interest in two-way dialogue. You can choose to be loving or be RIGHT, and these individuals tend toward the latter!!
3.) They Twist The Word Of God
Susan B. Anthony once said, “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires”. In the same way, a Spiritual Narcissist uses scripture as a tool for their purpose instead of God’s. They approach the Bible/Koran/or any spiritual understanding with a closed mind, memorizing only a handful of useful verses that will justify their behavior. Anything else, particularly scripture that conflicts with their actions, gets ignored.
The best defense TRUTH SEEKERS have against this kind of faulty theology is to simply read from the words of our world sacred spiritual teachers. The more familiar we become with God’s work, the more familiar we become with God.
4.) They Profess Love, but RARELY Show It
Perhaps the easiest way to identify a Spiritual Narcissist is to see if their works match their words. Many will claim they have nothing but love and compassion in their hearts for those they rebuke, but their actions prove otherwise. God says we can judge a prophet by the fruit of his labors, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” So, what kind of harvest do they bring to God’s table? Division? Disdain? Cruelty?
Love is more than words, love is actions. That’s what separates the true Seeker from the Spiritual Narcissist.
5.) They Talk, but They Don’t Listen
Listening can be a powerful tool. Listening builds trust, creates empathy, and fosters understanding among individuals. The Spiritual Narcissist, by contrast, is quick to speak, quick to take offense, and incapable of listening. They enjoy being the loudest one in the room, and the idea of deferring to someone else galls them.
A true Spiritualist listens to others, even when they might not agree with them. Listening requires that we be selfless, which is the one thing a Spiritual Narcissist can never be.
Before I close this post, I want to reiterate that I am in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM judging any Spirit in the Cosmos. I truly DO NOT believe in Right vs. Wrong. And certainly do not adhere to any practice that would place judgment on ANY SOUL. I fervently believe that all SOULS are EXACTLY where they need to be in their own individual process of understanding and maturation. But for those of us who have transcended certain levels of consciousness, it only impedes our continued growth to engage with these individuals who are still ‘finding their way.’
In time, I know we will all dance in one grand SOULABRATION of TRUTH and Re-membrance, and when that future moment of NOW occurs, I will be the very first one on the dance floor and the very last one off!! And I welcome any and ALL dance partners on that Sacred Day!!!! My dancing partner list is ready to be filled!!!
Nerdmaste,
Jeffrey Louis Martinez
Jeffrey Louis Martinez
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