Spirituality: Religion in Disguise
For centuries and even millennia, religion acted as a central institution for human society. Religions institutionalized the concept of God and established a set of rules that were believed to bring people closer to God (or the divine). However, with advancements in science, education, storage of verified knowledge, and information systems, the degree of religious faith among individuals and society has significantly declined. This suggests that religion and the idea of God were historically crucial to sustain societal structure, uniformity, and sustainability – like the constitution and laws in the contemporary world. Nevertheless, with the passage of time, they have simply begun to lose their grip over people's mind and the society as a whole.
The term "spirituality" has gained a high degree of popularity across the world, not just in South Asia. Still, what is the meaning of spirituality, at first? The answer is not singular, as everyone holds a subjective definition of it. This vagueness makes the question more worth-asking.
Many key philosophers and psychologists suggest different definitions of spirituality. However, here, I would emphasize how people generally understand it. When I consulted the Cambridge Dictionary, it showed, spirituality is "the quality that involves deep feelings and beliefs of a religious nature, rather than the physical parts of life." [src:dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/spirituality] This means that spirituality fundamentally focuses on the non-materialistic or inner aspects of life. It emphasizes on an individual's bond with the universe or their own "inner-self". It encourages individuals to explore where they personally find meaning – unlike traditional religions which impose strict obligations, rites, and rituals to reach God.
Before we draw any conclusions or make assumptions about spirituality, we must take three factual realities into accounts – which is very necessary here. First, the credibility and relevance of traditional religion have largely collapsed (or are gradually collapsing). Second, humans inherently feel lonely making them seek validation, reassurance, and a sense of belonging. Both religion and spirituality provide psychological supplements to meet these needs. Third, people naturally experience moments aha, epiphanies, and awe – which are indeed genuine and deeply meaningful.
Some genuine human feelings of awe and wonder were punished or suppressedby rigid religious beliefs. Also they were often redirected to God (or to the divine). Following the fall of religious credibility, there are many people who feel lost in this transition period. Now, they have no place to worship, pray, or confess with complete faith which leaves them isolated. Religion remained as the trusted institution to anchor their morality, ethics, behavior, and emotions.
I personally find the modern idea of spirituality to be quite two-faced. The basic building blocks of both religion and spirituality are almost identical. As we know, spirituality claims to oppose dogmatic communal obligations. But it has its own hierarchy of spiritual teachers (Gurus) and relies heavily on unfalsifiable claims. Isn't that ironic? Spirituality has effectively turned into a profit-driven industry selling people back their own egos in sacred makeup.
Amidst all of this, my primary concern is that spirituality may simply be the rebirth of religion. Historically, religions served as vital drivers to the economy, redistributing wealth through institutionalized obligations even though that was essentially hypocritic. The modern spirituality industry operates on the exact same framework. It has commercialized a psychologically fundamental human need: the desire to belong. People used to donate money or any other form of wealth to temple and churches; now, they pay for "spiritual" workshops***.*** Even though spirituality projects an identity of open-accessibility, numerous commercial ideas hide beneath it. For instance, preposterous retreat prices advertised as "spiritual investments" or even certifications based on rankings.
If a spirit or any kind of spiritual essence resides within every person, why is financial transaction required to get a close access to it?
In this sense, spirituality replicates platforms like Spotify, Claude, Canva, etc. The common principle is: offer a basic version to all the users but reserve the "authentic" experience for premium paying customers.
When we talk about spirituality, the word "spirit" also follows. Regarding this term, Jung defined it as an autonomous, non-material psychological reality experienced as an active, dynamic force. He argued that it brings meaning, inspiration, and higher consciousness to the human mind. He perceived the spirit as a subjective psychological core rather than any kind of metaphysical entity. He also relates it to the psyche, the deep mental structures driving human behavior. On the contrary, the so-called "spiritual leaders" push an absurdly unfalsifiable and metaphysical definition of the spirit. Oftentimes, they skyjack some natural and scientifically explainable emotional states like: awe, aha, and epiphanies. They repackage simple human experiences into out-of-reality stories and fictions merely for commercial gain.
Spirituality has acknowledged that external deities and authoritarian religions are losing credibility. Which is why, it has shifted its focus from the external to the internal – the "inner-self." It has basically relocated the chair office of faith-based control from an external God to an "internalized spirit" or "cosmic self".
By convincing followers that the entire universe resides within them, spiritual leaders present standard human emotions as evidence of cosmic truth. This shift can be far more dangerous than traditional religions as human ego takes on a much darker form when individuals begin to view themselves as divine.
Rejecting an external God is relatively easy because God is defined as a separate entity from us which can neither be seen, heard, nor felt. On the other hand, rejecting the idea of an internal spirit feels extremely similar to denying one's own existence and presence in the universe.
Blind obedience to external authority like God might often indicate lack of rationality and critical thinking in an individual. Nevertheless, believing that you have the whole universe within yourself or you are the avatar of the universe itself may pose immeasurably higher intellectual, moral, and social risks.
When traditional religious institutions lost their grip over the society's power dynamics, "the old guards" simply remolded them into spirituality to retain their influence. The differences are that this new replica is more private, self-centered, dangerous and far less accountable, yet they maintain a good profit margin and authority over public faith.
While practices like: mindfulness, expression of gratitude, and meditation might help to promote self-awareness, connection with nature, and peace of mind, they need not be bought through financial transactions like retreat pricing.
Essentially, what spirituality sells us is merely psychological as well as philosophical to some extent. Therefore, the existence of this industry is even more irrelevant, less structured as compared to religions, and far more dangerous too.
At last, if you are someone who feels the need to find and understand your inner-self, visiting a psychiatrist might help far more than spending time, effort, and money on spiritual rituals.