​Spiritually Vague People

The term ‘spiritually vague people’ was mentioned by Sakia van Orly in one of her humorous columns in De Andere Krant: in my opinion, a fitting description for an increasing number of people. I often encounter them; they have a spiritually driven mind and attitude and express this with spiritually vague texts and advice. I always like to engage with these, especially when they are posted in Facebook groups for and by spiritually vague people. I then like to talk about what true spirituality means to me: the complete discovery and realization of the human mind and its vast potential capabilities, AND the discovery of everything that obstructs this discovery and realization of potential capabilities, in order to achieve inner freedom and unity.

The first step involves acquiring self-knowledge with a small ‘s’: knowledge about our psyche and its tint, and all tendencies, conditionings, and needs that arise from this psyche. Then, as one gains more insight, Self-Knowledge with a capital ‘S’: Knowledge about the Self, the non-dual Essence of every human, animal, plant, and object.
My reactions to spiritually vague texts and advice (often adorned with many heart emojis) are rarely appreciated. I do not mince words about what the practice of spirituality should really entail (many forms can be named) and always engage with the content that is asserted so definitively. I critically respond to descriptions, assumptions, and trendy platitudes and also ask about personal experiences related to what is written, claimed, or advised. Spiritually vague people, in almost all cases, have proven to be easily offended.

My reactions to spiritually vague statements can be compared to a pebble suddenly appearing in one’s shoe, briefly disrupting the comfort of the ‘spiritual’ comfort zone. Or akin to a stone that splashes in the ‘quiet pond’ of their loving mindset, causing undesired ripples. I’ve observed that even tiny pebbles can create massive waves of indignation. The expressions of ‘being lovingly spiritual’ suddenly receive an irritated update. Beneath the outer ‘calm’ surface of the pond, there seem to be lurking piranhas or bottom-hugging flatfish… Now agitatedly rising to the surface.

As long as spiritually vague people can keep laying their trendy eggs, often garnished with numerous heart emojis and praying hands, and as collectors gather likes and hearts on them, all is well. It’s probably all about getting those thumbs up. The more, the better, as it confirms the comfort zone. Critical voices are almost always perceived as bothersome. Then suddenly much less loving words emerge. I would with my reaction ‘restrict freedom’, ’cause distress’, ‘radiate lovelessness’, ‘be a know-it-all’, and ‘interfere with threads that are none of my business’. Being critical of spiritually vague statements is not appreciated, that much is certain.

In my opinion, social media is precisely designed for free exchange. Especially when it takes place in a group where we’ve been admitted based on a specific subject. A group is intended for free exchange among members. Everyone is allowed to ‘interfere’ with anyone, and a thread cannot be declared private. And what purpose do all those spiritually vague eggs serve? Surely they’re intended to promote spirituality? A critical exchange on what is actually being claimed is also intended to promote spirituality.

On Selfknowledge.today, everyone can start the all-important investigation into why one feels angry, attacked, or anxious in such cases. Many on social media quickly feel ‘bothered’ by what others suggest if it doesn’t align with their own mindset. This is the same for spiritually vague people, especially if unexpected resistance suddenly arises (because they expect compliments) and this throws them off track. Once thrown off, they start singing off-key, and the love they claim to want to shower upon the world soon dissipates. This reveals the real inner state of mind of the spiritually vague person. I certainly read good intentions, absolutely, but they’re often expressed in ‘second-hand’ wisdoms: opinions and quotes from teachers that have mostly passed away, readily adopted without any genuine insight.

In my opinion, these opinions and quotes are still worth a critical investigation concerning how valuable they are for inner liberation. Because genuine inner liberation requires quite an effort from us. There’s no instant enlightenment. In fact, spiritual development mainly takes place outside our comfort zones and almost never within them.
Spiritual stances or advice may be true for experts if they’ve actually done the Work themselves. Most often, however, the posts are just beautiful future visions (imaginations) of a free inner State of Mind to be realized, but without providing a guide on how to achieve this. Those quotes, stances, and pieces of advice are thus like water that doesn’t quench thirst.

True spirituality primarily involves silently investigating one’s feelings, thoughts about those feelings, resulting actions, and the deeper causes of all this. In almost all cases of discontent and negative feelings experienced by a person, the cause is different from the trigger. As a ‘pebble’ in a shoe or pond, I’m certainly a trigger! But the cause of the discomfort or unease lies deeper. And that hasn’t been investigated yet. So, this cause of annoyance or fear comes into play under the table in every similar situation, triggered by something ‘external’. Annoyance over criticism or being contradicted. Fear of not being taken seriously. Wanting to maintain a peaceful comfort zone or even an imaginary enlightened status. All of it originates from within. Outsiders are just the trigger to bring it up as a pop-up to the surface.

Feelings of unease, annoyance, and fear come from our psyche. In this psyche, we float around as ego-like fish in a pond. However, we can observe our psyche. We can appreciate its valuable aspects. The less valuable and limiting sides can be re-evaluated as no longer desirable and can be peacefully left behind. But beyond our psyche, which is colored differently in every person and above the pond’s surface, our non-dual freedom awaits us: the metapsychic reality of our human mind with enormous potential: the state of mental being and functioning for which we humans are ‘intended’. Here lies the possible evolution or transition of each individual.