Can A Narcissist Have A Spiritual Awakening

May states in Will and Spirit, “Simply put, spiritual narcissism is the unconscious use of spiritual practice, experience, and insight to raise rather than lessen self-importance.”

When we connect with “trying to become holy,” spiritual narcissism infiltrates our egos, said May, who treated addicts before supervising ecumenical spiritual directors at the Shalem Institute in Washington, D.C.

“Spiritual narcissism turns the spiritual quest into a self-aggrandizing process instead of a journey of developing humility,” May remarked.

You can see how devious and universal spiritual narcissism can be based on May's definition.

It doesn't just apply to apocalyptic Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, televangelists Benny Hinn, Todd Bentley, Jim and Tammy Bakker, radical leader Sun Myung Moon, judgmental atheist Richard Dawkins, and, dare I say, Rhonda Byrne, the founder of The Secret, as well as “gurus” like Andrew Cohen.

Spiritual narcissism can affect anyone on a spiritual path, and it isn't always visible. (By “spiritual,” I mean all attempts to find personal meaning, including secular or atheist wisdom, in the context of a larger horizon of significance.)

When we have a spiritual awakening or a philosophical epiphany, we can all fall prey to narcissism. It occurs when we believe we are fairly wonderful since we have advanced to a level of growth that others have not.

Narcissism can develop among spiritual searchers who believe they have been “selected.” Nothing enhances self-importance more than feeling like one is among the Select, like being picked first for a team on the playground.

Gerald May is wary of people who claim to desire to be like God. He highlights how terrified people often struggle to “amass personal power and control over fate,” rather than learn to let go and sacrifice, whether they are Christians, neo-pagans, or atheist existentialists.

What is narcissistic spirituality?

We become wiser people as we grow spiritually, able to transcend our egos and accept each other without judgment. Furthermore, spiritual training institutions claim that practicing accepting, attentive being-in-the-here-and-now can improve your ability to eat, sleep, listen, focus, love, laugh, and live a happier life. There are a variety of spiritual trainings available, ranging from energy training with no scientific basis – such as learning to read or cure auras and chakras, or regressing people to former lifetimes – to methods with proven benefits, such as mindfulness training. Many components of Buddhist teachings that underpin many spiritual systems, such as the premise that people increase their suffering by their own worries and aversion to life's inconveniences, such as failure and rejection, have empirical backing. However, regardless of the training system in place, there is one permanent human fault that obstructs the path to spiritual enlightenment: our ego.

Look how enlightened I am!

Our ego is constantly on the hunt for ways to bolster its own sense of grandeur and uniqueness. It happens whether you achieve success at job, in sports, or in relationships – and it also happens when you achieve spiritual achievement. For example, you may notice that you have grown more authentic as a result of your spiritual training, or someone may commend you on it. Then, in an unguarded moment, your ego emerges from the bushes to seize control of the success: ‘See how terrific I'm doing!' – and your sincerity vanishes. Because your ego now wants to utilize it to impress others with your newfound knowledge or to make you feel exceptional.

“Success is a tremendous liability if your posture in life is not naturally modest,” an executive recruiter once told me. Everything is adopted by the ego for its own benefit. Spiritual narcissism is the assumption that your spiritual expertise makes you more special than others. It can be used to protect yourself from criticism, impress others, or boost your self-esteem and make you feel better about yourself. When you feel like you're making progress on your spiritual path, it's easy to think of yourself as superior. But, in essence, it means you missed a key turn.

What happens when a narcissist becomes self aware?

The narcissist may be self-aware and informed about Narcissistic Personality Disorder if he or she has serious emotional deficits, but this does not lead to healing, just to behavior change.

A nasty superego and a demanding and magnificent False Self coexist in narcissists. Machines or automata are terms used by narcissists to describe themselves.

When they do achieve self-awareness and engage in soul-searching, it is to improve their abilities to attract and maintain narcissistic supply sources.

Can a narcissist believe in God?

A narcissist manipulates, controls, and dominates you by instilling fear in you. Even individuals who do not believe in God, such as those who are Atheistic, Agnostic, or Satanist, can be included. It is not the type of belief that is abusive, but rather how it is used.

Can a narcissist Love their child?

The answer is no, according to Perpetua Neo, a psychologist and therapist who specializes in people with DTP characteristics. She told Business Insider that narcissists, psychopaths, and sociopaths “do not have a feeling of empathy.” “They have never developed or will never acquire empathy, thus they can never truly love anyone.”

How does a narcissist react when they can't control you?

• Narcissists are obsessed with themselves and manipulate people for personal advantage; they're known for employing a few unique strategies to obtain and keep control.
• First, narcissists ensure their success by focusing on codependents: they also use compliments and flattery to make people feel important.
• To maintain control over their victim, they next play with unpleasant emotions like shock, amazement, and guilt.
• Gaslighting or master manipulation are also used by narcissists to weaken and destabilize their victims; ultimately, they use happy and negative feelings or moments to deceive others.
• When a narcissist loses control of you, they are likely to feel threatened, retaliate with anger, and even threaten you.