Are you using spirituality as a way to escape from real world responsibilities an excuse to escape life’s challenges? Or maybe you are aware that you are ignoring deeper emotional issues.
Spiritual bypassing is when people use spiritual ideas or practices to avoid dealing with real-life problems and emotions. Like using air freshener to mask a bad smell without finding the source, this might work for a short time but the smell keeps coming back. Focusing only on positive thinking or enlightenment can prevent true healing and growth.
But knowing the signs of spiritual bypassing is important for real personal growth, if we want to spiritually develop, improve our intuition and excel at mediumship.
Here are 10 common signs of Spiritual By Passing that psychic mediums must watch out for:
1. Avoiding Negative Emotions
A common sign of spiritual bypassing is avoiding negative feelings. If you use spiritual practices to escape anger, sadness, or frustration instead of dealing with them, you might be spiritually bypassing. True spirituality means accepting all emotions, not just the happy ones. If you find yourself meditating every time they feel angry, anxious or sad, you could be doing just that. Are you avoiding the root cause of your feelings?
2. Focusing Too Much on Positivity
Being positive is good, but if you always look for the “silver lining” and ignore real problems, it could be a problem. If a friend is going through a tough time, do you listen and acknowledge their problems or do you tell them to “stay positive”? Spiritual growth involves dealing with both good and bad experiences, and genuinely showing up in life.
3. Disconnecting from Reality
Another sign is avoiding reality by thinking the material world doesn’t matter. While some spiritual teachings suggest detachment, it shouldn’t become escapism. Staying grounded and dealing with the real world is vital for balanced growth. If you find yourself hiding from life and ignoring your obligations or thinking that financial concerns are “too worldly” for your spiritual path. Once again, you have fallen into the trap of spiritual bypassing.
4. Judging Others for Their Feelings
Do you look down on others for not being as “spiritually advanced” or for having “lower” emotions? If you dismiss a friend’s grief by saying they are not “enlightened enough,” or that they are “too sensitive”, then you are bypassing. True spiritual maturity involves compassion and understanding, not judgment.
5. Using Spirituality to not Setting Boundaries
Spiritual bypassing can lead to poor boundaries, where people use spiritual beliefs to avoid addressing unhealthy relationships. For example, forgiving someone without expecting them to change can allow harmful behaviors to continue. Imagine someone staying in a toxic relationship because they believe their partner is part of their spiritual lesson, without addressing the harm being done.
6. Justifying hurtful Behaviors with Spiritual Ideas
This involves using spiritual beliefs to justify bad actions. Saying “everything happens for a reason” or “it’s all part of a divine plan” to avoid taking responsibility. While these beliefs can comfort us, they shouldn’t excuse bad behavior. For instance, if someone hurts a friend and then says, “It was meant to be,” they are bypassing responsibility for their actions.
7. Ignoring Physical Needs Neglecting
Neglecting your health for spiritual reasons is another form of bypassing. Thinking spiritual growth means ignoring your body can lead to health problems. For example, skipping meals or sleep because you believe in fasting or extended meditation so that you can spiritually enlighten. True spirituality values mind, body, and spirit equally.
8. Overthinking Spiritual Concepts
Overanalyzing spiritual ideas without applying them to your life is a form of bypassing. For example, someone might intellectually debate spiritual texts or attend numerous workshops without practicing compassion or mindfulness in daily interactions. This can also lead to perfectionism in spiritual practice, focusing too much on rituals rather than genuine growth. True spirituality involves both understanding concepts and integrating them emotionally and practically.
9. Relying Too Much on Spiritual Teachers
Depending too much on spiritual teachers to solve your problems can be bypassing. While guidance is helpful, you should take responsibility for your own spiritual journey. For example, someone might constantly seek advice from their guru instead of making their own decisions and learning from their experiences.
10. Avoiding social Engagements
Using spiritual practices to avoid personal or social engagements is another sign. True spiritual growth should help you contribute positively to the world, not escape from it. You must spend time connecting with others, being around friends and family, or participating in the community. Otherwise, this too could be a sign that you are spiritually bypassing.
Final Thoughts
Spotting the signs of spiritual bypassing is the first step to true spiritual and personal growth. By facing all parts of ourselves, even the difficult ones, we can develop a more grounded and compassionate spiritual practice.