Spirituality: Having the nature of spirit, soul. God, sometimes religion or a higher consciousness.

(See also: Spirituality, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritualism:

A religion based upon the belief in life after death and the experiences of various mediums over the last hundred years; organized primarily to provide legal protection for the mediums and their followers.

(See also: Spiritualism, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Spiritus (Latin) Breath, air, spirit; in medieval European alchemy it corresponds with fire and sulfur in the triad of sulfur, mercury, and salt -- or spirit, soul, and body. With the Nazarenes, the female aspect of the anima mundi, the manifested part as contrasted with its unmanifest or divine aspect.

(See also: Spiritus, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Spirituality Considering spirit and matter as contrasted aspects in the evolutionary process, as opposite poles in the kosmos, this word applied to the higher or causal aspect. The course of evolution, the monad begins as an unself-conscious god-spark and ends its evolutionary career in any one universe as a self-conscious god.

The monads pass from spirit into matter, and then back again to spirit with the addition of evolved intellectual self-cognition or self-consciousness. So far as the rounds and races of our earth is concerned, the first two were characterized by direct but non-egoic spiritual qualities of consciousness, while in the third intellectuality and finally materiality began strongly to make their appearances, reaching the final evolutionary point for our planet in the fourth, when spirituality was nearly submerged by materiality. But these terms are relative, having varying meanings as applied to different planes and differing conditions of the rounds and races.

Absolute spirituality or perfection in its very nature implies the loftiest type of spiritual and intellectual activity, with the relative quiescence of the enshrouding sheaths of consciousness. The distinction is to a certain degree that drawn between absolute thought or the All as opposed to the ratiocinative activity of mental action, which involves limitations and matters (SD 2:490).

(See also: Spirituality, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Spiritualism Properly, the philosophy, religion, or pneumatological science held by those who believe in the universal spirit as the cosmic originant of all the hierarchies of evolving monads; its opposite is materialism. Spiritualism is "in philosophy, the state or condition of mind opposed to materialism or a material conception of things.

Theosophy, a doctrine which teaches that all which exists is animated or informed by the Universal Soul or Spirit, and that not an atom in our universe can be outside of this omnipresent principle -- is pure Spiritualism. As to the belief that goes under that name, namely, belief in the constant communication of the living with the dead, whether through the mediumistic powers of oneself or a so-called medium -- it is no better than the materialisation of spirit, and the degradation of the human and the divine souls. Believers in such communications are simply dishonouring the dead and performing constant sacrilege. It was well called 'Necromancy' in days of old" (TG 307).

The modern movement which began about the middle of the 19th century, mainly with the Fox sisters, embraces a large range of differing beliefs, so that any strictures directed against certain phases of it may justly be resented by those to whom such strictures do not apply. But the characteristic doctrine which identifies Spiritualism or astralism as such, is the belief that it is possible for the living to communicate with the departed spirits of the deceased. Theosophy, however, holds that at death the personality disintegrates, the individuality of the person passing into the devachanic state, while its lower components gradually fade out in the kama-loka. It is impossible to obtain communications with the ego in devachan, except when a purely impersonal love of one human being for another reaches into the devachanic condition and comes into spiritual rapport with the devachani. A far lower rapport may be established with the astral or kama-lokic remains which have been left behind to disintegrate in the lower regions of the astral light.

All the apparent proofs of identity of "spirit" can be accounted for otherwise than by supposing the actual presence of the departed individual in the seance room. Such communications as are received evince no knowledge beyond that which we already have, and show no signs of emanating from a high source -- and almost invariably such communications are trifling and paltry. Mediumship and seances are most harmful practice, as they open the door to the entry of pernicious obsessing influences from the lower astral realms. Moreover such practice may obstruct and retard the natural decomposition of the discarded lower elements of the deceased, and thus keep alive his kama-rupa beyond the term of its natural astral death. The appeal of astralism is very powerful to those who feel convinced that they have thereby obtained assurance of immortality and of the continued existence of their lost loved ones.

(See also: Spiritualism, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

SPIRITUALISM

Traffic with the dead. As for my contacts with the dead, which I keep to a minimum, they have not been particularly interesting. They are quite ordinary and highly personal. It is not generally considered a clean habit to traffic with the dead. Both Crowley and HPB consider spiritism to be next door to necrophilia, if not an overt and particularly nasty sexual perversion.

Most spirits move on rather quickly past the closer shores of the so-called astral plane, which I prefer to call "Telluria," since it lies so near the borders of our own world. The newest shades are the strongest, but shortly thereafter they fade like old photographs. They are not alive, remember. If death has been recent and if no one has summoned the spirit and if the spirit has not contacted any living person, chances are that we may obtain at least one good "conversation." That generally just about uses up the astral envelope.

Warning -- If you have persistent and prolonged contact with the same spirit, that is highly suspicious. It very well may not be the departed, but some intruding entity. That is particularly likely if someone other than a friend or member of the family of the departed is acting as medium. A few unfortunate wraiths are drawn neither forward nor back and cling to our world for very sick reasons. In the rare case that the spirit whom you have contacted is dependable and reasonable then it is surely an advanced being of some kind. But here again, there are many kinds of "advanced beings" -- few of which indeed are former earthlings.

(See also: SPIRITUALISM, Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul, )

Spiritual Healing

Healing by the power of a spiritual energy, operating through the body of the medium or practitioner.

(See also: Spiritual Healing, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritual Abuse

The damage or mistreatment of someone seeking spiritual or religious help or guidance. This injury can occur when someone uses a spiritual position or office to exercise an improper and unhealthy domination or control over followers. Legalism can be a form of spiritual abuse.

(See also: Spiritual Abuse, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritual Hierarchy

A bureaucracy of spiritual "masters", or highly evolved men who, having already perfected themselves, are now guiding the rest of humanity to this same end.

(See also: Spiritual Hierarchy, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

A spiritual dictionary of the 280 most common words in Hinduism. Also see these links: Hinduism, Spirituality, Enlightenment, Spiritual Dictionary and Hinduism Dictionary.

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Jokes And Spiritual Humour Dictionary

Spiritual Self Used for buddhi-manas, the spiritual monad.

(See also: Spiritual Self, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Spiritual Ego The spiritual monad, the first vehicle of the atman, divine ego, or jivatman. It expresses itself through the spiritual soul or buddhis. Also called the spirit-man.

(See also: Spiritual Ego, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

spiritual healing

The art and science of working with the subtle energies, in a spiritual setting, for the purpose of improving or harmonizing the level of self to facilitate health or healing

(See also: Spiritual healing, Body Mind and Soul)

spiritual teacher

One who shares with others what he or she has realized in order to give comfort and assurance as to goals, to mark the route of spiritual conquest for others

(See also: Spiritual teacher, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritual Soul Buddhi; in man, typically the immortal individual monad. The first vehicle of the atmic monadic ray is the spiritual ego, a copy in miniature of the monad, individualized throughout manvantaric evolution. The second vehicle is the spiritual soul, the bearer, veil, or carrier of the spiritual ego.

(See also: Spiritual Soul, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Spiritual therapies , Spiritual healing ,  :

Mystical, religious, or spiritual practices performed for health benefit.

(See also: Spiritual therapies, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritual power

Also called miraculous power. Includes, inter alia, the ability to see all forms (deva eye), to hear all sounds (deva ear), to know the thoughts of others, to be anywhere and do anything at will.

 (See also: Spiritual power, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

spiritual evolution: Adhyatma prasara.

See: adhyatma prasara, evolution of the soul.

(See also: Spiritual evolution, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

spiritual science

The evolution of high consciousness as it relates to the human being, to the Universe, and all creation, as taught by the ageless wisdom, esoteric studies, and theosophy

(See also: Spiritual science, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritual Principles Atma and buddhi are the two essentially spiritual principles in man; and manas is to be classed as a spiritual principle when it is the vehicle for atma-buddhi, although manas itself is monadic in essence, and therefore at its heart -- but not in its present manifested condition or evolutionary state -- is as spiritual as the two former. There is an atman and a buddhi of the manas itself, and belonging to the manasic principle itself; and it is precisely this svabhavic atma-buddhi in the manas which allows the atman and buddhi principles to coalesce with the manas and use it.

(See also: Spiritual Principles, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

PARTNERSHIP SPIRITUALITY - cooperative male or female spirituality that preceded and surpassed historic religion and philosophy. (Riano Eisler) (NAD)

(See also: PARTNERSHIP SPIRITUALITY, Wiccan Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

A Theosophical definition of Spiritual Soul :

Spiritual Soul

The spiritual soul is the vehicle of the individual monad, the jivatman or spiritual ego; in the case of man's principles it is essentially of the nature of atma-buddhi. This spiritual ego is the center or seed or root of the reincarnating ego. It is that portion of our spiritual constitution which is deathless as an individualized entity  - deathless until the end of the maha-manvantara of the cosmic solar system.

The spiritual soul and the divine soul, or atman, combined, are the inner god  - the inner buddha, the inner christ.

See also: Spiritual Soul, Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul)