{"id":5517,"date":"2021-07-30T14:40:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T12:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flow.bg\/?p=5517"},"modified":"2021-09-10T22:08:42","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T20:08:42","slug":"%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%ba%d0%b2%d0%be-%d0%b5-%d0%b4%d1%83%d1%85%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%bd%d0%be-%d0%b7%d0%b0%d0%be%d0%b1%d0%b8%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%bb%d1%8f%d0%bd%d0%b5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flow.bg\/en\/%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%ba%d0%b2%d0%be-%d0%b5-%d0%b4%d1%83%d1%85%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%bd%d0%be-%d0%b7%d0%b0%d0%be%d0%b1%d0%b8%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%bb%d1%8f%d0%bd%d0%b5\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a spiritual bypass?"},"content":{"rendered":"
this term describes the tendency to use them spiritual explanations<\/strong>, to avoid complicated psychological problems<\/strong>. The term was first introduced in the early 1980s by the psychotherapist<\/strong> John Wellwood in his book Towards a Psychology of Awakening. According to Wellwood, spiritual bypassing can be defined as "the tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to bypass or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks."<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As a therapist and Buddhist teacher<\/strong>, Wellwood began to notice that people (including himself) often used spirituality as a shield or a type of defense mechanism. Instead of working through difficult emotions or confronting unresolved issues, people would simply dismiss them with spiritual explanations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n While it may be a way to protect oneself from harm or promote harmony between people, it doesn't actually solve the problem. Instead, it just glosses over the problem, letting it fester without a real solution.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spiritual circumvention is a way of hiding behind spirituality or spiritual practices. It prevents people from admitting what they feel and distances them from both themselves and others. Some examples of spiritual bypass<\/strong> include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Avoiding feelings of anger<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Believing in your own spiritual superiority as a way to hide from insecurity<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Belief that traumatic events should serve as "learning experiences"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Believing that spiritual practices such as prayer are always positive<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Extremely high, often unattainable idealism<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Feeling detached<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Focusing only on spirituality and ignoring the present<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Just focusing on the positive or being overly optimistic<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Projecting your own negative feelings onto others<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Pretending things are fine when they clearly aren't<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Thinking that people can overcome their problems through positive thinking<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Thinking you have to "rise" above your emotions<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Use of defense mechanisms such as denial and repression<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spiritual bypassing is a superficial way of covering up problems in a way that may make us feel better in the short term, but ultimately solves nothing and just perpetuates the problem.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spiritual bypassing can sometimes be hard to spot because it is often very subtle. However, looking at examples makes this phenomenon more apparent:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n After the death of a loved one, people tell surviving relatives that the deceased is "in a better place" and that "it was all part of God's plan."<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The woman is angry and upset about something someone else did. When she tries to share her feelings, her friends tell her to stop being so negative.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A relative regularly crosses boundaries and behaves in ways that harm other family members. Instead of confronting this behavior, those who have been hurt feel they must suppress their anger and remain tolerant.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spiritual bypassing is also often used to dismiss the real concerns of people dealing with problems. People facing discrimination are often advised to simply be "nice" or "patient" when dealing with outright mistreatment. This suggests that people can rely on individual positive thinking<\/strong> for overcoming complex social problems<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you are saying these things, you may be in a spiritual bypass:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n "Everything happens for a reason."<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n "It was for the best."<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n "It was a blessing in disguise."<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n "Only good emotions!"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n "Thoughts and prayers!"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Ask yourself who these comments are really helping. Do they really give someone comfort or insight, or are they just a way out of a difficult situation with the idea of feeling better?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spiritual bypassing is not always a bad thing. During times of severe distress, it can be a way to temporarily relieve frustration or anxiety. However, researchers suggest that it can be harmful when used as a long-term strategy to suppress problems<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spiritual bypassing can have a number of negative effects. This can affect individual well-being as well as relationships with others. Some of the potential negative consequences include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Anxiety<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Blind loyalty to leaders<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Codependency<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Control problems<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Neglect of personal responsibility<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Emotional confusion<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Excessive tolerance of unacceptable or inappropriate behavior<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A feeling of shame<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Spiritual narcissism<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSigns of\u00a0<\/strong>spiritual bypass<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Examples<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/a><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Recognizing a spiritual bypass<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Impacts<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n