Spiritual Bypassing and Psychic Practices
“Clearly healing and potently integrative. What spiritual bypassing would have us rise above is precisely what we need to enter, and enter deeply, with as little self-numbing as possible. To this end, it is crucial that we see through whatever practices we have, spiritual or otherwise, that tranquilize rather than illuminate and awaken us.” – Robert Augustus Masters
Many people have varied spiritual practices they use to promote calm and balance and create a greater sense of stability and well-being in their lives. Spiritual practices such as meditation and psychic energetic practices may be used to this effect with very positive outcomes. However, it is also possible to use these practices as a way of avoiding difficult emotions and the realities of life. This is called Spiritual Bypassing.
Spiritual Bypassing is when a person uses spirituality to hide or avoid more complex feelings or issues in their life. The term was first used in the 1980s by John Welwood in his book Toward a Psychology of Awakening. He defined spiritual bypassing as a “tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks.”
Spiritual bypassing is a way to hide in one’s spiritual practices to avoid real-world issues, relationships, and unresolved emotions. It creates a disconnect from one’s own true thoughts and feelings, as well as in relationships with others.
It may feel good in the short term to avoid certain emotions and situations and sometimes hide in deep spiritual and energetic practices, but eventually, these issues will resurface, sometimes with greater intensity than previously experienced.
Examples of Spiritual Bypassing
- Avoiding expressing anger or rage
- Avoiding difficult emotions, decisions, or problems in life
- Believing that your abilities make you somehow more superior
- Using your practices to conceal insecurities and avoid issues
- Not fully facing and addressing trauma and other pressing issues
- Viewing personal practices as perfect
- Emotional detachment
- Ignoring daily life or ‘real-world’ needs in favor of a personal practice
- Projection or transferrence onto other people
- All or nothing thinking
- Using neutrality to deny or repress feelings, rather than process
Wellness Culture and Spiritual Circles
The world of wellness and spirituality are hot topics, that is only gaining in popularity. In fact, these cultures and multi-billion dollar industries have varying degrees of authenticity and truth. Wellness culture will often perpetuate this narrative of perpetual goodness, peace, and light, or what has been called toxic positivity. This is a dangerous game because it tells people that they can only express what is positive and must negate more difficult emotions and situations.
Negative emotions are a valid and valuable part of human existence and are often a sign that something is out of balance, needs to be expressed, released, healed, or changed. When we judge or deny our so-called negative emotions, we are engaging in what has been termed Toxic Positivity. The expression of toxic positivity is why there have been numerous cases of verbal and sexual harassment and abuse that have gone unspoken in certain spiritual and wellness circles. This mentality has been brought to light in the media in recent times.
Negative Side Effects of Spiritual Bypassing
- Spiritual Narcissism
- Unchecked belief in teachers and leaders
- Censoring one’s own truth
- Control issues
- Tolerating unacceptable or inappropriate behavior
- Co-dependency on a practice, a person, or group
- Ignoring personal responsibility in life
- Justifying gaslighting behavior due to spiritual or energetic practices
A Psychic Perspective
Just because someone is a strong and capable psychic does not mean that they are not also subject to the normal human experience, with a full range of emotions, and challenges. Psychic practices are not necessarily spiritual. Being psychic does not equate to some personal moral or spiritual superiority, absolve bad behavior, poor decisions, or mismanagement of one’s life circumstances. There are times where it may be more helpful to seek qualified mental health practitioners and other resources to help with life’s challenges and change.
Clairvoyant tools, when used in a space of neutrality can create some truly miraculous outcomes, healing, and manifestations (or mockups, in psychic terms). The clairvoyant tools are designed to clear out stuck patterns, pictures, and energies. Using these tools with meditation, paired with other supports, may allow for a more balanced perspective during life’s varied ups and downs. In fact, The clairvoyant tools, and practices may actually help to move energy and clear blocks when used in a balanced regular practice.
Notions of neutrality and blowing pictures and other tools may also be used to avoid dealing with complex emotional, relationship, or life problems. The ultimate neutrality is when we look squarely at the so-called dark and light, negative and positive aspects, situations, behaviors, and emotions, and observe them as part of the fullness of human existence without judgment.
In actuality, it is not possible for one to meditate one’s life into existence or out of a problem. However, consistent use of psychic tools and meditation, in conjunction with informed and purposeful action steps, which may include other resources such as coaches, mentors, and mental health professionals, may lead to greater self-awareness, healing, and creating the life of your dreams.
If you want to explore psychic tools, meditation, and psychic development, sign up for our Clairvoyant Meditation Free Open House to learn about course offerings or book a psychic reading or spiritual healing through The Psychic School.
