Spiritual Ego: 15 Signs Of A Spiritual Narcissist

 / 

, ,
Signs Of A Spiritual Narcissist

The spiritual ego is the most dangerous type of ego of all.
If you arenโ€™t mindful, it can wreak total destruction in your life โ€“ but not in a violent or aggressive way. Instead, the spiritual ego is disguised under the mask of โ€œgood intentions,โ€ โ€œhigher vibration,โ€ โ€œawakened perspectiveโ€ and humble pomposity. 

Beware of the spiritual ego. 

Itโ€™s a trap that many of us spiritual seekers can and will, at some point, fall into. And the longer we remain in that spiritual ditch, that stagnant standstill, the more likely we are to develop into spiritual narcissists.

Indeed, spiritual narcissism is perhaps the most tragic malady to befall humanity of all. Weโ€™ll explore why a little later. But first:

What Is The Spiritual Ego?

Firstly, letโ€™s touch on the basics. The ego is our sense of self; it is the illusory โ€œIโ€ story we carry around in the world as an evolutionary survival mechanism. Yet the ego is the source of all our suffering and our feeling of being separated from that which we truly are which is boundless, whole, and infinite. We might call this Spirit, God/Goddess, Life, Oneness, Consciousness, and so on. 

So what is the spiritual ego? The spiritual ego builds on top of this fundamental ego that we carry around. It is the ego on crack, the ego on steroids, the ego inflated beyond its usual garden-variety size. Yet the thing is, we donโ€™t realize weโ€™ve developed a spiritual ego until life well and truly starts getting messy.

Also Read: Angel Numbers: Spiritual Significance Of Repeating Numbers And How They Guide You

How Does the Spiritual Ego Develop?

The spiritual ego is a product of spiritual materialism โ€“ that is, using spirituality to serve the ego, instead of approaching the spiritual path with the intent of trying to move beyond the ego.

When spiritual paths, practices, and concepts become a slave of the ego, this is the birth of the spiritual ego. In other words, when a personโ€™s central idea about themselves is ruled by the belief that theyโ€™re a โ€œspiritual personโ€ this is the spiritual ego.

When being a โ€œspiritual personโ€ eclipses all else that a person is, this is the spiritual ego in action. Yes, there are positive benefits to building your identity around spirituality. But there are also some pretty scary consequences that we shouldnโ€™t ignore.

The Development of Spiritual Narcissism

Walking the spiritual path properly is a very subtle process; it is not something to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks which lead to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality; we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques. This fundamental distortion may be referred to as spiritual materialism.

โ€“ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Self-enhancement Through Spiritual Practices Can Fool

Spiritual narcissism is the very culmination of spiritual egotism: it is the ego that has become so solid, so fixed, so unyielding in the idea of its own spiritual greatness that it is pathological. It is narcissistic.

As we know already, narcissism is a mental disorder where a person has an inflated sense of their own importance (amongst several other hairy issues). The exact same problem applies to spiritual narcissists: they have such unwavering belief in their own awakened perspective, their own โ€œspecialโ€ spiritual achievements, and knowledge, that they cannot connect with (or tolerate) their humanity. 

Spiritual narcissists cannot tolerate other people either โ€“ even though they may fine-tune the external image of being compassionate or wise โ€“ others ultimately pose a threat to their delusional grandiosity. 

Also Read: Conversational Narcissism: 5 Signs To Spot A Conversational Narcissist

Spiritual narcissism begins with spiritual materialism. Within spiritual materialism (the trap of using spirituality to serve the ego) there is always a seed of spiritual narcissism. And if that seed keeps being fed without going unchecked, without being uprooted or challenged, it grows and grows.

Eventually, we can become so sidetracked, so deluded by the ego that has used spirituality to make itself indestructible, that we are worse off on the spiritual path than when we began.

Examples Of The Spiritual Ego

Some of these examples border on spiritual narcissism (or are flat-out narcissistic), others can more typically be seen in the spiritual community. Letโ€™s look at some examples of the spiritual ego:

  • Claiming to have โ€œspecial accessโ€ to a spirit guide/angel/spirit/ascended master for the purposes of self-aggrandizement
  • Believing oneself to be the reincarnation of a superior being, famous spiritual historical figure, etc. (what does it really matter if one is?)
  • Taking frequent pictures of oneโ€™s spiritual practice and posting them online in order to boost oneโ€™s self-image, status, and gain attention/validation
  • Declaring that others canโ€™t possibly understand you because you have attained a certain state of โ€˜high vibrational awareness,โ€™ awakening, liberation, etc. โ€“ and showing contempt for those who arenโ€™t at the same โ€˜levelโ€™ (instead of compassion)
  • Using Dharma-talk to avoid being psychologically vulnerable, showing empathy, and facing human emotions (e.g., โ€œJust let go and let be,โ€ โ€œYou attracted that experience,โ€ โ€œWho is there to experience this?โ€)
  • Looking down on โ€œlow vibe,โ€ โ€œunevolved,โ€ โ€œunawakened,โ€ โ€œasleepโ€ people
  • Boasting about and flaunting spiritual achievements or gifts
  • Imitating what a โ€œspiritual personโ€ looks and sounds like

You get the picture.

Iโ€™m sure you can think of a few more examples, and youโ€™re welcome to share them in the comments.

Also Read: Are You More Of An Empath Or A Narcissist? QUIZ

15 Signs Of The Spiritual Ego

Signs Of Spiritual Ego

The spiritual ego is so dangerous because it is nearly impenetrable.

People can spend their entire lives (or lifetimes) stuck in the trap of unknowingly misusing spiritual words, ideas, practices, and paths to inflate their egos.

Sadly, the spiritual ego can result in instances of abuse and even murder such as Jonestown, the abuse committed by Bikram Choudhury (founder of Bikram yoga), Swami Rama (Indian yogi), Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (spiritual teacher), Sogyal Rinpoche, Andrew Cohen, and even Chogyam Trungpa (who coined spiritual materialism), and so on. The cases of spiritual ego are so wide and varied they are impossible to include here.

The reality is that as spiritual beings having a human experience we are imperfect. Hell, Iโ€™ve fallen into the spiritual ego numerous times โ€“ and itโ€™s not pretty. But the crucial thing is to practice humility, openness, and the willingness to be honest with ourselves โ€“ these qualities are the best defense against spiritual egotism and narcissism.

So, without further ado, here are signs of the spiritual ego and spiritual narcissism that you need to look out for (both within yourself and others):

  1. Overly publicizing (read: boasting) your special spiritual accomplishments
  2. Claiming a stance of superiority (directly or indirectly) due to oneโ€™s spiritual gifts or talents
  3. Attempting to transcend the physical/earthly and take on godlike qualities
  4. Believing that your connection with the Divine is somehow deeper or more special than other peopleโ€™s connection
  5. Focusing on how โ€œmore spiritually evolvedโ€ you are than others and โ€ฆ
  6. Judging others for being โ€œless awakened,โ€ โ€œasleep,โ€ โ€œunconsciousโ€
  7. Attempting to look like, dress like, and sound like a โ€œspiritualโ€ person
  8. Using spiritual words and concepts to avoid being wrong, mistaken, or facing vulnerable emotions
  9. Flaunting how spiritual you are on social media (with photos that demonstrate spiritual postures, setups, locations, tools, etc.) 
  10. Becoming overly identified with spiritual knowledge (and how much โ€œyouโ€ know)
  11. Trying to convert people to your perception (preaching to them or debating)
  12. Resistance to being โ€œcalled outโ€ and resenting those who try to do this
  13. Claiming access to special and exclusive spiritual knowledge that others canโ€™t access
  14. Lack of curiosity and receptivity to life
  15. Wearing a mask of niceness, positivity, or wisdom

Essentially, those wound up in the woes of spiritual egotism frequently try to reaffirm their spiritual specialness to the world through covert and overt methods. However, more often than not, the spiritual ego is a slippery little devil that is hard to call out or define clearly, simply because weโ€™re so close to it and find ways to justify it. 

Why Is The Spiritual Ego Dangerous?

Quite simply, the spiritual ego is so dangerous because it is dressed in robes of light. It appears to be awakened, illuminated, wise, and all-loving โ€“ and thatโ€™s what makes it so difficult to catch. 

Furthermore, the spiritual ego makes us feel powerful, even untouchable which is precisely what the ego seeks to achieve. To challenge it challenges the very foundations of our own self-worth and self-image โ€“ and that can be positively terrifying. In fact, we can even feel like weโ€™re committing a profane and sacrilegious act by calling the spiritual ego out because itโ€™s so inflated and has such a good opinion of itself (a delusion that we have totally bought into).

Not only that, but the spiritual ego is also dangerous because it limits all growth: it is the death of any transformation because to evolve means to go through the cycles of death and rebirth. And if the spiritual ego has โ€œalready arrivedโ€ there is stasis, there simply cannot be any more growth.

In fact, the deadliest virus on our paths is to believe that โ€œweโ€™ve arrived,โ€ have become โ€œenlightened,โ€ or somehow spiritually superior to others. The ego has not only become narcissistic, but it has developed a full-blown God Complex; the state of believing that it is in actual fact, God. But this is not in an egoless, non-dual way: this is pure ego-centrism, the very definition of darkness (or the absence of light).

The more ego-based we are, the further we are from the Light of Consciousness which goes beyond the self. And if residing in the ego equals a disconnection from the Divine, living from a place of ego-centric God Complex goes one step further: it is like living in total darkness โ€“ the very definition of hell.

When a person is living in hell, they will harm others. This is basic knowledge that even a child could understand. When there is a total absence of light, there is only darkness โ€“ and how can a person see clearly, feel clearly, think clearly, or behave clearly in such a state? The result is suffering, both for the one experiencing the God Complex and those unfortunate souls around him/her.

Also Read: Being Earnest: The Secret Of Awakening and Spiritual Enlightenment

How To Stop The Spiritual Ego

As I mentioned previously, we need to approach the spiritual path with humility, openness, and the willingness to be honest with ourselves.

A crucial place to start is by practicing a combination of self-love and shadow work โ€“ two inner work practices. 


Shadow Work Journal:

Go on a journey through the deepest and darkest corners of your psyche. Embrace your inner demons, uncover your hidden gifts, and reach the next level of your spiritual growth. This is deep and powerful work!

We all have a shadow side (i.e., the face of the ego that isnโ€™t presented to the public), and we need to become aware of it in order to prevent issues such as spiritual egotism and narcissism from arising.

If you would like to learn more about shadow work, see our free shadow work guide.

Also Read: 7 Science-Backed Benefits Of Journaling

You can start by asking yourself questions such as:

  •  โ€œIf I saw someone else behave the way I do, what would I think of them?โ€ 
  • โ€œAm I willing to face my inner contradictions โ€“ and if there is resistance, what doesnโ€™t the spiritual ego want me to see?โ€
  • โ€œIn what areas do I feel spiritually superior to others?โ€
  • โ€œHow consistent am I in what I feel, think, and do?โ€

You can also ask trusted friends, loved ones, or spiritual mentors to help point out areas where you might be falling into spiritual delusion. Introspective journaling (see our shadow work journal), is also another way of calling out the spiritual ego.

What are your thoughts about spiritual narcissism and the spiritual ego? Iโ€™d love to hear your experiences in the comments below. Also, feel free to suggest any methods that can help people guard against this spiritual trap.


Written by: Aletheia Luna
Originally appeared on: Loner Wolf
Republished with permission
Your spiritual ego can take you behind on your path and make you a spiritual narcissist.
Spiritual Narcissist pin
Signs Of A Spiritual Narcissist pin

— Share —

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply



Up Next

Mastering Energy 101: How To Manipulate Energy And Create Your Ideal Reality

How To Manipulate Energy To Get What You Want

Do you realize how powerful energy is? Have you ever wondered about this incredible force that surrounds us, permeating every aspect of our existence? Energy is the lifeblood of the universe, and harnessing its power can unlock extraordinary possibilities. Letโ€™s find out how to manipulate energy to get what you want.

Today, let us embark on a journey to explore the fascinating realm of energy manipulation and discover how you can tap into this universal force to manifest your desires. So, fasten your seat belts and get ready to unleash the power within!

What is Energy Manipulation?

Energy manipulation refers to the practice of consciously directing and shaping the energetic forces that flow through and arou



Up Next

Smudging Ritual: How To Cleanse Your Space of Negativity

Smudging Ritual: Clear Smudging Benefits

Ever been in a room and felt the energy was off? Or maybe youโ€™re experiencing one terrible thing after another? If so, it might be time try the smudging ritual. This ancient practice will cleanse spaces and ward off negative energy.

In a world that never slows down, negative energy is bound to build up within ourselves and in our homes. Smudging sage is an ancient practice that can clear the air and make way for positive vibes.

This guide will walk you through the many smudging benefits, as well as provide different types of sage you can use when smudging your house or yourself.

What Is Smudging Ritual?



Up Next

6 Inspiring Lessons From Spiritual Leaders On Mental Health

Spiritual Leaders On Mental Health: Inspiring Lessons

Amid the hustle and bustle of modern life, stress becomes a constant companion, that’s why learning from spiritual leaders on mental health is more important than ever!

Many people turn to spiritual leaders as their guides in this journey, seeking wisdom and solace from different traditions.

With centuries of experience to back them up, these leaders have plenty to say about nurturing the soul and building inner peace. Here are some things that theyโ€™ve said about spirituality and mental health.

Let us take a look at them and gain some wisdom!

6 Lessons From Spiritual Leaders On Mental Health



Up Next

Insights From 13 Most Powerful Numbers In Numerology

Most Powerful Numbers In Numerology: Insights Revealed

For centuries, numbers have been believed to possess a deep and symbolic meaning that goes beyond their value. Take a look at some of the most powerful numbers in numerology, each resonating with a distinct frequency and mirroring different aspects of our existence.

The influence they wield can shape our lives in mysterious ways. Although every number is important, some are more potent than others.

Related: Address Numerology: Is Your House Number Lucky For You?

Know The 13 Most Powerful Numbers I



Up Next

Feng Shui Colors โ€” Use These 4 Colors For A Happy And Abundant Home

Best Feng Shui Colors To Use For Your Home

Everyone has a favorite color and certain shades that brighten our moods. In this article, weโ€™re going to focus on four of the best Feng Shui colors that are said to attract wealth and abundance.

Colors have a big significance in the ancient art of Feng Shui. They can serve as conduits to emotional energies and natural elements. By using the power of feng shui colors, one can create an environment that lets wealth and success grow.

Are you ready to create a more prosperous atmosphere for yourself and your family? Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst feng shui colors to avoid!

Related:



Up Next

12 Signs Of A High Vibration Person And How To Raise Your Vibrations

The Vibe Tribe: Signs Of A High Vibration Person

Ever met someone who effortlessly radiates positivity? Someone who always attracts good things easily? Someone who makes you smile, uplifts, and inspires you no matter the circumstance? Then you have just met a high vibration person. But what exactly sets these individuals apart? Letโ€™s explore the signs of a high vibration person.

Today, we will find out what is a high vibration person, delve into the signs that indicate a high vibration, and discover how to raise your vibrations effectively. So, let’s embark on this journey of self-discovery and learn how to align ourselves with a higher frequency of positivity and abundance.

What is a High Vibration Person?

Before we dive into the signs of a high vibration pe



Up Next

What Are Mirror Numbers And What The Universe Is Trying to Tell You Through Them?

What Are Mirror Numbers And Important Spiritual Meanings

What are mirror numbers? What do they mean and why are you seeing them all of a sudden? Are these sequences angelic or something else? Get all the answers here!

Mirror numbers are captivating number sequences that reflect themselves across a central axis, similar to how one’s image mirrors back in a glass.

If youโ€™re a dedicated follower of our portal, you must be already familiar with the concepts of Angel numbers, synchronicity, and the spiritual meaning of repeating numbers.

But where do Mirror Numbers fit into all these and what do they really mean? Is it at all good to see them?

In this article, we will embark on a mission to

Peel away the amb