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The spiritual path can sometimes be quite lonely and often people who have decided to become more spiritual would love to connect with like-minded people. And although more and more people are becoming more aware of their spiritual side, it’s not always easy to recognize a spiritual person.
On my spiritual journey, I’ve discovered a few things that can help to determine if someone is living a spiritual life or not. And these things might surprise you because they are most likely not the first things you think of when imagining a spiritual person.
How to recognize a spiritual person
When asked about the habits and personality traits of a spiritual person most people tend to think of the obvious things like meditation, practicing yoga, using crystals for decoration or healing, and other stereotypes of spiritual practices. But none of these things in itself have anything to do with true spirituality.
The reality is that you can only recognize a spiritual person by what they think and believe.
These are 7 things that you will notice in a spiritual person.
- They are peaceful and loving
- They are honest
- They are patient
- They are not easily influenced by external input
- They do not judge
- They have strong faith in Spirit
- They believe in Oneness
What is a spiritual person?
Before we dive into the characteristics of a spiritual person it’s important to define what a spiritual person really is. Because to describe someone who meditates and practices yoga every day as a spiritual person would be very imprecise. In fact, I dare to say most people with a daily routine of yoga and meditation don’t even know what it means to be a spiritual person.
In today’s world spirituality seems to have become more mainstream. But what really happened is that only the practices that people tend to assign to spirituality have become more popular. Not the underlying thoughts and beliefs that make true spirituality a way of life.
To learn more about what true spirituality is I recommend you to read this article.
A spiritual person simply is someone who understands and believes the universe is an illusion and that the only thing that is real is Spirit. Therefore, a spiritual person’s main objective is to see the true reality as Spirit in everything and everyone that enters his perception.
How does a spiritual person behave?
So, it becomes clear that the behavior of a spiritual person can vary greatly. When someone meditates daily, it doesn’t mean he has a spiritual understanding of the world.
I do think people that are more into the so-called spiritual practices are more likely to have spiritual maturity which makes them susceptible to connect with the source of our being and the illusory nature of the universe we believe to live in.
But classifying someone as spiritual purely because of the way he behaves, would lead to a lot of misunderstandings.
Characteristics of a spiritual person
Thus, if there is any type of behavior that can be denominated as spiritual at all, what is spiritual behavior?
The only spiritual behavior is that of seeing everything and everyone as Spirit, as one Spirit united in Oneness. This behavior can lead to certain other things that are more visible to other people.
That doesn’t mean all spiritual people have the same effects on their visible behavior but it has to lead to a more peaceful mind. And a peaceful mind usually results in certain behaviors towards other people.
What are spiritual characteristics that often develop for people who are truly dedicated to their spiritual path?
I will name a few characteristics that I have noticed throughout the years. Not all of them are exclusive to spiritual people. But they often are a sign of spiritual maturity.
They are peaceful and loving
Spiritual people tend to be peaceful and loving. That doesn’t mean they like everyone. But they understand that if they treat someone else poorly, deep down they hurt themselves. Because we all come from the same source and we are united in Spirit.
They try to accept life as it comes and act with compassion instead of adopting a defensive or aggressive attitude.
They truly try to treat other people as they would like to be treated themselves. It doesn’t mean they will always do it right. In the end, we live in a dualistic world where even kindness and compassion are subjective and depend totally on the one who perceives it.
They are honest
The type of honesty that spiritual people aim to practice goes much deeper than simply telling the truth to someone else.
It’s about being honest with themselves, what they believe in, and especially, how they see other people.
It’s not easy to see everyone as Spirit at all times. Often there will be times that the dualistic world takes the lead and creates the thoughts in your mind for a while, seeing separation and individuality everywhere.
A spiritual person is okay with that and understands this can happen. But he is honest with himself and realizes the discipline and perseverance that is needed to maintain the spiritual vision of Oneness is hard to preserve all the time.
The spiritual person knows that until he only sees Oneness all the time, there is still work to do.
They are patient
Spiritual people are patient because they know everything is an illusion. They know that where they really are, there is no time and no space. They already have everything they will ever get and be. They just can’t see the full picture yet.
They try to apply this concept to their daily life and it helps them to deal with the human cravings and necessities that oftentimes can still be very tempting.
But deep inside, a spiritual person knows he has it all and cannot lose anything. And if you have it all, there is no need to be impatient.
They are not easily influenced by external input
Another way to recognize a spiritual person is when a person is not easily influenced by external input. In today’s world the censuring and social conditioning by well-known media outlets, as well as social media, are outrageous. And where many other people are fooled and sucked into the brainwashing machine, spiritual people tend to stay objective and guided by common sense and logic that comes from deep within.
They are in touch with their gut feeling and intuitively know when something is not true. In the world we live in today, filled with misinformation and lies, this is a very valuable characteristic.
At the same time, it gives these spiritual people a more stable demeanor because their opinion remains the same. They are open to growth and learning experiences to expand their knowledge but are not volatile in their opinions and absorption of information.
They do not judge
Another characteristic of a spiritual person is the lack of judgment. A spiritual person will always try to stay aware of his thoughts to remain neutral, stay in the moment, and insist on a non-judgmental approach.
It’s almost impossible to see this reflected in external behavior though. Because living in a dualistic world forces you to judge. This means that the non-judgment takes place in the mind of the spiritual person.
Even when the world forces him to judge, in the thoughts of the spiritual person there will only be thoughts of Oneness. Because he knows that all judgment ultimately is a judgment of himself, against the true essence of all that exists.
All judgment reinforces the belief in separation. So, a spiritual person must learn to live in a world created by judgment but to be in the real world in his mind.
They have strong faith in Spirit
To achieve that they need to have a strong faith in Spirit. This is therefore another characteristic of a spiritual person. It’s something you will normally not be able to see because it’s a process that happens in the mind and the thoughts of the spiritual person.
They have seen and experienced so much, that they intuitively know what the reality is of this world. And by this strong faith in the spiritual nature of the universe, they usually become an anchor for peace to the people around them.
Somehow they are able to remain at peace, whatever the circumstances in their life and surroundings.
They believe in Oneness
This strong faith in Spirit automatically brings them back to Oneness. Many people who believe to be spiritual like to say “we are all one”. But they never understood the implications of that statement.
To understand more about Oneness you can read the article about nondualism I wrote some weeks ago. It will clearly explain that the world we live in is really an illusion and that in reality, we are nothing more than figures in a dream.
A dream of the universal mind or consciousness that pretends to be separated from God. But that is not possible. And a spiritual person is completely aware of that. He believes in the Oneness of God, and that he is a part of this Oneness. Not as a human being, but as Spirit, where all is united in one.
View the video here.
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