Spiritual Bypassing Defined
The term, spiritual bypassing, was made popular in the 1980’s by the late John Welwood, PhD, a Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist who observed the phenomenon in his own spiritual community.
Sometimes life is painful. What we do with our pain makes a difference when we are also in relationships with others.
The definition of spiritual bypassing is when we use our spiritual practice or philosophy to escape the truth that life can be painful, attaching to a toxic positivity instead.
Spiritual bypassing is defined as “using one’s involvement in spirituality to avoid facing unresolved personal, interpersonal or systemic issues.”
Spiritual bypassing is an attempt to use one’s spiritual involvements, or meditation practice, not to come to terms with reality as it is; but to escape, avoid or suppress reality.
Spiritual bypassing examples may include the following:
- Detachment without compassion. Mistaking indifference for equanimity, for example.
- Avoidance of uncomfortable feelings. Attempting to use spiritual practices as a means of avoiding or suppressing emotions, versus compassionately witnessing whatever arises.
- Weaponizing your meditation practice. Claiming superiority or righteousness over those who don’t share your practice or are less experienced than you are.
- Erroneous expectations. Believing that meditation practice must always be a positive, joyful experience and never uncomfortable or challenging.
On an interpersonal level, spiritual bypassing may include dismissing someone’s boundaries, not allowing others to express or share negative or painful emotions, or suggesting passivity when action is required.
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