Let’s be real for a moment:
there comes a time when our spiritual practices harm us more than help us.
Yet most of us are so invested in protecting our fragile egos from the truth, that we live in a state of denial or total oblivion to what is happening.
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When our spiritual practices reinforce, bolster, and underhandedly inflate our senses of self (i.e., our egos), this is called spiritual materialism. And it’s a toxic form of spirituality.
Table of contents
What is Spiritual Materialism?
Originally coined by Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in his book Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, spiritual materialism is what happens when we use spiritual concepts, practices, and tools to reinforce the false sense of self, the ego.
As the ego is the source of all our suffering, bolstering the ego through spiritual practice is totally at odds with the whole point of the spiritual path.
As Trungpa writes,
No matter what the practice or teaching, ego loves to wait in ambush to appropriate spirituality for its own survival and gain.
All of us, without exception, need to be honest with ourselves and realize that we aren’t immune to falling into the trap of spiritual materialism. We all have an ego and its mission is to survive, no matter what it takes (including misusing spirituality!).
Why do our egos go to such extremes as to “appropriate spirituality” for their own gain? The answer is that our egos are primal defense mechanisms that both help us to survive in our environments, and will also do anything they can to avoid non-existence or annihilation.
Yet the irony is that the dissolution of the ego – or rather than awakening out of the ego – is the central message of the awakening journey of Self-realization or spiritual enlightenment.
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So how do we know when our egos have slipped into spiritual materialism? We’ll explore that next.
Examples of Spiritual Materialism
There’s a mess inside you: You clean the outside.
― The Dhammapada
Examining our own paths and practices closely, most of us will be able to find instances of spiritual materialism quite easily. All we have to do is ask, “How is this belief/practice/tool reinforcing the ego (the separate sense of self).”
The deeper we look, chances are, the more instances of spiritual materialism we’ll find. But the point is not to be judgmental of our behavior but to practice mindfulness and be compassionate with ourselves.
The best way to learn is often through our mistakes which is what teaches us humility, spiritual discernment, and greater self-awareness.
But often, it can be hard to turn an objective eye on ourselves and our behavior. Sometimes, it’s best (and preferable!) to learn from the examples and behavior of others.
Here are four common examples of spiritual materialism that can often be found in the spiritual marketplace of life:
- “Owning” and indirectly claiming special status due to certain gifts (e.g., clairvoyance, ability to read auras, communicate with spirits, etc.) which reinforces the separate sense of self or ego.
- Literally buying into the spiritual marketplace, e.g., chasing after endless workshops, methods, tools, trinkets, and techniques that all promise to make you a wiser, more intuitive, more blissful, or more “spiritual” person.
- Practicing meditation with the hidden agenda of trying to avoid suffering by becoming peaceful or detached all the time (when the reality is that thoughts and feelings are always fluctuating like the ebb and flow of the ocean – the point isn’t to bypass or “kill” the mind, but to stop identifying with its contents).
- Using the law of attraction to try and attract all of your desires (because that would supposedly “make you happier” than being grateful for what you already have).
… and the list goes on.
Now comes the space to pause and reflect. Can you recognize any of this behavior within yourself?
It takes deep humility to admit where we’ve gone astray or have been misguided in our thinking and behavior. However, being willing to be vulnerable, open, and honest about ourselves is a central part of the spiritual awakening path.
(By the way, here’s a quick video about spirituality and its relationship with consumerism itself to go a bit deeper into this topic from another angle:)
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11 Signs You’re Falling into Spiritual Materialism
Spiritual materialism is an attachment to the spiritual path as a solid accomplishment or possession. It is said that spiritual materialism is the hardest to overcome. The imagery that is used is that of golden chains; you’re not just in chains, you’re in golden chains. And you love your chains because they’re so beautiful and shiny. But you’re not free. You’re just trapped in a bigger and better trap. The point of spiritual practice is to become free, not to build a trap that may have the appearance of a mansion but is still a prison.
– M. Caplan
The ultimate question we’re seeking to answer in this article is, “Have you fallen into spiritual materialism?”
It’s a tough, confronting, and even scary question to consider – but it is so necessary!
Please don’t worry or feel bad about yourself if you’re hesitantly raising your hand and accepting that, yes, you have fallen into spiritual materialism – we all have to some extent! No one is perfect.
The reality is that taking an honest look at ourselves is an important part of our innermost shadow work: it helps us to avoid stumbling, falling, and getting sidetracked again in the future. It might be painful to admit that we’ve been spiritually materialistic, but it’s damn important work.
Here are the eleven crucial signs of spiritual materialism to pay attention to:
1. Spiritual elitism
I.e., using spiritual ‘achievements’ (like having a kundalini awakening) or one’s ‘gifts’ (like being able to channel or heal others) to disconnect from and feel superior to others.
2. Cultural appropriation
I.e., using other cultures’ specific words, practices, or ways of life for one’s own profit/self-image (while simultaneously trivializing them).
3. Creating a spiritual resume
I.e., keeping a list of all the important spiritual people, workshops, certifications, etc. that one has achieved to impress oneself and others.
4. Spiritual shopping sprees
I.e., habitually buying spiritual trinkets/tools/items or accumulating the blessings and initiations from sages, shamans, saints, etc., to somehow feel more “special,” “awakened,” “aligned,” or spiritually worthy.
5. Future obsession
I.e., believing that “if I do ___, I will get to this special elevated state in the future” without living in the present moment or recognizing the fundamental ego-centricity of this driving belief.
6. McSpirituality
I.e., seeking out spiritual practices/teachers that are always bigger and better and who promise “instant joy/abundance/bliss/enlightenment” and quick fixes (often seen in the new age movement).
7. Focusing only on the positive
I.e., so that the ego avoids the reality of its own shadow (that is, its hidden pain, wounds, and deceptions), it focuses on the purely positive aspects of spirituality, aka., “Think positive thoughts,” “be high vibe,” “love and light,” “good vibes only,” etc. Focusing only on the positive is a major aspect of spiritual bypassing (or avoiding our issues by escaping into spirituality).
8. InstaSpirituality
I.e., focusing on aesthetically-pleasing spiritual practices that are “Instagram-worthy” while neglecting the deeper and messier aspects of spiritual transformation that can’t fit into a pretty picture.
9. Hollywood spirituality
I.e., rather than honoring the ordinary magic of everyday life, one seeks lights-and-glamor spirituality and supernatural experiences like angelic visitations, seeing visions, meeting UFOs, spirit guides, teachers with ‘extrasensory’ abilities, etc.
10. Self-improvement addiction
I.e., one flits around from teacher to teacher and practice to practice in search of becoming “more healed,” spiritually awakened, etc., not realizing that by constantly trying to self-improve, one is never happy and is continually reinforcing the illusory ego that feels broken.
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11. Spiritual narcissism
Spiritual narcissism is the climactic result of spiritual materialism; that is, the ego becomes so big, so bulletproof, that it not only unconsciously believes it’s more “awakened” than others, but it will do anything to reinforce that “specialness,” including harming others through arrogance and megalomania.
Wowza … this is a confronting list, no?
Let’s sit with these eleven signs and be honest with ourselves. How many can you relate to?
As we can see, spiritual materialism is what occurs when spirituality feeds the ego – when we take something Divine and try to possess it as our own: when we are fuelled with ego-centric motives. Again, we all have this tendency, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of – we just need to be more aware of this seductive inclination.
How to Stop Spiritual Materialism
The reality is that so long as we’re still attached to our egos, there will always be some level of spiritual materialism on our paths creeping in here and there.
Until that moment of sacred recognition – the moment where we shift from the ego to Oneness, Non-Dual Awareness, Cosmic Consciousness, or whatever you like to call it – the ego will inevitably find ways of using spirituality to bolster its existence.
How do we stop spiritual materialism? We can find moments of liberation, discernment, and greater perspective through practices such as:
- Journaling and self-reflection
- Shadow work and developing awareness of our shadow self
- Self-inquiry and contemplation
- Meditation and mindfulness
We can also seek guidance and opinions from trusted friends, spiritual advisors, or mentors. Simply asking the question, “In what areas might I be deluding myself?” can go a long way in helping us be free of self-deception by practicing spiritual discernment.
So tell me …
What is your experience with spiritual materialism? Are there any other types I haven’t listed in this article? Please share below!
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The entire pursuit of “ego death” is inherently contradictory and wrong for one basic, yet very important reason – it assumes that we need to BECOME one with the Universe, that we are separate from it. We do not need to become one with the Universe, because we already are one with it, and it is about realizing that. We are one with it both on the spiritual and physical level – our bodies are literally made of stardust. We, as a microcosm, are here for a reason – we are endless unique ways for the macrocosm to experience itself. Looking down at all “earthly matters” is, first of all, a prime example of spiritual elitism, second, a potent source of spiritual gaslighting and third, extremely disempowering to those who would like to believe in the power of the human mind and its ability to co-create with the Universe. There is a reason why many think true spirituality has very little to do with religion, and this is one of them.
From a personal perspective, I actually agree with the majority of the things you wrote. However, as someone whose entire natal chart points to this life’s purpose being building a healthy sense of self after it being lost in service to others for too long – and I know for a fact this is my last lifetime – I will keep fighting this false belief till the day I die. And I’m not bragging about it in any way, just sharing the perspective of someone who’s been around for way too long.
You ARE the universe, people. You are way more powerful than you think.
Thank you for your perspective, Vinga. Personally, I think it’s important that we honor both the subjective (personal) and absolute (transpersonal) ways of seeing life. We do need a strong sense of self – it’s a fundamental part of being mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy/stable – but at some point we also need to expand into larger dimensions of being that are inclusive of the ego but not centered around it.
Thank you for your reply! I very much agree. It truly is, at least while we’re here, about that fine balance. A good representation of this could be the imagery of the Tree of Life – its branches and leaves grow high up towards the sky, yet its roots grow just as deep into the soil. You cannot build anything without a strong foundation. A common mistake I see people make, for example, is focusing only on the higher chakras, while forgetting about the lower ones. I’ve made it too (well, to be fair, coupled with some serious childhood trauma) and paid a very heavy prize for it. You seem to emphasize that importance of balance in many of your posts as well, which is a very sensible approach in my opinion. :)
Thank you for another timely article. Lots to think about and process. —I do have a constant inner dialogue that complains about others’ unawareness of their ego and how their ego and competitiveness creates more work and misery for themselves and sometimes others. It’s very negative to go on being irritated by this from day to day. At first, I definitely felt I was above the primal, self-serving thinking I complained about in others, but more and more now can see that the looking down upon others for their supposed lack of awareness is itself a form of elitism and arrogance. -What to do about it, I don’t know. Tolerance is only so sustainable when you’re swarming with big, competitive egos (at work). Awareness is step one, for me, but coming to a place of acceptance is tough.
Nicoke, I hear you and I deal with something similar. It can be hard to come to that place of acceptance when we’re surrounded by assholes at work (excuse my language, but that’s what we think, right!). And the truth is that they are assholes – and I don’t think coming to acceptance means denying that reality. Some people are, quite frankly, horrible to be around. That’s the reality. But what I’ve found that has helped is going one step further and playing the role of observer – in particular, asking “why is this person behaving this way?” “what form of pain is behind that external behavior?” Trying to see that broken, scared, wounded child in each one of these people (read: assholes) helps tremendously. But in my experience pretending to love and accept them (while pushing away the resentment) only causes the resentment to build up in the shadow and eventually explode. It’s not pretty. :-/ And even if trying to look through a person’s behavior is difficult at first, that can be an opportunity to show compassion to ourselves, realizing that we’re not perfect, and that’s okay. I hope that helps. <3
I really love this topic, it’s refreshing and pragmatic. It’s always good to do a self assessment. I think this ties well with a previous article on spiritual by-passing. If you were to translate these issues to Christian terms it would be the Pharisee of spirituality. I think I certainly have my issues and definitely am guilty of using spirituality as a way to feed my ego. Thank you for writing this, I so appreciate the down-to-earth approach.
Thanks for your honesty Wendy – and I agree, it ties in very well with spiritual bypassing. The two go hand-in-hand as the dark twins of spirituality.
a great article Aletheia. i have learnt over the years as well that at times our ego can be a partner for Us in our earthly quest. Walking into a corporate board room for example is not easy when you are highly sensitive and compassionate. Particularly when faced with the many personalities that can present in the board room or corporate run organisation. Having spent many earlier years in the pursuit of losing the ego as probably a lot of us have, I have realized (as a mature adult) that we were born with the ego for a reason. I personally consider it to be a tool that can be used carefully and respectfully when needing to tread in earthly matters such as board room circumstances. this is an example only. other examples may be when dealing with advocacy and political matters, that require dynamic and possibly ego strength. When the quest is for goodness and change for a better world, an ego might be our allay when facing these deeply difficult circumstances of the brutal workplace. Lisa
Lisa, thank you so much for your perspective! I am guilty of all the spiritual materiality around. My personal bugaboo was reading about many different spiritual ideas. My reiki teacher said she did the same and eventually ended up with spiritual indigestion. I just had to laugh. That described it so well.
I have had a running battle with myself – today defending my ego’s right to exist (compassionate yes?) and then being completely annoyed with it for holding me back (blaming others…). But you have put it nicely when you explained how ego fits in when you need it. My ego is still around. I’m curious to know what it will feel like when it’s “gone”. Does it ever actually go away…or does it just mellow out? :-}
I love this perspective and approach, Lisa. Our ego isn’t always the enemy: in fact, it can be a tremendously helpful ally, particularly during day-to-day life. It’s all contextual. We need to learn how to cultivate it in the right moments otherwise we can be left floundering around without solid ground. This reminds me again how important balance is: to be neither for nor against the ego, but to let it be present when it needs to be present.
I’ve been observing lately how I fall into the trap of “future addiction” and “self-improvement addiction” also feeling like I need to find the best most “awakened” teacher so they can save. Or thinking thoughts like “I’ So much further than you’. Sometimes it’s been really hard not to judge myself for what I’ve been observing and other times I’ve been able to laugh at this with love or hold it and embrace it. It’s been challenging and sometimes extremely painful to witness all the ways I cling to my ego but I’m really grateful that it all came up and that I know those parts better so I can spend time with those wounds and understand what they need of me.
Thank you for another beautiful article!
Julia, the very fact that you’re not only aware, but also grateful for all this, is a testament to how much you’ve grown and evolved. Thank you for sharing <3
Thank you for this article. It’s really interesting. I think if I’m honest with myself I’ve been feeling a bit ‘smug’ about a lot my spiritual development and life changes lately. I also feel very joyous about them, and like I am finally on the right track in life and becoming more authentically me. But I do want to try to judge less and feel less superior, for example, I notice I judge people who are more conservative or who aren’t spiritual or sensitive or vegan etc. It’s not really nice to admit! I want to feel genuinely happy for others and not smug sometimes.
Yes, there’s an inner dichotomy here that I think we all experience on the path: the joy (that comes from the soul) and the smugness (that comes from the ego). It’s fascinating how they can both exist within us side-by-side. Thank you for being aware of and admitting to this smugness, it’s so important that we get our shadows out in the open so they lose their grip. :)
I relate to the traps of spiritual materialism. I spent years living in a small, “spiritual” mountain town where conversations about the paranormal, meditation practices, gurus and awakenings are the norm. Any form of energy work is available, from sound healing to reiki to craniosacral to bee sting therapy. And more. Sweat lodges, ceremonies, group rituals, yoga, gong baths. Crystals, smudge sticks, palo santo. Temples, ashrams, retreats. I know and love many people in this community who do multiple forms of this work. Always talk of ancestral healing, flow of chi, grounding, finding oneness, cosmic love. As well as talk of conspiracy, leaving the system, moving away from materialism, avoiding toxic people, toxic cities, toxicity. Cleansing. Always seeking. Choosing to live a simpler life away from the “default.”
I spent 9 years there. I didn’t move there to be a part of that mentality, but it became my mentality. I researched every religion, every spiritual practice, every existential point of view. I tried many practices and therapies out of curiosity, and unlike some others, never fully attached to any one system. I saw this town as a mecca, with a pulse unlike many parts of the world. A place to heal and seek and be reborn. One year before I moved away, I packed a backpack and traveled to Central America for 4 months. And there I also found these bubbles of culture, this desire of Westerners to live in love and oneness, the need to expand and be expansive, to dive in and get “out there.”
I came back to this small town and after a few months experienced a dark night of the soul, the deepest depression I have ever felt. I worked and worked, saving all of my money to move. I knew I had to leave. I felt trapped in a place where nothing ever really gets done, but the backporch existential musings are abound. I moved to the city, in the same state, and within a month I was crying so hard, grieving the loss of the stars and milky way view every night. I continued to practice my rituals, my prayers, my shamanic dream journeying, placing my crystals and calling on my spirit guides.
Before moving to the city, I had decided to take a course to become a certified makeup artist. I wanted to work on photo shoots and film and have since done so. And in the back of my mind for months I felt guilty doing something that would be considered “materialistic” and unnecessary, even toxic, by the people in that small mountain town.
I was succeeding, and still am, at a career that interests me and allows me to be creative and intimate with people. And at the same time, I started to feel disconnected from my former self, my spirituality. I started doing more shadow work, relating to archetypes, exposing my deviance. And it occurred to me that I am looking back at those years with some animosity and in fact, looking down on that little mountain town. I want to tell some of those people to snap out of it already. The real world doesn’t give a fuck and what you’re doing is escapism. And at the same time I hold the thought “Thank God that all of this exists, that everyone does all of these different things and the world holds so many perspectives.”
So as a person who dove in deep, asked for healing and guidance and eventually resurfaced gasping for yet another wake up call, I relate to spiritual materialism. I am enjoying the present moment and still find my ego searching for something more. Will I ever be enlightened? I already am, and at the same time I am not. This whole thing is just a blip, and I observe with fascination as I work a grind and love a partner and snuggle my dog and get lunch with friends and sleep it off and take nothing personally and accept life with loving kindness and voice my annoyances and judge behaviors, wash, rinse, rise, repeat.
That was enlightened. Thank you
SB, I so enjoyed reading the journey you’ve undertaken and the lessons you’ve learned while undergoing this spiritual immersion, and subsequent dark night. Life abounds with paradox and that’s one of the most difficult contradictions to hold on this journey: that something can be both good and bad, wise and unwise, healthy and unhealthy – just like the little mountain town you were describing. It was fascinating to read about this, so thank you for sharing your unique perspective and journey with us!
I can relate to so much of this. Thank you.
SB, that was an amazing story! I want to go live in your mountain town. :-) I’m pretty sure I’d eventually leave too though, because if it’s one thing I’ve learned about myself, it’s that I want to contribute to the world in some way. Still, what a fascinating life you’ve had! I’m inclined to think that if you’re contented with where you are and with what you’re doing, it’s probably what is right for you, and maybe for others, at the moment. Who knows what beautiful energy you are passing along to others? Even just reading about your story has made me feel good in some way that I can’t really define. Thank you so much for sharing. :-)
Hi SB, I too relate to your story having spent 7 years in a small community in Western Australia. When I “blew up” my life there in 2018 and arrived in the city, I thought the anxiety and panic would never leave. They have subsided, but I’m guessing that my shadow work is going to be done smack bang in the middle of the city within the structure of a university course. Go figure! I would never have imagined that growth and healing would come from being in this environment as opposed to the beauty and natural landscape of the small town. And, I can visit there whenever I like, but my internal barometer led me to this city, to this university and when all else was crumbling around me, coming here was the only anchor.
Wow, SB…just WOW.
Thanks so much for sharing your story.
I am an aspergers and as such an just realizing that my path not like others. I am perhaps more of a spiritual and grounded path than others who are more of a social focused reality. This is best I can explain my perspective. I am not normal.
Who is normal? :-D
Thank you for this interesting article. I relate especially to 1, 6 and 10. It is funny, literally like 5 minutes ago I thought: “I always seek some simple way to “fix” myself but it doesn’t make me any happier.” Some time ago, I noticed my tendency to feel superior because I’m “spiritual” and “working to improve myself” and from time to time I need to remind myself that choosing a different way of life than most people around me doesn’t make me better than them.
Thank you for admitting to something that few people on the path admit to, Soňa. It’s with this honesty and humility that true growth and transformation can be experienced. You’re definitely not alone, and I’ve had many of those moments as well. <3
Thank you for this lovely, triggering, article.
Apparently 2019 was the year to see many of my inner, ugly, truths and this is my Universal confirmation.
The lies we tell ourselves, the lies that have been our protection, are the things that block our true freedom.
Again, thank you, I needed this!
Thank you for your honesty and humility, Teresa. You are an inspiration!
yes.. i must agree… what you have pointed out… i feel full in my spiritual journey.. so much that i have developed a very negative, hateful view of myself such that i am beginning to inflict pain and harm on myself in an attempt to dissuade my inner drothma from fully expressing and in doing so… i believe i have found healing… thank you so much for your wise words…