Spiritual Intelligence

We usually equate ‘intelligence’ with intellectual capabilities – knowledge, learning, problem solving etc. But then in 1995 Daniel Goleman coined the term ‘emotional intelligence’, which includes self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, zeal, motivation, empathy and social deftness (Daniel Goleman: Emotional Intelligence, 1996). A few years later Robert Emmons went even further and wrote about ‘spiritual intelligence’. Here is his definition:

“There may be no greater need than for integration of the self, which is of greater significance than the desire for personal happiness and well-being. Personal spiritual transformation may be a surer road to wholeness than other strategies that have been attempted and that have failed.

The adaptive processing of spiritual information is part of intelligence … . An account of effective functioning that ignores spiritual skills and abilities is likely to be theoretically and practically impoverished.” (Robert A Emmons: The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns. Motivation and Spirituality in Personality, 1999)

This is quite a BIG statement. How can something as diffuse as ‘integration of the self’ be more important than happiness and well-being? Haven’t we been brought up to make happiness and well-being the most important goals in our lives – either for ourselves or for others, if we are carers or therapists? What is this ‘integration of the self’ anyway? Sounds all a bit strange, doesn’t it?

Emmons is a psychology professor in California (and not a hippie!) and in his research he found that spiritual people are not necessarily happier, but that they are much better able to integrate adverse experiences into their lives. They also have much more integrated goal systems and are better able to synthesise opposing tendencies: “personal religious motivation will facilitate personality integration, thus reducing the pernicious effect of conflict on mental and physical health” (Emmons, p.124). Emmons also argues that there are two aspects of ‘spiritual intelligence’ that particularly enable effective functioning. They are HUMILITY and GRATITUDE. 

In all the Eastern traditions it is accepted that suffering is part of life and that our attempts to get away from it are futile. Scary or refreshing? Personally I find it rather refreshing, but it does somewhat change our starting point for ‘personal development’. This is not like the ‘positive thinking’ or ‘paradise and bliss can be achieved right here’ approaches that have been so popular since the 60s. This is about facing life as it is.

Psychosynthesis is one school of psychotherapy which has always focused on the integration of the self as its core therapeutic process: “Within a psychosynthesis framework we believe it important to begin to create an environment within which we are able to listen to the language and the promptings of the Self and to experience our spiritual nature – not as something alien to us – through opening to the energy of the superconscious” (Institute of Psychosynthesis Manual, Volume 1, 2003, p.93).

Exercise: Spiritual Intelligence

You can use the questions below to begin to think about your own ‘spirituality’ in a practical experiential way. In a group discussion this will generate a range of material which should not be judged or corrected. This is suitable for a group discussion or for pair-work followed by a group discussion. Make notes in the spaces provided.

1. Remember a time in your life when you felt whole. What does FEELING WHOLE mean to you?

2. What does SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION mean to you? Have you ever experienced it or heard/ read about someone who has?

3. What do you think are SPIRITUAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES? Do you have any and what are they?

For more information and practical exercises in relation to spirituality and meditation see Reinhard Kowalski’s Mindfulness & Mindbalancing Handbook which has just been published by Speechmark.