What is “Spirit”?

Question

I know of several people who keep saying that "spirit told them; spirit does this, etc." My background is in orthodox religion, Methodist and Salvation Army, though I do not attend now. [Disabled is the reason]. But what do they mean? I want to learn more psychic work but not to go down the mediumship route. Have you any help to give me? My faith is quite strong and I do not want to be derailed. I do not understand. Am I the odd one out among these spiritual people?

—Glennis Rogerson, UK

Answer

Dear Glennis,

Thank you for your thoughtful question. Some spiritual groups and many individuals use the term “Spirit” in reference to God or a Higher Power. They are perhaps afraid to offend someone by saying God, or the Lord, or Heavenly Father, or whatever.

They probably don’t mean “spirit, as in ghost, or disembodied entity.”

God doesn’t care how we refer to him/her/them/it, as long as our hearts are open and always longing for a deeper relationship with the Divine within and all around us.

You are wise to be careful about “going the mediumship route.” Pursuing psychic abilities in that way is not the way to go, according to the great Ones who have gone before us

Psychic abilities do develop naturally for some (but not all!) of those who begin to develop their spiritual lives. But they never should be one’s first objective, because of the danger in increasing ego involvement, rather than your moving towards non-attachment, humility, and oneness with God.

A better, safer route would be to learn to meditate and through your silent meditations, to find an inner, individual way to a deeper relationship with God. As your intuition develops, as it will through daily, deep meditation, you’ll be carefully guided by your own higher Self, which is yet another term for God.

If you need help with learning to meditate, please let us know; we offer many ways to aid you in your quest.