Does being spiritual mean losing the personality?

This thought has been whirling around in my head for a while now. I have read lots of things about controlling or losing the ego, not having strong beliefs or opinions, not reacting emotionally to things, living in the moment, etc.etc. and it makes me wonder if we're actually meant to have a personality? I mean, doesn't all of these things make us who we are? And if so, is there something wrong with that? After years of being extremely self-critical, keeping myself distant from people and hiding my personality, I am enjoying my fairly new-found abilty to engage people, discuss ideas, experiences, feelings and opinions and (generally) having favourable responses from them. Through this I have learned to love myself. My experiences have taught me that in order to relate to people properly, and make them feel good about themselves as well as me, I need to be able to talk about different aspects of myself and the way I see things. It also helps me to empathise with others when I can remember a similar past-experience of my own in relation to what they may be currently experiencing.

Yet there are some people I have met on-line who seem like very spiritual people, and have interesting and inspiring posts - yet I can't help feeling that there is a lack of 'warmth' to them, as they are either unwilling or unable to reveal deeper aspects of themselves to me or others. It's almost like it's a sign of weakness to do so, but it's more than that, I feel. But I personally don't want to end up seeming 'robotic', lol.

TBH, I'm a bit confused over some of this at the moment, and wondered if anyone else had any insights or clarity they could add?

As usual a very insighful and interesting post Jaycee. I think I understand what you're saying and have, in my own ways, been experiencing these types of expansions and at the same time, departures of aspects of the old 'me' or my ego self......praise the powers that be!

I feel that our personalities are a huge part of 'us' in these incarnations and that just doesn't go away as we evolve spiritually. Aspects of 'us' and our personalities do indeed change over the decades and with growth, real spiritual growth I mean. Personally I've noticed that many of my lifelong not-so-perfect (lower) traits like fear, insecurity, jealousy have been nearly resolved and that has produced in me the ability to physically house more joy (a rather foreign emotion to me most of my life) and just sit n' grin like never before! That's a huge deal for a Capricorn let me tell ya!!!

From my own personal experiences I've seen how certain things, things that would normally cause others to gasp, gush and pour out heartfelt sympathies and honest concerns etc......leave me totally unaffected emotionally. In some cases I know I seem to come across as very cold and/or heartless. Let me explain why this happens the more we grow and understand from a slightly higher or expanded perspective.

From this non-ego place in us, that place that's so much more connected to our Higher Selves, this part of us knows that everything is exactly as it should be for soul growth and learnings. To our ego selves it's horrible, brutal, unfair, traumatic, karmic and all sorts of things.....but to our expanded selves it's exactly what's needed to acheive something very important for us. This is easier for empaths and psychics and 'sensitive' folks to grasp because they see or know that from a soul level there is no fear or concern about "pain" of any kind. Only growth and learning is what's important to us at that level, period. It's our ego's that scream in pain and fear etc.

So possibly this is some of what you're sensing in some of these other people. Or, maybe they do feel a need to hold back and not open up for whatever their reasons. And then again....maybe there's not much 'Heart' there at all but mainly lots of 'intellectual knowledge'. We've all known tons of people like this because intellect has been the only aspect that society has respected and honored for far too long. I prefer to interact with folks with brains and hearts!

Another aspect of this that's concerned me for many years and we're now really seeing this, is the whole Aquarius/Leo energies of the new astrological Age. Aquarius is an air sign which means it's mental, intellectual, thinking. Aquarius will dazzel us all with it's genious and higher awareness BUT....if all this mind and intellect isn't balanced with it's opposite sign, Leo, then we'll just see heartless robotic-like genious in so many people. Leo rules the heart and is about creativity and is a fire sign (spirit) and these 2 must be equally functioning (MIND & HEART) or we'll see old Atlantis all over again right here and now! The beginnings of the Age of Aquarius (and it's opposite polarity Leo) is clearly visible already if you know what to look for.

Jaycee,
Try looking at “the personality” in this way: as a projection of the collection of “imprints” that soul has aquired through lifetimes of experience. When a baby is born you can begin to see a personality emerge just as soon as that baby is physically capable of expressing that personality. This tells me that the personality is already quite developed and simply awaits the “tools” to express itself. Can personality change throughout current life manifest? Of course. That’s sort of the point of IT all. So, as soul experiences, once more, in this life manifest, new “imprints” will occur, thus changing/adding to soul’s “collection of experiences”. To express one’s personality, truly and honestly (in my opinion) is next to divine; to express the nature of soul and all of soul’s aspects (and history, if you will).
Now, I know exactly what you mean, Jaycee. One thing, though, that these “non-personalities” fail to mention (either by accident or by ignorance of their own path); that this “denial” of humanity and denial of personality is for A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. It is not simply for any and all spirituality. Those types of lifestyles are a means to an end. You wouldn’t want to learn how to paint if your goal was to be a sculpter. Those practices are meant to achieve some specific goal, but perhaps not YOUR goal. First you must know what you want; know what you are after spiritually. Second, (and I will cite a resent tip I came across, which is great) know truth (truth for YOUR path); and how can one identify truth? Does this information/lifestyle or whatever open doors, does it expand your knowledge/awareness? Does it open possibilities? Or does it limit you? Does it close doors and constrict your personal growth? Answer these questions and you’ll know about what is right and true!!

Hi Jaycee,

Does being spiritual mean losing the personality?

First of all, ask yourself what exactly being 'spiritual' means.

I can assure you that to most people spirituality is nothing more than a set of 'techniques' and 'strategies' to distantiate themselves from the physical, believing that their soul is trapped in some 'evolutionary' vicious cycle from which they ought to escape.

Take the gnostics, for example, who praise themselves for their 'all experience' approach.

They say experience is the only way to discover the 'truth', but in order to do that they NEED a shepherd to lead them the way. This 'shepherd' is what they call a 'master', or one who has rid him/herself from a certain percentage of 'egos', or 'negative' aspects of their being.

Some of these 'masters' have written books which comprise a little, or a lot, of everything.
A little or a lot of their experiences in the non-physical worlds.
A little or a lot of the 'advices' they recieve from their guides in the non-physical.
A little or a lot of their THEORIES about the universe, mostly based on a combination of the above elements.
A little or A LOT of their FANTASY, which is taken for granted by their faithful followers, after all, why would a 'master' lie to them?

To most of these people spirituality is THE WAY to SAVE their soul, because these 'great masters' believe that we are trapped in a 'sinful' cycle (physical life) which must be broken by HARD WORK and DEDICATION, to liberate ourselves from those bad 'egos' which 'pollute' our soul.

So, what do you think motivates these individuals to 'be spiritual'?
LOVE?...Or FEAR?
The last one is more likely, don't you think?
Fear to run out of 'chances' to 'liberate' their soul.

You say you have met many 'spiritual' people who sound so interesting and inspiring, but you can't FEEL the warmth in their words.

That's very true indeed, because, as you point out yourself, there are MANY 'smart' souls out there who are able to SEE some layers or workings of their existence, but they may lack the ability to FEEL that which they SEE, and believe me, my friend, the understanding that comes from SEEING is NOTHING compared to that which comes from FEELING.

You know what? When I read your lines I do feel fear, but, as you say it yourself, you are afraid to lose your personality by 'becoming spiritual'.

HOWEVER, I feel something else as well, something a LOT STRONGER than that fear, which is the WARMTH you were talking about.

I FEEL the LOVE in your being, my dear friend.

Please, try to leave that confusion behind.

If I tell you that you WILL NOT lose your personality, but ADD to it, do you believe me?
If I tell you that being 'spiritual' has NOTHING to do with RULES or STRATEGIES, do you believe me?
If I tell you that LOVE is the ONLY WAY to TRUE SPIRITUALITY, do you believe me?
If I tell you that I am being HONEST to you, and am not being influenced by one or two non-physical experiences or by a need to be 'spiritual', do you believe me?
If I tell you that I CAN GUARANTEE YOU WITHOUT ANY DOUBT that you ARE ALREADY on the RIGHT PATH, do you believe me?

Life is NOT a trap, nor a vicious circle...It is PART of our journey...OUR JOURNEY.

We are NOT being forced to live. Life is a GIFT, my friend.

Even the not so 'positive' sides we develop during our physical trips are there to ENHANCE our experience, and NOT to ruin it.

Life is there to overcome our 'negative' sides and to FEEL ALIVE.

Life is there to FEEL LOVE, and SPREAD IT AROUND.

Reading your lines gives me WARMTH...THANK YOU, my dear friend.

Oh and thankYOU too, Jeace, for that wonderful post! (Just to clarify, I meant to put enlightened rather than spiritual, lol).

All of the replies make perfect sense to me - thankyou all.

Don't worry, it's perfectly clear what you meant.

Firsty excuse my if i repeate what others have said but this is my own view.

From the point of the personality i thing the feather you go allong your spiritual path the more your true personallity develops too.

and all the protection that we develop ei. "ego" and arrigance and stuff drop away or it least you are more aware of your self untill you change and be more "enlightend" to your self as well as spirit.

as for others not given the true deep self on hear maybe the need to trust a bit first or they hav'nt peeled away all there layers. but just my opinion

Interesting thread. Jaycee, I'm wondering whether the spiritual people you've met that have 'lacked warmth' have been Buddhists? I myself lean towards Buddhism but, in mastering emotional detachment, I guess we can appear cool/distant. (For myself, being half Italian, means I'm genetically warm!) However, Buddhists are BIG on compassion - they care about humanity.

You can still have a personality if you control your ego - it's about not being focused on "I, me, my" syndrome but giving equal attention to others.

Originally Posted by Jaycee

This thought has been whirling around in my head for a while now. I have read lots of things about controlling or losing the ego, not having strong beliefs or opinions, not reacting emotionally to things, living in the moment, etc.etc. and it makes me wonder if we're actually meant to have a personality? I mean, doesn't all of these things make us who we are? And if so, is there something wrong with that? After years of being extremely self-critical, keeping myself distant from people and hiding my personality, I am enjoying my fairly new-found abilty to engage people, discuss ideas, experiences, feelings and opinions and (generally) having favourable responses from them. Through this I have learned to love myself. My experiences have taught me that in order to relate to people properly, and make them feel good about themselves as well as me, I need to be able to talk about different aspects of myself and the way I see things. It also helps me to empathise with others when I can remember a similar past-experience of my own in relation to what they may be currently experiencing.

Yet there are some people I have met on-line who seem like very spiritual people, and have interesting and inspiring posts - yet I can't help feeling that there is a lack of 'warmth' to them, as they are either unwilling or unable to reveal deeper aspects of themselves to me or others. It's almost like it's a sign of weakness to do so, but it's more than that, I feel. But I personally don't want to end up seeming 'robotic', lol.

TBH, I'm a bit confused over some of this at the moment, and wondered if anyone else had any insights or clarity they could add?

Interesting questions...I am a very spiritual person, and being spiritual does not mean that you lose your personality...You spoke of ego, if your personality is centered around your ego then you dont' deserve life, however that is an opinion. You can be spiritual and have a personality. Like me...if you have the right path, understand that path, and use and follow that path correctly then you will be fine, of course the world will not like you, but that shouldn't be a concern. (That path is Christ.)

Joycee if you are feeling this about people you have met here and if the feeling is strong. It is possible they have work to do in a certain area, could be they are unaware of it at this time. God has blessed you with a gift of empathic ability sometimes we can help those who want help with this gift Needless to say those who do not want help, we all know how that story goes. As you have mentioned you can feel some of us are unwilling to reveal deeper aspects of overselves.

Joycee I am still learning how to reveal the deeper aspect of me. The more spiritually enlightened I am, I become less attractive to some people. I don't lose my personality actually my personality is stronger. Many of us who know, the journey of full enlightenment is one of self exploration, starting from the inside out. IMO we are responsible (sort of speak) for those who are seeking, especially when we are seeking full enlightenment for ourselves. In other words any help, guideance, readings, healing, etc we might render to others only increase our ablilities as a whole. I hope I am expressing this with respect to all, I apologize if I have offended anyone by saying this.

Love to all
cw

Yet there are some people I have met on-line who seem like very spiritual people, and have interesting and inspiring posts - yet I can't help feeling that there is a lack of 'warmth' to them, as they are either unwilling or unable to reveal deeper aspects of themselves to me or others. It's almost like it's a sign of weakness to do so, but it's more than that, I feel. But I personally don't want to end up seeming 'robotic', lol.