Spiritual intelligence is a necessity in today’s world. Spirituality has been greatly considered as a motive for the human way of life and well-being in present times. Holistic health includes the physical, psychological, social and also dimensions of spirituality wherein spirituality has a major contribution. Spiritual intelligence helps to develop all other intelligence including emotional, social, wisdom, rational intelligence.

Spiritual intelligence expands our capacity to understand others at the deepest level. The development of spiritual intelligence will automatically increase the capacity to handle any challenge, situation, or circumstance that comes into our life with ease and grace. It lifts people out of the mire of everyday life and allows them to see things from a fresh, enlightened perspective. The word spiritual is originated from the Latin word spiritus – ‘that gives life or vitality to a system’.

Spiritual and intelligence are associated together to form ‘spiritual intelligence’ that is responsible for fulfilling the life and well-being of a person. Spiritual intelligence helps ourselves to rehabilitate through which we make ourselves complete and it is the soul’s intelligence. This places our actions and our lives in a wider, richer and meaning giving context and with which we can address and solve problems of meaning and value.

Spiritual intelligence is one of the multiple intelligences which can grow and develop solely. It increases flexibility and consciousness against difficulties and hardships of life. Spiritual intelligence is the capability to act with the quality of being wise and kind with balancing both external and outer peace devoid of situations. Spirituality has no connection with religion and religiosity doesn’t mean having more spiritual intelligence. Religiousness and spirituality are not synonyms but are used interchangeably. Religion has patterned convictions and rules which are enforced by culture and on the other hand spirituality is associated with the inner peace of mind, soul and its relationship with living in the universe.

The combination of mental abilities responsible for perception, integration and adjustable functions of the non-physical and supernatural forms of one’s living is spiritual intelligence. The words spirituality and spiritual intelligence are different from each other. Spirituality is the knowledge of oneself as a spirit/soul and the understanding of the highest spiritual qualities and attributes. The expression of these innate spiritual qualities through thoughts, attitudes, and behaviours is spiritual intelligence.

Techniques to improve spiritual intelligence

• The affirmation technique administers definite details into the brain for 21 days by repeating it 21 times. A neuron creates a neuronal net in 21 days pertaining to the field of neuroscience. From 21 days to 6 months, the newly administered information is strengthened and it becomes an inner attitude.
• The focussing technique allows the participant to focus and concentrate on a particular point while they observe their thoughts by not letting them run away. This helps in achieving tranquillity and stillness to the mind.
• Visual imagination helps to visualise and accomplish the wanted schema by creating new neural nets which is the simplest and fastest technique.
• Self- assessment by responding to a few questions on a particular topic as honest and fair as possible so that one can know what are the areas to work more to overcome.
• Yoga and meditation will lessen emotional and physical pressure thereby increasing spiritual wellbeing and holistic health.
• Travel to the places which are comfortable or new as they can make miracles to mind by taking out the stressors and makes our mind free from relieving the stressors.
• Express out the feelings of confusion after a long day or important event by taking a piece of paper and writing the felt thoughts or by sharing with the loved one which helps in maintaining a steady mind.

Final thoughts

Spirituality is an insight into who we are. The motive of our existence can be known through spiritual intelligence and it helps in seeing the things as exactly they are. There will be an increased capability in picking out the actions, experiences, values and thoughts which generate higher meaning and efficacy with the help of spiritual intelligence. Spiritual intelligence helps in finding the solutions and solving a task as earliest as possible and is the highest level of cognitive and emotional capacity. Spiritual intelligence led to the completion of the full picture of human intelligence.

Spirituality can take various forms and representations, one of them being a spirit animal. When people want to understand the deeper meaning of their personality, they try to decipher all of the signs that come their way. So it’s the case with the spirit animal. It can be the one that you see in your dreams or that you think about over and over again. There are many cases that show that there’s a resemblance that connected the spiritual animal and characteristics of the person. So next time you ponder about your spiritual intelligence, think: what animal do you feel most connected to? 

Navya Gedela is an MSc student in Human Development and Family Studies at Punjab Agricultural University.