Spiritual Intelligence: A Journey of Inner Awakening

Growing within ourselves to respond to our current times of great change and upheaval.

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Note: This piece is older but relevant for our current times. It was published in 2015 on CE. I’ve been unfolding a ton of large life changes over the past few months, and thus my work has slowed. That said, you can check out the recent interviews I’ve done here. I will continue to get back into the swing of things over the next month or so. Thanks for your support and patience!

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Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the surface of our everyday experiences? What if there’s a deeper layer to our existence that we’ve yet to fully explore?

For myself, this was a big part of how I began to awaken to other ways of exploring myself and our world. I became very curious about what was driving my thoughts, experiences, and even what happens in society.

This way of thinking, being and knowing birthed CE in 2009. This is also where the concept of spiritual intelligence (SQ) comes into play. No, it’s not about how much you know about the 3rd, 4th and 5th dimensions of consciousness or where your chakras are, it’s a way of being that takes into account the wholeness of YOU as a human.

Let’s dive into it.

Awakening to Our True Selves Through Spiritual Intelligence

The term Spiritual intelligence was initially coined by Danah Zohar in 1997 in her book Rewiring The Corporate Brain. She usefully notes a distinction between spirituality and religion in her work and outlines 12 principles of spiritual intelligence that become a useful boilerplate for exploring this subject.

1. Self-awareness: Knowing what I believe in and value, and what deeply motivates me.

2. Spontaneity: Living in and being responsive to the moment.

3. Being vision- and value-led: Acting from principles and deep beliefs, and living accordingly.

4. Holism: Seeing larger patterns, relationships, and connections; having a sense of belonging.

5. Compassion: Having the quality of “feeling-with” and deep empathy.

6. Celebration of diversity: Valuing other people for their differences, not despite them. (Difference of opinion, experience etc, not limited to skin color and gender.)

7. Field independence: Standing against the crowd and having one’s own convictions.

8. Humility: Having the sense of being a player in a larger drama, of one’s true place in the world.

9. Tendency to ask fundamental “Why?” questions: Needing to understand things and get to the bottom of them.

10. Ability to reframe: Standing back from a situation or problem and seeing the bigger picture or wider context.

11. Positive use of adversity: Learning and growing from mistakes, setbacks, and suffering.

12. Sense of vocation: Feeling called upon to serve, to give something back.

I feel these 12 principles get to the crux of what feels important when outlining spiritual intelligence, how it can be fostered, and used in various contexts.

Looking closely, it begins with self awareness. Being able to dive deep into the ocean of our inner thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Have you ever taken a moment to reflect on what truly drives you?

This awareness is more than just understanding ourselves superficially; it’s about recognizing our life’s purpose and the core values that guide us. Think about the times you’ve felt truly connected to your actions and how that alignment brought a sense of peace and fulfillment. This is the essence of self-awareness in spiritual intelligence.

We also see the importance of spontaneity, perhaps even synchronicity. Being in the moment, orienting to the here and now mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually means something. Our senses connect to now, our thoughts connect to now, our emotions are responsive to now and ultimately this is held in a greater way of being and sensing that brings about the spiritual element.

This way of orienting to the now brings about a greater sense of the whole. A holistic way of seeing and knowing. At CE, this type of orienting has informed our method of writing, discussion and making sense of consciousness and current events via deeper ways of knowing. (Updated in 2020 – we call this Embodied Sensemaking.)

When orienting to the world in this way, we naturally have compassion, empathy, a sense of our values, and an appreciation for the diversity of others. We don’t need to carry a mental model of how to live, instead, this consciousness is more naturally emergent. With this also comes humility as we are connected to the idea that it’s important to be curious, open and synthesize information – not defend it.

This way of being feels like the natural state of a human being not stuck in survival, but who can be curious and hold expanded states of consciousness. This births clarity around vocation and the ability to have resilience and capacity which helps us see a bigger picture in reframing and moving through adversity in an evolutionary way (as opposed to stagnancy.)

With an interconnected view of things, asking WHY becomes natural, as does the willingness to go against the grain because there is a deeply yet lightly held sense of conviction and curiosity to drive evolution.

To me, spiritual intelligence is perhaps the most important form of intelligence we can build, (although it does almost spontaneously go hand in hand with other forms) because it acts as a foundation and guidance system for how we use other forms of intelligence.

SQ In Context With The Shift in Consciousness

How does all of this apply to the shift in consciousness we are moving through? (Update 2020: which people now refer to as the Metacrisis) Which states that we are in a time of great change, system collapse, and expansion in individual and collective consciousness? Well, it is a driver for orienting to the world in a new way that allows us to hold new possibilities and emerge new solutions.

A Shift from Materialism to Meaning

In our fast-paced, materialistic world, how often do we pause to consider the deeper values that drive us? Spiritual intelligence challenges us to shift from competitive, materialistic values to those that emphasize community, thrivability, and spiritual fulfillment. Through spiritual intelligence we can FEEL this different way of orienting to the world, it isn’t simply a mental model.

Have you noticed how fleeting material pleasures are? In contrast, the joy derived from meaningful relationships and contributing to the common good is lasting. This is not a foreign concept either, indigenous cultures have been living and cultivating this way of living for a long time.

The Dance of Interconnectedness

Have you ever felt a sense of oneness with the world around you? Spiritual intelligence emphasizes this interconnectedness, seeing ourselves as integral parts of a larger web of life – on earth and beyond.

It’s not just about our personal journey but how our actions ripple through the environment and the lives of others. Imagine a spider’s web, where each thread is connected to the others. When one thread is plucked, the entire web vibrates. This is a metaphor for our interconnected existence.

How might our choices change if we truly understood this deep connection? I believe it is a natural part of ourselves to sense how our choices and actions affect others. It can be helpful to think about this subject too (i.e. SQ guides thinking). The indigenous ask: how will this choice affect 7 generations after me?

Experiencing Higher/Different States of Consciousness

How often do we find ourselves caught in the mundane routines of daily life, yearning for something more?

Spiritual intelligence involves accessing higher states of consciousness—moments of mindfulness, flow, and transcendence. Transcendence of what? Oftentimes our trauma, conditioning, monkey mind and the stress of everyday life.

These states allow us to tap into deeper levels of creativity and insight. Right now, psychedelics are becoming a bit trendy, but this isn’t exactly what I’m talking about here. Higher states of consciousness can be integrated into our sober everyday life, and this is a skill we can develop. (And personally, I dont’ think psychedelics are a shortcut to what I’m referring to here)

Practices like meditation and mindfulness can be helpful in bringing about these heightened states. As is doing trauma and inner work to rid stored survival stress in our bodies that keep us in more survival based states of consciousness.

Science Meets Spirituality

One of our favorite subjects here at CE is merging science and spirituality. Can science and spirituality coexist harmoniously? Of course.

Rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive, we can integrate scientific insights with spiritual wisdom to gain a more comprehensive understanding of reality. Imagine the richness of a perspective that honors both the tangible evidence of science and the profound mysteries explored by spirituality.

Nurturing All Aspects of Being

How often do we consider our health beyond just the physical? Spiritual intelligence encourages us to adopt a holistic view of health, encompassing mental, emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions. By seeking balance and harmony in all aspects of our being, we move towards a more fulfilling and healthy life.

Practices such as holistic medicine, proper nutrition, regular exercise, and spiritual practices involving inner work and meditation become integral to our daily lives. How might our lives change if we prioritized holistic health?

Creating a Thriving Future

In a world facing several environmental challenges like air and water pollution, soil health issues, species decline etc, how can we contribute to creating a thriving commons?

A thriving environment is a foundation for a thriving future, and it interplays almost instantly with thriving individuals. As it thrives, we thrive, and as we thrive, it thrives.

The shift in consciousness is intrinsically linked to adopting new ways of thinking about thrivability. Recognizing the finite nature of our planet’s resources and the impact of human activity, spiritual intelligence drives us to reduce waste, be in concert with and part of nature, and produce a society where pulling too much from the commons is an obsolete idea. While this concept usually pushes people to think we must go backwards and do less, this is largely due to the fact that people aren’t aware of technologies and possibilities that could completely change the way we live.

Evolving Social Systems

How do our social systems reflect our collective consciousness? As our consciousness shifts, so too must our social systems and institutions and vice versa.

Education, economic models, and governance need to evolve to support what ideas and ways of knowing emerge from spiritual intelligence. Collaborative and participatory approaches become more common, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collective action.

Instead of educating kids to become cogs in a system and move a clinical economy, their unique values and gifts can be explored. Instead of profit maximization in an economy, an entirely new set of values would drive decision making.

How might our societies look if they truly reflected the ideas I’ve discussed above?

Personal and Collective Transformation

Ultimately, the shift in consciousness is a journey of both personal and collective transformation. Individually, we find greater peace, fulfillment, and purpose. Collectively, we build societies that are harmonious, resilient, and adaptive. This transformation is not just a lofty ideal but a tangible goal. Spiritual intelligence is the basis for how we emerge this idea as it’s part of what helps us be OK with our differences and not become so stuck in material identity and in-group/out-group thinking.

The Takeaway

The journey of understanding spiritual intelligence is about exploring deeper layers of existence and recognizing our interconnectedness. It’s easy to brush all of this off as impossible for our world, and that’s because when we look at our world it is something that feels chaotic and disconnected. But by individually working to shift towards new ways of being, we change our immediate environment and collective environment in ways we might not realize. Large-scale change takes time, but planting seeds is important.

Understanding this idea is great, but practice is key. Get creative in thinking about ways to foster these ideas within your being. Here are a couple of places to start.

1. Practice building your self awareness through meditation, contemplation, and presence. Explore different embodiment practices if that helps.

2. Embrace complexity. Challenge yourself to think about our world and your life with more complexity. It helps to explore what might be driving a situation. It also helps us embrace interconnectedness practically.

3. Spend more time in nature. Don’t just go out in nature, bring a sense of curiosity, presence and openness to your time in nature. No phones or tech, just be. See if it changes how you feel. This can foster an expanded awareness of the natural world.

4. Do inner work. Whether that’s with the help of a practitioner, talking to a loved one or doing contemplative work, exploring ways in which our own pain or past trauma keeps us divided, angry, or resentful about others and the world is key. Inner work gets our bias’ and emotional trappings out of the way so we can think, feel, relate and see more clearly.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, and share this article with others!

Peace,
Joe