What is spiritual regression (in relation to personal development)?

[Jirh]

We often talk about development in upwardly progression fashion. We rarely talk about the opposite case.

The way I see personal development is as a one way street. Once you grow into something, you can't really detract that growth. It simply becomes part of you.

The same principle probably applies to most things, like awakening and spirituality. Once you awaken to some facet of truth, you can't really go back to the lies and ignorance. Once you see the truth, you can't really unsee it.

So regression doesn't really make sense to me. Once your brain develops plasticity and forms neural pathways, it's almost impossible to remove them without losing physical brain tissue.

But recently and over the years, I've seen multiple interesting cases where some people have been quite spiritual and into personal development for a long time, then somehow out of the blue, they regress back into religion (most likely the one they grew up with). Like stage Blue conformist religion. And it doesn't seem like they're just acting or coping or trying to believe. It seems like they're absolutely aligned with said religion's dogmas. It feels like watching a butterfly crawl back into a cocoon and calling it home.

According to spiral dynamics, people usually regress one stage or two down the spiral under stress or when they face existential threats.

So what could be going on really? Are they really convinced of their religion? Was their spirituality fake? Was it just a phase? Or is the opposite true and they're faking the regression because they're under stress?

Edited 3 hours ago by Jirh

[Natasha Tori Maru]

Do you think there is a possibility the individuals you reference only ever held spiritual beliefs - and they simply morphed back (or into new), religious ones? 

[Jirh]

@Natasha Tori Maru

Yes, I think it's possible.

However, belief systems don't typically change overnight or without external forces.

Also that doesn't explain the need for a belief system in the first place. Like why not simply drop all beliefs and rest in not-knowing until some level of clarity emerges?

[Natasha Tori Maru]

9 minutes ago, Jirh said:

@Natasha Tori Maru

Yes, I think it's possible.

However, belief systems don't typically change overnight or without external forces.

Also that doesn't explain the need for a belief system in the first place. Like why not simply drop all beliefs and rest in not-knowing until some level of clarity emerges?

In my experience the human brain is obsessed with certainty as a result of survival. Ambiguity and remaining in a state of not knowing really seems to cause most individuals anxiety.

People want a nice, closed loop. A clean narrative. Explanation. 

Meaning is a huge driver. 

It takes an unusual thinker to rest in not knowing. Wonder. Most treat it as a provisional space that must be filled as soon as possible...

[Jirh]

@Natasha Tori Maru

Alright, that makes sense. And I agree.

But still, beliefs are not like items one can consciously look up in a catalogue and pick from. They aren't chosen consciously.

I just don't get the cognitive dissonance that could happen when a different belief system is installed. Like someone has to really, almost literally "change their mind" in order for such a thing to happen. And usually, that's not an easy process. It usually takes a lot of time and struggling to change one's mind about minor silly things, let alone the big existential stuff.

Edited 2 hours ago by Jirh

[Jirh]

38 minutes ago, Natasha Tori Maru said:

Do you think there is a possibility the individuals you reference only ever held spiritual beliefs - and they simply morphed back (or into new), religious ones? 

Also, regarding this point, I think we all somehow started the spiritual path with spiritual beliefs. We didn't know anything in the beginning. We thought enlightenment was a flashy experience and the end of the road 🥲

So what separates those who regressed from those who haven't (yet 😂)?

Edited 3 hours ago by Jirh

[Natasha Tori Maru]

@Jirh

Quote

I just don't get the cognitive dissonance that could happen when a different belief system is installed. Like someone has to really, almost literally "change their mind" in order for such a thing to happen. And usually, that's not an easy process.

I agree. 

I've seen it happen (in my personal life) with individuals for a predilection toward all-or-nothing black and white thinking. Also women taking on the beliefs of their husbands. 

I might suppose that these individuals perceive this switch as progression rather than regression.

[Natasha Tori Maru]

7 minutes ago, Jirh said:

Also, regarding this point, I think we all somehow started the spiritual path with spiritual beliefs. We didn't know anything in the beginning. We thought enlightenment was a flashy experience and the end of the road 🥲

So what separates those who regressed from those who haven't (yet 😂)?

Yes! Exactly. I have thought on this a lot. Seek and you shall find....

My first experience was spontaneous - which prompted hardcore spirituality seeking in myself, in an endeavour to explain what happened. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Natasha Tori Maru

[Human Mint]

Hard to say. There are things that not even dementia erases, like riding a bicicle. While others get forgotten quickly. I see that as a really weird feature of the brain. You can notice that survival is the mastermind here, it runs unconsciously to keep you alive. It will be bias to what serves survival and discard what doesn't serves that purpose. "Going back" to religion is part of a survival tactic.

If we're speaking inside the personal development plane, it is easy to lose progress of something not integrated fully. 

[Human Mint]

A lot of ways of interpreting this issue. Which one is true? That's on you to judge.

For example another way is that if you were a hardcore religious person for a lot of years, that has settled thick roots already, and they never really vanish. You may never be able to fully grow out of it.