Connectedness and connectedness: the dark side of spirituality – implications for education

Abstract

Over the past few decades in the western world, as the concept and language of spirituality has moved out of theological and religion study disciplines to include studies in secular spheres, much of the literature identifies spirituality as a positive thing. Experiences often linked to it are positive experiences such as awe and wonder, joy and delight, tolerance and kindness, truth and honesty and so on. While this is important, I believe it is equally important to recognise that there is a dark side to spirituality. As a rule, this has not often been identified, examined or discussed. Certainly, in some circles, there is an understanding that the ‘dark night of the soul’ has relevance for religious understandings of spirituality which reveals a particular perspective that may accompany the search to unravel some of life’s mysteries and to find some meaning and purpose in the individual’s spiritual journey. However, this is often confined to religious and theological frameworks. This paper moves beyond these disciplines to examine the dark side in human spirituality. The dark side here refers to those aspects of the individual’s relationality or connectedness which do not nurture his/her well-being and which may impede his/her progress towards human flourishing. In my previous research, I have proposed that spirituality is an innate human trait that pertains to the relational dimension of Being. The expressions of spirituality, then, are expressions of connectedness that the individual has with everything other than self. In this paper, I will attempt to explore the dark side of spirituality as it may be experienced and expressed in contemporary secular life and examine the implications for educational programmes that aim to nurture the spirituality of the child and adolescent through a multisensory approach. As this is a new direction in my research, I will be reporting on work in progress.