Module 2 - Unpacking the Self (Part I): Physical and Sexual, Economic/Material,

Spiritual, and Political Self

Lesson 3: Supernaturals: Believe It or Not!

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. identify various religious practices and beliefs.
2. understand the self in relation with religious beliefs; and
3. explain ways of finding the meaning of life.

Time Frame: Week 7

Introduction:
 The ability to use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the
expressions of religion, its beliefs and practices. In the same manner, cultural rituals
and ceremonies are some manifestations what people believe in. Moreover, seeking
the meaning of life is a journey that the spiritual self is on. And often times it is the
spiritual self that keeps us living in the face of life’s difficulties.

Activity:
Art Recall
Recall:
When was the first time you realized that there is a higher being than yourself? How
old were you then? What made you believe that there is a higher being?
Draw:
Make a poster about the instance or situation that made you believe in the existence of
higher being. Put it on a one whole bond paper.

Analysis:
a. Describe the different religious belief in your community.
__________________________________________________________________
b. Do you consider having a spiritual self? Why or Why not?
_____________________________________________________________________

Abstraction:

Religion
Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on the definition of religion "as a set of
cultural beliefs and practices that usually includes some or all of basic characteristics.
These characteristics are:
1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and gods
2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling
3. The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on
supernatural beings as Well as physical beings and objects
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred object
to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control events
5. The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and other means
6. Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social
control Within a community; provide explanation for unknown and a sense of control
for individuals.
 
An individual lives in a society where there are many practices of religion.
The choice of religious belief lies within the spiritual self. Although the choice maybe
influenced by the society and its culture.
 
Ritual
Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred
law (Britannica 2017), Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by
all known societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing
humans. There are three fundamental characteristics of rituals according to Penner
(Britannica 2017). Ritual has the characteristics of:
1. a feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the
sacred
2. dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of
myth
3. is symbolic in relation to its reference
 
The self can be described as a ritual being who exhibits a striking parallel between
their ritual and verbal behavior. Just as language is a system of symbols that is based
upon arbitrary rules, ritual may be viewed as a system of symbolic acts that is based
upon arbitrary rules. Participation to rituals is expressions of religious beliefs.

Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices

There are different religions with different beliefs and practices. Some major
religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Excerpt of some
religious beliefs and practices are found in the University of London's Religion and
Belief Guide 2017.

Buddhist Temple Buddhist Monks

https://tinyurl.com/y3zt7mv2 https://tinyurl.com/y6a8p4o3
Beliefs
Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering, pain, and
frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience the goodness of life and
avoid disappointments, It becomes a h abit known as the reactive cycle
of wanting and hating, like and dislike, and craving and aversion. This reactive cycle
can be broken through the practice of mediation, acquiring more wisdom and deeper
understanding, and acceptance of things as they are.
 Customs and Practices
There are two types of meditation practices: samatha and vipassana Samatha is
practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving- kindness (Metta
Bhavana). Vipassana practices aim at developing insight into reality. Acquiring
wisdom is by studying Buddha's teaching, the Dharma. Through the reflection of
Dharma, Buddhists can achieve a deeper understanding of life. Buddhists believe in
non-violence principle.

Samatha Meditation Dharna Wheel

https://tinyurl.com/y6a8p4o3 https://tinyurl.com/yyconusq

Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February, Buddha
Day (Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in October; and
Sangha Day in November.

Parinirvana Day Wesak Day

https://tinyurl.com/y3nolne4 https://tinyurl.com/y5zzazud

Christianity

Protestant Church https://tinyurl.com/y3zeucap

Portrait of Jesus Christ Catholic Church https://tinyurl.com/y6smw2k2

https://tinyurl.com/y58rmrmy

Beliefs
Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three personas: God the
Father (Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer). Eternal
life after death will be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is, God the
Son, who came into flesh, to spread the Good News of Salvation. He died on the
cross for the sin of the Humanity but resurrected from the death, so that anyone who
believes in Him will be saved and have eternal life. the Holy Bible is a selection of
books, which is divided into two, the Old Testament and New Testament.
Customs and Practices
Sacrament of Baptism and
Sacrament of Communion
are practiced by Christian
churches. The Sacrament of
Baptism symbolizes the birth
in Christian World, while the
Sacrament of Communion Holy Baptism https://tinyurl.com/y6fchhdx
is an act of remembrance of
Jesus Christ's sacrificial love.
Jesus Christ teaching in
unconditional love
that is expressed in loving
the poor, oppressed, and
outcast of the society.
Holy Communion Symbols https://tinyurl.com/y2rez5lp
Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in Christianity.
Christmas, usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ while
Resurrection Sunday (depends on the lunar calendar, sometime in March or April)
celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.

Christmas Celebration Easter Sunday Symbol Easter Egg Hunting

https://tinyurl.com/y68pt4hn https://tinyurl.com/y4bd7h7l https://tinyurl.com/y8zq4qnk

Hinduism

Portrait of Vishnu Portrait of Shi Radha-Krishna Mariamman Hindu

https://tinyurl.com/ybbktkgw https://tinyurl.com/y4puywg4 https://tinyurl.com/y3ebecqw

Beliefs
Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus, there is
no single founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and
rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a concept where the reincarnated life will
depend on how the past life was spent. Hindus believe that the soul passes through a
cycle of successive and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous
life was lived. Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus. Mahabharata and Ramayana
are two other important texts of the Hindus.

Customs and Practices

Diwali, and Navrati are the
most celebrated festivals of the
Diwali is the Festival of
Lights while Navrati is the festival
of nine nights, which celebrate the
triumph of good over evil. Hindus
have set dates to honor particular
manifestations of God.
Diwali Celebration
https://tinyurl.com/yygqkno2 
Islam
Beliefs
Muslims believe in Allah, who is their "One God." They believe in the unity and
universality of God. Muslims also have a strong sense of community or"ummah" and
an awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims worldwide. Islam means "willing
submission to God."
Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God
Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from God through
the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy Book Of Islam is called the
Quran, which was taught to be recited in Arabic because any translation is seen as
inadequate.

Mosque https://tinyurl.com/yxn34trq Mohammed https://tinyurl.com/yaeea26j

Customs and Practices

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim life:
1. Shahadah -- statement of faith: "There is no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is his messenger."
2. Salat -the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3. Zakat— the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises the
2.5% of a Muslim's assets.
4. Hajj — the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to
do the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
 5. Sawm — the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink, and sexual act,
during the celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic
lunar calendar. The fast is from dawn to sunset.
 Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. Eidul-Fitr is the
celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is celebrated within the
completion of the Pilgrimage, the Hajj.

Quran https://tinyurl.com/y5mljv95 Celebration of Eidul-Fitr https://tinyurl.com/y6x8ut8v

Hajj, the Pilgrimage to Mecca https://tinyurl.com/yyrbbv8n

Judaism

Abraham https://tinyurl.com/y3ho4djw

Jewish Temple https://tinyurl.com/y4td2e2g Inside the Jewish Temple https://tinyurl.com/y2u9rdfg

Beliefs
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated Hebrew slaves
from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land through the leadership of Moses and later,
Joshua.
The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture of the
Jews is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is the guide of the Jewish living. The
study and interpretation of Torah is part of the Jewish culture.

Image of Moses with the Ten Commandments Torah

https://tinyurl.com/y5a3endc https://tinyurl.com/y3kyv8po

Customs and Practices

There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah - the New year
2. Yom Kippur- the Day of Atonement
3. Pesach - Passover
4. Shavuot - Pentecost
5. Sukkot - Tabernacles. The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset and is
an important time when families gather for the Shabbat meal

Shabbat Meal Rosh Hashanah Pesach

https://tinyurl.com/yy7keb8j https://tinyurl.com/y5s6ty65 https://tinyurl.com/y54b9j2u

Religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and customs are all part of the
expression of the spiritual self. What to believe and how to manifest the belief is
entirely dependent on the individual, to the self. A person might believe that there is a
higher being, a supernatural being, usually termed as God, but not necessarily
wants to be affiliated or identified with a certain religious group. Others may have
religious practices which are perceived to be contrary to the practices of other groups.
Religious beliefs and practices, therefore, are formed relative to its context and
culture.

Finding and Creating Meaning of Life

 
Another extensive study of self can be
found in the works of Dr. Viktor E. Frankl.
The Viktor Frankl Institute in Vienna was
created in 1992. The Institute has a website
where there is a synopsis of his life and
works and present programs
(http://www.viktorfranklinstitute.)
The following are the excerpts from the website: https://tinyurl.com/jm74t75
 
The Psychiatrist
Dr. Viktor E. Frankl was born on March 26, 1905 in Vienna, Austria, where famous
Psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler lived. At a young age, he wrote a short
paper to Freud which was published after three years. Dr. Frankl graduated with a
medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1930. He was
assigned in Vienna Hospital suicide ward and headed the Rothschild Hospital, eight
years later.

A survivor of the Holocaust, Dr. Frankl published a book about logotherapy. In 1959,
the book was translated to English and was revised in 1963 as The Doctor and the
Soul: An Introduction to Logotherapy. His book, Man's Search for Meaning has been
used as a textbook in high school and college courses. Dr. Frankl died in 1997.

Logotherapy
Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor Frankl, who is considered
the Father of Logotherapy. The main belief of logotherapy is that "man's primary
motivational force is search for meaning." Logotherapy aids individuals to find
personal meaning of life, whatever life situation they may be.
 
In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing a deed,
experiencing something or encountering someone and the attitude toward unavoidable
suffering. According to the Victor Frankl Institute of Logotheraphy (n.d.), it uses the
philosophy of optimism in the face of tragedy, where people are capable of "turning
suffering into human achievement and accomplishment; deriving from guilt the
opportunity to change oneself for the better; and deriving from life's transitoriness an
incentive to take responsible action."
 
Basic Concepts of Franklian Psychology
The Franklian Psychology has the basic concepts. These are the following:
 Life has meaning under all circumstances.
 Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
 Freedom to find meaning.
Furthermore, Franklian Psychology aims to: (1) become aware of spiritual resources,
(2) make conscious spiritual resources, and (3) use "defiant power Of the human
spirit" and stand up against adversity.

Logotherapy Assumptions
All psychotherapies make philosophical assumptions about the human persons that
cannot be proved with certainty. Viktor Frankl institute of Logotherapy (n.d) states
the assumptions of logotherapy, which includes the following:
1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit. This first
assumption deals with the body (soma), mind (psyche), and spirit (noos).
According to Frankly the body and mind are what we have and the spirit is
what we are
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable
assumption two is "ultimate meaning." This is difficult to grasp but it is
 something everyone experiences and it represents an order in a world with
laws that go beyond human laws.
3. People have a will to meaning. The third assumption is seen as our main
motivation for living and acting. When we see meaning, we are ready for any
type of suffering. This is considered to be different than our will to achieve
power and pleasure.
4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find
meaning. Assumption four is that we are free to activate our will to find
meaning, and this can be done under any circumstances. This deals with
change of attitudes about unavoidable fate. Frankl was able to test the first
four assumptions when he was confined in the concentration camps.
6. Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are to be
meaningful. The fifth assumption, the meaning of the moment, is more
practical in daily living than ultimate meaning. Unlike ultimate meaning this
meaning can be found and fulfilled. This can be done by following the values
of society or by following the voice of our conscience. The individual is
unique. The sixth assumption deals with one's sense of meaning. This is
enhanced by the realization that we are irreplaceable.
In essence, all humans are unique with an entity of body, mind, and spirit. go through
unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning. We free to do these at
all times in response to certain demands.

Frankl's Sources of Meaning

Popova (2017) discussed Viktor Frankl's work. There are three possible sources of the
meaning of life: purposeful work, courage in the face of difficulty, and love.
1. Purposeful work. To find the meaning of life starts with holding a future goal. Each
individual has each own future goal to achieve or a task perform. That task or goal to
fulfill becomes the meaning of their life. Therefore, meaning of life is unique to every
individual.
2. Courage in the Face of Difficulty. A meaningful life is a life with suffering.
Suffering is inevitable pan of life. To find meaning of life is to recognize suffering,
pain, and death as pan of life and to have the courage face these life difficulties.
3. Love. Popova (2017) quoted Dr. Frankl's notes about his experience in the Nazi
Camp: "For hours I stood hacking at the icy ground. The guard passed by, insulting
me, and once again I communed with my beloved. More and more I felt that she was
present, that she was with me; I had the feeling that I was able to touch her, able to
stretch out my hand and grasp hers. The feeling was very strong: she was there. Then,
at that very moment, a bird flew down silently and perched just in front of me, on the
heap of soil which I had dug up from the ditchand looked steadily at me."

Dr. Frankl's wife, parents, and some relatives were victims of

gas chambers. His love for his wife kept him fight for his life. Popova (2017) also
quoted Dr. FrankJ's definition of love: "Love is the only way to grasp another human
being in the innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the
very essence of another human being unless he loves him. By his love, he is enabled
to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more, he sees
that which is potential in him... Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables
the beloved person to actualize these potentialities. By making him aware of what he
can be and of what he should become, he makes these potentialities come true"
Costello (2015) captured Viktor Frankl's message: "The ultimate secret on the
spiritual foundation of the life is that love is salvation and joy eternity." The ultimate
factor to find the meaning of love.

Application:
1.
1. Video Clip. Make a video clip with reflection on
a. Filipino rituals and ceremonies covering all regions
b. Filipino indigenous religious practices featuring
c. Modern day expression of spiritual being
Make sure to showcase the origin, meaning of each ritual
ceremony, and your personal reflection.
2. Documentary. Make a documentary about a World War Il Filipino
Feature the following:
 Life story during the war
 How he/she survived the war
 Description of his/her meaning of life
 Compare to Viktor Frankl's sources of meaning
Test logotherapy assumptions

Closure:
Well Done! You can now proceed to discovering your political self and being a
Filipino

REFERENCES

Green, Christopher. 1997. "Classics in the History of Psychology." An Internet

resource developed by Christopher D. Green. Ontario: York University
Accessed October 20, 2017. http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Jamesl
Principles/.
 Goldsmiths, University of London. n.d. "Religion and Belief Guide." Accessed
October 16, 2017. https://www.gold.ac.uk/media/documents-by-section/
life-on-campus/student-support-services/Religion-and-Belief-Guide.pdf.
 Penner, Hans. 1998. "Ritual." In Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed October 17,
2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ritual.
 Popova, Maria. 2013. "Viktor Frankl On the Human Search for Meaning." In
Brainpickings. Accessed October 20, 2017. https://www.brainpickings.
org/2013/03/26/viktor-frankl-mans-search-for-meaning/.
 Stein, Rebecca. 2015. Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. Accessed
October 17, 2017. https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Anthropology_
of_Religion_Magic_and_Witch.html?jd=KNdRCgAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y.
 Victor Frankl Institute of Logotheraphy. n.d. "About Victor Frankl." Accessed
October 20, 2017. http://www.viktorfranklinstitute.org/Home.html.
 Victor Frankl Institute of Logotheraphy. n.d. "Logotherapy." Accessed October 20,
2017.