Rabbi Alan Lurie: The Allure of Narcissistic Spirituality

Rabbi Alan Lurie: The Allure of Narcissistic Spirituality: "Spiritual narcissism creates the pretense of holiness as an ego strategy to mask insecurity, receive approval, or avoid struggle and growth. 'I'm a spiritual person' it proclaims proudly. 'I travel to alternate realities, see auras, heal chakras, predict the future, talk to spirits, commune with angels, manipulate energies, meditate for three hours a day, harness the powers of the Universe to attract success. ... The truth is that I'm more evolved than you!' Deep spirituality makes us more sensitive to the feeling of others, encouraging an open stance of courage where we can drop our protective shields and accept the vulnerability to be seen as we are. Narcissistic sensitivity, however, is focused solely on the subtle nuances one's own internality, and resists looking at hard, uncomfortable truths that may upset the self image. One who is narcissistically sensitive is easily offended by the 'coarseness' of others, seeks to make his environment change to align with the contours of his needs, and gets angry or offended when this does not happen."