The emotional is related to the physical body. On the other hand, the spiritual is related to the divine nature of the soul within the body. The word “spiritual” is derived from the word “spirit” that resides in each individual. A spiritual experience can be emotionally powerful.
Some have come to the conclusion that spirituality has to do mainly with emotion. That spirituality involves emotion is quite true, almost everything that humans do involves emotions. It's more questionable that spirituality focuses primarily on emotions. Here I want to explore the relationship between spirituality and emotion, at least as it has developed in my own experience.
And as the prayer suggests, wisdom lies in knowing the difference and, as the title suggests, overcoming this process can often transform the confusion of negative emotions into the serenity of resolution. The type of person who lives mainly in the mental body tends to think too much and work too hard, and does not let go of emotional conflicts or forgive easily or often. In the various spiritual traditions, spiritual growth requires deepening one's knowledge of oneself; an important aspect of deepening one's knowledge of oneself is to deepen the understanding of one's emotional nature in order to be “in touch with one's feelings”, according to a popular phrase. Learning the value of emotional intelligence and not just mental intelligence is fundamental to empathic and adrenal well-being.
The Lord requires that you renounce the life of emotion, but you have to exercise it more and more. My wife expressed her emotions much better than me, so she taught me a healthier approach to emotions. I grew up in a family environment where emotional suppression had a strong model, and I was very ill-prepared to deal with all the feelings that marriage aroused in me. I know a lot of spiritually powerful people who don't process emotions and can't be honest with their own struggles or pain.
The stereotypical Victorian English with a stiff upper lip is a portrayal of this type of emotional ignorance. The transmission of other emotions, such as love or joy, provides more attractive information and, if interpreted correctly, can lead to pleasure. We must learn the lesson of denying the natural mind, emotion, and will and placing them under the control of the spirit. We must learn the lesson of serving the Lord not by exercising the mind, emotions, or will, but by exercising the spirit to feel something from the Lord.
