One assumes that spiritual folks are honest, just as you would expect a police officer or priest to be, yet we know there are corrupt people in society regardless of their job title or status, and the ‘spiritual’ tag is no exception. The problem is that those seeking spiritual guidance or help can be a little vulnerable, gullible even in trusting what they are told, and what they must do, and this is why spirituality gets a bad name for being fake, a con, and a cult. It’s hard to shy away from these preconceived ideas because there are some that take advantage of others. What is worse, those who have been taken advantage of have little idea because they convince themselves that ‘it’ has worked and that it has made them feel better.
Not all spiritual folks are out to make money, preach, or convert but there are many that do. I find this to be a concern when I can clearly see websites and ‘spiritual’ people offering ‘services’ that do little more than tell people they are worthy and to give them hope that things will turn around. Those who have everything and who are content rarely seek spiritual help because they don’t need to be told these things. The lesson here is to be content with what you have, and do not seek things that you do not need.
Recently, I have seen online courses in akashic records, trance healing, and past life regression from mainstream online providers offered alongside courses on makeup lessons, to ethical hacking and pet nutrition. Can you honestly take that seriously and expect to learn how to be spiritual and to acquire the skills that very few people have from an online course? The answer is an emphatic and obvious ‘no’, but I imagine they just send you lots of information to read about the topic.
Then there are other ‘spiritual’ people who charge a considerable sum for their courses, and some even give you a useless certificate at the end. Ask yourself, how can anyone be qualified to certify something that isn’t even tangible? How is that being honest? People are free to buy books or CDs, but they can then can choose to believe what they read and hear or not, however charging money for a course promising you skills is dishonest. That is because no one can guarantee these skills can be learned, as not everyone has the ability to tune into other dimensions or have the ability to interpret messages.
When I read that someone had been ‘trained’ at an ‘angel school’ for a year or similar, how can someone not see that this is not possible. Why do people get taken in by this? How can people be ‘certified’ readers of cards or the akashic records, because no one is in a position to ‘certify’ them, just as no one has the means or right to certify another as a spiritual mentor or guide. To me, anyone who assumes that they can certify another is a fraud, and even if they have spiritual gifts, isn’t that the opposite of being spiritual by allowing the ego to take over?
I disagree that anyone can be taught how to do past life regressions, to read the akashic records, or that you can pay someone to ‘heal’ you or to cut bonds, and to repair karmic debt. It doesn’t work like that, and the reason why is because these skills require ethics and responsibility when they are used. Often those with the skills to read or to hear messages learn boundaries, because messages are open to interpretation and not all messages maybe helpful if someone is not ready to hear them. In addition as I have said before, bonds can only be cut when the parties have agreed to it, and not all past life recollections can be accessed because they may cause harm by reopening old scars.
As spirituality becomes more accessible, with it also comes the dangers of those who can exploit the vulnerable. When spirituality is considered a business, you have to look at the intent and ethics behind it. Is it about selling more books, card decks, workshops, or courses? How many books can one write on the same topics, or sell courses with no guaranteed outcome? It appears dishonest, and I do not think you can teach someone to be spiritual, because it must be their choice and genuine; you may inspire and guide, but you cannot teach something that is intrinsic.
I know many are out there who claim to spiritual, but deep down they use it as a cover to make themselves appear to be honest and caring. When you can read Souls as I can, you know when someone is dishonest. I have also met people who can do the talk, use all the phrases, and say all the right things, but their actions do not correlate. When challenged they merely smile and go off on a tangent, and use rhetoric to defend their behaviors. Do not despair though, because there are some genuine and honest spiritual folks too, but they don’t tend to advertise or promote themselves.
It is a concern that these courses are available at the click of a button because spirituality is real, and it can have consequences too. The disclaimers will always say that they are not responsible for any loss, damage as I do too, but then again, I am not charging people to read my website! Read what you wish, and decide for yourself whether it makes sense or resonates with you. This exploitative side of spirituality, annoys and frustrates me because it cheapens and devalues the work that honest spiritual workers do, and that is to help others with the gifts they have and not to expect anything in return.
Spiritual gifts are not talents to be marketed, yet that is how one side of spirituality is developing. I am concerned with the trend to encourage people to contact and speak to Angels, and while I know they do exist, their role is not to be on call for all and sundry with specific requests; they work alongside the Powers That Be, and Fate and Destiny.
I also have concerns that people are led to believe they can be spiritual and enlightened by buying courses and attending workshops, or even to make a spiritual career out of it by becoming a healer, or reader. Some promise to heal the Soul with special offers at $10 a go, or that after a course they will be certified and can make money as a reader. These are fake, and I actually did pay for one of these $10 offers to see what they would do. It was from a ‘certified’ reader who had completed a course from someone who ran courses for $1000 (and whose blog I followed for a while, where some things resonated and others didn’t). I got an email stating a past life incident and that I had now been healed, and that’s when I knew this person was a fraud despite all the testimonials. This is not how past life or karmic debt or healing is dealt with, and I know this from experience and the instance she described did not resonate with me at all. Obviously it was a waste of time and money, but people are buying into this.
Making a profit and giving false hope to people is dishonest and not spiritual to me, and the same goes for those who claim to heal. While remote healing can work in some instances, it is only a temporary measure to ease the pain––it does not cure or heal it completely because true healing is a lot more complex than that. From what I can see there is a new breed of spiritualism which is commercial, relying on cards to guide people, and theories and beliefs that are being spread that aren’t logical or are tangible. This is what gives spiritualism a bad name, because someone who is truly spiritual doesn’t dictate to others, they do not give false hope, they do not make people pay for certificates that have no value, nor do they charge fees for courses or workshops that are based on intangible beliefs, or promise to heal past life issues by way of a cash fee and giving the date of birth.
Some defend this and say that they need to make a living, and there is nothing wrong in writing books, or even giving a talk. People are free to pay for a book or to pay to attend a talk, and they can decide for themselves what to believe, or people can borrow a book from a library or watch a talk online, so there isn’t always a need to pay. Spiritual gifts were given to help others, and not to be exploited, and that to me is why some of us have spiritual gifts. Be wary of promises of services that cannot be guaranteed, and most importantly listen to your own instincts, because that is how you actually evolve spiritually.
The Soul Expedition 