The Evidence for Spiritual Intelligence

Twi Poles of Attention

Human Operating System

Comments and Replies

Comment

From Secular Spirituality

Are you really sure you know that for a fact about the meaning of the word “spiritual”? I was researching this issue and have come up with a few different viewpoints.

Reply

There are certainly many different viewpoints on the meaning of the word “spiritual”. Among religious believers of different faiths there are enormous disagreements on the meaning of this word. Nevertheless despite their profound differences, believers of all faiths share something more fundamental in common. They all think that believing things is the way to go. They maintain this confidence in belief even though history demonstrates beyond doubt that mere belief is completely unreliable as a foundation for knowledge. The broad popularity of religious belief therefore represents a stunning victory for tradition over common sense.

The cultivation of belief is what separates religion from spirituality. Belief is not necessary for spiritual practitioners, because spiritual practice is a matter of direct personal experience. Nevertheless many spiritual practitioners do in fact have some sort of belief system, based on one or another religious tradition. One of the biggest controversies among spiritual practitioners of different persuasions is a topic addressed in the post entitled What Spirituality Is and What It Isn’t.

The meaning of the word “spiritual” as used on this website coincides with the combined wisdom of traditions of world spirituality, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Samkhya Yoga, Advaita Vedanta, and the Adidam tradition [ref]. This definition is further supported by contemporary studies in transpersonal psychology, which examine the psychological processes underlying spiritual practice [ref]. My own experience of spiritual practice over many decades has only added further support to this analysis. So when you ask me whether I am sure, I can truly reply “yes” with conviction.

 

Comment

From Ego and Soul

A lot of what you articulate is surprisingly precise, and that makes me wonder why I hadn’t looked at this subject in this light previously. Your article really did turn the light on for me personally as far as this subject goes. Very well done.

Reply

I’m glad you recognise the importance of spiritual intelligence. You wrote that you are wondering why you hadn’t looked at things in this light previously. The reason is that, although this understanding of the soul is intuitively obvious, nevertheless religious authorities up to now have said something completely different. Religious traditions situate the soul somewhere else, in some remote supernatural location, instead of right here and now, at a psychological location, within our own present awareness. SQ therefore represents a new paradigm, as explained in detail here.

 

Comment

From The Twin Poles of Attention

I don’t really agree with it. Are you sure?

Reply

Yes, I’m sure. But you don’t need to take my word for it, because you can verify this information for yourself. Is it obvious to you that you have two poles of attention? Subject and object? At the subject-pole of attention is consciousness itself, because absolutely everything else is an object of attention, and therefore belongs at the object-pole. The ego is experienced as being your body and mind, located at the object-pole of attention. When you experience yourself as being consciousness itself, instead of experiencing yourself as being your body and mind, you access the spiritual qualities of peace, compassion, joy, love, wisdom and creativity. See below for how to activate your spiritual intelligence by making this shift from one pole of attention to the other. After learning how to do this, you too will be sure that SQ is a distinct dimension of intelligence in itself, with its own unique capabilities and benefits.

Three Dimensions of Intelligence

Three Dimensions of Intelligence

3Q Training

As a powerful combination of three principal dimensions of intelligence, 3Q represents IQ and EQ in association with SQ. Studies in neuroscience reveal that the experience of spiritual intelligence is correlated with hemispheric synchronisation and whole brain activation [ref]. Consequently, coaching in 3Q trains the whole brain. The resulting whole-brain coherence optimises brain function and replaces the ego with the soul by shifting identification from the object-pole to the subject-pole of attention via the SQ portal, which results in greater fulfilment, increased creativity, sharpened intuition, more empathy and compassion, and improved performance on a wide range of work skills and life skills. For information about the 3Q Training Course, click HERE

Sources

The SQ paradigm is based on a synthesis combining the wisdom of ancient spiritual traditions with the findings of modern science, as summarised in this article HERE

How to Experience Spiritual Intelligence [Video]

Spiritual intelligence is easy to experience. We all experience SQ spontaneously at times. But spontaneous moments of SQ are rare and unpredictable. Therefore it’s important to know how to experience SQ intentionally. When you can engage your spiritual intelligence voluntarily, at any time of your own choosing, SQ becomes your most powerful personal resource. This video provides step-by-step instructions on how to activate SQ intentionally. Watch the video HERE

3Q Practitioner Training Course

Do you want to accelerate your own personal and spiritual growth, and teach others to do the same? The 3Q Practitioner Training Course trains and certifies Spiritual Intelligence Practitioners.

Spiritual Intelligence is a higher dimension of intelligence beyond the ego that has access to the advanced capabilities of the true self. The methodology used in the Course is secular not religious. Consequently, the methodology is not based on belief but on experience and knowledge, and is backed by evidence from related fields of scientific research. Certified Practitioners are provided with the training materials to coach their clients in spiritual intelligence, and conduct workshops in spiritual intelligence for leaders and organisations, and for the general public.

As the intelligence of the true self beyond the ego, spiritual intelligence (SQ) has many benefits that exceed the scope of intellectual intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ). Spiritual intelligence relieves anxiety and depression and the extreme pain of meaninglessness and despair that is often associated with ego states of awareness. Freedom from ego, as experienced with SQ, grants wisdom and clarity of vision, combined with more empathy and compassion, which increases creativity and intuition, and results in greater personal fulfilment and better performance on important life skills and work skills. Spiritual intelligence therefore represents the most powerful resource for personal and professional growth and fulfilment.

Widespread adoption of spiritual intelligence as a personal code of conduct raises the standard of accountability in collective governance, in response to public demand. When standards in governments and corporations are based on spiritual intelligence, the energy of love will turn into a social and political force, as never before in history. Public training in spiritual intelligence therefore heralds a new era of human rights and social justice, which form the foundation for global cooperative community, shared prosperity, and world peace.

As a 3Q Practitioner you will be equipped to introduce spiritual intelligence in the context of contemporary secular culture, and contribute to the next stage in the evolution of collective consciousness. When a tipping point is reached, the emerging next stage of collective consciousness will result in global transformation, founded not on beliefs of any sort, or on government control, or on mass media narratives enforced by censorship of contrary views, but founded instead on the inherent qualities of consciousness itself, such as love, wisdom, and peace, which everyone can experience by activating their spiritual intelligence.

For more information about the 3Q Practitioner Training Course, click HERE

© 2011 – 2023, Richard Griffiths.

Meet the Author

Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths is a psychologist, author, trainer, and public speaker, whose mission is to provide education and training in spiritual intelligence for the benefit of individuals, organisations and the community, and in support and preparation for the emerging next stage of collective consciousness. He is the founder of the 3Q Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, and former National Chairman of the Transpersonal Psychology Section of the Australian Psychological Society. Drawing on decades of research, he is the author of a new framework that unites ancient wisdom with modern knowledge about psychology and spirituality. His work offers a new understanding of the human operating system, and a new method of experiencing a secular form of spiritual intelligence that works instantly, among other significant innovations. He received a global Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education, and has given presentations on spiritual intelligence at international conferences, like the Conference on Advanced Research in Education and the Global Conference on Education and Teaching.