Are You Sabotaging Your Growth? 7 Dangerous Spiritual Traps

Have you been practicing spirituality for quite some time but you still have not grown? You are still feeling lost and your soul has not found its true path?

Chances are, there are several dangerous traps you may have easily fallen into while practicing spirituality.

I Am A Spiritual Person But I am Unhappy

Dangerous traps exist in all areas of life – from love, business, and friendship to spirituality. Just like our bodies may become sick with viruses and bacteria, our spirit may become infected by different kinds of negativities.

It is important to identify these traps and make sure you try not to fall into them. If you feel like you are already inside one of these traps, do not worry. Identifying it is a huge step forward – you will just need to do some more inner work.

So let us identify the most dangerous spiritual traps one may encounter and how to deal with them.

7 Spiritual Traps That Are Sabotaging Your Growth

Let us closely inspect why these traps may be sabotaging your spiritual growth and how to bypass them.

1. Feeling Superior

During my spiritual journey, I have talked to several people who have fallen into the trap of superiority.

Once you start learning about your spirituality and your journey, it is easy to instantly feel superior to others who are not. ‘I know much more and I am aware of the deeper meaning of things – they just do not get it!‘ – right?

Well, be careful there. Universe has a great way of humiliating us once we think we know it all – and it is mostly not fun. Even though you have embarked on this amazing journey of self-discovery, it does not mean you are superior to others.

Other people may teach you valuable lessons even though they are not spiritually growing. It is important to learn from everyone because they may be sent to you to teach you valuable things in life.

Also, you never know what someone else had to go through in their spiritual journey to get where they are now. Help, but do not patronize.

2. Spiritual Bypassing

This term was coined to describe individuals who appear spiritual on the outside but are only using it to hide their true emotions and hurt. They use spirituality to avoid or suppress their real emotions or hurtful situations in life.

For example, people who are always ‘positive‘ and are afraid of negative emotions so much that they automatically suppress them have fallen into this trap. This is not healthy for any individual.

Negative emotions should be felt and dealt with in order to stay optimistic. Suppressing them may only result in prolonged anger issues or bottling them up so they become a ticking time bomb.

It is okay to feel negative emotions as long as you do not dwell on them for too long.

3. The Savior Complex

I think we have all encountered a person who believes they are out there to save others or the world. While this can be a positive trait in an individual, it may be their only trait and it can become dangerous.

The savior complex is commonly seen in people who frequently see themselves as elevated figures, convinced that they are destined to “save the planet.” This viewpoint is rooted in the idea that reality is flawed and that others need to be fixed.

This perspective is deeply rooted in ego. Additionally, this belief can also inflate an ego, developing a sense of ‘specialness’.

4. Only trusting external factors

If you rely on external factors and external answers only, you are disowning your own control when it comes to spirituality. I had a friend who was always relying on external factors: what her gurus were saying or what numbers she was seeing in order to find a meaning.

She did not trust her own path at all, or her inner voice. Your soul is always trying to speak to you and you need to listen.

Do not rely on others only to get answers. This trap can be very sabotaging as you let others answer some important spiritual questions for you – without introspecting.

5. Self-victimization

Once you truly awaken, realizing how we feel and how the world works may come as a shock to many.

It is important not to fall into the trap of self-victimization. People are drawn to blaming others for how they feel and this can be a dangerous path to follow.

Try to remember that you are responsible for your own actions and choices and that you need to continue your spiritual journey as a positive and aware individual.

6. Desperately trying to wake others up

We may have our best intentions in mind, but trying to forcefully wake others up is never a good idea. Others may respond with a lot of negativity or emotion and your connection to them may be at risk.

You never know how others operate and what stage of their spiritual journey they are on. You can always give advice and share your opinion, but never forcefully try to ‘fix’ others.

Trying to rescue your partner or a friend after you have spiritually healed may send you into a vicious cycle of depression and anxiety because they simply do not understand you.

7. Nihilism

Once you start experiencing all the spiritual truths, you may find yourself not relating to anything because ‘all will pass‘. It can be a freeing experience but to an extent.

Individuals who are too detached may fall into depression and cannot spiritually grow because they need this world’s experiences that will challenge them and teach them other important lessons.