How to Deal With Inner Conflict on the Spiritual Path?
Last Updated on September 30, 2022
When traveling on the spiritual path, we may encounter obstacles that challenge our beliefs or cause us to feel doubt. These feelings of inner conflict can be difficult to navigate and may leave you feeling stuck or unable to move forward.
Inner conflict is a normal part of the human experience and happens to almost everyone at some point in their life. Inner conflict is a fight between two opposing ideas, desires or actions.
It’s natural for your own values and beliefs to clash from time to time, but these conflicts can also indicate an inner struggle that is not so easy to resolve. These conflicts are usually prompted by an event, belief or decision that goes against what we normally value as a person. They are great opportunities for self-reflection and personal growth.
However, they can also be challenging experiences in our lives, especially if you’re not sure how to deal with them on the spiritual path.
Why Does Inner Conflict Occur on the Spiritual Path?
Inner conflict can happen at any stage of the spiritual path, regardless of your level of experience. However, there are a few reasons why this might happen more often while on the spiritual path.
On the spiritual path, you may encounter different viewpoints, practices or philosophies that challenge your preferred way of thinking.
When faced with this type of conflict, it’s common to reject what you don’t know or feel comfortable with. This may make you feel uncertain about your path, or even unsure about what you actually believe. Dealing with difficult emotions such as guilt, shame or resentment is another common cause of inner conflict.
When we try to repress these emotions, they often show up in the form of inner conflict. Emotions are best dealt with through acceptance, rather than repression.
The Dangers of Internal Conflict
When you deal with inner conflict, it can be easy to assume that you are making progress towards resolving the issue. However, if your approach doesn’t bring you closer to a solution, it’s possible that you’re actually prolonging your inner conflict.
When conflict becomes internalized, you risk engaging in a never-ending battle with yourself that causes more harm than good. As with any other type of conflict, unresolved inner conflict can lead to stress, anxiety and depression.
In extreme cases, it can even lead to self-harm or suicidal thoughts. When you find yourself in a constant state of inner conflict, it’s important to seek help from a professional.
How to Deal With Inner Conflict on the Spiritual Path?
As you confront your inner conflict, it’s important to ensure that you don’t engage in self-destructive behavior. Here are some tips for dealing with inner conflict on the spiritual path.
Stay Aware of Your Feelings
When you’re experiencing an inner conflict, it’s easy to become lost in your thoughts. However, this only makes it more challenging to confront your feelings and move forward. Make sure that you’re aware of your feelings and don’t try to ignore them. When you feel a difficult emotion, try to sit with it until it passes.
Question Yourself
When dealing with inner conflict, it’s helpful to ask yourself certain questions. Why do you feel this way? What are you trying to say? What is this experience trying to teach you? Although these questions may seem strange, they can help you dig deeper into your feelings and gain a new perspective.
Release Yourself from Judgment
Judgment is an emotion that many people experience when dealing with inner conflict. It’s common to become judgmental of your own thoughts and feelings, viewing them as either good or bad. The problem with judging your emotions is that it keeps you locked in a state of inner conflict.
Practice Gratitude
When you are feeling grateful for your life and everything you have, it becomes easier to let go of judgment. Practicing gratitude will help you to detangle your emotions and find clarity.
Be Open-minded
One of the best ways to deal with inner conflict is to be open to all possibilities. When you have a closed mind, you’re much more likely to get stuck inside your feelings of conflict. However, when you are open to different ideas, it becomes easier to move past your feelings.
Accept Your Emotions
When you repress your emotions, they tend to come back even stronger. Instead of trying to ignore your feelings, try to accept them for what they are and understand what they are trying to say.
Avoid Black-And-White Thinking
No matter how certain you feel, it’s inevitable that your thoughts will lead you into a state of inner conflict from time to time. When this happens, it’s important to avoid black-and-white thinking, which makes it harder to break out of the conflict.
Conclusion
Inner conflict can be a challenging experience, but it’s also an important part of the self-reflection process. In order to move past your feelings, it’s important to understand what they are trying to tell you.
When you deal with inner conflict, you have a chance to become a better version of yourself. When you are ready to confront your inner conflict, it’s important to have patience with yourself and a willingness to explore your feelings.
It may take time to resolve your feelings of conflict, but these challenges are an important part of the spiritual journey.
