Spiritual intelligence

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Spiritual intelligence is a term used by some philosophers, psychologists, and developmental theorists to indicate spiritual parallels with IQ (Intelligence Quotient and !Q (!motional Quotient " #anah $ohar coined the term %spiritual intelligence% and introduced the idea in &''( in her book )eWiring the *orporate +rain",&.oward /ardner, the originator of the theory of multiple intelligences, chose not to include spiritual intelligence amongst his %intelligences% due to the challenge of codifying 0uantifiable scientific criteria",1- Instead, /ardner suggested an %e2istential intelligence% as viable",3- .owever, contemporary researchers continue e2plore the viability of 4piritual Intelligence (often abbreviated as %4Q% and to create tools for measuring and developing it" 4o far, measurement of spiritual intelligence has tended to rely on self5assessment instruments, which some claim can be susceptible to false reporting" 6ariations of spiritual intelligence are sometimes used in corporate settings, as a means of motivating employees",7- and providing a non5religious, diversity5sensitive framework for addressing issues of values in the workplace",8- 9ccording to 4tephen *ovey, %4piritual intelligence is the central and most fundamental of all the intelligences, because it becomes the source of guidance for the others"%,:-

Contents
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& #efinitions 1 ;easuring 4piritual Intelligence 3 *riticisms of 4piritual Intelligence 7 4ee also 8 <otes

Definitions[edit source | editbeta]

#efinitions of spiritual intelligence rely on the concept of spirituality as being distinct from religiosity",(#anah $ohar defined &1 principles underlying spiritual intelligence:,=

4elf5awareness: >nowing what I believe in and value, and what deeply motivates me"

4pontaneity: ?iving in and being responsive to the moment" +eing vision5 and value5led: 9cting from principles and deep beliefs, and living accordingly" .olism: 4eeing larger patterns, relationships, and connections@ having a sense of belonging" *ompassion: .aving the 0uality of %feeling5with% and deep empathy" *elebration of diversity: 6aluing other people for their differences, not despite them" Field independence: 4tanding against the crowd and having oneAs own convictions" .umility: .aving the sense of being a player in a larger drama, of oneAs true place in the world" Bendency to ask fundamental %WhyC% 0uestions: <eeding to understand things and get to the bottom of them" 9bility to reframe: 4tanding back from a situation or problem and seeing the bigger picture or wider conte2t" Dositive use of adversity: ?earning and growing from mistakes, setbacks, and suffering" 4ense of vocation: Feeling called upon to serve, to give something back"

)obert !mmons defines spiritual intelligence as %the adaptive use of spiritual information to facilitate everyday problem solving and goal attainment"%,'- .e originally proposed 8 components of spiritual intelligence: &" 1" 3" 7" 8" Bhe capacity to transcend the physical and material" Bhe ability to e2perience heightened states of consciousness" Bhe ability to sanctify everyday e2perience" Bhe ability to utiliEe spiritual resources to solve problems" Bhe capacity to be virtuous"

Bhe fifth capacity was later removed due to its focus on human behavior rather than ability, thereby not meeting previously established scientific criteria for intelligence" Frances 6aughan offers the following description: %4piritual intelligence is concerned with the inner life of mind and spirit and its relationship to being in the world"%,&F*indy Wigglesworth defines spiritual intelligence as %the ability to act with wisdom and compassion, while maintaining inner and outer peace, regardless of the circumstances"%,&&4he breaks down the competencies that comprise 4Q into 1& skills, arranged into a four 0uadrant model similar to #aniel /olemanAs widely used model of emotional intelligence or !Q" Bhe four 0uadrants of spiritual intelligence are defined as: &" 1" 3" 7" .igher 4elf G !go self 9wareness Hniversal 9wareness .igher 4elf G !go self ;astery 4piritual Dresence G 4ocial ;astery,&&-

#avid +" >ing has undertaken research on spiritual intelligence at Brent Hniversity in Deterborough, Intario, *anada" >ing defines spiritual intelligence as a set of adaptive mental capacities based on non5material and transcendent aspects of reality, specifically those that: %"""contribute to the awareness, integration, and adaptive application of the nonmaterial and transcendent aspects of oneAs e2istence, leading to such outcomes as deep e2istential reflection, enhancement of meaning, recognition of a transcendent self, and mastery of spiritual states"%,&1>ing further proposes four core abilities or capacities of spiritual intelligence: &" Critical Existential Thinking: Bhe capacity to critically contemplate the nature of e2istence, reality, the universe, space, time, and other e2istentialGmetaphysical issues@ also the capacity to contemplate non5e2istential issues in relation to oneAs e2istence (i"e", from an e2istential perspective " 1" Personal Meaning Production: Bhe ability to derive personal meaning and purpose from all physical and mental e2periences, including the capacity to create and master a life purpose" 3" Transcendental A areness: Bhe capacity to identify transcendent dimensionsGpatterns of the self (i"e", a transpersonal or transcendent self , of others, and of the physical world (e"g", nonmaterialism during normal states of consciousness, accompanied by the capacity to identify their relationship to oneAs self and to the physical" 7" Conscious State Expansion: Bhe ability to enter and e2it higher states of consciousness (e"g" pure consciousness, cosmic consciousness, unity, oneness and other states of trance at oneAs own discretion (as in deep contemplation, meditation, prayer, etc" ",&39lso, 6ineeth 6" >umar and ;anJu ;ehta have also researched the concept, e2tensively" IperationaliEing the construct, they defined spiritual intelligence as %the capacity of an individual to possess a socially relevant purpose in life by understanding AselfA and having a high degree of conscience, compassion and commitment to human values"%,&7-

Measuring Spiritual !ntelligence[edit source | editbeta]

;easurement of spiritual intelligence relies on self5reporting" #avid >ing and Beresa ?" #e*icco have developed a self5report measure, the 4piritual Intelligence 4elf5)eport Inventory (4I4)I517 with psychometric and statistical support across two large university samples",&3- *indy Wigglesworth has developed the 4Q1&, a self5assessment inventory that has tested positively for criterion validity and construct validity in statistically significant samples",&8- WigglesworthAs 4Q model and assessment instrument have been successfully used in corporate settings",&:Bhe 4cale for 4piritual Intelligence (44I@ >umar K ;ehta, 1F&& is a 1F5item, self5report measure of spiritual intelligence in adolescents" Bhe idea behind the development of this

scale was to generate and assess the concept of spiritual intelligence in the collectivist culture bounded with eastern philosophy" Bhe 44I is rated on a ?ikert scale and can be completed in &F minutes",&(-

Criticis"s of Spiritual !ntelligence[edit source | editbeta]

It has been argued that 4piritual Intelligence cannot be recogniEed as a form of intelligence" .oward /ardner, originator of multiple intelligence theory, chose not to include spiritual intelligence amongst his intelligences due to the challenge of codifying 0uantifiable scientific criteria",1- ?ater, /ardner suggested an Le2istential intelligenceM as viable, but argued that it was better to Lput aside the term spiritual, with its manifest and problematic connotations, and to speak instead of an intelligence that e2plores the nature of e2istence in its multifarious guises" Bhus, an e2plicit concern with spiritual or religious matters would be one varietyNoften the most important varietyNof an e2istential intelligence"M ,3-