Existential intelligence is part of the multiple intelligences that human beings possess. Despite not being included in the original conceptualization of intelligence, for contemporary authors it constitutes another intelligence in the group of intelligences that define the human being.
In the following Psychology-Online article, we are going to explain what is existential intelligencewe will talk about multiple intelligences and we will explain the fundamental characteristics of this type of intelligence, giving examples and offering activities that favor its development.
What is existential intelligence
Existential intelligence is also called spiritual or transcendental intelligence and refers to the facet of the human being that leads him to delve into existential aspects like who we are, what is the purpose of life, what happens after death, etc. It would cover issues commonly dealt with in the field of Philosophy but which, in reality, are issues inherent to every human being.
In essence, man has the desire to answer these questions at different times during the course of his life. However, throughout the last century, our societies have promoted values totally opposite to spirituality (consumerism, individualism, materialism, etc.), leaving existential intelligence relegated to oblivion. This lack of spiritual values is leading to great personal and social existential crises that highlight the urgent need to socially promote this type of intelligence to recover a much deeper look at the human being and at life.
Characteristics of existential intelligence
Spiritual or existential intelligence is characterized by a high level of development of the rest of the intelligences since it implies deep knowledge and the final transcendence of the skills involved in all of them. Some of its most notable features are:
- Interest in worldly topics: origin of life and meaning of death, purpose of our existence, etc.
- Disinterest in normalized social practices: leisure, consumption, etc.
- Transcendence of the physical and experience of union of all the elements of the universe as a whole.
- Capacity of self-observation and observation of the environment from a deep perspective.
- Defense of universal values: peace, love, wisdom, goodness, truth, harmony, fraternity, etc.
- Action in accordance with these values and away from values that imply the deterioration of the human condition (egoism, envy, usurpation, aggressiveness, etc.).
- Interest in spiritual knowledge and practices.
- Permanent curiosity and constant need to grow on an existential level.
- longing for serve and help otherstranscending egocentrism.
- Need for personal care (diet, physical exercise, healthy habits, etc.) when considering the body as a receptacle for the soul.
Examples of existential intelligence
As examples of manifestations of existential intelligence we could talk about the following:
- When faced with an attack on personal integrity, respond with sobriety, stopping the aggression in a firm and clear manner but without violence.
- When faced with a conflict, encourage the people involved to investigate what happened, its causes and possible solutions from a constructive perspective.
- Attraction to spiritual practices and readings.
- When making decisions, the need to act in council with the rest of the people involved.
- Solidarity, respectful, careful, peaceful actions, etc.
Activities to develop existential intelligence
Existential intelligence is present in each and every person. As with the rest of the intelligences, there are certain genetic and environmental predispositions that favor the greater development of some intelligences over others. However, each and every one of them can be stimulated using those activities that promote the concrete development of the different intelligences.
In the specific case of existential intelligence, among the activities that would favor its development would be:
- The contemplation or to access deep knowledge of things.
- Body carethrough healthy eating and exercise, considering it a temporary receptacle of the human soul.
- Socratic dialogueto investigate established questions, accessing new possibilities and truths
- Spiritual practices.
- Promotion of solidarity and fraternal actionfavoring the bonds of union that exist between all human beings
- The admiration, practice and cultivation of art as a means of accessing other realities and truths, etc.
The promotion of existential intelligence currently becomes essential as a means to combat the lack of values that prevails in our society and that has led to global spiritual poverty, the cause of most of the evils in our world.
Intelligence types
For many decades, the concept of intelligence was associated only with the term , so that the IQ measure was understood to establish a person’s level of intelligence. Recently, different authors began to draw attention to the fact that human intelligence included many more aspects in addition to those included in IQ and began to develop theories about it.
Among the best known is Howard Gadner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, according to which human intelligence manifests itself through eight different forms:
- Linguistics: language proficiency ability that includes speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- Musical: ability to interpret and create music through singing, playing instruments, creating melodies, etc.
- Mathematical logician: ability to use the scientific method to formulate problems and verify hypotheses through inductive and deductive analytical treatment of data.
- Space: ability to create mental images from sensory stimuli.
- Corporeal-kinesthetic: ability to use the body to communicate with and learn from the environment through strength, speed, balance and flexibility.
- Naturalist-pictorial: ability to apply the scientific method to the study and observation of nature.
- Interpersonal: ability to interpret and apply the intrinsic norms that regulate social interactions.
- Intrapersonal: capacity for self-observation aimed at understanding oneself and one’s relationship with one’s environment.
Recently, there are several authors who consider this theory incomplete as it does not contain existential or spiritual intelligence as another type of intelligence within this classification that presents, like the rest, biological bases that support it. In reality, spiritual intelligence would be located at the highest level since its practice involves transcending the rest of the intelligences, placing us in a much deeper knowledge of being, life and the universe.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Ollé Borgue, AM (2010). Spiritual Intelligence. Global Magazine No. 36. Retrieved from: http://revista.global/inteligencia-espiritual/