Spiritual Bypassing

Using “higher” states or beliefs to avoid pain that still needs witnessing.

Description

Coined by John Welwood, spiritual bypassing happens when Parts hijack spirituality to suppress vulnerability: meditation instead of mourning, forgiveness instead of boundaries, “love and light” instead of grief. It’s usually a Self-like protector move: appearing serene while avoiding contact with exiles. True Self presence feels reality; it doesn’t float above it.

What Spiritual Bypassing is NOT:

Actual transcendence; genuine compassion; conscious pacing or Titration.

Examples:

A “zen” part shuts down anger under the mantra “everything’s perfect.”
You rush to gratitude before acknowledging hurt.
A healer avoids therapy because “I already processed that in a past life.”

see also:

Self-like Parts; Blending & Unblending; Compassion; Mindfulness; Unburdening