A STUDY ON SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE

Author: TRUPTHA R SHANKAR

II M.COM
PG. Dept. Of Commerce
B.M.S College or Women
Bangalore -4
Author: RASHMI R
II.M.com
PG.Dept. of commerce
B.M.S College for women
Banglore-4

Mobile No. 8105173674

Email ID: struptha74@gmail.com

Mobile No. 8892441933

Email ID: writetorashmi1607@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Spiritual Intelligence is an emerging concept and it is an improvedversion of emotional
intelligence. It is a higher dimension of intelligence that activates full human potential and
results in personal and professional success and fulfillment.To be 'spiritual' is to think, act and
interact from an awareness of self as spirit not form soul not body. Intelligence is to use what you
know in the right way at the right time in the right place with the right intention. Spiritual
intelligence is the expression of innate spiritual qualities through your thoughts, actions and
attitude.
In this paper we would like to highlight on how spiritual intelligence helps people and also
improves the society by using a higher dimension of intelligence and the various dimensions of
spiritual intelligence along with the measuring scales and highlight the beneficiary aspects to
employees.
KEY WORDS:
Spirituality, Human potential.

OBJECTIVES:
To know the concept of spiritual intelligence.
To know the Dimensions of spiritual intelligence.
To know the criteria for measuring the spiritual intelligence.
To know why spiritual intelligence is important in workplace.
To analyze the criticisms.

INTRODUCTION

MEANING:
Spiritual intelligence is the capacity to understand the meaning, vision & value of life. It
refers to spiritual and inner self that cant be quantified. It is all about creative, insightful, rulemaking, rule-breaking, transformative thinking. Spiritual Quotient gets you inner peace,
tranquility, real solace and balanced life.
Spiritual Intelligence (SI) is all about man's connection to his Creator. It is his ability to
recognize life principles (natural and spiritual laws) and build his life in accordance with these
laws. In layman's term, SI is also called 'wisdom' or the application of knowledge

Contrary to the general perception; Spiritual Intelligence invokes the use of reason and will. The
process involves analysis and a decision.
Basically all human beings are spiritual in their nature. They may differ in their evolution
of such a need and hence work at different levels of need satisfaction.

Spiritual intelligence is defined as each individuals level of spiritual awareness within the
framework of their values, ethics, morals, and behaviors including their commitment to positive
outcomes in every aspect of their life.
Crisis in character and loss of values & virtues are reflected in every sphere of human life.
Standards of moral & social life of people are gradually declining. In the changing scenario due
to globalization & urbanization where the growth rate 9% as projected by our prime minister
there is increase in the number of jobs as well as cut throat competition. There is also a rapid
conversion of joint family system to nuclear family system in which children are becoming more
& more lonely & growing emotionally dwarf. Wide spread disturbance, chaos confusion &
dislocation in life have become common phenomena. Corruption is rampant due to the rat race of
showing oneself prosperous in wealth from others. In the race of accumulation of wealth, peace
& tranquility in mind is no more found.

Education is Key to spirituality:We are schooled to know about our society and nature but not about ourselves, especially the
nature of our mind and our spiritual potential. Even as adults and senior citizen, we remain
ignorant of the mischievous of our mind & the magnanimity of our heart. So, we always try to
determine a persons success or failure of the life on the bases of his intelligence a cognitive
one. But now we have often seen that people with high intelligence failed in achieving what they
want to achieve in life and of course there are numerous examples of people whom we thought
as dome but they work very well. How it is possible? The answer is spiritual intelligence.
The conspicuous corruption, mental and monetary of the so called educated elite schooled
and graduated in exclusive institutions confirms their depthless self-aggrandizing education. This
evil-oriented education manifesting as drugs, violence, sex and AIDS needs to be revolutionized,
if we are not to end up as violence feeders or worshipers of greed and goods. The universal
visible effect of the present day education is all-round sickness precipitated by the scourge of
stress.

Further the increasing date of suicide among the adolescence before and after completion of
examination and declaration of result of different school boards shows the stress of the education
system and over parental expectation favoring cognitive intelligence or I.Q.
Unless this stress is overcome by infusing the spiritual quotient with intelligent quotient in
education, there is no hope of enlivening the human nature. This is what has been emphasized in
the UNESCO international commission on education for the 21st century named as Learning: the
treasure within which declares that, education throughout life is based on 4 pillars i.e. Learning
to know as Gyanyog, Learning to do as Karmyog, Learning to live together as Sahyog, and
learning to be as Atmasakhatkar, i.e. self realization, which is the ultimate goal of human life.
It is interesting to note that while the two pillars are associated with I.Q. and comes under
cognitive & psychomotor domains respectively; third one is concerned with E.Q and comes
under affective domain. The forth pillar involves S.Q., and needs an additional domain
Spiritual domain to be included in the taxonomy of educational objectives.
Learning to be (Atmashakshatkar) i.e. self realization involves S.Q which means, for
human beings their inner freedom is as important as their external freedom. Purpose of life has to
go beyond playing the role of a wage earner & a family provider. Each one of us has to have
some personal mission in life to fulfill beyond achieving happiness through material gains.
The rate of divorce and living relationship is escalating day by day which affect our social fabric.
If we know the learning to be, the chances are that we might be able to organize ourselves from
dehumanized or being exploited as human slaves and may also have the conviction to stand up
against ideologies of individuals or groups which are destructive to mankind. Only stead fast
resolve to realize our wonderful spiritual self or the soul, by rejecting our habitual ego-centric
consciousness and adopting the soul-centric awareness, can free us from our own dehumanizing
mind.
Only such self-awareness can bring out the Spiritual Quotient or the ability to come
upon bliss and move beyond it, not to mention the Emotional quotient or the capacity to enjoy
life and the Intelligence quotient or the knowledge-based analytical ability in us. Developing
such a three dimensional personality should be the objective of education.

DEFINITION
Spiritual intelligence is a term used by some philosophers, psychologists, and developmental
theorists to indicate spiritual parallels with IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and EQ (Emotional
Quotient).
Danah Zohar coined the term "spiritual intelligence" and introduced the idea in 1997 in her
book rewiring the Corporate Brain.
According to Stephen Covey, "Spiritual intelligence is the central and most fundamental of all
the intelligences, because it becomes the source of guidance for the others."
Frances Vaughan offers the following description: "Spiritual intelligence is concerned with the
inner life of mind and spirit and its relationship to being in the world."
Robert Emmons defines spiritual intelligence as "the adaptive use of spiritual information to
facilitate everyday problem solving and goal attainment."He originally proposed 5 components
of spiritual intelligence:

The capacity to transcend the physical and material.

The ability to experience heightened states of consciousness.
The ability to sanctify everyday experience.
The ability to utilize spiritual resources to solve problems.
The capacity to be virtuous.
The fifth capacity was later removed due to its focus on human behavior rather than
ability, thereby not meeting previously established scientific criteria for intelligence.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
DANAH ZOHAR published a book named SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE THE ULTIMATE
INTELLIGENCE. In her book she says SQ is our most fundamental intelligence. It is what we
use to develop our capacity for meaning, vision and value. It allows us to dream and to strive. It
underlies the things we believe in and the role our beliefs and values play in the actions that we
take. Spiritual Intelligence explores how accessing our SQ helps us to live up to our potential for
better, more satisfying lives.
Harvard psychologist HOWARD GARDNER has been acclaimed as the most influential
educational theorist since John Dewey. HE published a book named INTELLIGENCE
REFRAMED- MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE. In his book he emphasizes on, possessing a basic
set of seven or eight intelligences is not only a unique trademark of the human species, but also
perhaps even a working definition of the species. Gardner also offers provocative ideas about
creativity, leadership, and moral excellence, and speculates about the relationship between
multiple intelligences and the world of work in the future.
[MP.SING and DR.JYOTSNA SINHA-2013.] IMPACT OF SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE ON
QUALITY OF LIFE. In this paper they say that employing spiritual quotient; one is enabled to
differentiate between right and not right in the given frame work of society or a situation, by
listening to our inner voice. Our brains are hard wired for activation and utilization of spiritual
intelligence, but most of the people let it remain dormant, missing out a richer quality of being.

EVOLUTION:

The concept of spiritual intelligence was way back coined in 16th century by many global
literacys which in between lost its existence. In the 21st century it has come back to lime light
and is being globally practiced.
At the beginning of the 20th century, psychologists discovered wage and means to measure
intelligence. Aristotles definition of man as a rational animal developed into an obsession with
I.Q on the basis of which parents, educators & doctors are all interested to test a childs I.Q to
ascertain the childs potential for future development. In 1990, Salovey& Mayer define the
concept of emotional intelligence which emphasizes blending cognition with emotions and in the
mid 1990s Daniel Goleman popularized emotional intelligence E.Q, illustrating that E.Q is a
basic requirement for the appropriate use of I.Q now as we are in the 21st century, there is
growing evidence that there is third Q S.Q. or spiritual intelligence.
Unlike I.Q, which computers have, and E.Q which exists in higher mammals, S.Q is
uniquely human and the most fundamental of the three (Zohar & Marshall 2001). It is linked to
humanitys need for meaning, an issue very much at the for front of peoples mind in the
beginning of this century. S.Q is what we use to develop our longing and capacity for meaning,
vision & value. It allows us to dream and to strive. It underlies the things we believe in and the
role our beliefs and values play in the actions that we take. It is, in essence, what makes us
human.
It is the intelligence with which human address and solves problems of meaning &
value, the intelligence with which we can place our actions and our lives in a wider, richer
meaning-given context, the intelligence with which we can assess that one course of action or
one life path is more meaningful than the other. It is considered to be the ultimate intelligence.
We have a longing to see our lives in some larger meaning-giving context, be it family, the
community, the work, religious framework or the universe itself. If takes us beyond the present
moment & ourselves. Spiritual intelligence allows human beings to be creative, to change the
rules and to alter situation by extending the boundaries. S.Q.

Operates out of the brains centre and integrates all our intelligence. S.Q makes us the fully
intellectual, emotional & spiritual creatures that we are. It has no necessary connection with
religion.
Humans are essentially spiritual beings, evolved to ask fundamental questions. Who am I?,
Where am I going?, What do others mean to me? It is an ability to answer question like
these that lead people to personal growth. Spiritual intelligence to motivate people to balance
their work schedule to spend time with the family or an executive with a high S.Q might look
beyond profit margin and devote time for voluntary work with orphans. Spiritual intelligence
also addresses the need to place ones life in a shared context of value.

THE DIMENSIONS OF SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE:

The spiritual intelligence has gained wider scope and it has seven dimensions such as:
1. CONSCIOUSNESS: Developed refined awareness and self-knowledge.
Mindfulness - knowing self and living consciously with clear intention and mindful, embodied
awareness and presence.
Trans-rational knowing - transcending rationality through synthesis of paradoxes and using
various states/modes of consciousness e.g. meditation, prayer, silence, intuition, dreams.
Practice - Using a variety of practices to develop and refine consciousness or spiritual
qualities.
2. GRACE: Living in alignment with the sacred manifesting love for and trust in life.
Sacred - living in alignment with the divine, a universal life force, nature, or ones true
essential nature.
Love - Reverence and cherishing of life based on gratitude, beauty, vitality, and joy.
Trust - Hopeful/optimistic outlook based on faith or trust.

3. MEANING: Experiencing significance in daily activities through a sense of purpose and a

call for service, including in the face of pain and suffering.
4. TRANSCENDENCE: Going beyond the separate egoist self into an interconnected
wholeness.
Relational I-Thou - nurturing relationships and community with acceptance, respect, empathy,
compassion, loving-kindness, generosity and orientation.
Holism - utilize a systems perspective seeing the wholeness, unity, and the interconnection
among the diversity and differentiation.
5. TRUTH: Living in open acceptance, curiosity, and love for all creation.
Acceptance - Forgive, embrace, and love what is, including the negativity and shadow.
Openness - open heart and mind, open curiosity, including open respect for the wisdom of
multiple traditions.
6. PEACEFUL SURRENDER TO SELF (Truth, God, Absolute, true nature).
Peacefulness - centered, equanimity, self-acceptance, self-compassion, and inner-wholeness.
Egolessness - letting go of persona to maintain humble receptivity, surrendering, and allowing
wants and needs to happen.
7. INNER-DIRECTEDNESS: Inner-freedom aligned in responsible wise action.
Freedom - liberation from conditioning, attachments and fears, manifesting courage, creativity,
and playfulness.
Discernment - wisdom to know truth using an inner-compass (conscience).
Integrity - being/acting authentically, responsibly, and with alignment to ones values.

CRITERIA FOR MEASURING THE SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE:

HIGHER SELF/EGO SELF AWARENESS:

Ego identity is a series of core beliefs that also function as a

defense/protection mechanism. Ego identity is who you think you
are as well as familiar feelings and emotions you identify with
yourself. One of the most familiar and unconscious (out of
awareness) emotions that confirm everyones ego identity is
nervous anxiety.
1. Awareness of own worldview
2. Awareness of life purpose (mission)
3. Awareness of values hierarchy
4. Complexity of inner thought
5. Awareness of Ego self / Higher Self

UNIVERSAL AWARENESS:

Why was I born the person I am? If the person I am had never
been born would I have been born as someone else? What
happens to me when I die? What happens to the people I know
when they die? Have I lived before? these questions take the
reader on a journey in search of answers to these and other
profound questions about human existence. These philosophical
questions, logical puzzles, through experiments and meditations,
and with strict adherence to scientific knowledge, guide the
person to clear answers to these questions.

1. Awareness of interconnectedness of all life

2. Awareness of worldviews of others

3. Breadth of time / space perception

4. Awareness of limitations/power of human perception
5. Awareness of Spiritual laws
6. Experience of transcendent oneness

HIGHER SELF/EGO SELF MASTERY:

The ego is often called the false self. The true self is the inner self,
the spiritual being, or soul. The false self (ego) causes us
problems when it dominates the true spiritual self, as it is inclined
to do, being selfish and domineering in nature. The true self is
humble in nature and will not fight the ego, nor seek to dominate
it, and so the ego easily gains the upper hand. So we do have to
deal with our egos, but instead of suppressing the ego, or seeking
to destroy this false self, we should teach it to surrender to the
true spiritual self. The ego must become the servant of the
spiritual master. This is self-mastery: a painful process for the ego,
but liberation for the true self.

1. Commitment to spiritual growth

2. Keeping Higher Self in charge
3. Living your purpose and values
4. Sustaining your faith
5. Seeking guidance from Spirit

 SOCIAL MASTERY / SPIRITUAL PRESENCE:

Value comes from the way in which people react to you and
know of you. The ability to be observed as somebody who has
extremely good skills with other people. As a result, you are
likeable, popular, and people respect you. It is to be extremely
comfortable and confident in social situations. When a person can
talk to anybody and everybody with ease- thats when you know
you are social.

1. A wise and effective spiritual teacher/mentor

2. A wise and effective change agent
3. Makes compassionate and wise decisions
4. A calming, healing presence
5. Being aligned with the ebb and flow of life

NURTURING OF S.Q
There are 7 steps to cultivate Spiritual Intelligence (Zohar & Marshall)

Evaluati
on

Step-1

Awareness: we became aware that we are lost, that we dont

Vision

Projecti

Understand the purpose of our life, which is internal, now knowing

Being

Sense is in fact the real sense of self confined by the lack of any

Centere
d

Intelligence to escape.

Step-2

Awaren
ess

Missi

Meaning: we explore the bigger picture, to make

Keys that might open the space we are confined in.

Step-3

Evaluation: we try the keys; fit them in the lock & turn.

Step-4

Being centered: we open the door inward and enable what is on the other side to access us.

Step-5

Meanin
g

Vision: we allow the light from the new, bigger picture to flood in so we can see.

Step-6:

Projection: we project our new level of self into the new territory we can see ahead.

Step-7:

Mission: we act within the new territory and are now aware and conscious of what we are
doing within a grater territory.

WHY WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY IS IMPORTANT?

Developing and encouraging workplace spirituality promises to provide several positive outcomes related to
organizational performance including higher productivity, increased job satisfaction, lower turnover rates,
positive ethical values, better attendance rates, and higher customer satisfaction. Consequently,
developing an organizational culture that is founded upon workplace spirituality is of tremendous importance to
leaders due to its positive implications toward organizational performance.
The time has come to expand the cultural paradigm that incorporates the concept of workforce spirituality into the
decision making process. This new cultural paradigm promises employee outcomes that dramatically improve
organizational performance and customer satisfaction while simultaneously improving employee motivation,
productivity and job satisfaction.

Behavior and culture:

It is an important employee outcomes related to heightened employee spiritual intelligence are often
manifested by impacts on behavior and culture. Employees that seek higher meaning from work typically
maintain positive attitudes and are not negatively impacted to a high degree by daily workplace stressors.

Employees that manifest a high degree of spiritual intelligence are also emotionally wellbalanced and tend to seek
the most positive outcome in any situation they face in the work environment.

Wellness and mattering:

It is another positive outcome of heightened employee spiritual intelligence is manifested in employee wellness
and job satisfaction in the workplace. A high level of spiritual intelligence within employees resultsin their caring
more about their jobs and how well they perform their jobs. Additionally,employees that care about their jobs
tend to be physically healthy more of the time than averageemployees.

Productivity and performance:

Productivity and performance are two of the mostimportant considerations for organizational
leaders. Organizations continually face greaterglobal competition every day and are having a difficult time
competing with countries that havelower materials and labor costs. One of the primary ways that United States
companies cancontinue to compete is by increasing employee productivity.
Heightened employeesspiritual intelligence leads to a more spiritual workplace which in turn, results in higher
levels of organizational performance and productivity. The key to the increased organizationalperformance is
that employees with high spiritual intelligence levels are more likely to findhappiness, satisfaction, meaning, and
contentment within the work environment regardless of the type of work performed.

Cultural paradigms:
In order for a paradigm shift to happen, leaders must begin tounderstand each employees spiritual intelligence and
how this intangible factor impactsworkplace spirituality. Only then will leaders be able to develop and implement
strategies thatgenerate the positive outcome. The various dynamics of employee spiritual intelligence must be
integrated into the strategic planning process in order topositively impact the organizations culture through
heightened workplace spiritual. To accomplish this task, Leaders must be willing to adopt a broader definition of
what their organizations existencerepresents.

CRITICISMS:

It has been argued that spiritual intelligence cannot be recognized as a form of

intelligence.
Spiritual intelligence in any culture is not taken seriously.
Spiritual intelligence does not modestly stick to the data.
Spiritual intelligence is subjective i.e. it involves subjective element.

It has been argued that Spiritual Intelligence cannot be recognized as a form of intelligence.
Howard Gardner, originator of multiple intelligence theory, chose not to include spiritual
intelligence amongst his intelligences due to the challenge of codifying quantifiable scientific
criteria. Later, Gardner suggested an existential intelligence as viable, but argued that it was
better to put aside the term spiritual, with its manifest and problematic connotations, and to
speak instead of an intelligence that explores the nature of existence in its multifarious guises.
Thus, an explicit concern with spiritual or religious matters would be one varietyoften the
most important varietyof an existential intelligence.
Spiritual intelligence is the expression of innate spiritual qualities through your thoughts, actions
and attitude, says BrahmakumariShivani.

CONCLUSION:
In this paper we have discussed concept of spiritual intelligence and the importance of the work place spirituality.
A typical spiritual organization possesses traits and characteristics that include a strong sense of purpose, focus on
individual development, trust and respect, humanistic work practices, and toleration of employee. The prevailing
perceptions of workplace spirituality were analyzed and many positive outcomes related to heightened employee
intelligence within the workplace were presented. These positive outcomes include higher productivity, increased
job satisfaction, lower turnover rates, positive ethical values, better attendance rates, and higher customer
satisfaction.

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DANAH ZOHAR-SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE-THE ULTIMATE INTELLIGENCE-

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