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Images vs Spirituality: How pictures sabotage our spiritual journey

  • Writer: Maximus King
    Maximus King
  • Jan 1, 2022
  • 8 min read

Updated: May 17, 2022

How Images Affect Your Spirituality: The Negative Effects of Modern Day Media

You’ve started your spiritual journey. You’re reading self-help books, listening to podcasts, and watching videos of spiritual gurus on YouTube. You are doing everything right. So why is your feed filled with pictures of models in yoga poses? Are you the only one who has noticed that almost everyone you follow on Instagram is an aspiring yogi or model? Does this mean there is something wrong with your spiritual journey?


In today’s world, it is almost impossible to go a single day without seeing or hearing about images. From advertisements on the street, to social media platforms and even news articles, images are everywhere. Now more than ever before, people have begun to rely on imagery as a means of conveying ideas or messages very quickly. With the rise of social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram, images If you’ve been keeping up with the latest trends, you probably will be aware that “images are in” these days. Images seem to always be present in one way or another – from advertisements, TV shows and movies, magazines, and billboards – you name it! However, given the frequency with which we see images today and how extensively they are used (not just for advertising but also for communication), we must ask ourselves: Are images ruining your spiritual journey?


The effects of images on your spirit


The first negative effect of images on your spirit is that they can take away your creativity. If you are constantly bombarded with images and are constantly comparing yourself to unrealistic images of others, you can fall into the trap of being less creative with your own life. Rather than taking things at your own pace and creating your own path, you might fall into a trap of constantly trying to live up to these images and end up in a never-ending battle. Another negative effect of images on your spirit is that they can cause you to feel a lack of identity and self-worth. If you are constantly comparing yourself to the images of others, you can fall into the trap of constantly feeling like you are not good enough. Another effect of images on your spirit is that they can cause you to be less compassionate towards others. As more and more people begin to put out more images designed to draw attention to themselves and make them look appealing, you can fall into a trap of comparing yourself to these images and feeling that you don’t measure up. Instead of seeing the genuine beauty in people, you can fall into a trap of comparing yourself to the image and believing that the image is better than you.


Diminishing self-esteem and body image


As you may have already noticed, one of the negative effects of images on your spirit and an extremely common effect of images today is that they can affect your self-esteem and cause you to have a poor body image. We have all seen images of people who are extremely thin that send a message that you must be extremely thin in order to be beautiful. We have also seen images of people who have a toned physique and a six-pack that go on to say that you must have a toned physique and a six-pack in order to be attractive. Clearly, these images are not representative of everyone, but they have still managed to have a huge effect on many people. The images that are heavily used today are of people who have extremely good looks, fit bodies and are extremely thin. As such, many people feel that they are not good enough because they don’t look like these images. Even for women, a recent study found that more than 50% of women who have children believe that they will never regain their pre-pregnancy bodies.


Depression and anxiety


Another negative effect of images on your spirit is that they can lead to depression and anxiety. Again, this is something that is extremely common nowadays. People who have fallen into the trap of believing that they must have extremely good looks, fit bodies and be extremely thin to be happy have been known to suffer from depression and anxiety because of their self-esteem issues. Another negative effect of images on your spirit is that they can cause you to feel a lack of purpose in life. This can happen if you constantly focus on trying to achieve an unrealistic and unattainable standard of beauty, self-image and lifestyle. All these things can cause you to feel like you are not good enough to do the things that you want to do in life. This can be very damaging for your self-esteem and can cause you to lose your sense of purpose in life.


Loss of meaning and purpose in life


Another negative effect of images on your spirit is that they can cause you to lose your sense of meaning in life. Again, this is something that happens when you constantly compare yourself to the images of others and feel like you are not good enough. This can be a very dangerous and damaging thing to happen because it can cause you to lose your desire to make a difference in this world. When you lose your sense of meaning, you can begin to feel like you don’t belong. You may even feel like you are a burden on society. This is a very dangerous path to take because if you allow yourself to fall into this trap, you can start to believe that there is no place for you in this world. You can start to believe that there is no place for you in society.



How to Deal with the Negatives of Using Images


If you’re starting to see the negatives of using images in your life, you can work on fighting them by being mindful of the types of images that you are consuming. - Be selective about the images that you consume - Don’t be lazy: If you are constantly consuming images that make you feel bad about yourself, you can fight against this by being more selective about the images that you are putting into your brain. - Focus on the quality of the images that you consume - Pay attention to the types of images that you are putting into your brain and try to focus on the quality of the images. - Don’t compare yourself to the images that you consume - Don’t let the images that you consume lead you to constantly comparing yourself to them. - Make a conscious effort to focus on the images that are good for you - Instead of always looking at the images that make you feel bad, make a conscious effort to consume images that remind you of your positive qualities. - Don’t let the images that you consume lead you to feel like there is no place for you in society - Remember that you can make a difference in this world in your own way, even if you don’t look like the images that you consume.



Images, Self-confidence, and Confidence in Society


If you are constantly consuming images that make you feel bad about yourself, you can begin to lose your self-confidence and confidence in society. When you constantly consume images that make you feel like you are not good enough, you can fall into the trap of believing that other people will feel the same way. - You can begin to believe that other people will believe that they are not good enough either. As a result of your low self-confidence, you can begin to feel like you have nothing to offer society or your loved ones. - You can end up feeling like a burden to society and to those around you. This is something that can be extremely damaging to your spirit and can cause you to fall into a deep spiral where you can’t escape. Fortunately, you can fight against this by being more selective about the images that you are consuming. You can do this by being more mindful about the images that you are putting into your brain. - You can fight against feeling like you have nothing to offer society or your loved ones by paying more attention to the quality of the images that you are putting into your brain. - You can also fight against feeling like you are not good enough by making a conscious effort to focus on the positive qualities of yourself and the positive qualities of others. - Finally, you can fight against feeling like you are a burden on society by remembering that you are important and that you have something to offer this world.



What makes Instagram such a spiritually-dangerous platform?


Instagram is built to make you addicted to it. It uses a mix of visual cues, social triggers, and psychological tricks to make you keep coming back to it. And it’s working! While Facebook is losing its user base, Instagram is growing by leaps and bounds. Specifically, there are three things that make Instagram a particularly spiritually-dangerous platform. First, the pictures are carefully selected to make you think that everyone else’s life is better than yours. Instagram feeds are often full of people travelling to exotic places, doing adventurous sports, or posing in beautifully chosen outfits. You almost get the feeling that you’re missing out on something. The second thing that makes Instagram a spiritually dangerous platform is the fake relationships. The people whom you follow on Instagram are not your friends. They are just people you’ve added to your feed. The chances of meeting them in real life are very slim. The last thing that makes Instagram a spiritually-dangerous platform is that it makes you shallow. You get caught up in admiring the beautiful pictures, and forget to go deeper into the message behind them. You forget to ask yourself how the pictures make you feel, and how they can help you grow spiritually.


How does Instagram make you feel?


The pictures on Instagram feed are carefully selected. The people who post those pictures want you to feel a certain way. And chances are, those pictures will make you feel bad. They will make you feel that your life is not good enough. If you are honest, you will realize that the pictures on your feed make you feel bad. The very first step in reclaiming control over your Instagram feed is to notice how the pictures on it make you feel. You need to become aware of your feelings, and not get carried away by them. This will help you become more aware of the psychological tricks that Instagram uses to make you addicted to it. Your feelings will tell you everything you need to know.


Why is this bad for your spiritual journey?


By feeling bad because of the pictures on your feed, you are letting Instagram decide how you feel. You are giving Instagram the power to decide how you feel about yourself. But Instagram doesn’t care about you – all it wants is for you to keep coming back to the platform. When Instagram has the power to decide how you feel about yourself, it is bad for your spiritual journey. You need to be able to decide how you feel about yourself. And you need to be able to decide how you feel about your life. You need to be able to decide what you want from life, and what you want to avoid. Your spiritual journey needs these abilities. At the same time, you need to be aware of what’s happening on Instagram. You need to be aware of the feelings that are troubling you. You need to be able to look at those feelings, understand what they are and why they’re troubling you. Only then can you decide how to deal with them.


What can you do about it?


The first thing you can do is to switch off Instagram while you’re meditating. You don’t need Instagram during meditation. You need to be able to focus on your breath, and nothing else. The second thing you can do is to unfollow people on Instagram. Unfollow people who make you feel bad. Unfollow people who are not on your wavelength. Unfollow anyone who doesn’t add value to your life. You don’t need them on your Instagram feed. The third thing you can do is to be more selective about the people you follow on Instagram. Follow people who have the same values as you have. Follow people whose pictures make you feel good. Follow people who will help you grow spiritually.


Conclusion



Your Instagram feed has the ability to either make you feel bad about yourself or lift you up and make you feel good about yourself. The choice is yours. You can either let Instagram decide how you feel about yourself or take control over your feed and make it a place that lifts you up and makes you feel good about yourself. Now that you know what makes Instagram a spiritually-dangerous platform, and how it makes you feel, and why this is bad for your spiritual journey; it’s time to reclaim control over your Instagram feed.




 
 
 

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