You knew about emotional intelligence, rational intelligence, but have you heard of spiritual intelligence? Rather little known, it would be according to the child psychiatrist Stéphane Clerget, the solution too many problems.
What is spiritual intelligence?
It is not necessarily easy to summarize in a few sentences, a notion to which the child psychiatrist has devoted a whole book. In short, it is the intelligence of what is abstract, the intelligence of the origin and meaning of life. It is also that of metaphysics, therefore of what goes beyond the physical, and it is also the capacity for transcendence, therefore to see beyond oneself. It therefore covers a very wide area, and should not be reduced to a religious sense. She is in demand in fields such as the arts, philosophy and theology. But we also stimulate this form of intelligence in our daily life, when we question ourselves about our existence for example, or when we try to connect with ourselves.
Have fun with your imagination
As the doctor says, spiritual intelligence allows you to get to know yourself better, and even to take pleasure in what you are, to better accept yourself. It allows you to visit the interior of yourself , but also to have fun with your imagination. It will help us to access what is invisible, what we cannot see. Once again, we shouldn’t just see the religious aspect. For non-believers, it can be ether, which is a kind of energy that one does not perceive. By connecting with our imagination, we can, if we want, feel connected with beings who are far from us. For example, if a child is missing one of his parents, he can imagine himself in connection with him. This will help him to cope better with the absence.
Develop psychic mechanisms to better endure hardship
Absence, loneliness and anxiety are great difficulties in life, especially in that of a child. It is the same with death. Thanks to spiritual intelligence, the child will be able to develop certain psychic mechanisms which will help him to overcome these difficult trials. The doctor says he sees a lot of restless children with sleep problems or ADHD. And just talking to them about these topics helps them get better. Indeed, death is a taboo and distressing subject. So put words to his anxietieshelps to alleviate them, and to eliminate the symptoms related to this stress. But, to give answers you have to be a little poetic, especially with the little ones. We are obliged to make poetic, philosophical, astrophysical answers, which will rely on spiritual intelligence to soothe the child.It also makes it possible to give answers to children and adolescents who have existential questions, who wonder “Why am I here?”, “Why go to school?”, “Why study?”. These questions lead them to states of suffering and depression, and by answering these big questions we help them find meaning in their life.
Detaching yourself from the material to focus on the essential
Another of the virtues of spiritual intelligence, as confirmed by Stéphane Clerget. Especially since children have never been as attached to equipment as they are today. For them, happiness comes from owning things. Now, even when asked what they want to do later, they respond, “earn a lot of money,” as if they lacked desire. Before, they wanted to do jobs that made them dream, even if it was a bit utopian.
Help your child develop his spiritual intelligence
To do this, we must listen to him, value and give importance to his questions. You also have to give him some answers, and tell him different ways to find them. Thus, he will be able to exchange with other people, or turn to books. These actions will allow him to develop his intellectual curiosity and promote his academic success.at the same time. To help him develop his spiritual intelligence, it is also necessary to be attentive to his intuition, by reading poems to him, by giving him time for games, or he is not caught in concrete occupations. It is also necessary to let it play in nature, in places which are not too framed, so that it creates its world. Sometimes it is also beneficial to leave moments of silence, for example spending ten to fifteen minutes without any surrounding noise.
The balance of the three types of intelligence
As mentioned previously, Dr Clerget distinguishes between emotional, rational and intellectual intelligence. These three intelligences are not opposed, they are complementary. Regarding their balance, it depends on the children. Some have more or less developed intelligences depending on their genes and their education. But it’s hard to really quantify this, because only rational intelligence is really measurable, thanks to the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) . But neither takes precedence over the other, it’s all about balance.