Spiritual crisis in Russia and ways to overcome it. Spiritual problems and crisis

Recently, society has become interested in personal growth and. Esotericism, yoga and other spiritual systems have become fashionable. For some, this is a way to hide from the gray reality, to forget or to cope with severe trauma. For some, such a way of life helps to survive a spiritual crisis - a frequent and often critical phenomenon. Let's figure out what it is, how it arises and what are the consequences of unresolved spiritual problems.

General concept

Spiritual Crisis:

• associated with the concept of the internal development of man;
• is an integral part of human life, a critical and transitional stage of the psychological state of the individual, which leads to internal metamorphoses and spiritual development;
• often associated with fear, loneliness, depression, despondency and despair, appearing as a result of experienced stress.

There is no generally accepted and definitive definition of this phenomenon. But it has been studied for a long time, and each researcher has contributed to understanding the essence of this condition and finding ways to deal with it.

Definition of the term in various areas of psychology

Well-known psychologists who have tried to formulate a definition of a spiritual crisis, or a crisis of human spirituality, and have studied it, are Christina and Stanislav Grof. They were among the first to use this phrase, describing a specific state of consciousness that has a supernatural character. In transpersonal psychology, a moral crisis is referred to as a transpersonal spiritual crisis. This relatively new branch of psychology has already played an important role in the study of individual states of human consciousness.

Vladimir Kozlov, a supporter of dividing the whole into several parts, in addition to the spiritual one, identified other types of personal crisis:

• social;
• material.

He believed that spiritual fractures are manifested in a person's attraction to global changes, his piety, and awareness of the higher purpose of existence. Kozlov did not agree with the theory of the Grofs and called the spiritual crisis psycho-spiritual.

Depressive moods: severe stress, panic attacks and fear, insecurity (and freedom), a feeling of abandonment, disunity, guilt - in existential psychology, these are not accompanying states with moral problems, but stages of life and its very essence. The probability of a spiritual break depends on how much they are controlled by an individual.

Close to the definition of crisis given by the Grofs is A. J. Deikman's definition from transpersonal psychology. He coined his name, mystical psychosis, referring to all psychotic moods of a mystical nature.

Carl Jung was of the opinion that the listed altered states are not necessarily the result of an illness (bodily or mental). Unusual emotions, bodily sensations that cause discomfort, an extraordinary mind, and so on, lead to a change in consciousness, moral development.

Western psychiatry, which has had a huge impact on domestic science, does not consider the obvious manifestations of the crisis pathology. These hidden experiences under the influence of medications and procedures do not allow developing a special potential, learning lessons and becoming a harmonious personality. Unjustified consumption of potent drugs suppresses the real "I" and brings an imaginary sense of stability and satisfaction.

Forms and various states of moral crisis

Stanislav Grof focused on individual states that are considered the most difficult and oppressive:

• panic;
• anxiety;
• fear;
• phobias.

We are talking about an unreasonable, unconscious feeling of anxiety, which can negatively affect the physical condition of a person. The most understandable fear we experience in this state is the fear of dying or seeing death. A person becomes obsessed with the thought of approaching death, he develops depressive moods and emptiness in his eyes, chilliness, trembling and other symptoms.

He is plagued by a feeling of loneliness and abandonment. The feeling of uselessness is familiar to many, but during a spiritual crisis, a person, even regularly being among other people, does not feel ... at home! He loses contact with the Higher Mind, with the divine principle, it seems to him that no one will ever recognize him as his own. In this state, people often become suicidal.

Insanity, obsession, recklessness - a rich imagination plays a cruel joke with people. Escape from the real world allows them to create their own ideal world. They begin to have visions, there is a fear of losing their minds. They guess that they feel and see in a special way, while they are generally healthy.

Separate behavior is a consequence of loneliness For example, a person identifies himself with an indigo, intentionally (or not) isolating himself from society. If one day he was not accepted or misunderstood by the group, this can leave an imprint on his whole life and it will be difficult for him to get along in the team.

Causes of problems and their consequences

There is an opinion that experiencing a crisis of spirituality is an inevitable part of human life. Any, even the most difficult, moments in our lives can turn everything upside down and change the usual way of life. The meaning of mental torment is also to become happier, clear your head of unnecessary rubbish, stop fussing and worrying for any reason, and rise above difficult circumstances. What specific reasons lead a person to spiritual problems?

External circumstances

These include:

• serious illness and helplessness, pregnancy and the appearance of children, the presence of addiction and the inability to get rid of it;
• living in poverty or the phenomenon of “nowhere to put money”, abrupt changes (loss of fortune, family, job, relocation);
• excessive energy, fear of not having time to do something or doing it imperfectly (perfectionism), chronic fatigue, burnout.

According to Vladimir Kozlov, these causes fall into categories: a distorted ego, non-realization of the personality, a feeling of incompleteness of existence.

For example, here are a few situations where the likelihood of a crisis is high.

Situation 1. A person lives in his "swamp". Everything here is so familiar, albeit imperfect. And he seems to feel the inner potential to accomplish something worthwhile, but it's scary ... It's scary to lose this too, not to bear such a burden on fragile shoulders. Attitude: “I am capable of many things, but most people think of me that I am infantile, weak and boring. I can't do it!" If one day such a "dared man" decides to leave the comfort zone, this is the first step towards self-healing.

Situation 2. A person accepts a challenge. He develops a plan for his future existence, ruthlessly throwing out unnecessary people, leaving an unloved and underpaid job, and much more. This determination and ability to act defines the adult individual.

Situation 3. To die in order to be reborn again. Preferably in the best position. A difficult turning point happens, and then a person seems to wake up after a long sleep, a complete reboot occurs. Vladimir Kozlov believed that such a sharp jump, the rejection of everything that is expensive, one might not survive. Sometimes real death or madness ensues.

Situation 4. We are taught that we must certainly learn from any situation. A developed, whole individual copes with acute changes without panic and tries to settle everything and get used to new circumstances. During such periods, the ego no longer breaks out, social relationships become more valuable.

Who is called a spiritually developed and enlightened person? A person who learned something important from all the above situations and learned to use it. He will share his knowledge and experience with others. Then all is not in vain!

The rapid development of esotericism and the spread of all kinds of spiritual practices leads to the fact that an increasing number of people go through a spiritual crisis or a spiritual transformation of the personality. Now many are drawn to Knowledge, looking for new ways of spiritual development. Who am I? Why am I? Where did you come from? Where am I going? And when a person is no longer satisfied with the answers from the government, education, society, religion, he sets off on the Path.

What can a traveler encounter? What pitfalls await him on the Path?

The concept of a spiritual crisis was introduced by the founder of transpersonal psychology, an American psychiatrist of Czech origin with over thirty years of research experience in the field of non-ordinary states of consciousness, Stanislav Grof. Prior to this, psychiatry, having imposed its stencils on the spiritual experiences of a person, attributed the mystical states and activities of world religions and spiritual movements to the field of psychopathology.

Any acute experience or stress can lead to a spiritual crisis.

But especially often provoke a spiritual crisis of the individual all sorts of spiritual practices, passion for esotericism, deep religiosity. These practices are just designed to be a catalyst for mystical experiences and spiritual rebirths.

Traditional spiritual practices are focused on liberation from dependence on the material world. The main link of this dependence is the human ego. It is precisely at the destruction of Ego-programs that the efforts of those who follow the Path of spiritual development are directed.

The main experience of a spiritual crisis is that a person does not see the meaning of life, the future is gloomy, the feeling that he is missing something very important and valuable does not leave him. The process is accompanied by strong emotional experiences, a person experiences an almost complete failure in personal, social, public life or in the field of health. Having experienced fatal moments, he is freed from the influence of the Ego, acquires a higher level of conscious thinking.

Traditional psychotherapy in this case can only play a supporting role. A person who is going through the stages of a spiritual crisis does not need to be treated! But he can be helped to go through the transformation as painlessly as possible. But, by and large, a person can cope with his spiritual crisis only on his own, alone with himself.

Manifestations of a spiritual crisis are very individual, there are no two identical crises, but the main forms of a crisis can be observed. In humans, these forms often overlap.

During the passage of spiritual transformation, a powerful activation of the psyche occurs, large layers of the unconscious come to the surface, and this prevents a person from functioning normally in everyday life. The crisis can sometimes drag on for many years.

Like any crisis, the spiritual one also has its dangers and opportunities. A person can break down, or he can rise to a qualitatively new level (the so-called enlightenment).

Stanislav Grof identified the following most common threatening and difficult types of experiences that come to the surface in the process of personality transformation.

Fear

The body seems to be falling apart, new physical stresses and disturbing pains appear. However, fear, for the most part, seems completely illogical, as if it has almost nothing to do with the person experiencing it. Sometimes an individual involved in a crisis is able to deal with fears relatively easily, but other times the feeling of fear develops into a completely uncontrollable panic.

It could be fear of the unknown. Images come out of the subconscious, traumatic experiences, gates to the other world open, some are haunted by visions, prophetic dreams, etc.

Fear of losing control. Everything around is collapsing, and a person can do nothing about it. He painfully realizes that he has no power over life and death, and that he is controlled by forces independent of his desires.

Fear of death and other unaccountable fears. Cases of incomprehensible bodily sensations are not uncommon: unknown pains, illnesses that are difficult to diagnose, outbreaks or sharp drops in energy, trembling, weakness, dizziness, a feeling of the presence of some unknown force that permeates the entire physical being.

Loneliness

It can be experienced with different strengths - from a vague feeling of separation from other people and the world to a deep and complete immersion in existential alienation.

The individual sometimes has to deal with unusual states of consciousness, which are very different from the everyday experiences of friends and acquaintances.

When the inner world becomes more active, a person feels the need to move away from everyday life. The surrounding people, as a rule, do not understand him. Yes, and communication, which previously gave pleasure, now does not attract at all, and sometimes brings discomfort, up to bodily manifestations (weakness, headache, nausea, etc.). Often people who are in a spiritual search are looking for a society of "their own", where everyone speaks the same language, understands and accepts each other. Knowing that I'm not alone can be a relief.

During an existential crisis, a person feels cut off from his deepest essence, higher power or God. The result of this is the most terrible kind of loneliness - a complete and perfect existential alienation that permeates the entire human being. He cannot find any connection with the Divine; instead, he is haunted by a constant, agonizing feeling that God has abandoned him. Even when a person is surrounded by love and support, he can be filled with deep and burning loneliness.

Those facing an existential crisis feel not only isolated, but utterly insignificant, like useless motes in a vast cosmos. The universe itself looks absurd and meaningless, and any human activity seems insignificant and empty. To such people it may seem that the whole of humanity is engaged in a barren existence with no useful purpose. They may sink into deep depression and despair, and even attempt suicide. Often they guess that even suicide will not solve their problem; it seems to them that there is no way out of this torment.

Isolating Behavior

During a spiritual crisis, a person may seem "different" for a while.

In our culture it is not customary to be different from others, others may perceive it as inappropriate. The sense of separation is intensified whenever a person is told or otherwise given to understand: "You are not like us."

A person's interests and values ​​change. He is no longer able to discuss the purchase of new clothes, and former friends are moving away. The prospect of spending an evening in a club with a glass of whiskey no longer arouses optimism, but may cause disgust.

In addition, people undergoing a personality transformation process can change their appearance dramatically.

For some, these new forms of behavior represent only a temporary stage of spiritual development, while for others they can become a permanent part of a new way of life.

Experiencing "madness"

During a spiritual crisis, the role of the logical mind often weakens, and the colorful, rich world of intuition, inspiration and imagination comes to the fore. Unexpectedly, strange and disturbing emotions arise, and once familiar rationality does not help to explain what is happening. This moment of spiritual development is sometimes very frightening.

Being entirely in the power of an active inner world, full of vivid dramatic events and exciting emotions, people cannot act objectively and rationally. They may see this as the final destruction of any remnants of sanity and fear that they are approaching complete, irreversible insanity.

Symbolic death

Ananda K. Kumaraswami wrote: "No being can reach the highest level of being without ending his ordinary existence."

In people, the topic of death causes, for the most part, negative associations. They perceive death as a frightening unknown, and when it comes as part of their inner experience, they are horrified.

For many people going through a spiritual crisis, this process is quick and unexpected. Suddenly, they feel as if their comfort and security is vanishing, and they are moving in an unknown direction. The usual ways of being are no longer good, but they have yet to be replaced by new ones.

Another form of symbolic death is a state of detachment from various roles, relationships, the world and oneself. It is well known in many spiritual systems as the main goal of inner development.

An important aspect of the experience of symbolic death during inner transformation is the death of the ego. To complete the spiritual transformation, it is necessary that the former mode of existence "died", the Ego must be destroyed, opening the way for a new "I". When the ego disintegrates, people feel as if their personality has disintegrated. They are no longer sure of their place in this world, not sure if they can continue to be full-fledged human beings.

Outwardly, their old interests no longer matter, value systems and friends change, and they lose confidence that they behave correctly in everyday life. Internally, they may experience a gradual loss of identity and feel that their physical, emotional and spiritual essence is suddenly and violently destroyed. They may think they are really dying, suddenly having to face their deepest fears.

It can be a very tragic misunderstanding at this stage to confuse the ego's death wish with the urge to actually commit suicide. A person can easily confuse the desire for what can be called "egocide" - the "killing" of the Ego - with an attraction to suicide, suicide. People at this stage are often driven by a powerful inner conviction that something in them must die. If the internal pressure is strong enough and if there is no understanding of the dynamics of ego death, they may misinterpret these feelings and embody them in external self-destructive behavior.

From myself I will add the following.

Increased responsibility or Many knowledge - many sorrows

Sooner or later, a person who has embarked on the Path is noticed by higher forces of various directions, both dark and light. Some seekers rush back and forth at first, experiencing many temptations and trials. However, sooner or later a person must make his Choice.

It is customary to single out two main Paths - the occult and the mystical.

Path of the Occultist. He studies the Divine Law and uses it for his own purposes. It relies on reason and will, and not on love. He learns to control the mind so that it becomes a useful collaborator in the fulfillment of his goal.

Path of the Mystic. This is the path of love and sacrifice. In his choice, he is always guided by his heart. Love enables him to identify himself with God.

People who have embarked on the Path have a sharp increase in their ability to influence the world around them, people and circumstances. If such a person is left “unattended”, he can break a lot of firewood. And one day a person clearly understands that he is “under the hood”. When an individual is determined with his direction in the Path, the appropriate forces begin to lead him.

Previously, like all people, it seemed to him that he could do everything that came to mind, he was limited only by his conscience and state laws. And then he begins to understand that any of his actions, thoughts, emotions, causes the so-called effect of circles on the water. A person already clearly sees the connection between his actions and their consequences. And all this is monitored by higher forces, which, explicitly or not very clearly, begin to correct his behavior. Incomprehensible events occur, visions come, vague urges, sometimes direct instructions. It can be all sorts of "accidents" that interfere with the execution of the plan. These can be bodily sensations: the legs do not go, the throat is intercepted, the head hurts, the chest is squeezed, it is stabbed in the side (each has its own). All kinds of emotional reactions, for example, the mood deteriorates sharply at the thought of the intended action.

So-called mining is happening more and more often. Working off is essentially a restoration of balance. boomerang effect. This is where the laws of karmic retribution come into play. And since a person on the spiritual Path begins to intensively live out his karma, the working off comes to him several times faster than to an ordinary person. The simplest example: he said nasty things to a passer-by, walked a few meters away, fell down.

In addition, there are increased requirements for such a person. He can no longer afford frivolity, as before. He is already required to be aware and strictly observe the Laws (we are not talking about state laws).

In conclusion, I would like to say the following. For a person who has taken the first steps on this Path, there will be no turning back. This will forever change his outlook, way of thinking and reactions to the world around him. This Path is very difficult, full of dangers, ups and downs. But going back for a traveler is a degradation, a complete failure ...

R.I. Popov deduced the following formula of failure for esoteric losers:

I want to become enlightened - I meditate - I am blissful - my strength is gone - my career is gone - society does not understand me - I am the only one so smart - I am very advanced - my opinion means a lot - I feel my chakras - I hear the thoughts of others - I absorb all the nasty things in the world - I am getting fat and I get sick - I probably developed incorrectly - attempts to restore physical and emotional form - a lifelong fear of esotericism - leaving for a traditional religion - philistinism.

Good luck on your journey!

(c) elleirina

47. Subculture is a concept that can be considered as: a set of some negatively interpreted norms and values ​​of traditional culture, functioning as a culture of a certain stratum of society; a special form of organization of people, most often young people, an autonomous holistic formation within the dominant culture, which determines the lifestyle and thinking of its bearers, distinguished by its customs, norms, value complexes and even institutions; the system of values ​​of traditional culture transformed by professional thinking, which received a peculiar ideological coloring.
The culture of any society is heterogeneous, since there are different nations and nationalities, various social groups and subgroups in it, which have their own value traditions and their own understanding of social norms. There are various subcultures: ethnic, religious, class, youth, etc.
Problems of spiritual crisis and spiritual search among the youth
48. At the present stage, Russian youth is experiencing a spiritual crisis caused by destructive phenomena taking place in the political, economic and social spheres.

Among the reasons for the destruction that occurs in the youth environment, researchers note such points as:
the formation of a democratic society occurs spontaneously, without focusing on value priorities, the uncontrollability of these processes can lead to serious consequences

In the mass consciousness of young people, value orientations have formed that differ in direction

The lack of opportunities for the implementation of value orientations leads to the disintegration of the spiritual formations of young people

The increased mismatch between the systems of upbringing and education leads to a combination of opposing values ​​and trends in the public mind

The role of the family and the school in the process of education is weakening

the change of values, as a rule, is not taken into account by those who are engaged in the education of young people, they do not own the forms and methods of education that are necessary at the moment

Education is becoming more and more pragmatic

In the modern youth environment, there is an increase in individualism and a crisis of collectivism.

Spirituality is defined as the aspiration of the individual to the chosen goals, the value characteristic of consciousness. Morality is a set of general principles and norms of human behavior towards each other and society. Together, they form the basis of personality.
Spiritual and moral education of a person is a complex and multifaceted process, including pedagogical, social and spiritual influences.

In interaction with the environment, purposeful influences of pedagogical factors, building the correct communication with the real and spiritual world, young people acquire the necessary spiritual experience and experience of moral behavior.
Moral choice. Moral self-control and the ideal of personality.

49. Moral choice - an act of moral activity, which consists in the fact that a person, showing his sovereignty, self-determines himself regarding the system of values ​​and ways of their implementation in the line of behavior or individual actions.
Moral self-control is moderation in actions and manifestation of emotions, inhibition of internal impulses.
The ideal of personality is an opinion about the ideal person; this judgment lives in the works of literature and art, as well as in folk art. In each area there are two pedagogical ideals of personality. One ideal is lofty, freely advertised, but obviously unrealizable. Its purpose is to be a guide, to be a good example to which the student should be brought as close as possible. The second real ideal is a rather mundane one. It has a real embodiment, it is not openly promoted. The real ideal is the hero of his time, everyone envy him, they would like to find themselves in his place, many people want his fate for their children.
Religion as a cultural phenomenon. world religions
50. Religion from lat. piety, devotion, shrine - a worldview, appropriate behavior and specific actions of a cult, which is based on belief in the existence of one or more gods, belief in the supernatural. A cult is a kind of religious activity, the object of which is the forces perceived in the form of religious images that dominate people in their daily lives. There are two main varieties of religious worship: 1 Magic witchcraft: Originated in primitive society and became an element of all religions. 2 Propitiatory cult: Refers to a god or spirit. His religious means are the temple, prayer house, religious art and various objects. The religious worldview shifts the orientation of a person from the sphere of socially necessary life tasks to the sphere of individual interests, where personal salvation, associated with the immortality of the soul and afterlife retribution, is of decisive importance.
World religion - a religion that has spread among the peoples of various countries and continents. At the moment, this term denotes only three religions, listed in the order of chronology of occurrence:
Buddhism
Christianity
Islam.

A wonderful description of what is happening to our world at the present moment. Although, perhaps, you need to start with yourself, right? And that will change everyone else around!

SPIRITUAL CRISIS - a crisis of social ideals and values ​​that make up the moral core of culture and give the cultural system the quality of organic integrity, authenticity. The crisis is accompanied by an intensification of ethno-social processes of collapse and disintegration, moral, economic and intellectual chaos, the loss of moral priorities, a sharp polarization of society, and the destruction of social institutions. The spiritual crisis of society and the real danger of losing cultural identity sharply intensify the processes of consolidation of national identity, in which there is an intensive search for the values ​​of cultural integration and national consolidation.

The ideological prerequisite for overcoming the spiritual crisis is: the re-creation of those values ​​that form the core of the national culture and determine its uniqueness; the revival of national ideals; actualization in the public self-consciousness of people of the spiritual referents of the nation ...
"Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy". 2013

A simple Russian person, after reading such an explanation of the definition of the Spiritual crisis in the modern "encyclopedic dictionary of psychology and pedagogy", may fall into a stupor from such a set of incomprehensible foreign words and phrases that not only do not really explain anything, but even more confuse the human mind and create even more questions, but still do not give an answer to the question, what is the Spiritual crisis and what is the reason for its appearance in the Russian world.

For some reason, it never occurs to anyone that for any person living in the Russian world, it will be much clearer if the explanations are given in a simple, native language, and not in the form of a set of incomprehensible foreign words and terms. Was it difficult to write an explanation in this vein:

SPIRITUAL CRISIS is a destructive, chaotic, confused state of society, in which the proposed base means and methods for achieving goals are at odds with the original, ancient foundations of society, with its spiritual culture and centuries-old folk tradition. To overcome the spiritual crisis, society needs to return to its ancient roots and original order, to its unique folk culture, which preserves the spiritual strength of the people.

Such an explanation, I think, will be the most understandable for any ordinary person, regardless of his nationality, his religion or creed, living not only in the Russian world, but also in any country on our Earth.

In modern society, where spiritual values ​​are replaced or specially replaced by material values, always, sooner or later, there is a spiritual crisis. This becomes even more noticeable in modern, so-called "civilized countries", where spiritual values ​​are hushed up, or ridiculed as savagery and relics of the past, or completely ignored. The spiritual crisis manifests itself even in countries with great religious activity. Thus, the presence of a large number of religious people in the country and the presence in it of a large number of religious buildings (temples, churches (churches), mosques, synagogues or datsans) does not yet indicate that this country is protected from a spiritual crisis.

The spiritual crisis of society never appears suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, it does not exist by itself, as an independent phenomenon. The spiritual crisis of society gains its destructive power gradually, over many years, many decades and centuries, and it gains this strength from soulless individuals who, with their lack of spirituality, infect the people around them, depriving them of spiritual strength, thereby leading people to a personal spiritual crisis. So where does the spiritual crisis in our world come from? Where are its roots and sources that feed it? In order to somehow understand these issues, you need to look into our distant past.

What distinguished the Russian world from the outside world around it? The Russian world was distinguished by the presence of enormous spiritual power in the people who inhabited it. The saturation of spiritual power was so great that it was perceived by people outside the Russian world, even by the organs of smell. Remember the old Slavic tales, legends and traditions that say about this: “I smell the Russian spirit”, “Here is the Russian spirit, here it smells of Russia”, etc., but these were not just beautiful turns of speech when these expressions were used in a figurative sense, these were images reflecting the objective world in all its diversity. Many pundits from academic science and skeptics may not agree with such a statement, incredulously coming up with various interpretations of these phrases, but how can they then explain such a manifestation of the enormous spiritual strength of the Russian people as spiritual unity. Indeed, throughout the known world history, any wars against the Russian world ended in the defeat of the invaders, who not only felt the Russian spirit with their nose, but also perceived the spiritual unity of the Russian people with all the fibers of their souls.

The Russian world had enough ill-wishers and enemies at all times throughout world history. What was it in the Russian world that prevented these hostile forces from living peacefully in their countries? The main reason was the presence in the Russian world of enormous spiritual power. This is due to the fact that on the lands inhabited by Slavic clans and tribes there were many sources of spiritual power. The Slavs ennobled the places where the streams of spiritual power came out of the earth, built temples and sanctuaries in these places, built temples to their ancient Gods over the sources, and settled next to them. Living in cities and settlements near such sources filled people with great spiritual strength. This force strengthened not only the spirit of a person, but also comprehensively developed his soul, and filled his body with living natural force. These are the people of the Russian world who became an obstacle to hostile forces on their way to world domination.

Realizing that the Russian world cannot be captured and destroyed from outside, the hostile forces decided to weaken it from the inside, using their own basic qualities against the Slavs, such as: curiosity, decency, truthfulness, religious tolerance, gullibility and good nature. After all, the Slavs never elevated themselves above other peoples, did not indicate to others how to live correctly and what to believe in, they considered all people on Earth equal and similar to themselves.

First, together with trade caravans, representatives of various cults and religions went to the Slavic lands from different countries. They explained their appearance at the Slavic markets by the fact that merchants and merchants from other countries need to bring trebs and gifts to their Gods after a successful trade or exchange. The Slavs were calm about these explanations, it is necessary that it is necessary, because they also brought trebs and gifts to their ancient Gods after the end of trading affairs. In addition, the Slavs even helped foreign priests build cult buildings for other Gods near the market place, so that next time even more trade caravans could arrive for trade and exchange.

But then something strange happened, merchants with caravans went to their native countries, and strangers, priests of various cults, and religions of other Gods, remained near the marketplace in the cult buildings built for them. At first, there were explanations that they still needed to do a lot of things in their temples and bring beauty there before the next arrival of the trading caravan, then some other reasons were invented, and after a while the Slavs got used to the fact that in the temples of other Gods, next to the markets, constantly priests of various cults and religions live.

Ordering utensils necessary for temples from artisans, buying things and food from merchants, the priest made acquaintances with the people he needed. Having gained confidence in people, the priest began to unobtrusively tell them about the countries he visited, about the wondrous miracles that are happening in the world, and gradually, gradually moved on to a story about his religion, about all the charms, miracles and graces that his cult or religion. These stories made a special impression on the younger generation. After some time, impressed by the stories, the children, and sometimes their parents, themselves came to the priest to listen to his interesting stories about the wondrous miracles happening in the world and about the unusual faith that bestows various graces on its followers.

People of the Russian World tend to communicate with each other, share news, especially in the last months of autumn, when the harvest is harvested in the field and all the bins are filled, as well as in the long winter, when they are not busy with field work and large-scale trade has fallen into hibernation. At this time, people gathered for gatherings, where they discussed news and various rumors. It was at such gatherings that unusual stories were heard about marvelous miracles in overseas countries, about unusual cults and religions of other Gods, which were told by merchants and artisans who themselves heard them from priests living in foreign temples near the marketplace. To those who were interested in these stories, after such gatherings, they themselves began to come to foreign priests in order to find out as much as possible about what was happening in distant countries, how people live there and what gods they revere. Human curiosity is not a vice, but only a means of broadening one's horizons.

Arriving at a strange temple, in addition to the priest, they were met by an unusual atmosphere. Interior decoration painted with bright colors, sometimes images or statues of alien Gods, as well as unusual smells from certain herbs and oils burned in special bowls. I think that it is not necessary to explain in what state people were led by the narration of the priests superimposed on a combination of bright color paintings and special smells. This state gave a feeling of unearthly grace. People more and more often began to visit other people's temples in order to feel an unusual state. Gradually, they forgot to visit the temples, temples and sanctuaries of their ancient Gods. Thus, they no longer received nourishment from the ancient sources of spiritual power.

As time passed, more and more people came to the temples and places of worship of foreign Gods, which means that the number of such temples and places of worship increased. The results were very pleasing to the enemies of the Russian world, for fewer and fewer Slavs received spiritual strength from their ancient sources. After several generations, the Western Slavic clans and tribes living in the territories of Eastern and Western Europe lost their ancient sources of spiritual power, since many of them were forgotten, and many ancient Slavic temples and sanctuaries standing above the sources were destroyed, and the priests that retained them were destroyed.

In the future, the same picture was observed in the territories of residence of the Eastern Slavic clans and tribes. These actions of foreign ill-wishers and enemies of the Russian world continued until the early 1920s, when the Bolsheviks came to power in post-imperial Russia. They did not understand spiritual matters at all, they simply declared all religions, cults and beliefs to be “opium for the people”, banned all confessions, clergy of various religions and beliefs, either shot them or sent them to prisons or concentration camps, and temples and ancient cult sanctuaries , began to destroy or use for their own needs ...

SPIRITUAL CRISIS IN RUSSIA AND PROBLEMS OF MORAL EDUCATION

Manifestations of the crisis. In the years that followed the fall of the Soviet state, Russia entered a period of spiritual crisis, which continues to deepen. First of all, this is evidenced a sharp drop in the level of morality, which is manifested in the social behavior and attitude of people towards each other, in the level of their education, in the manner of speech and interests. This is especially noticeable in the case of young people. The moral level of many young Russians is not only fearful, but sometimes terrifying. Their vocabulary is striking in its paucity and primitivism, and almost everywhere speech is interspersed with obscenities, even among university students. Behavior and manner of dressing are becoming more and more vulgar, especially among the male population. In the eyes of young people - emptiness and boredom, and their main interests are reduced to money, entertainment, sex, cards and drugs. Lack of respect for the individual at all levels - one of the main vices of modern Russian society. People do not respect themselves and each other, citizens do not respect their state, and the state does not respect its citizens, drivers and pedestrians do not mutually respect each other, teachers do not respect students, and they, in turn, do not respect teachers ... given the list goes on. Everyone strives to get as many blessings as possible from this life, to stand out by suppressing others. Relationships of love are increasingly reduced to a purely sexual partnership, and friendship is most often dictated by selfish interests. This problem has long-standing roots dating back to the time when a citizen of the state was considered as a mechanism of a huge state machine, "a wheel and a cog in a single system." However, in recent years the situation has become even more aggravated, since earlier communist morality to some extent restrained hidden vices, but now they have come out and, in the absence of any restrictions, have practically captured all sections of society. An unhealthy moral climate, lack of future prospects, along with unfavorable socio-economic conditions, are the main reasons for the departure of many talented Russians abroad (brain drain). Outstanding scientists, cultural and artistic figures, athletes and entrepreneurs leave not because they have a prosperous and safe life (although this is important!), but because they cannot realize their rich internal potential within their country. Once in more favorable conditions, they achieve significant success in their chosen field of activity. At the same time, Russia is losing its best intellectual and spiritual forces, which could make a significant contribution to its well-being and prosperity. Those who remain are primarily concerned with how to make more money, or simply the struggle to survive. They suffer from the spiritual emptiness surrounding them, the lack of clear prospects, as a result of which depression is widespread, the incidence and mortality of the population are growing. Finally, another manifestation of the spiritual crisis is the environmental problem, which, being a global phenomenon, has its own characteristics in Russia. Not in every country in the world it is customary to leave garbage right on the streets, throw unextinguished cigarette butts on the ground, and also throw empty plastic and even glass bottles out of the windows of electric trains. The barbaric treatment of our fellow citizens with nature makes one shudder. Our forests, beaches, ponds and other places of recreation are gradually turning into garbage dumps. Nature cries from such inhuman treatment! We squeeze all the juice out of our poor land, without thinking, but what awaits us and our children in the future? Only people who do not respect themselves, others, or their country do this. Therefore, the problems of environmental protection are directly related to the problems of morality, or rather, its absence. On the Causes of the Spiritual Crisis. One of the main reasons for the spiritual crisis that caused the decline of culture and morality in the country is the absence in post-perestroika Russia of a new ideology, ideals of the future society, programs of social and cultural development for the future.. After the collapse of the Soviet state and, accordingly, the communist doctrine, the country found itself in a spiritual vacuum. The ideals of freedom, democracy and humanism, nurtured on Western soil, which were brought by the August 1991 revolution, under the conditions of Russia either gave very weak shoots, or did not sprout at all, or degenerated into something ugly. Previously, we built our lives in accordance with the principles of Marxism-Leninism, which presupposed clear social guidelines. They turned out to be a utopia. And now, after 16 years, no ideology has been created in the country to replace it! There are no clear social guidelines for the future. Russia doesn't know where it's going! Just as a person who does not have a goal and a dream leads a disorderly and useless life, so also a state in which there is no concept of future development, which does not have social ideals, plunges into spiritual chaos. The values ​​of the Western consumer society, far from the best ones, which are actively assimilated by our fellow citizens, poured into the gap formed after the collapse of socialism. The media, as well as the numerous literature that has appeared on the shelves, teach us how to succeed in life, TV shows demonstrate how to become a millionaire. Money becomes an absolute value, the presence of which is a measure of personal significance. The moral qualities of a person under such conditions not only recede into the background, but are simply ignored. The second reason lies in the fact that the state in the post-perestroika period actually moved away from the problems of educating morality and preserving the spiritual health of the nation, focusing primarily on solving socio-economic problems. As a result, the media actively took up this matter, shaping the moral ideals of Russian society in their own way, focusing on the very examples of Western culture that have already been mentioned above. Perhaps the state believes that the education of morality is the business of the church, but its influence is too insignificant! Freedom in conditions of a low level of culture and morality leads to anarchy and permissiveness (meaning, first of all, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the media). The basest manifestations of human nature come out and, multiplying many times, become a huge evil on the scale of society. These vices are served by the media, which, in the absence of any moral restrictions, turn into a mouthpiece for the propaganda of violence, immorality and vulgarity. Everyone knows that Rome was destroyed not by barbarians, but by a decline in morals. Will Russia become another victim of spiritual degradation? About the opportunityovercoming the crisis. The problem of overcoming the spiritual crisis and the problems of moral education closely related to it should become a paramount task of national importance! A special policy is needed in this area! Society must have well-defined ideals. Where are we going? What will our future be like in 50, 100 years? What should be the person of the future? What personality traits should he have? What character traits need to be nurtured in him? Russia urgently needs a new ideology! All the healthy forces of society, concerned about the future of the Russian nation, must unite to solve the problem of the country's spiritual revival. The upbringing of the younger generation is especially important. What values ​​will young Russians learn? Can we focus on the Western ideal? Western society, focused on the consumption of material and spiritual goods, is significantly ahead of us both in terms of socio-economic indicators (standard of living) and in terms of morality (observance of human rights, respect for the human person). And we still have a lot to do to reach the level that the developed countries have. Therefore, to some extent, the orientation towards Western values ​​is justified. But what is behind this? The increase in depression and suicide in a number of quite prosperous countries indicates that these societies are in fact far from prosperous. In addition, residents of Western Europe and North America are no less prone to chronic diseases than Russians. In a number of countries, the birth rate is falling, and the number of infertile women is increasing. All the vices of modern society - drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, etc. - spread with terrifying speed and they have. According to many Russians who have been abroad, the level of culture and morality of Western youth is extremely low. All benefits are easily achievable, there is no need to fight for anything, but what next? The meaning of life is lost. Apparently, the lack of a concept of the future for developed countries is also a problem. Consequently, the values ​​of the consumer society should not serve as a guideline for Russia, because we first of all assimilate its vices. The ideals of violence and free love are already coming to the fore in our society, you just need to turn on the TV or pick up any newspaper. The spiritual degradation of young people is increasing every year and gives rise to a sense of impasse and hopelessness. The well-being of the state cannot be judged only by the level of wages, the growth of incomes of the population and the number of rich people. If the spiritual and moral development of a person lags behind the level of his material well-being, a spiritual crisis arises, which is marked by the phenomena that have already been mentioned above. This does not mean at all that the state should not strive to increase the material well-being of citizens! But in the first place there should be concern for the education of moral qualities that will allow a person to accept these benefits without spiritual harm to himself. The wealth that came to a person who literally did not deserve it (did not grow up to him in terms of his personal qualities) corrupts, spoils the character and deprives the meaning of life. About principleseducationnew outlook. When developing a future ideology, it is necessary to rely on the rich spiritual heritage of our past historical experience, including the principles of Orthodoxy, patriotism and collectivism, as well as on the outstanding achievements of world philosophical and ethical thought. The ideals of humanism should be put at the forefront, that is, philanthropy, respect for a person, which, as already mentioned, is practically absent in modern Russian society. On the one hand, this is a relic of feudal times, on the other hand, a legacy of the Soviet regime. The humanistic ideals that proclaim the priority of man are the positive things that we need to learn from our Western neighbors. Russia should use the best traditions of its own and other people's historical experience and abandon those, eradicate those that are an obstacle to creating a new community of spiritually developed people (in particular, such qualities as authoritarianism, passivity, low responsibility, lack of initiative). Orolesreligiouslythconsciousand I. It is necessary to return to the idea of ​​the Divine origin of man, since Darwin's teaching that man is the result of the evolution of primates causes enormous moral damage to humanity. Based on this theory, a person appeared by chance, and human society arose either as a result of a social contract, or in the course of the development of social inequality and exploitation, and it is not clear what awaits humanity in the future. People compose different social doctrines, utopias, which are refuted by life itself. But the worst thing is that the laws of the animal kingdom are automatically transferred to human relations (the strongest survives, which destroys and suppresses its rivals). However, even animals are, in a sense, more merciful than humans! Materialists may object that the existence of the Higher Mind and the Divine origin of man have not been proven. However, the moral aspects of the problem cannot be reduced to purely scientific ones! The situation in our country and on the planet as a whole is such that the question of the future of human civilization is on the agenda. The problems of terrorism, the increasing frequency of natural disasters are a direct consequence of the violation of moral laws by mankind, which are not invented by man, but follow from the Highest world laws of nature and the Universe. Therefore, the return of the idea of ​​the divine origin of man is dictated by the highest goal, the task of the survival of mankind! How not to remember the great Kant with his idea of ​​the need for a moral justification for the existence of God! The words of the genius of our literature, F.M. Dostoevsky, that "if there is no God, then everything is permitted," uttered by one of the Karamazov brothers, became prophetic. In the 20th century and at the beginning of the new millennium, mankind was plunged into the abyss of the most severe cataclysms, the equal of which history did not know, cataclysms, the culprits of which were people who turned away from faith in God and imagined themselves to be gods. Our life would change radically if every person knew from childhood that his appearance on our planet is not an accident. The level of morality would rise sharply if each of the people realized that they are the result of Divine creation, part of the Highest Plan embodied on Earth in order to fulfill their destiny and contribute to the development of the Universe and to the creation of world harmony. About using the positive experience of the past. At present, the problems of spirituality and morality are mainly dealt with by the church, but its influence is too insignificant. The state should join forces with the church! Is the separation of the church from the state and the school from the church justified under our conditions? To solve the problem of the spiritual revival of Russia, it is necessary to involve all the healthy creative forces of society - philosophers, representatives of the church, writers, politicians, psychologists and everyone who is not indifferent to the future of our people and state. They must develop a unified program for the spiritual and moral development of the state and society, which should become the core of a new ideology, or announce a competition for such programs. Perhaps the practice of five-year plans could be useful. Of course, we are not talking about petty regulation of all aspects of life, but only about creating clear guidelines for development in various areas of social development - both socio-economic, and cultural and moral. Why not borrow its strengths from the past system? Morality and school. Particular attention should be paid to working with educational institutions. It has already been said that the cultural and moral level of our youth causes fear for our future. The moral climate in many schools is such that the best representatives of the teaching staff are often forced to leave schools or do not come there at all. Schoolchildren are unnecessarily overloaded with those items that they will not need in life. This negatively affects their physical and mental health. But worst of all is the unhealthy psychological and moral atmosphere in many Russian schools, which has already been mentioned above. All the vices of modern society flourish in them - drug addiction, the cult of power, disrespect and contempt for a person, sexual promiscuity, etc. Therefore, parents from wealthy families seek to transfer their children to private schools in order to protect them from this harmful influence. The teaching profession is one of the lowest paid and least prestigious, so the best graduates of teacher training colleges shy away from working at school (and also for the reasons mentioned above). The state urgently needs to develop a system of measures to improve the climate in schools, otherwise we risk raising spiritually sick generations, the consequences of which can be the most catastrophic. A more careful approach should be taken to the development of criteria for selecting persons entering pedagogical specialties, it may even introduce a special moral examination for teachers, for which purpose special commissions on pedagogical ethics should be created. It is necessary to raise the prestige of pedagogical activity, to revise the system of payment and social security of teachers. In optimizing the system of school education, it is necessary to unite efforts with the church. The Church must take charge of elementary and secondary schools! Its influence should be strengthened not only in terms of introducing the teaching of special disciplines, but also in extracurricular activities! It is useful to recall the best traditions of children's and youth organizations, pioneer camps of the previous era! These organizations, as well as various circles and interest sections. as many children and adolescents as possible should be reached so that they do not spend their free time in doorways, with cigarettes and beer, or in search of drugs. For this, it is necessary not only to support children's clubs, but also to create such circles at schools, in every possible way encouraging the useful initiatives of teachers. Of course, the methods of involving children should not be formal, but should be based on their desires and interests. Everyone who works with the younger generation must be subjected to the most thorough moral selection, because the future of the country is in their hands! Appropriate humanitarian and moral training should also be given to doctors, since many of them have forgotten what a human attitude towards their patients is! About environmental education. As already mentioned, the problems of ecology stem from the problems of morality, or, more precisely, the immorality of people. Therefore, environmental education should play an important role. Along with moral education, one should instill in children from an early age a love for nature, teach them to take care of animals and plants, cultivate accuracy and a desire for cleanliness. It is necessary to actively involve the mass media in solving this problem, to show films and programs about nature, about the animal world, about our planet more often. Ecological circles and organizations must be created in schools, it is useful to conduct ecological raids, tourist rallies. If new generations of Russians do not realize the importance of protecting the environment, we will soon lose our natural wealth, and sooner or later this will lead to an ecological catastrophe, and then to the death of our civilization. On the principles of moral education. Moral education of children should include the formation of the correct worldview and appropriate character traits. The author of these lines conducted a survey among part-time students, that is, people already adults with families, what moral qualities they would like to instill in their children. It turned out that almost all respondents have a very poor idea of ​​what they are teaching! Parents and teachers should clearly imagine the ideal image of the future person (pedagogical ideal) and educate the younger generation with the appropriate character traits. 1. In early childhood, parents should help the child realize his life tasks assigned to him from above, help him find his Way in life. In accordance with this, the choice of profession should take place. 2. It is necessary to instill in the child that he must develop his talents and abilities, which are given to him from above in order to fulfill his Destiny. 3. A person should strive for the constant development of his spiritual qualities, positive character traits and for maximum self-realization. Everyone should realize this principle as one of the basic spiritual laws of the existence of mankind, because if development and spiritual growth stops, personality degradation occurs, the body is destroyed, a person gets sick and dies early. 4. Every young person should be aware that his most important task in life is to create a family and raise children. It is necessary to cultivate a conscious, balanced attitude towards the correct choice of a life partner, the main criterion of which should be love and spiritual community, and not passion or calculation. Every young person should be preparing to become a parent and be directly responsible for their children, for their health and moral character. It is necessary to prohibit propaganda in the media and literature of the ideas of sexual freedom, as this disfigures the individual. 5. The principles of humanism must become fundamental in relations between people. It is necessary to cultivate respect and tolerance towards their fellow citizens, citizens of other states, towards opposing opinions and ideas. One of the main principles should be the cultivation of a sense of love - for oneself, as for a part of the Universe, for other people, for nature and our planet. 6. Each person must understand that he is responsible for his words and thoughts. A person is a part of the Universe, he is connected with it by a single information space, and it must be remembered that our wrong and aggressive thoughts and words can cause irreparable harm to both people around us and the planet as a whole, as well as ourselves. 7. From the earliest years, the child should be taught to take care of his health, considering this as one of his main life tasks. Our body is part of nature, and we must treat it with the same care as the environment around us. The development of the individual as a whole should be determined not by the private interests of the state and the changing political situation, but should be based on knowledge of the Laws of the Universe! About CenterOhself-realization and spiritual development. In order to form the right worldview in the younger generation, educate positive character traits and develop the best spiritual qualities, on the one hand, as well as reveal the abilities and talents inherent in children and maximize the realization of internal capabilities, it is necessary to significantly reform the system of education and upbringing as a whole. The author of these lines would like to propose the idea of ​​creating special educational institutions, centers for spiritual development and self-realization, combining preschool education (kindergartens), secondary school education and higher education in the humanities. Careful training and selection of teaching staff should be carried out for work in such institutions. These institutions will work not only with children, but also with parents, especially with those who are expecting a child, because the educational impact begins even before birth, in the womb. The fate of her future children largely depends on the state of mind and health of a pregnant woman! All educators and teachers, leaders of circles must have the appropriate spiritual and moral qualities in order to instill in children from the earliest years the right view of the world, the principles of unconditional respect for oneself and another person, as well as a sense of love for oneself, other people, one's homeland, nature , the planet and the universe. In addition to kindergarten, school and university, Spiritual Development Centers should have various clubs, sports sections, a music school, a theater, etc., so that each child can find himself and realize his abilities to the maximum. The secondary school should be guided by the state educational standard with the obligatory inclusion of philosophy, religious studies, psychology and ethics. But the main thing is that these educational institutions should have a healthy moral climate based on the principles of mutual respect, love and responsibility! The selection of teachers in the humanities must be especially strict, since they themselves must have the appropriate spiritual qualities and character traits that will be taught to children! Labor education should be obligatory - gardening, gardening, teaching girls sewing, knitting, cooking, the basics of housekeeping, boys - carpentry and plumbing, etc. The most important component should be environmental education. It is desirable to place such Centers outside the city limits or have sites, camps outside the city. Hiking, tourist gatherings, raids to clean up reservoirs and forests are recommended. These Centers should exist in cooperation with the Orthodox Church and representatives of other churches. It is necessary to instill in young people religious tolerance and respect for representatives of other nationalities and religions. It seems very useful to cooperate with international organizations of a humanistic and ecological profile for the exchange of experience and spiritual enrichment. The author hopes that this idea will find the support of healthy forces among Russian entrepreneurs, concerned about the future of their children and their country, to sponsor such institutions. But, first of all, I want to believe that our state is aware that the upbringing of spirituality and morality is a task of the state scale, and in the near future will take up its implementation in order to prevent further spiritual degradation, in order to improve the nation, reduce the death rate and mass exodus of the best representatives of the nation abroad. Russian society contains huge potentialities. The Russians are very talented and have significant spiritual reserves that can lead our country to prosperity and contribute to the improvement of the entire planet.