The Spiritual Activist

Characteristics of a Spiritual Activist

A spiritual activist is not bound by religion or dogma.
They base their spirituality on experience and practice rather than theory.
They are compassionate because they know their connection to everything.
They lead by example and embody the change they wish to see in the world.
Their activism is holistic and synergistic in nature.
Their spirituality is radical and revolutionary.
They focus on the journey, moment by moment, rather than on the ultimate destination.

The Types of a Spiritual Activist

Serge Beddington-Behrens, Ph.D., identifies ten ways for spiritual activists to express themselves, possibly combining characteristics from multiple categories.

Table of Contents

1) The Radiant

Radiant activists are characterized by their ability to spread love, healing, and transformational energy to the world. They express their actions through the quality of their being, which helps to raise the vibrations of the environment around them. They are capable of bringing calm to turbulent situations and light to darkness. The work of radiant activists is crucial in our fragmented, violent, and stressful culture.

2) The Visionary

Visionary activists inspire new projects to benefit the world. They are deeply invested in creating social and political change and have a clear vision of what a better world could look like. Most importantly, they are committed to turning their vision into reality through concrete actions.

3) The Militant

Militant activists can be likened to “double agents” in a positive sense. They work within traditional organizations and subtly seek to introduce new perspectives without causing too much disruption. However, significant resistance to change often must be overcome to make progress.

4) The Proclaimer

Proclaimer activists use the power of speech to heal, inspire change, and encourage new ways of thinking and acting.

5) The Innovator

Like Jung, Einstein, or Ken Wilber. Innovative activists bring an entirely new perspective and a new paradigm for life. They can introduce us to alternative ways of thinking, acting, and perceiving the world, inspiring a new living model.

6) The Researcher

The role of the activist-researcher is to explore the darker side of life, bringing what is repressed or hidden to the surface so that it can be understood and “cleansed” by the light of consciousness. This can be risky because many regressive forces resist exposure and will fiercely fight to destroy those who attempt to reveal them.

7) The Educator

Activist Educators take on the responsibility of helping people see the world with clear eyes, become aware of the emerging new paradigm, and realize the more profound knowledge that resides within them. Many educators work to remind us that “much of what we believe to be true is false, and much of what we think is false is true!”

8) The Protester

The protester takes to the streets as the voice of the grassroots, actively defending universal values and human rights. If it achieves conscious and coordinated mass mobilization, this group can play a crucial role.

9) The Awakener

The role of the activist-awakener is not to make people feel calmer and more comfortable; that is the role of the Radiant. Instead, their role is to do their best to shake us out of our slumber so that we take greater steps to help a new culture emerge. They function like alarm clocks, pushing us into action and ensuring that we don’t leave our fate in the hands of oppressors.

10) The Resister

Out of all the many paths available to the activist, the resister path is the most heroic and requires the most remarkable courage to choose. It inevitably demands a willingness to sacrifice personal comfort and safety, as this role often involves confronting totalitarian regimes—a pursuit that typically leads to long periods of imprisonment and exile. The strength of this activist is exemplified by Aung San Suu Kyi (1945). The changes in Burmese society in recent years are due to her immense courage and commitment.