The Hidden Narcissism Behind Spirituality, Poverty, and Global Inequalities
- Brainz Magazine
- 21 hours ago
- 7 min read
Written by Phoebe Toft, Healing Journey Author & Coach
Phoebe Toft is an impactful author and coach, known for the poetry collection "Caught in Partner Violence", where she uses words to foster understanding and healing around complex issues like partner violence and narcissism.
In an age where spirituality and self-development are widely embraced as paths to healing and meaning, a deeper and more uncomfortable question emerges, what happens when spirituality itself becomes driven by the ego? This article explores how narcissism can disguise itself as enlightenment, how spiritual bypassing sustains inequality, and how poverty, power, and “inner work” are woven into a system that often rewards illusion over genuine transformation.
Understanding narcissism’s role in this dynamic
Today, we are witnessing a growing trend where people turn to spirituality and self-development as a path to meaning, peace, and inner balance. Many engage in meditation, mindfulness, workshops, and alternative healing practices to cope with both personal and global challenges. However, beneath this pursuit often lies a concealed issue, a narcissistic form of spirituality that masquerades as genuine insight. This type of narcissism transforms the spiritual journey into a deconstruction of true growth and understanding, where the ego’s need for recognition and self-affirmation takes precedence over deep insight and authentic transformation.
What is narcissistic spirituality?
False spirituality can be described as a superficial or commercialized version of spirituality, where the primary focus is on gaining status, validation, or personal advantage. It represents a form of self-deception, where spiritual concepts and practices are used to bolster the ego rather than to seek truth, deep insight, or authentic transformation. This can manifest through superficial spiritual courses or trends that promise quick solutions without depth, as well as excessive self-absorption, where spirituality becomes a tool to highlight oneself and one’s “spiritual superiority.”
Additionally, there is commercial exploitation, where companies profit from people’s search for meaning without offering genuine value, and a tendency to use spirituality as an excuse to ignore or avoid taking responsibility for personal or societal issues. This narcissistic spirituality is driven by the ego, with validation, power, and status as its main motivators, creating an illusion of having found “the true path,” while in reality only reinforcing the ego’s need for recognition.
How narcissism masks as spirituality
Narcissism, which involves excessive self-absorption and a lack of genuine empathy, is often concealed behind a facade of spirituality. When spirituality is used as a tool to validate one’s image or to feel superior, the true pursuit of growth and insight becomes distorted. It becomes about building a “spiritual” persona that satisfies the ego’s needs rather than working with the deeper layers of one’s inner self. This can also be seen in master manipulators who understand the mechanics of spirituality but use them to distort truths and create narratives that serve their own interests. In this way, truth is manipulated, and spirituality becomes a tool for ego-driven purposes rather than a genuine path toward growth and understanding.
The hidden power structure and symbolism surrounding poverty and spirituality
This false form of spirituality contributes to a culture where genuine self-awareness and deep reflection are replaced by superficial trends, creating an illusion of being “enlightened” or “awakened” without having done the inner work required for real change. It can lead to a skewed prioritization, where the focus is on promoting oneself rather than contributing to the community or addressing the structural causes of poverty and oppression. As a result, spirituality becomes a tool for transformation without genuine healing or inner growth.
The symbolism surrounding poverty plays a central role in this dynamic. When societal structures create inequality, spirituality is often used as an escape, a way to ignore the social issues that sustain poverty and injustice. Many seek comfort in spiritual systems that promise inner peace, but this can also serve as a means to evade responsibility. It is a form of narcissistic self-deception, where the focus on one’s “inner peace” becomes an excuse to overlook social injustices that maintain inequality and oppression.
The connection between the system, inequality, and the illusion of the ego
This form of false spirituality helps sustain existing power structures because it focuses on individual salvation without demanding real social change. It becomes a way to escape responsibility while the system continues to uphold poverty, fear, and oppression. At the same time, it fosters a culture where people are more concerned with their own “spiritual journey” than with addressing societal injustices. Poverty, in this context, is not just an economic reality but also a symbolic narrative of how the ego and narcissism create distance from truth. It appears that the system has cultivated a culture where being authentic, humble, and solidaristic has become costly. Staying healthy, vital, and balanced has turned into a luxury for the few, while the poor are pushed into a harsh fight merely to survive, a struggle often driven by the ego’s attempt to maintain control and the illusion of power.
Prices, economic barriers, and narcissistic spirituality
In today’s society, the prices of energy, food, and healthcare have risen dramatically, creating a new type of economic precipice that affects many. It is no longer just a matter of affording basic necessities, but also of maintaining a quality of life that was previously more accessible. This development has deep symbolic and social implications that go beyond immediate economic concerns. At the same time, this trend can be interpreted as a form of symbolic theft. Values such as community, compassion, and genuine growth are sacrificed in favor of the ego’s needs. It is a culture where it has become costly to preserve one’s dignity and inner peace, to keep one’s light shining, while those without resources are left in darkness. This creates an uneven distribution of symbolic capital, where the privileged cultivate their “spiritual superiority,” while the poor are pushed even further into the shadows of injustice.
The rising cost as a symbol of keeping one’s light shining, and the narcissistic ego structure
Paying for energy, healthy food, and healthcare has today become a symbol of being able to “keep your own light shining,” a metaphor for preserving life, vitality, and dignity. When prices rise, it becomes a struggle to maintain this “light source,” making it seem as though it has become expensive to be healthy and alive. This symbolizes how these values have been taken away from the poor, while the privileged reinforce their power. Many use expressions such as “saving on the light” or “electricity is too expensive,” reflecting an acknowledgment that we cannot afford to live healthily and that many are merely surviving with what they can get. These phrases are telling because they carry a deeper meaning that we are only beginning to understand. At the same time, this form of narcissistic spirituality contributes to maintaining and reinforcing societal inequality. It focuses on the individual’s “inner journey” without addressing the structural causes of poverty and oppression. It becomes an escape from responsibility, where instead of contributing to social change, people seek inner peace through ego soothing, a reassurance that ultimately strengthens the ego’s illusion of self-sufficiency and superiority.
Maintaining health and vitality, a luxury for the few
In today’s society, being healthy, fresh, and full of energy has become a luxury largely reserved for the privileged. For the poor, it is almost impossible to stay “juicy,” a metaphor for being vital and in balance, without sacrificing everything. Prices for green energy, organic food, and healthcare are often so high that sustaining a healthy lifestyle becomes a struggle against the system. Symbolically, it appears as though these are “stolen” values, things that were once taken for granted but are now reserved for the wealthy.
The values of the poor, stolen, and given to the rich
This development can be seen as a form of symbolic theft, where values related to health, well-being, and quality of life are taken from the poor and handed to the wealthy. It is a form of social exploitation, where the system favors those with resources to invest in their welfare, while others are pushed into a struggle merely to survive. It is as if the system has created a value imbalance, making it costly to keep one’s own light shining and leaving those who cannot pay in darkness.
The social bond and the fight for survival
This economic precipice creates a social bond, a form of captivity in an endless struggle to stay afloat. People become trapped in a constant fight for survival, where they must choose between prioritizing health, or paying bills. It is a battle that involves more than money. It also concerns values and identity. When one cannot afford to eat healthily or heal oneself, a part of self-respect and sense of worth is lost.
A symbolic tale of systemic injustice
All of these points to the fact that it has become costly to keep one’s own light shining, maintaining health, vitality, and self-respect. These values have been symbolically taken from the poor, who lack the means, and given to the wealthy, who can afford them. It is a story of how the system is designed to perpetuate inequality, where the financial burden is also a social and symbolic burden, and where the struggle to preserve a life worthy self-image becomes increasingly difficult for those with the least.
In a society where the “right lifestyle” is preached as the norm, many people find themselves unable to live up to the ideals promoted. The prices of fruits, vegetables, and healthy foods have risen to a level where, for many, it is more financially feasible to choose alcohol or sugar-laden products. When individuals cannot follow the advice given and are met with disapproving looks and moralizing messages, it can quickly lead to internal conflict. Many begin to condemn themselves, as if their inability to live healthily were a personal failure. This self-blame becomes a form of self-judgment, where individuals attempt to correct their “mistake” through shame and self-criticism.
This can also be seen as a way of stealing one’s own spirituality and inner strength, a form of power. When society pressures individuals to adhere to certain ideals, and they fail to meet those standards, it can create a culture where authenticity and spirituality are suppressed. Just as narcissism drains energy and inner strength from others through trauma, this form of self-criticism and condemnation becomes a way of taking power from oneself and others. It is a subtle mechanism of control that sustains inequality and dominance. Through self-punishment and shame, individuals assume a distorted sense of control over their lives, while unintentionally contributing to the repression of inner strength and spirituality in themselves and others.
This dynamic underscores how inequality is not only economic but also about controlling and suppressing human inner power and authenticity, a subtle form of power that fuels cycles of shame, trauma, and social oppression.
Read more from Phoebe Toft
Phoebe Toft, Healing Journey Author & Coach
Phoebe Toft is a courageous author and coach who draws on her experiences from a violent relationship with a narcissistic partner. In her poetry collection 'Caught in Partner Violence', she uses words as healing tools to explore the dynamics of narcissistic relationships and raise awareness about trauma. With a spiritual approach to coaching, she aims to guide others toward inner strength and freedom. Phoebe is passionate about increasing understanding among society and professionals regarding the experiences of victims, as she believes that knowledge is crucial for healing.
