God is everything the narcissist ever wants to be: omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, admired, much discussed, and awe inspiring. God is the narcissist's wet dream, his ultimate grandiose fantasy. But God comes handy in other ways as well. The narcissist alternately idealizes and devalues figures of authority.
Treat them with kindness and mercy, and model Christ-like behavior in all that you do. Keep in mind that in the Bible, of all the things that God hates most, “haughty eyes” are listed first (Proverbs 6:16-17). Pride is a dangerous sin to fall into, so make sure you're not fighting a narcissist's fire with fire.
In essence, they want you to worship them, so they feel “special," “exceptional," and “important." It is with this superficial and compensatory outer “mask” that the narcissist constructs his or her false identity, submerging an insecure, wounded self.
A narcissist uses their religious belief to manipulate, control and dominate you through fear. They systematically take the life out of your faith and replace themselves in the center.
Narcissists believe themselves superior and have no problem treating you as an object. But what happens when religion and God become a narcissist's mission? With their attachment to God, they view others as fatally flawed and their belief in their specialness becomes magnified.
Although narcissists act superior, entitled and boastful, underneath their larger-than-life facade lies their greatest fear: That they are ordinary. For narcissists, attention is like oxygen. Narcissists believe only special people get attention.
The researchers found that while many narcissists may perceive themselves as highly intelligent, critical thinkers, they are less likely to use important reflective thinking strategies when solving problems, Therefore, the high levels of confidence they have in their intellectual abilities are often misplaced.
The narcissist goes through the same cycle in his relationship with God, the quintessential authority figure. But often, even when disillusionment and iconoclastic despair have set in – the narcissist continues to pretend to love God and follow Him.
Someone diagnosed with NPD is almost certainly going to exhibit some signs of a god complex, but someone with a god complex doesn't necessarily have NPD. There's a lot of overlap, though, particularly with grandiose narcissism.
Yes, a narcissist is aware of his or her behavior, but unaware of the psychological mechanisms that compel and justify the behavior. Thus, an individual suffering from narcissistic personality disorder must be highly motivated to address the issue of compromised insight and introspection.
Arrogance – Arrogance and a disregard for other people's feelings are typical characteristics of narcissism. Narcissists often have a low self esteem which they try to relieve by insulting or degrading others. This helps to re-inflate their ego when they are feeling deflated or lacking in worth.
A spiritual narcissist is someone who uses faith and spirituality to manipulate others and obtain a narcissistic supply to boost their own ego. This can be your preacher, guru, or spiritual coach. Also, a spiritual narcissist can be your family member, a parent, or your romantic partner.
However, it's important to remember that we should first pray for discernment before dismissing our reactions. Spiritual narcissists love our churches because it's easy for them to hide in plain sight, discredit their victims, find supporters, and secure their position by becoming needed.
He is the person most insensitive to his true needs. The narcissist drains himself of mental energy in this process. This is why he has none left to dedicate to others. This fact, as well as his inability to love human beings in their many dimensions and facets, ultimately transform him into a recluse.
Often narcissism is not mentioned in Christian theology, sermons, or Bible Studies because term is not explicitly found in the Bible. Yet, the concept of narcissism and the dangers it poses to the human community is fundamental to scripture.
It's not known what causes narcissistic personality disorder. The cause is likely complex. Narcissistic personality disorder may be linked to: Environment — parent-child relationships with either too much adoration or too much criticism that don't match the child's actual experiences and achievements.
Grandiose narcissists display an inflated sense of self and often appear arrogant and entitled. Vulnerable narcissists also have a heightened focus on themselves but are more needing of reassurance and are envious of others.
Since reality doesn't support their grandiose view of themselves, narcissists live in a fantasy world propped up by distortion, self-deception, and magical thinking. They spin self-glorifying fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, attractiveness, and ideal love that make them feel special and in control.
Spiritual Narcissist Traits
Spiritual narcissists specifically seek out validation about their heightened level of spiritual development. They find their supply both through validation of their holiness and spiritual attainment as well as through the continued practice of their beliefs.
Narcissists can and do love, but their love tends to be superficial and fleeting. They can develop intense emotional attachments—even appearing to "fall in love"—and yet still maintain a complete lack of empathy for the object of their affection.
No matter how much you tell narcissists you love them, admire them, or approve of them, they never feel it's enough—because deep down they don't believe anyone can love them. Despite all their self-absorbed, grandiose bragging, narcissists are actually very insecure and fearful of not measuring up.
Narcissists look confident, brutal, strong, and lucky. The image they project is of someone who enjoys abusing others. They seem to be nowhere close to facing Karma. But, the truth is that they have been facing some utter bad luck since their childhood.
NPD Brains Work Differently
According to research, people with narcissistic personality disorder have reduced gray matter volume in areas of the brain related to empathy and increased activity on baseline images in brain regions associated with self-directed and self-absorbed thinking.
Lowers Anxiety and Risk for Depression
People with healthy narcissistic traits have higher self-esteem, which can lower stress levels and create a baseline of general happiness. “They are better able to impress people favorably because of a higher self-regard,” says Whitbourne.
“Grandiose narcissism appears to correlate positively with healthy self-esteem and extroversion,” Papageorgiou says. These types of narcissists tend to be very confident, which is a good thing. (A vulnerable narcissist, on the other hand, might be overly sensitive.)