If you have a sane mind, there is probably little danger of getting too deep into personal or spiritual development. There is always the possibility though of becoming too self-absorbed, and also of not living in or enjoying the physical world around you. A balanced life is most satisfying, I think.

Look around you. You won't have to go far to find people who are disconnected from "reality." These people have beliefs that do not serve them well, either because their beliefs do not produce results, or because those beliefs are actually holding them back from a better life (what we call "limiting beliefs").

The people who are most connected with reality are the ones that are achieving results, in whatever way they define success. In my view, these are the people who are willing to relinquish those beliefs that do not work for them, and adopt better, more workable ideas.

How many people do you know who actually reality-check their ideas? They wear crystals around their neck because someone told them the crystals will improve their "harmonic alignment," but their life hasn't gotten any better.

True spiritual development is about self-knowledge, about finding out who you really are, at the core of your being, and about understanding your relationship to the Divine. Gaining that knowledge helps you in all areas of your life. Everything else is just chaff.

But sometimes you have to sift through the chaff to get to the wheat.

YES. This is where we get cult leaders and people who think they are Jesus.

Like my last post said - Balance.

Good point...i think its possible to get so spiritual you miss out on what this worlds got to offer Graham

We can "go overboard with spiritual development" when we lose sight of the reason we began to awaken and we start to adopt a more spiritual than thou attitude.

I think making our everyday lives part of our spiritual practice is the key. It really doesn't matter how much we think we know about spirituality that makes us spiritual. It's how we interact with and respond to one another on a daily basis( and especially those people who tend to push our buttons) that really shows how we are growing spiritually.

I fully agree with Vesuvius that it is really all about focusing on one's own self development and creating enough self awareness to not react from ego but realizing that connection to a Higher Power and responding from that place.