spiritual bypass

spir·i·tu·al by·pass

noun

Spirituality as avoidance of unresolved psychological issues.

Meanings

nounspiritual bypass (uncountable)

alternative spiritual bypassing

  1. uncountableSpirituality as avoidance of unresolved psychological issues.

Origin

Coined by American psychotherapist John Welwood in the mid 1980s.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

spiritual bypass. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritual%20bypass

MLA

“spiritual bypass.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritual%20bypass. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spiritual bypass,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritual%20bypass.

Source: spiritual bypass on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.