Narcissists are people who thrive on being above the rest of us. They are manipulative, cunning, deceitful, and have a real problem with criticism. They are not the best people to surround yourself with, and they can drain your time and energy.

But what some people don’t know is that there is a subcategory of narcissists called spiritual narcissists who use faith to manipulate them.

Related: Why Narcissists Get Way More Action Than Everyone Else

What is a spiritual narcissist?

A spiritual narcissist is someone who strongly believes that his spiritual wisdom surpasses those around him and makes him special. This type of person uses their faith or spirituality to manipulate others in order to boost their ego.

Spiritual narcissists use faith to build themselves up while tearing people down. Their ego is above all else, and they specifically use faith to do this. They will also consider spiritual practices other than their own to be fake or fraudulent.

According to spiritualist and TikToker Selena Marie, spiritual narcissism often occurs when a person is not tapped into their higher self. They can be attractive and charming, but above all, they crave control.

A spiritual narcissist can be anyone, from a friend to a family member or even someone in a place of worship. It is best to know the signs and avoid these people at all costs.

10 signs of spiritual narcissism

1. They are friendly at first.
   When you first meet a spiritual narcissist, he or she may quickly like you as a person.

According to Mary, “You feel like you have a lot in common with this person in terms of spirituality.” They are incredibly friendly at first in order to create a bond.

2. They look down on you.
   If you notice that this person starts belittling you every now and then, you may be dealing with a spiritual narcissist. This is especially true if they follow it up with things like, “I’m just kidding” or “I’m just playing.”

“You don’t understand what’s funny. It’s rude. It’s just rude,” Mary explains.

3. You feel bad about them.
   Your intuition is taking care of you, so you better listen to it. If your gut is telling you to run away from this person, do it, it’s probably bad news. Don’t give them the time of day or allow them to get close to you.
4. They act like they know more than you.
   If this person thinks they know more about spirituality than you, stay away from them. If anyone starts thinking or even saying out loud that they are above you in any way, they are narcissistic and you don’t need that in your life.

“Everyone is on their own journey,” says Mary. “There is nothing linear about spirituality.” If this person thinks you’re not as spiritual as them, consider that a big red flag.

5. They can’t handle criticism
   Narcissists hate being wrong because they thrive on being perfect or superior to the people around them. So when they make a mistake, they may attack you and even gaslight you.

“If you try to correct them about something they said or something they did, they will act as if you don’t know what you’re talking about and will lash out at you,” Mary explains.

You will feel very upset around them if you try to correct them and they start to break up with you.

Related: How Not To Marry A Narcissistic Jerk

6. They will attack you.
   This doesn’t necessarily mean violence or physicality, but they will come after your character if you mess with them.

“They start saying, ‘Oh, you’re like this,’” or “You’re like that,” Mary says. They’ll deliberately try to belittle you and hurt your feelings, “because you’ve triggered their fragile ego.”

7. They manipulate the Bible.
   One of the main signs of spiritual narcissism is manipulating the Bible to justify their actions. They hide their toxic behavior behind the gospel and will even use it to convince you to question your beliefs.

The way they do this is to point out specific parts that agree with their point of view, while completely ignoring other parts that contradict it.

8. They control conversations
   If you are dealing with a spiritual narcissist, he will always control the conversation. If you say something they don’t like, they will immediately derail you and force their way into the conversation.

They will not allow others to speak, and if they do they reject what is being said and continue with their own agenda.

9. They talk instead of listening.
   Narcissists cannot focus enough on another person in order to listen to them. The only reason a spiritual narcissist would join the conversation is to get his or her point across (which usually ends in discussion).

Spiritual narcissists never want to contribute to a healthy conversation, but rather impose their ideas on others. The only people who listen to them are people they see as being on a higher spiritual level than them, which is rarely the case.

10. They brag.
    Another big sign of a spiritual narcissist is if he brags about his spirituality or how spiritual he is. This goes double when they belittle others regarding spirituality, claiming that they are not spiritual enough or that they are doing it wrong.