The Sacred Soul

Michelle Redgrave-Moore
Jun 22
3 min read

Understanding People with Special Needs by honouring the soul in all of us.

What if we saw every person—not through the lens of their limitations, but through the lens of their inner light?

In a world that often prizes performance, speed, and achievement, people with special needs can be misunderstood or overlooked. Yet, some of the most profound spiritual and psychological thinkers have offered a radically different vision: one in which these individuals are not lacking, but are complete souls with deep purpose, often serving as silent teachers of love, depth, and human truth.

Let us explore how Rudolf Steiner, Carl Jung, and holistic voices like Thomas Moore have described the soul of people with special needs—not as broken, but as holy, whole, and deeply meaningful.

Rudolf Steiner: A Radiant Spirit Beyond the Physical

Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher and founder of Anthroposophy and Waldorf Education, offered a powerful spiritual insight: the true essence of every human being is spiritual, not physical. According to Steiner:

The soul remains whole, even when the body or intellect cannot fully express it.
People with special needs may carry a unique spiritual mission—one that contributes not just to their own journey, but to the growth of everyone around them.
Their presence can awaken compassion, humility, and moral strength in families, caregivers, and society at large.

“The human being who stands before us—even if he is mentally disabled or physically ill—is in his essential being just as complete as any other.”— Rudolf Steiner

Carl Jung: The Inner Archetypes and Wholeness of the Psyche

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist known for his work on the unconscious and individuation, believed that every soul is on its own path towards wholeness. From his perspective:

People with special needs are not missing something psychologically—they simply express their inner world differently.
Their value lies not in how well they meet societal expectations, but in the authenticity and depth of their being.
Jung might see them as carriers of archetypal meaning, challenging us to reimagine what it means to be fully human.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”— Carl Jung

Thomas Moore: Honouring the Mystery of the Soul

Author and psychotherapist Thomas Moore, known for his book Care of the Soul, speaks of the soul not as something to fix but something to listen to and nourish. His approach invites us to:

See soulfulness in people with special needs—not despite their condition, but through it.
Recognise how their emotions, play, silence, or unique presence may express spiritual truths more purely than words.
Create environments that support mystery, depth, and beauty, rather than only function or conformity.

Every Soul is Sacred

These thinkers converge around a simple, transformative truth:

The soul is whole, regardless of physical or intellectual difference.
People with special needs often embody qualities of presence, depth, and love that our fast-moving world desperately needs.
Rather than asking, “What can this person do?” we might begin by asking, “What is this person here to awaken in me?”

Final Thoughts: A Call to Deeper Seeing

When we slow down and truly see, we may realise that people with special needs are not less—but more—in some hidden, sacred way. They remind us to return to the heart, to value presence over productivity, and to open ourselves to a deeper kind of human connection.

In honouring them, we honour the soul in all of us.