"re religions vs. spirituality: their original and primary purpose is to unfold a pathway, a map, a guidebook for the internal journey . . . " Not exactly. Religions are always a leftover artifact of people who had a strong connection to that vibrational frequency. Religions happen later or much later after the real thing, long enough that the experience someone actually had is just heresay and the people hearing about it didn't get the real message that it is something that has to be directly experienced and not just thought about or written about. Yes, people can get inspired when they hear that such a personal experience is possible and learn that it is something precious to be sought. But as you said:

" . . . most religions have become artifacts - institutional structures which are bureaucratic rather than transformational."

They are ALL artifacts. And the main organized religions are, unfortunately, ANTI-spiritual! The are falsely promoting themselves as "THE WAY" to get to heaven or whatever. They prescribe all kinds of studies, rituals, listening to sermons or whatever, praying in special ways, wearing a special garb, going on pilgrimages to "holy places", eating a certain way, etc. NONE of those things get anyone anything spiritual. ALL of them are, or usually are, just time-wasting distractions that KEEP people from the DIRECT experience of a higher vibrational state. Also, when people have that direct connection to Source energy they don’t need any "intercessor" or "intermediary" religious institution, so the organized religion loses "paying members". They don't like that! Priests and pastors like to get supported! Church organizations therefore teach that anything except THEIR WAY is bad, apostacy, heresy, the work of Satan, etc. A few centuries ago people would have been tortured to death or burned at the stake to "save their soul"! Even today, if you are Muslim and turn away from their idea of the "true religion" they will KILL you, according to Shria law!