Spirituality is one of those topics that can mean a lot of different things to many different people. Some take it as being a religious experience, while others describe it as a connection to all living and non-living things. And still others to simply mean being more “connected” to the world around them.
A Spirituality Definition?
The definition of spirituality I feel is most accurate is to be “spiritual” in a way that goes beyond what is know when using our own limited physical resources like the Five Senses, or our perceived understanding of our environment as described to us by others or resources we have not crated ourselves or based on our own core beliefs.
Rather, to be truly spiritual in a meaningful way that directly and indirectly impacts our lives as well as others, we must look into ourselves to see what values we hold, what will and will not be tolerated both in our immediate environment as well as a global view. And then how best to lead our lives in such a way that our outer lives reflect what we “intuitively” know to be our best path that aligns with our core beliefs in a way to positively effect our own lives and the lives of others, as in spiritual beliefs we realize all things are connected and equally matter.
Yes, its a bit wordy, but it is the clearest way that I can state what being spiritual really means as an individual. And how important it is too look within yourself so that you can be connected to all things.
Towards Spiritual Enlightenment
Even if you are religious, one thing that should be apparent in any religion whether youre Buddhist, Catholic or Muslim is the idea everyone is connected. All living things have a purpose in the world. That there is an energy, whether its God or some other hierarchical figure or not, that binds us all together.
spiritual enlightenment or a spiritual awakening begins with looking into ones own soul and understand that they themselves hold the power to understand themselves and their place within the greater world around them. And that theres both a power and a responsibility in this self realization.
Science has proven that all matter is made of energy. And that that energy is the same energy in all things, living or non-living. Meaning that the exact same energy you have flowing through your body is the exact same energy that is in a rock, or your kitchen table. There is no basic difference. The only difference is the way the energy has lined up or its field.
It should also be pointed out that its not just the energy in our own world we are talking about here. All energy, at least as far as we know so far, is the same even in the deepest reaches of space. Everything that exist is all based on the same basic building blocks of energy.
So there is no wonder humans, being self aware beings, have noticed this energy both in a scientific endeavor as well as a spiritual one.
Have you ever sat next to a waterfall and felt invigorated? Or gone somewhere and felt there was something special about the place? An energy of its own?
Or on the other hand, have you ever walked into a place and felt a very negative energy? You could feel something was wrong, out of place, even “evil”?
And the same goes for people.
Have you ever met someone and you were immediately attracted to the other, whether in a sexual or non-sexual way? You knew instinctively that they were “good” and meant you no harm? There was just “something about him”.
Usually people like this have many friends and are often talked about with the highest regards. And the people around them are also usually positive people. In fact, it almost seems that they attract other like people. The whole Law of Attraction thing.
And it goes without saying the absolute opposite exists as well. People you know without ever meeting, just by being close enough to them that you can feel their negative energy and again, you instinctively know they are bad, or intend to do you some harm.
And they too seem to attract others like themselves.
Everything is connected. Even inanimate objects are connected within the whole.
So its no wonder practically every civilization in the world has some sort of spiritual consciousness that is practiced as an overall group activity with a central figure to help guide the flock whether it be the Shaman or the Priest.
And due to the diversification of where we come from, our immediate environments, who we converse with on a daily basis as well as our own personal experiences from the simplest things to how we decide to live among one another in an acceptable manner helps explain why there are so many religions and different beliefs when one speaks about the spiritual aspect of life.
Spirituality is a very personal experience.
As far as who is right and who is wrong is not the point of this article or website. Perhaps we are all wrong, or all correct at least partially. I most likely will never have the answer until I finally perish, and maybe not even then. But that doesn’t mean I’m not fully aware of the energy that flows though everything around me as well as within myself.
Nor am I unaware of how the energy within me affects others. Yes, you do affect others with the energy you give off. And they in turn effect you. This is the responsibility part of spiritual awareness.
The most exciting aspect of this awareness is once you are aware and accept that there is energy all around you and you are both directly and indirectly effected by it, you are able to tap into that energy and even redirect it to become more positive in every aspect of your life. Even channel it. And use it to improve not only your own life, but others as well.
Is Being Spiritual But Not Religious Possible?
This is a newer term I see more and more often in the press. And frankly Im glad that more people are searching within themselves to find their own spiritual path rather than expecting to be handed the answers that may not even fit their own questions.
We are individuals, and being an individual means having different thoughts, feelings and life experiences. We all see the same moon when we look up at night, but what it represents to each of us is VERY different.
One may see it as a God. Another may not care or even notice. Another may dream of walking on the moon someday and dedicate their entire life to attaining that one specific goal.
And to make things worse is the traditional view of more organized religions is the idea that they are “right” or “righteous” and that all other forms of spirituality are wrong, even damned. So unless you fit into a strict set of beliefs, and how many of us really do, you are never really going to fit in or even feel comfortable with the narrow acceptable beliefs of the chosen religion or group.
And this has never been more evident as of late. Perhaps this has to do with so much information that is freely available to us that has never been easily accessible before.
How many of you had heard of things like the Law of Attraction or understood the benefits of meditation 30 years ago? Imagine a yogi trying to drum up business in an average small American town in the 1950s. Or someone telling you part of getting rich is in the belief you can be?
Or maybe its simply because as children, parents aren’t pushing their children to conform to a specific religion as hard as their parents had. Or due to simple economics, parents are working more and going to church less and therefore their children aren’t exposed to formal religion as often as their parents.
Whatever the reason or reasons, and I’m guessing there are many and not just one, a huge change is taking place.
“Looking at the long view, the generational spans are striking. Whereas 85% of the silent generation (born 1928-1945) call themselves Christians, just 56% of today’s younger millennials (born 1990-1996) do the same, even though the vast majority about eight in 10 were raised in religious homes. Each successive generation of Americans includes fewer Christians, Pew has found.” (taken from a CNN article quoting PewForum.org.)
That’s a huge difference in a rather short period of time. In one generation a very core belief of the average American has changed by almost 30%. A very core belief indeed!
And this youthful percentage is not just joining a different religion.
“Why have so many young people departed?
another theory traces the decline to the fact that middle-class people born since World War II are far more likely than their predecessors to have earned higher degrees, presumably absorbing in the process the agnosticism of modern academia.
But other theories attribute the decline to factors internal exodus of young people to protest against the churches supposed indifference to the sufferings and struggles of the blacks, the poor, and other oppressed groups. The advocates of this notion argued that if the church did not become relevant it would lose its youth.
Another theory people have left the mainline churches in protest against the support that denominational officials and agencies have given since the mid-1960s to left-wing causes such as abortion rights and Third World revolutionary movements. According to its proponents, those who have deserted the mainline churches have done so in search of a richer spiritual diet.”
Source: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9303/articles/johnson.html
Whatever the reasons, there is a change happening, and it isnt just in America. Perhaps one day our time will be called a New Spiritual Awakening period if enough of us choose to decide what we believe in for ourselves by looking within rather than to the people and places around us.
And the best part of personal spirituality is, you can start at any moment, you don’t need somewhere to pray or worship, and you don’t need someones approval. Its the best part, but most likely its also the hardest part.
Where do you begin? What are the best questions, techniques, etc…
I’m hoping this site helps answer those questions and maybe even spark some new ones.
What is your take on Spirituality?
What are you doing now to better understand who you actually are?
Leave a comment and share your thoughts, accomplishments or questions!
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