What is spirituality?

Red Sky at Morning

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If psychology can be defined as the study of the internal emotional, cognitive world - the microcosm, spirituality is the area of the individual that looks out to the macrocosm.

Just as some of what is talked about by psychologists is pure nonsense, so with spirituality. People have a full spectrum of spiritualities ranging from the absurd to the sublime. I believe the word “religion” encompasses main groupings of the more clear spiritualities. These are not harmonious, can all be false, but cannot all be true.
 
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If psychology can be defined as the study of the internal emotional, cognitive world - the microcosm, spirituality is the area of the individual that looks out to the macrocosm.

Just as some of what is talked about by psychologists is pure nonsense, so with spirituality. People have a full spectrum of spiritualities ranging from the absurd to the sublime. I believe the word “religion” encompasses main groupings of the more clear spiritualities. These are not harmonious, can all be false, but cannot all be true.

I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say.
 

A Freeman

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If you knew that your Creator is truly all-powerful, all-knowing and with you wherever you are...

If you knew that your Creator loves you and will never leave you…

If you knew that your Creator will teach and help you as long as you are willing to learn...

If you knew that your Creator is there to protect, defend and fight for you…

If you knew what is right and wrong, and were determined to always do what is right...

If you knew that nothing could harm you...

If you knew that you could never die…

THEN you would know that YOU ARE A SPIRIT-ENERGY BEING, who is only temporarily incarnating the human body you see in the mirror.

And that as long as you are WITH your Creator, ALL things are possible.
 
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What a beautiful blog:

The Spirituality of Spring: Creativity as Spiritual Practice

Here's an excerpt:

"Especially if one or more of these activities resonates with you deeply, I encourage you to try to find a time soon this spring — even this next week — to experiment with one of these Artist’s Dates as a way of celebrating the creativity at the heart of a springtime spirituality — and perhaps at the heart of the Universe Story.
  • Take a long, leisurely walk in the woods — or even just around your neighborhood or block. Or take a slow walk during your lunch break and really notice everything around you.
  • Wake-up early to watch the sunrise or find a comfortable place to sit outside and watch the sunset.
  • Visit an ethnic neighborhood and savor different the tastes, sights, sounds, and smell.
  • Go to a local museum, attraction, or plant nursery.
  • Spend a complete morning (or evening) in a bookstore (use it as your own, personal, book museum).
  • Pull out your old school yearbooks, and remember what you and your friends were like. Remember things that pleased you as a child or teenager and pick one to do again.
  • Play with Play-Doh or get some chalk and draw all over the sidewalk.
  • Go to a local batting cage and put in some batting practice or to the playground to swing, slide, or climb the jungle gym.
  • Get a blanket, lay down outside, and cloud watch or try to spot constellations.
  • Take a leisurely bike ride.
  • Hang out for a few hours in the downtown of a neighboring town. Visit a flea market, thrift store, craft fair, or garage sale (maybe find a frame, paint — or take — a picture and frame it).
  • Fly a kite, color in a coloring book, play with a helium balloon, then set it free and watch it float up into the air until you can’t see it anymore."

 

elsbet

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If psychology can be defined as the study of the internal emotional, cognitive world - the microcosm, spirituality is the area of the individual that looks out to the macrocosm.

Just as some of what is talked about by psychologists is pure nonsense, so with spirituality. People have a full spectrum of spiritualities ranging from the absurd to the sublime. I believe the word “religion” encompasses main groupings of the more clear spiritualities. These are not harmonious, can all be false, but cannot all be true.
Indeed. Well said, Red.
 

Daze

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What's that even mean?
Reminded me of this classic.

“Whoa, that’s a full rainbow. All the way. Double rainbow. Oh, my God. Double rainbow all the way, it’s so intense,” Vasquez says in an astounding voice, which slowly amps up until he’s joyfully screaming, “Whoa! Oh my God! Oh my God!” His voice becomes overwhelmed with emotion throughout the clip, as he begins alternating between chortling and sobbing. “What does this mean?” he eventually says. “Too much. I don’t know what it means.”

49 million views today, not counting all of the remixes and spinoffs.
 

Alanantic

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Reminded me of this classic.




49 million views today, not counting all of the remixes and spinoffs.
We should all be in awe simply at the phenomena of Existence. Why is there Anything? Life is like a fractal; the closer you get to it the more infinite it becomes.
 

Red Sky at Morning

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What's that even mean?
To me, @TokiEl ’s observation would suggest that concepts of “spirituality” has a lot in common with “sexuality”.

Let me explain, and please forgive any crudities.

The awakening of sexuality draws people to seek intimate relationships with others. To lack this desire is to be asexual, just as to lack the yearning for spirituality is to be a materialist. You can be married and engaging in sex with one person, unmarried and engaging with sex with a different person every Friday night or take things too far with a pet.

Just as all expressions of sexuality are not to be equally recommended, so with the expressions and pursuits of those seeking “spirituality”.

I used to study literature, and when I started out, I would offer a critique of a text based on my own gut feeling, fire from the hip, and try to make as strong a case for my view as I could. Gradually I realised that my own subjectivity was leading me to a range of inaccurate understandings of what various authors actually meant, and I began consider the perspectives of more learned commentators.

Where the conversation becomes more interesting is when you move beyond personal feelings of spirituality, begin to consider the “why” question and examine the truth claims of various different spiritualities. I acknowledge here that the idea of a “true” (and not just “true for me”) flies in the face of existential thought and the modern “tolerant” social contract.

Of course, the well trodden paths of spiritualities leads inevitably to the examination of the claims of religions, but that is not in itself a bad thing, and perhaps echoes the moment I picked up a book and considered someone else’s ideas on Hamlet might have merit.
 
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A Freeman

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Today the terms "religion" and "spirituality", as they are currently defined, are mistakenly used interchangeably, or in tandem, as with the name of this section of the forum.

Religion should mean a bonded obligation to God, i.e. a bonded obligation to always do the right thing.

Spirituality should similarly mean understanding we are spiritual-Beings that need to be linked with the Great White (Pure) Spirit (aka "Wakan Tanka" as the native American Indians referred/refer to Him, our heavenly Father and Creator, whose name is "I AM") for true spiritual wisdom, guidance, health and well-being.

Instead these terms have been warped into polar opposites.

Religion now refers to organized religions, which are money-making corporate fictions intended to lead people away from the Great Spirit (God). Their salesmen/conmen/middlemen/salvation brokers are deceitfully referred to as priests, pastors, rabbis, imams, etc. when they are, as Jesus said, "the (spiritually) blind leading the blind".

The definition of spirituality has been similarly inverted, to not only include all of thethousands of corporate organized religions, but anyone and everyone else that is pretending to be a so-called spiritual medium/middleman (necromancer). ALL organized religion and/or any use of spiritual mediums of any kind can simply be referred to as FAKE spirituality.

The following is an citation directly from The Law that God gave us (first spiritually/telepathically, and then later in writing, because we abaondoned true spirituality for fake spirituality):-

Deuteronomy 18:10-14
18:10 There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch (pharmacist),
18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer (medium).
18:12 For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the "I AM": and because of these abominations the "I AM" thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the "I AM" thy God.
18:14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the "I AM" thy God hath not suffered (permitted) thee so [to do].

IF everyone was striving with every ounce of their heart, mind, soul and spiritual strength (Mark 12:29-31) to link to and learn from our Creator, then we would all have exactly the same understanding of what is right and wrong. And likewise, if we were striving with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength to DO His Will, this world would heal itself overnight.

"God's Will" is NOT some great mystery that can only be discovered through indoctrination into some satanic cult/sect/organized, etc.; it is very, very simple: love and treat one another as God loves His Children.

Want to know what God considers to be good and what He considers to be evil? Read and study His Law, asking Him for His Guidance in understanding it rather than some spiritually blind necromancer/priest, etc.

Want to help make this world a better place for everyone concerned? THINK/PRAY ALL THE TIME, SPEAK THE TRUTH, DO GOOD ONE TO ANOTHER. Placing everyone else's needs above your own will help eliminate selfishness, which is the key to true, spiritual progress and joy.
 

Alanantic

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Perhaps the fractal nature of the universe is a reflection of the infinite nature of one who created it?
There's no difference between you and that One.

Is it not written in your law, I said, "Ye are gods"? -- John 10:34
"I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. -- Psalms 82:6
"You are That." -- Vedas
 

Red Sky at Morning

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There's no difference between you and that One.

Is it not written in your law, I said, "Ye are gods"? -- John 10:34
"I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. -- Psalms 82:6
"You are That." -- Vedas
So I am, in all meaningful senses, the paintings I produce?
 

Alanantic

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So I am, in all meaningful senses, the paintings I produce?
We all have a personal sense of self. The part of you that says "I" is your connection to God. God allows our being. We're all puppets of the great Puppeteer in the Sky! ...in a manner of speaking... :)
 

elsbet

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There's no difference between you and that One.

Is it not written in your law, I said, "Ye are gods"? -- John 10:34
"I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. -- Psalms 82:6
"You are That." -- Vedas
Is it not written in your law, I said, "Ye are gods"? -- John 10:34
"I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High
Psalms 82:6
PSALM 82:7
"But like mortals you will die,
and like rulers you will fall.”​

To whom do you think He was speaking, Alan?
 

Alanantic

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Is it not written in your law, I said, "Ye are gods"? -- John 10:34
"I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High
Psalms 82:6
PSALM 82:7
"But like mortals you will die,
and like rulers you will fall.”​

To whom do you think He was speaking, Alan?
Not to the person's soul, that's for sure.
 
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Posting this because I find it remarkable how people become disarmed when they encounter my dog. I'll admit she's a wonderful teacher:

Learning Spirituality From Animals
by Ashley Brown

Excerpts:

"Animals of all kinds, especially the ones sharing our home, can be our spiritual guides and healers if we pay attention."...
..."Here are some simple practices to try with the animals in your life that may not only help you appreciate their spirituality and connect with them but could even heighten your own well-being.
Observe.
Take five minutes to simply observe your animal companion. Whether your cat is basking in a sliver of sunlight, or on the prowl … or your dog is sniffing up the daily news on a walk, or sleeping … just watch. Listen. Smell. Try not to touch. Rather than snuggling, use this time just to witness.
Practice patience.
When my husband Nathan was a boy, he spent countless hours at a pond near his home watching muskrats coming and going from their den. One evening, he lay on his belly, slowly and almost silently inching toward the den until his face was right above it, and he waited … and waited, perfectly still. After a time, a muskrat emerged, so close Nathan felt its movement on his face. Recalling the experience still fills him with joy.
When we are still, and we wait quietly, it’s amazing what might come to us: a muskrat, a sea turtle … and maybe over time intuitive breakthroughs, peace of mind, or even hints of enlightenment.
Communicate with energy.
I once attended a workshop hosted by a shaman and a horse trainer. I’d been around horses much of my life, but I was still fascinated to learn just how attuned they are to energy. The premise of the workshop was how we can understand, and control, our own energy through observing horses’ responses to us. We even practiced silently making requests of the horses with nothing but our focused thought. Watching a 2,000-pound animal come to me and follow, simply because I concentrated my energy on that request, was empowering and enlightening.
Breathe.
Mindful breathing is a well-known meditative technique, beneficial for peace of mind, calmness, physical health, energy, and more. Try sitting with your cat or dog and listening to their breath along with yours, or even breathing at the same pace (if that’s comfortable).
Be a student.
Ask yourself what your animal companion might be here to teach you. Does your elderly cat try your patience when she cries at 4 a.m. for food or affection? Are you most vulnerable when nobody is around but your dog? Have animals in your life offered you opportunities to be more confident and self-assured? Do they remind you how to forgive?
Animals can teach us all to practice regular gratitude. Notice when they make you smile or laugh, and be grateful. You might say a (silent or audible) thank-you to your dog for her display of utter happiness every time you come home. You could even thank a bee for their almost miraculous role in pollination and the life cycle of ecosystems, or a horse for allowing you to take a ride on his back."

(source)

 
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