Anything goes secular spirituality thread
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: north yorkshire, england
Posts: 1,891
I have to admit I have always hated the word spirituality, not because of what it means (whatever that is, did we decide?lol) but because of the way it is used.
When someone says I am a spiritual person I generally assume they mean they own lots of crystals, that is wrong of me I know and a gross generalisation.
However you define the word it is often used by individuals to let you know they are deep and intuitive and whatever, not like one of those silly scientists with their reliance on facts.
Im feeling pretty negative about everything at the moment so sorry if this sounds a bit spiteful.
When someone says I am a spiritual person I generally assume they mean they own lots of crystals, that is wrong of me I know and a gross generalisation.
However you define the word it is often used by individuals to let you know they are deep and intuitive and whatever, not like one of those silly scientists with their reliance on facts.
Im feeling pretty negative about everything at the moment so sorry if this sounds a bit spiteful.
Last edited by allport; 02-08-2009 at 01:56 PM. Reason: spelling
I got nothin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: My house.
Posts: 4,890
Originally Posted by allport 
sorry if this sounds a bit spiteful.
This is the "anything goes" thread. I do enjoy hearing so many different opinions and experiences.
It's fine by me.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26,425
:ghug spite away ally! we can take it (grin)
yeah i get that...spiriutal often means "new age spirtual" and i don't care for that myself...it seems pretty ritualiztic and magic most of the time...though i'm sure not always (tenderly treads around the edges of a cliff) lol
yeah i get that...spiriutal often means "new age spirtual" and i don't care for that myself...it seems pretty ritualiztic and magic most of the time...though i'm sure not always (tenderly treads around the edges of a cliff) lol
Big Idiot Man Child
Join Date: May 2004
Location: La
Posts: 5,664
Originally Posted by allport
I have to admit I have always hated the word spirituality, not because of what it means (whatever that is, did we decide?lol) but because of the way it is used.
When someone says I am a spiritual person I generally assume they mean they own lots of crystals, that is wrong of me I know and a gross generalisation.
However you define the word it is often used by individuals to let you know they are deep and intuitive and whatever, not like one of those silly scientists with their reliance on facts.
Im feeling pretty negative about everything at the moment so sorry if this sounds a bit spiteful.
When someone says I am a spiritual person I generally assume they mean they own lots of crystals, that is wrong of me I know and a gross generalisation.
However you define the word it is often used by individuals to let you know they are deep and intuitive and whatever, not like one of those silly scientists with their reliance on facts.
Im feeling pretty negative about everything at the moment so sorry if this sounds a bit spiteful.
sentient puddle
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 180
From sam harris' "the end of faith", ch.7:
"it is difficult to find a word for that human enterprise which aims at happiness directly - at happiness of a sort which can survive the frustration of all conventional desires. The term "spirituality" seems unavoidable here, but it has many connotations that are, frankly, embarrassing. "Mysticism" has more gravitas, perhaps, but it has unfortunate associations of its own.
..
Our spiritual traditions suggest that we have considerable room here to change our relationship to the contents of consciousness, and thereby to transform our experience of the world. It is also clear that nothing need be believed on insufficient evidence for us to look into this possibility with an open mind.
..
Such an enterprise becomes irrational only when people begin making claims about the world which cannot be supported by empirical evidence.
..
There is clearly no greater obstacle to a truly empirical approach to spiritual experience than our current beliefs about god."
..
Our spiritual traditions suggest that we have considerable room here to change our relationship to the contents of consciousness, and thereby to transform our experience of the world. It is also clear that nothing need be believed on insufficient evidence for us to look into this possibility with an open mind.
..
Such an enterprise becomes irrational only when people begin making claims about the world which cannot be supported by empirical evidence.
..
There is clearly no greater obstacle to a truly empirical approach to spiritual experience than our current beliefs about god."
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26,425
I think i would take it a step further...the "provable" knowledge must also match up with our own expereince of the world..reliance on other's experience is ok to get started..but if our own doesn't back it up we need to let it go
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Road to recovery
Posts: 866
Zencat, first I've heard of Rogers, but I like what you quoted.
Kinda dovetails with what I've been reading on the Law of Attraction in a way. The too concepts don't contradict, that's for sure. Currently reading one of the, if not THE, founding book on the topic. Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World. Written by William Walker Atkinson in 1908. It's out of copyright and available via Google Books free.
Don't go off on me Windy, it's not American Indian or Rasta. But if you do at least find a picture of a cutie like you did for Rasta. Funny how we're hard wired to forgive almost anything to a cute girl. It's not fair. In the long term it's not even fair to cute girls. But I digress. That's a whole different law of attraction.
Kinda dovetails with what I've been reading on the Law of Attraction in a way. The too concepts don't contradict, that's for sure. Currently reading one of the, if not THE, founding book on the topic. Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World. Written by William Walker Atkinson in 1908. It's out of copyright and available via Google Books free.
Don't go off on me Windy, it's not American Indian or Rasta. But if you do at least find a picture of a cutie like you did for Rasta. Funny how we're hard wired to forgive almost anything to a cute girl. It's not fair. In the long term it's not even fair to cute girls. But I digress. That's a whole different law of attraction.
sentient puddle
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 180
Heh! I was bigtime into the 90's rave scene, there were dreadlocks everywhere!
It's true that too often "spiritual" ends up with someone banging on about crystal skulls / colonic irrigation / ufo's...
It's true that too often "spiritual" ends up with someone banging on about crystal skulls / colonic irrigation / ufo's...
Resident
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 4,150
I have been following this thread with intrest as I am considering some kind of secular step program. Considering that some of us at some time considered that spirituality was becoming a better, selfless, caring person. If I do get around to doing the step thing perhaps my HP will be the person that I want to become. any thoughts?
sentient puddle
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 180
An aa-er would probably go mental at you for trying to be god or be self willed or something...!
I look at it this way - my ex-sponsor had me doing this thing of trying to get in touch with my HP - in any tricky situation, stop, pause, and ask for guidance - and an answer comes.
And it does work!
However i'm a rationalist and an atheist, and i am fairly sure that it isn't god talking to me... I know it's me... I think basically what's going on there is bypassing your id, or instinct, and listening to your conscience...
Another example is the HP of the angel on the shoulder and the devil on the other. I often felt like that was going on. I know it wasn't really an angel and a devil, but different parts of my consciousness. But it's tuning in to the right part and listening to and following that.
It doesn't mean it's completely all you, or you're doing it alone, because part of what informs and guides your conscience is the wisdom of everyone you've ever known, everything you've read or learned, etc etc.
I look at it this way - my ex-sponsor had me doing this thing of trying to get in touch with my HP - in any tricky situation, stop, pause, and ask for guidance - and an answer comes.
And it does work!
However i'm a rationalist and an atheist, and i am fairly sure that it isn't god talking to me... I know it's me... I think basically what's going on there is bypassing your id, or instinct, and listening to your conscience...
Another example is the HP of the angel on the shoulder and the devil on the other. I often felt like that was going on. I know it wasn't really an angel and a devil, but different parts of my consciousness. But it's tuning in to the right part and listening to and following that.
It doesn't mean it's completely all you, or you're doing it alone, because part of what informs and guides your conscience is the wisdom of everyone you've ever known, everything you've read or learned, etc etc.
I got nothin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: My house.
Posts: 4,890
Originally Posted by joinedintime
Just for grins let's ....in a spiritual kind of way of course ...see if you can show us what your avatar looks like with dreads.
I second that.
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