Contemporary Spirituality

[+Hammerclaw]

What is Spirituality? What does it mean to you?

wikipedia

The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other.^{[1][2][3][note 1]} Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man",^{[note 2]} oriented at "the image of God"^[4][5] as exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit^[6] and broadened during the Late Middle Ages to include mental aspects of life.^[7][8]

In modern times, the term both spread to other religious traditions^[9] and broadened to refer to a wider range of experiences, including a range of esoteric and religious traditions. Modern usages tend to refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension,^[10] and the "deepest values and meanings by which people live",^[11][12] often in a context separate from organized religious institutions.^[6] This may involve belief in a supernatural realm beyond the ordinarily observable world,^[13] personal growth,^[14] a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning,^[15] religious experience,^[16] or an encounter with one's own "inner dimension" or spirit.^[17]

[Guyver]

I don’t know what it means.  I just try to be a good person as best I can.  I know I have faults.  I’m not perfect.  I make mistakes, but a lot of times I can be helpful to people in some way.  So, basically, I think that spirituality is whatever any person thinks it should be.  If it helps to make a person a better person to themselves and others…I’m all for it.

And frankly, I wish I knew but I don’t.  I mean, it would be great to speak to the good spirits, but what if there be demons?  Who wants any of that?  I don’t. So, I just let the spirits do what they do, I do what I do, and since they don’t really talk to me…it seems they don’t need anything from me.

[+Hammerclaw]

7 minutes ago, Guyver said:

I don’t know what it means.  I just try to be a good person as best I can.  I know I have faults.  I’m not perfect.  I make mistakes, but a lot of times I can be helpful to people in some way.  So, basically, I think that spirituality is whatever any person thinks it should be.  If it helps to make a person a better person to themselves and others…I’m all for it.

And frankly, I wish I knew but I don’t.  I mean, it would be great to speak to the good spirits, but what if there be demons?  Who wants any of that?  I don’t. So, I just let the spirits do what they do, I do what I do, and since they don’t really talk to me…it seems they don’t need anything from me.

It's about Spirituality, personal and intimate internal feelings. What you're talking about is Spiritualism.

Edited March 5 by Hammerclaw

[Guyver]

3 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

It's about Spirituality, personal and intimate internal feelings. What you're talking about is Spiritualism.

Do you have to be so picky. Sheeze.  Who says that spirituality is personal and intimate feelings?  Maybe it’s best shown by doing good works unto others.

[+Hammerclaw]

10 minutes ago, Guyver said:

Do you have to be so picky. Sheeze.  Who says that spirituality is personal and intimate feelings?  Maybe it’s best shown by doing good works unto others.

The topic is Spirituality, If you want to discuss spiritualism, there's already thread for that. Spirituality is a personal experience and doesn't necessarily require the supernatural. It can be something as simple yet profound as looking up through the branches of a giant Redwood or holding your first child in your arms or hearing a guitar played so sublimely well it brings tears to your eyes. A spiritual experience is an epiphany of emotion.

Edited March 5 by Hammerclaw

[Guyver]

48 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

The topic is Spirituality, If you want to discuss spiritualism, there's already thread for that. Spirituality is a personal experience and doesn't necessarily require the supernatural. It can be something as simple yet profound as looking up through the branches of a giant Redwood or holding your first child in your arms or hearing a guitar played so sublimely well it brings tears to your eyes. A spiritual experience is an epiphany of emotion.

Ok.  Well, I think that is a common experience shared by all people.  Everyone, regardless of their cultural or religious upbringing probably experiences moments of joy and wonder.  Just as we all experience stepping in dog poop with bare feet in life…figuratively speaking.  There is for everyone good times, and bad times.  Are you saying that spirituality is focusing on the positive things and pretending that negative things don’t exist?

[+joc]

1 hour ago, Hammerclaw said:

An encounter with one's own "inner dimension"

If the subject is Spirituality...the above definition that you offered is what it means to me.  It's about Life and the living thereof.    I have to live my life for me first.  If I don't live for me first, if I'm not trying to help me be a better me, then how can I help anyone else?  And I'm not even trying to help anyone else.  Not really.  I'm not responsible for the world at large, but I am responsible for me.  So, how I encounter myself, inside of myself...my 'inner dimension', that's what it means to me.  I figure if I can be the best person I can be, and be true to me then that's enough.  I don't need to be the richest.  I don't need to be the most powerful.  I don't need to have people like me.  I just need to like myself, and I do.  In fact, I love me very much.  If I wasn't already me, I would want to be me.  But only because I know me.  I tell myself the truth about me.  I guess once I really encountered myself, inside of myself, I became a Spiritual Person to my own self.  Has nothing to do with belief of any kind.  It's all about me knowing me.

[Guyver]

6 minutes ago, joc said:

If the subject is Spirituality...the above definition that you offered is what it means to me.  It's about Life and the living thereof.    I have to live my life for me first.  If I don't live for me first, if I'm not trying to help me be a better me, then how can I help anyone else?  And I'm not even trying to help anyone else.  Not really.  I'm not responsible for the world at large, but I am responsible for me.  So, how I encounter myself, inside of myself...my 'inner dimension', that's what it means to me.  I figure if I can be the best person I can be, and be true to me then that's enough.  I don't need to be the richest.  I don't need to be the most powerful.  I don't need to have people like me.  I just need to like myself, and I do.  In fact, I love me very much.  If I wasn't already me, I would want to be me.  But only because I know me.  I tell myself the truth about me.  I guess once I really encountered myself, inside of myself, I became a Spiritual Person to my own self.  Has nothing to do with belief of any kind.  It's all about me knowing me.

May I ask how it is that you love yourself?  What is it about you that makes you love yourself?

[Guyver]

Maybe contemporary spirituality is learning how to love one’s own self…because, let’s face it…that is not easy for some people.

[Guyver]

Many people are very critical, not only with themselves, but with the world at large.  I’m just saying.  That’s why suicides happen all the time.

[+joc]

2 minutes ago, Guyver said:

May I ask how it is that you love yourself?  What is it about you that makes you love yourself?

Because I got to know me.  I don't lie to me. I want myself to be aware of the truth and what it is, so I don't get fooled into lying to my own self about important things.   I like the way I think.  I should after all, because I taught myself how to think.  And it wasn't easy.  

[+joc]

4 minutes ago, Guyver said:

Maybe contemporary spirituality is learning how to love one’s own self…because, let’s face it…that is not easy for some people.

The question was, what does spirituality mean to you?  That's what it means to me.  I don't expect anyone else to see it the way I do.  That's just me. i just answered the question.

[Guyver]

31 minutes ago, joc said:

Because I got to know me.  I don't lie to me. I want myself to be aware of the truth and what it is, so I don't get fooled into lying to my own self about important things.   I like the way I think.  I should after all, because I taught myself how to think.  And it wasn't easy.  

You are a wise master, except you fail because you cannot teach the rest of us.  What if you come to know yourself, and you find that you do not like yourself, what does one do with that?

[Guyver]

31 minutes ago, joc said:

The question was, what does spirituality mean to you?  That's what it means to me.  I don't expect anyone else to see it the way I do.  That's just me. i just answered the question.

That’s pretty good.  But I think it’s surface level.  I’d really appreciate it if you could do a deep dive…and get more into it.  For inspiration, I offer you the story of Cody. Cody is the former bass player from my band.  When sober, he played ok, I think his solos sucked ass from a carcass, but do t tell anyone I said that.  Unfortunately, Cody can’t process alcohol.  If he has even two beers, he starts to get drunk and lose control.  Literally…he can’t play for **** and he acts like an ******* when he gets drunk.  So, we knew that and wouldn’t let him drink until the show was over.  But in real life, he went up to SanLuis Obispo Fremont theater to watch a live show of three bands, and while drunk he insulted the wife of a man in the crowd by saying to the man that his wife was not attractive.  The man punched him right in the face and Cody went down.  While he was going down, apparently his head struck a solid object and was not only split open, but he was highly concussed.  Yes, he was “that guy” at a concert.  911 call, Cody's taken out by stretcher, and taken to the hospital where he remained for many days. I have not seen or spoken to him since.

Before any of this happened, he confessed to me that he could use a friend, but I did not help him.

[+Hammerclaw]

1 hour ago, Guyver said:

Ok.  Well, I think that is a common experience shared by all people.  Everyone, regardless of their cultural or religious upbringing probably experiences moments of joy and wonder.  Just as we all experience stepping in dog poop with bare feet in life…figuratively speaking.  There is for everyone good times, and bad times.  Are you saying that spirituality is focusing on the positive things and pretending that negative things don’t exist?

No, I'd leave that for a darker thread. For me, spirituality is sublime moments of exaltation, exhilarating and transcendent.

[+Hammerclaw]

1 hour ago, joc said:

If the subject is Spirituality...the above definition that you offered is what it means to me.  It's about Life and the living thereof.    I have to live my life for me first.  If I don't live for me first, if I'm not trying to help me be a better me, then how can I help anyone else?  And I'm not even trying to help anyone else.  Not really.  I'm not responsible for the world at large, but I am responsible for me.  So, how I encounter myself, inside of myself...my 'inner dimension', that's what it means to me.  I figure if I can be the best person I can be, and be true to me then that's enough.  I don't need to be the richest.  I don't need to be the most powerful.  I don't need to have people like me.  I just need to like myself, and I do.  In fact, I love me very much.  If I wasn't already me, I would want to be me.  But only because I know me.  I tell myself the truth about me.  I guess once I really encountered myself, inside of myself, I became a Spiritual Person to my own self.  Has nothing to do with belief of any kind.  It's all about me knowing me.

Spirituality is not limited by religion, philosophy nor belief. For me, it is sublime moments of absolute clarity, not at all everyday experiences.

[Guyver]

40 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

No, I'd leave that for a darker thread. For me, spirituality is sublime moments of exaltation, exhilarating and transcendent.

So…in other words…pretending that there is something besides that?  Or, just realizing that is the best there is so be thankful for it and seek it out?

 

[Guyver]

39 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Spirituality is not limited by religion, philosophy nor belief. For me, it is sublime moments of absolute clarity, not at all everyday experiences.

You sometimes get moments of absolute clarity?  Do share.

[Guyver]

It has been told that Sting attempted to attain enlightenment through sexual experience. Just saying.

[+Hammerclaw]

20 minutes ago, Guyver said:

So…in other words…pretending that there is something besides that?  Or, just realizing that is the best there is so be thankful for it and seek it out?

 

No, you're over thinking it. 

[+Hammerclaw]

21 minutes ago, Guyver said:

You sometimes get moments of absolute clarity?  Do share.

Can't. You either have such moments or never do. You have to embrace exalting the senses, not numbing them.

[Guyver]

3 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

No, you're over thinking it. 

I over think everything.  It’s what I do.  I wouldn’t even know how to live without overthinking everything.  I wish sometimes, Indidnt do that, yet…I like to be neat.  I like to be a clean an orderly person who can host guests if need be.  

[Guyver]

3 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Can't. You either have such moments or never do. You have to embrace exalting the senses, not numbing them.

So, we should all go bungee jumping then.

[+Hammerclaw]

14 minutes ago, Guyver said:

So, we should all go bungee jumping then.

No. You can't for an epiphany. 

[XenoFish]

I consider spirituality equal to meaning or the emotional value placed upon the individuals life. Religions are just expressions of someone else's spirituality. Having grown into its own cosmology. Making none of them true, just a perspective.