Spirituality: Empowerment of the Mind

Whilst there are many definitions to this word, I opt for the neurobehavioral definition-

“Spirituality is any experience that is thought to bring the experience into contact with the divine (in other words, not just any experience that feels meaningful).”

This definition doesn’t surrender to only religious experiences but to one of mysticism as well. Mysticism (easily misconstrued by many) bears the definition of, “the pursuit of an altered state of consciousness that enables the mystic to become aware of cosmic realities that cannot be grasped during normal states of consciousness.”

An even clearer definition that speaks to me defines spirituality as a state of consciousness that reflects engagement the deep and often urgent need to understand, a "need to know."

Given this basic definition, there is indeed a wanting so to speak as it seems as though, through the vast complexities of definitions, what then sets the premise for this discussion?

I being a simple person, choose ‘a need to know’ as such a premise; being as it is easily the most common string of words escaping whispered lips.

 ‘I need to know if there is more to life’.

‘I need to know my purpose’.

‘I need to know if a purpose even exists’.

‘I need to know what’s next’.

‘I need to know now’.

So many questions plague our minds every day; lingering at best and intrusive at their worst.

When will the taunts of these burdensome questions ever stop?  -Never at all

For as long as Man has been around, there is always an internal pursuit for something greater than Himself…

This then begs the question as to the origins of religion; a God or Gods who reward and punish in the Afterlife…Beings who wait on the transcendence of the soul to do about its Deity-like duties.

This yearning of an afterlife in Heaven may have seemed like a much bearable answer to the question of what becomes of us after we die. I can go on to metaphysical debates about the Truth of a God or not, but I sincerely tire of it. Millenniums have passed yet this fruitless discussion persists…

What is the point of it really?

In a world today with advances in Science and technology, (certainly magic to our ancestors), we have journeyed farther into space and broadened our knowledge of the Universe.

We have a wealth of knowledge and a much better understanding of our Origins- where we’ve come from and how we may evolve. Yet, despite the great strides in advancement of Science, there are many gaping holes to our Story.

Somehow, I don’t fear that we may never know the answers to these questions that we ask. As the years go by and we become more advanced as a civilization (of Humans), there will truly be an understanding of not just the world or this solar system, but of the multiplex of Universes out there. Knowledge, I believe is key to honing our spirituality. Without this knowledge, we don’t know the right questions to ask or to decipher A from B et cetera…

I can lightly joke here and compare this to the apple in the Garden of Eden, as it signified Knowledge. As Adam and Eve ate from it, their hearts were riddled with questions…they were no longer content with the way that they were. They discovered feelings of shame and consequently, covered up their naked bodies. The possibility of questions they may have asked, we may never know…It seems to tell a story though, that the acquisition of Knowledge brings forth a wanting of who you are.

There is no doubt that we are knowledgeable beings and as such, our minds wander into the future, much different from lower IQ animals. We understand the concept of Death, and so, we live our lives quite differently, suiting it to this expectation of an Afterlife.

What I can affirm is that we are here on this planet; products of Evolution and with complex-thinking minds. We are here with obligations to duty to thyself, to family, to our Earth. Whilst the questions may linger, there is no doubt that fulfillment of duties bring forth a sense of purpose to us. We can all debate about the After’s and the Before’s; the Truth remains the same, however.

So I propose that in the meantime, we live our lives as best as we can, paving the way with our intrinsic morality (what you think is best for self and community). We all awake each morning with our questions.

Having read this, I hope that when we awake each morning, instead, we have our goals in mind and an attitude to achieve them. Spirituality is key to an ambitious soul; it determines drive and purpose. It fuels that inner energy that gets us going and helps us to achieve and conquer.

No man who succeeded in his endeavours can ever say that he did it without ever seeing that end goal that is essentially meaningful ….that is essentially, Spirituality.

~ Charlie