So... What the heck does "spiritual" mean anyway?

[_barrelomonkeys]

This is mostly for the atheists / agnostics / humanists / secularists / naturalists among us, but of course, anyone can join in. I'm not a thread nazi.

(Oh oh... thread closed due to Godwin's Law before it even gets started. Crap).

Well, in case they let that one go, tell me: do you think there is such a thing as spirituality which is actually a separate component of a person's being like the physical, emotional or mental? If so, what do you mean by that?

My personal opinion is that it's simply a mental construct, and is just another name for a certain emotional state (perhaps it's an emotional construct?)

What do you think?

Hi Schmo, I saw your question earlier and thought about it some. Spiritual to me means that I'm peaceful and feel elevated in a sense. Of course this is probably because I have done something atrocious to my brain in the past. I am often overcome by euphoria associated with beauty, especially that which is found in nature.

For me it's a feeling that there is purpose and that I'm not alone... when I have these "spiritual" experiences I do not feel alone and actually feel enveloped in warmth and love. I more often than not halt these moments, they startle me, and I hate to really consider that I may be wrong, there is a God and I deny Him. So, that's what it means to me.

So I don't really know how to answer your question. I just know that I have experienced something that I label a spiritual experience.

[_Mercury]

"Spiritual" is a word used to denote emotion and context based on silly notions of religion. Yes yes, you newagers and liberal christians would disagree but the semantic facts speak differently.

Its a way those infected with the God meme can describe a collection of microseisures and in-context interpretations of mundane events. It brings perceptions of meaning to the flock as they are fleeced.

Spiritualism is in the same vein.

[_barrelomonkeys]

"Spiritual" is a word used to denote emotion and context based on silly notions of religion. Yes yes, you newagers and liberal christians would disagree but the semantic facts speak differently.

Its a way those infected with the God meme can describe a collection of microseisures and in-context interpretations of mundane events. It brings perceptions of meaning to the flock as they are fleeced.

Spiritualism is in the same vein.

You make something so lovely sound so very ugly. :(

[_Mercury]

"Spiritual" is a word used to denote emotion and context based on silly notions of religion. Yes yes, you newagers and liberal christians would disagree but the semantic facts speak differently.

Its a way those infected with the God meme can describe a collection of microseisures and in-context interpretations of mundane events. It brings perceptions of meaning to the flock as they are fleeced.

Spiritualism is in the same vein.

You make something so lovely sound so very ugly. :(

I'm brutal. True. But is anything that I say incorrect?

[_Tarski]

"Spiritual" is a word used to denote emotion and context based on silly notions of religion. Yes yes, you newagers and liberal christians would disagree but the semantic facts speak differently.

Its a way those infected with the God meme can describe a collection of microseisures and in-context interpretations of mundane events. It brings perceptions of meaning to the flock as they are fleeced.

Spiritualism is in the same vein.

It depends on who is using the word and how they are using it.
Maybe we need a new word.

Is dancing spiritual?
poetry,music, art?
shrooms?
zazen?
shepherding Being?
orgasm?
giving one's life for a loved one?
ecstatic revery?
dreams?
mathematics?

[_barrelomonkeys]

"Spiritual" is a word used to denote emotion and context based on silly notions of religion. Yes yes, you newagers and liberal christians would disagree but the semantic facts speak differently.

Its a way those infected with the God meme can describe a collection of microseisures and in-context interpretations of mundane events. It brings perceptions of meaning to the flock as they are fleeced.

Spiritualism is in the same vein.

You make something so lovely sound so very ugly. :(

I'm brutal. True. But is anything that I say incorrect?

I would say the events I experienced were not mundane, quite the opposite. That is why they were so remarkable. There are some things in life that are so above the ordinary that they do bring a sense of peace and fulfillment to me.

These statements that I see on the board (those that say it's a virus and what not) show that there are those that really believe that allowing one self to experience these heightened states are possibly harmful. I'm not sure it is harmful. I think it is in our very nature to feel God (or whatever it is that I feel) and when I allow myself to do so I feel ecstasy that is meaningful to me. Why is this harmful? Who should I hand my fleece to?

[_barrelomonkeys]

It depends on who is using the word and how they are using it.
Maybe we need a new word.

Is dancing spiritual?
poetry,music, art?
shrooms?
zazen?
shepherding Being?
orgasm?
giving one's life for a loved one?
ecstatic revery?
dreams?
mathematics?

You had me until mathematics. :P

[_Some Schmo]

For me it's a feeling that there is purpose and that I'm not alone... when I have these "spiritual" experiences I do not feel alone and actually feel enveloped in warmth and love. I more often than not halt these moments, they startle me, and I hate to really consider that I may be wrong, there is a God and I deny Him. So, that's what it means to me.

I have often had the kinds of moments you're describing here, but I've never attributed it to something external. I think the fact that people do have these genuine moments is what gives rise to the confusion that people label 'god.'

Associating that feeling with god is not hard to do given we're creatures of association, despite the fact the god most likely doesn't exist. We've been conditioned to relate those kinds of feelings to some supernatural creator of a sort because we don't have another explanation for it.

Man, I wouldn't suppress those feelings. I'd embrace them. They're nice! Don't let our cultural BS get in the way of what's your right as a biological being. You aren't denying god. You're denying what it is to be human, in my opinion.

Thanks for the post.

[_Some Schmo]

"Spiritual" is a word used to denote emotion and context based on silly notions of religion. Yes yes, you newagers and liberal christians would disagree but the semantic facts speak differently.

Its a way those infected with the God meme can describe a collection of microseisures and in-context interpretations of mundane events. It brings perceptions of meaning to the flock as they are fleeced.

Spiritualism is in the same vein.

LOL... that's one way to put it.

Can't say I disagree.

[_Some Schmo]

"Spiritual" is a word used to denote emotion and context based on silly notions of religion. Yes yes, you newagers and liberal christians would disagree but the semantic facts speak differently.

Its a way those infected with the God meme can describe a collection of microseisures and in-context interpretations of mundane events. It brings perceptions of meaning to the flock as they are fleeced.

Spiritualism is in the same vein.

It depends on who is using the word and how they are using it.
Maybe we need a new word.

Is dancing spiritual?
poetry,music, art?
shrooms?
zazen?
shepherding Being?
orgasm?
giving one's life for a loved one?
ecstatic revery?
dreams?
mathematics?

Shrooms? Definitely. But not like acid, I'd say.

One might say I'm spiritual because of my LSD background.