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What is spirituality? Considering the diversity of the people who frequent this website, I have divided my Spirituality page into two sections: Spirituality for Believers and Spirituality for Skeptics. You will probably be better off starting in the section that you feel most applies to you, but I encourage you to examine both sections eventually regardless of your beliefs. People of all opinions on the matter may have something to learn from both, and I am open to suggestions about changes that you would like made on either.
Introduction
Alright, so you don't believe in the existence of any such things as 'spirit' and 'spirituality' -- or you at least have your doubts. That is your choice, and as long as your beliefs don't involve causing harm to others, I'm not going to try to convert you to any new belief system.
However, in the interest of fostering free thought and dialogue, I present to you the following information on 'spirituality' as I have come to understand it. As a former atheist and as a philosopher who still supports a certain variety of skepticism, I have the utmost sympathy for and tolerance of the beliefs and practices of atheists, agnostics, and people of spiritual beliefs that differ from mine. With that said, I encourage you to read the following with an open mind in an honest attempt to gain further understanding and insight into the beliefs of others and the world that we share in common. Good luck, and may you find the answers (and questions) that you are looking for.
What is Spirit?
To understand spirituality, we must first understand what is meant by 'spirit.' This word is used in different ways by different people: the 'spirit' of the law, 'spirited' discussion, the 'spirit' of a deceased love one, etc. Even when we focus on the more 'spiritual' uses of the word, there is often still a great deal of disagreement on the details of what exactly constitutes spirit and spirituality. A Tibetan Buddhist monk, for example, has a greatly different outlook on spirit than an Irish Catholic, an Australian Aboriginee, or an American Witch.
However, this confusion and disagreement over what exactly spirit and spirituality are does not mean that such things do not exist. Gravity was experienced and demonstrated to exist for thousands of years before any sophisticated theories of its inner workings became widely known; indeed, its exact nature is still uncertain to this day. This doesn't mean that gravity is non-existent, but rather that it is so fundamental a component of reality that it has been difficult for us to explain it in detail.
Similarly, the exact nature and inner workings of spirit have been difficult to explain. Unless you believe a particular religious dogma, there is no one comprehensive theory or text on the nature of spirit. Different texts and 'spiritual leaders' offer divergent viewpoints on what spirit is, what the purpose of spirituality is, and so on. In the midst of all of this seeming confusion, several crucial trends can be recognized. While these are not universal, they can be found in some form in most spiritual traditions and serve as a broad outline of what I am talking about when I refer to 'spirit':
- Spirit is the seat of consciousness and meaning. In much the same way that physicalists see the brain as the central processing unit of the human body, spiritualists see the spirit as the source of our consciousness and animation.
- Spirit is ethereal. Those who believe in spirit tend to see it as either entirely non-physical or as a very 'fine' or 'high vibration' form of energy existing on a matter/energy continuum of density and fineness.
- Spirit endures beyond the life and death of physical bodies. Almost without fail, spiritualists believe that the spirit endures in some form beyond the life and death of physical bodies, whether through reincarnation or passage to a wholly non-physical realm.
In addition to the perspective of religious and spiritual traditions, there is also the emerging scientific understanding of spirit. This states that the universe is fundamentally organized by a Universal Energy Field possessing certain elements that are generally attributed to spirit. It is a form of energy, or a form of very fine matter, not yet understood fully by science. It permeates all space, both animate and inanimate. It is associated with consciousness, meaning that in some sense the entire universe is conscious. Human beings, in turn, are organized by the Human Energy Field, a complex living field composed of the same basic energy and its associated properties. [1]
Our understanding of the exact nature of spirit is still in its infancy, but one thing is clear to spiritual people: spirit exists, and it is the fundamental organizing substructure of the entire universe.
Spirituality versus Religion
Most people who believe that spirituality is an oppressive, destructive, or at best unnecessary influence on human society are confusing spirituality with religion. Religion is the institutionalized or formal practice of a particular spiritual tradition's beliefs, ethics, and rituals. Depending on the spiritual texts it is based on, the structure of the institutions, and the individuals involved, religion can range from being a positive means of sharing spiritual practice to a destructive vehicle for systematic oppression and exploitation.
Spirituality, on the other hand, does not necessarily entail any adherence to a religious tradition whatsoever. It is the participation in spiritual matters, whether in the context of a structured group who base their entire faith on a single religious text, or in the context of a solitary spiritual seeker who establishes and interprets their own encounters with spiritual phenomena.
Spirituality versus Superstition
One of the top complaints against spirituality by non-believers is that it is superstitious, dealing in ghosts and phantoms where there is no empirical evidence or rational argument for the existence of such phenomena. This stereotype has arisen in part because of superstitious religious traditions, in part because of the portrayal of spirituality in the mass media, and in part because some spiritual people are indeed superstitious, just like any segment of the population.
But what is superstition? As I understand it, superstition is erroneous or irrational belief that arises out of ignorance or fear. It is often based on a flawed understanding of causation versus correlation, and it is generally maintained in spite of evidence to the contrary.
With that said, I contend that total disbelief in all spiritual phenomena is far more superstitious than the contrary position. There have been reports of spiritual phenomena -- psychic abilities, auric vision, communication with non-corporeal entities, etc. -- since the dawn of human history. While in some cases, some particular contacts with "the spirit world" are not easily verifiable, this does not mean that these contacts are unverifiable or that a spiritual reality does not exist. It simply means that such questions sometimes pose a challenge in terms of methodology. This simple hurdle in the journey of discovery is not a cue to abandon the most clear and reasonable means of understanding and explaining the fundamentals of existence.
In the end, I place my trust in empiricism and our capacity for reason rather than the unshakeable belief of the materialist that there is no such thing as 'spirit.' I have experienced many spiritual phenomena, and you most likely have too, regardless of how non-spiritually you may have chosen to view such experiences. The basic scientific evidence for spiritual phenomena is there; the question that science now offers us is not whether or not spirit exists, but rather what its exact nature may be.
Science and Spirit
Ever since the Enlightenment period of Western philosophy and culture, scientific inquiry and spiritual experience have become widely accepted as polar opposites. There could be endless debate on who started this great divide, but regardless of its source, the chasm can certainly be bridged - and for some of us, it has been mended long ago.
Consider a study conducted at UCLA by a Dr. Valorie Hunt and others. In this study, Dr. Hunt recorded the frequency of low millivoltage signals from the body during a series of rolfing (a system of muscle massage and energy work) sessions. Simultaneously, a person with the ability to "see" auras observed the auras of both the rolfer and the person being rolfed. The observer's comments were recorded on the same tape recorder as the electrical data. The results were incredible: when the observer reported a color in any particular location in the aura, the electronic measurements indicated a corresponding frequency at that location. In other words, when the observer reported "blue," there was always a certain frequency; for "red," different but consistent frequency; and so on. Whatever the nature of the relationship may be, there was a definite correlation between the colors observed by the auric seer and the frequencies recorded by the machine. While this does not conclusively demonstrate the exact nature of the aura by any means, it does demonstrate that the auric seer is perceiving something that can also be perceived by a machine and electrodes. [2]
This is only one of many examples of the verifiability of spiritual phenomena. In the recent past of the West, the historic antagonism between science and religion has kept the scientists scoffing at spiritual claims and the spiritualists refusing to submit to the experiments of science. This trend is still dominant, but there are a growing number of scientists, spiritualists, and spiritual-scientists who are bridging the gap to allow a scientific study of the Human Energy Field and all of its implications. As this newfound cooperation flourishes, a new understanding of the world will emerge which incorporates the most true and meaningful aspects of both traditions of knowledge and wisdom.
Footnotes
- For more information on one scientific theory of the Universal and Human Energy Fields, please read Hands of Light by Barbara Ann Brennan. This is an excellent reference material for the skeptic because it outlines in detail the scientific nature of her views on the Human Energy Field.
- The name of the study is "A Study of Structural Neuromuscular Energy Field and Emotional Approaches." This research was referenced in Hands of Light by Barbara Ann Brennan. She is a former NASA research scientist and practicing energy healer.
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