What is Spirituality? Here’s One Possible Answer

Spirituality means many things to many people. Answering the question of “what is spirituality” for yourself is an important step in your lifelong process of discovery.

To be honest, you don’t need to become an expert in terminology to enjoy a life of meaning and fulfillment. The words are just pointers and tools you can use to uncover your personal direction.

So this article is only one possible answer to the question of “what is spirituality?” If these words resonate with your heart, expand upon them; if not, move on and find something else that feels right to you.

True spirituality has nothing to do with religious practice. The observance of specific belief systems, honoring of certain holy days & customs, and living by a set code of conduct are not spiritual pursuits in and of themselves.

These and other things can be part of an individual’s overall spirituality. But group values systems and traditional behaviors are no more spiritual than political affiliations or loyalty to a college football team.

Spirituality is a very personal matter. And it’s completely experiential, meaning it must be experienced before it can be fully understood.

Having said all this, what’s left to answer? I’ve carried on for half a page about what spirituality is not; so what is it then?

Spirituality is a basic awareness of higher consciousness, and an allowing of the present moment to be what it is.

I could refine this statement by saying: one is spiritual when he or she is aware of a collective, creative consciousness that operates beyond the ego mind. Also, spiritual living involves the practice of being mindful in the moment, and allowing the now to take on a life of its own beyond individual desires to shape events.

This statement is intentionally open for interpretation. While I’ve captured the essence of what I believe spirituality to be, I have refrained from providing a definition heavy with my own personal preferences.

When you know intelligence exists beyond the part of your mind “containing” your identity and personal sense of self, you are being spiritual. When you say “yes” to the present moment, allowing the senses to perceive what they will and making no effort to control what is with your own preference and prejudice, you are being spiritual.

Knowing a great intelligence exists, but making no effort to label it in a way that comforts you, is an act of wisdom. It takes great fortitude to be content with the idea of not necessarily understanding or controlling the world around you.

Also being completely alert in the present moment, rather than hiding from yourself in thoughts of the past and future, requires a steadfast nature. Humanity is not afraid of its alleged weakness and frailty; rather, we are afraid of our own incredible power, thus we hide our faces from it by living in the past and the future most of our lives.

It’s not my intention to slander religion. But I am compelled to warn that many faiths were developed to crush the spiritual nature of their followers.

People are often outraged by any definition of spirituality that omits the vengeful, all-knowing god who exists to protect and punish them. It’s a bizarre phenomenon, and it’s the result of centuries of conditioning and brainwash.

By all means take this article as my opinion. But it’s an opinion based on life experience and an honest search for the truth.

I make no effort to appease the values of others or to detract from another’s point of view. And it’s my sincere hope that I have at least planted the seed of an answer that can be harvested by those who are seeking.



By: Aaron Whiston

About the Author:

To learn more about spirituality and how you can find your own life purpose, be sure to visit the author’s blog. You’ll find a wealth of information on the things that matter most in life.



Spiritual Development - Keys To Unlock Your Inner Treasures

In times long forgotten, people depended on intuition and psychic abilities to understand and operate in their world. The miracles of modern life - science and technology - have made our lives easier in many ways, but they have also created a barrier between our minds and our innate intuitive powers. That barrier has also cut us off from our inner spiritual core and energy. They’re still there, but we can’t seem to access them without great effort.

Spiritual development and psychic self-defense are the antidote to modern life. We no longer have to accept modern stress and conflict into our minds and hearts. We no longer have to fall victim to the negative energies and influences that surround us every day. We can protect ourselves.

Each of us has an inner spiritual center and energy that radiate from our bodies in what is called the aura. Our aura reflects our general condition - the combination of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state. People who are healthy, happy, and optimistic radiate strong bright aura, while people who are ill, unhappy, and pessimistic have weak dark auras. Like people, auras interact. Negative people can actually drain the energy and aura of positive people.

How do people lose their spiritual connection?

This world is full of unhealthy distractions. Over-emphasis on wealth and material possessions crowds out our sense of our own divinity. We forget that we are spiritual beings and join the race for things, for prestige, and for worldly power. For most of us, this pursuit is a losing proposition. We can never have enough money, enough things, or enough status. Over time, our natural positive nature is overcome by disappointment, anger, and even violence. In the end, the person who has lost his way finds him- or herself in despair and misery.

People in this state are vulnerable to negative energies and influences from outside. They fall into a downward spiral that is difficult, if not impossible, to escape. They begin to emit negative energy and to drain positive energies around them. This process usually happens at a subconscious level. No one sets out to be unhappy or negative. But once the negative energies dominate, some people do consciously engage in unhealthy, even evil, pursuits. Thus, we see a resurgence of the occult, paranormal hobbies, and experiments with the black arts.

How do people find their spiritual connection?

It is possible to eliminate negative energy from our lives and to become healthy positive people with the ability to defend ourselves from negative energies and influences. The process for doing this is spiritual development. It involves reducing and eliminating our own negative energies and replacing them with positive, spiritually-based energies.

The first step in this process is introspection. By identifying those aspects of our thoughts and emotions that are negative - anger, envy, sloth, and lust, we begin a journey to self-awareness. Becoming self-aware, we are able to identify and nurture our positive energies and emotions - joy, hope, compassion, and enthusiasm. As our spirit grows, our aura gets stronger, and we are able to fend off drains on our energy. We are able to maintain a strong, healthy aura. And we are able to share that positive energy with others.

Part of the discovery process involves freeing suppressed abilities like intuition and telepathy. We are born with these abilities, but we learn very early not to use them because they fly in the face of modern “rational” thought. We are embarrassed or shamed until we lose touch with them completely. They are important to restoring our spiritual connection, and our efforts at spiritual development will help us bring these repressed abilities to the surface where they become part of our psychic self-defense arsenal.

There are many things we can do to promote spiritual development and strength the aura. First and foremost is meditation. It takes time to learn how to meditate, and it can be very frustrating at first. But adopting a practice of daily meditation is the single best way to open your spirit and release hidden innate abilities. It quiets the mind, relaxes the body, and helps us through the introspective process. Practiced over long periods, meditation makes us more energetic, healthier, and better able to recognize and avoid potentially dangerous negative influences.

Other techniques also promote positive spiritual development: yoga, color therapy, naturopathy, laughter therapy, and frequent exposure to nature. Each of them helps get us in touch with our inner spiritual core and build positive thought patterns and energies. This, in turn, strengthens our aura and creates a psychic self-defense barrier between us and negative energies.

Living a healthier lifestyle is critical to spiritual development. It is important to eat a healthy balanced diet, to exercise, to stimulate the mind, and to build healthy relationships. With these goals, you can identify many activities that make you a stronger, more spiritually fit human being.



By: Abhishek Agarwal

About the Author:

Abhishek is an Astral Projection expert and he has got some great Astral Projection
Techniques
up his sleeves! Download his exhaustive Astral Projection Ebook (167-Pages), from his website
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