Spiritual Atheists? Is that possible? (Buddhist, agnostic, quotes, Abraham)

[forkpower]

As Jackyfrost01 there may be an issue with the deffinition of spiritual. If you are using it to mean something in realation to the spirit, or something supernatural, then no i would not consider myself spiritual. If you are going after a different deffinition, then please elaborate.

That being said, i have a few friends, that while they do not believe in god, or any deity for that matter, do consider themselves to be very spiritual. Each has a different reason of why they fell that they are spiritual, and i think that is one of the major selling points of being a spiritual individual.

If you prescribe yourself to a religious doctrine you will always have people, outside and inside said doctrine, that will tell you "your doing it wrong". Whereas with being a spiritual person, it is really up to the individual what they do/interepret to be spiritual.

[Alpha8207]

Originally Posted by forkpower

As Jackyfrost01 there may be an issue with the deffinition of spiritual. If you are using it to mean something in realation to the spirit, or something supernatural, then no i would not consider myself spiritual. If you are going after a different deffinition, then please elaborate.

That being said, i have a few friends, that while they do not believe in god, or any deity for that matter, do consider themselves to be very spiritual. Each has a different reason of why they fell that they are spiritual, and i think that is one of the major selling points of being a spiritual individual.

If you prescribe yourself to a religious doctrine you will always have people, outside and inside said doctrine, that will tell you "your doing it wrong". Whereas with being a spiritual person, it is really up to the individual what they do/interepret to be spiritual.

I'm not really trying to define spirituality. I'm asking you guys if you consider yourself spiritual regardless of my definition of it.

I probably have always thought of it in some kind of religious context but considering Buddhists, that's a mistake.

So I really appreciate your comments about your friends.

[SuSuSushi]

Originally Posted by Alpha8207

So do you or Haaziq consider yourself spiritual and what does that aspect of your life look like?

I mean, do you mediate and, if so, on what?

No I am not spiritual.

I think it was Cheilgirl who said once that she was into yoga and/or meditation, but I might have the poster wrong.....

Yoga doesn't connote spirituality; it's merely a form of exercise. I practice yoga but I don't get any "enlightenment" from it. My butt however, looks fabulous. One can combine meditation with yoga, and that's probably where the spiritual part of it comes in for some.

I do have feelings of connection with the planet and with the universe from time to time, especially when I'm out backpacking or mountain-climbing, or scuba diving. But it's not in the sense that there's anything bigger than me out there watching me.

More like a feeling of being my own little part of a really beautiful macrocosm and how insignificant the blip of "me" really is in this amazing and beautiful universe about which I want to learn so much more. I'm sure some might call that spirituality, but I'd probably call it more like... hyper-awareness of my surroundings.

[Alpha8207]

Originally Posted by SuSuSushi

No I am not spiritual.



Yoga doesn't connote spirituality; it's merely a form of exercise. I practice yoga but I don't get any "enlightenment" from it. My butt however, looks fabulous. One can combine meditation with yoga, and that's probably where the spiritual part of it comes in for some.

I do have feelings of connection with the planet and with the universe from time to time, especially when I'm out backpacking or mountain-climbing, or scuba diving. But it's not in the sense that there's anything bigger than me out there watching me.

More like a feeling of being my own little part of a really beautiful macrocosm and how insignificant the blip of "me" really is in this amazing and beautiful universe about which I want to learn so much more. I'm sure some might call that spirituality, but I'd probably call it more like... hyper-awareness of my surroundings.

Thanks.

And yeah, I probably would call that hyper-awareness 'spirituality' but just because it's seems you're saying that your 'inner being' gets kinda in awe of your surroundings.

(Don't kill me for my weak 'definitions', I'm not trying to attach anything to your 'feelings' that isn't there. In other words, I'm not trying to back you into some kinda of 'AHA! You really believe!' corner.)

I'm genuinely interested in this.

[stycotl]

Moderator cut: orphaned

i have some atheist friends that i would consider to be spiritual. what, in my opinion makes them that way? they search and look for truth. i look to God among other things. they might not look to God, but the rest is fairly similar; we both look to philosophy and science, to social awareness and self awareness. not surprisingly, many of us come to the same conclusions on a lot of different subjects.

[GCSTroop]

Hey Alpha,

I'll try to respond although I wouldn't really classify myself as one of those mentioned in the article. My personal thoughts are that the word 'spiritual' has been used by religion for so long that when we think of it in terms of having these spiritual experiences, we automatically process it as having to assign some sort of supernatural entity often called God to it.

I'm a firm believer that the word 'spiritual' could be used by many Atheists to describe their awe and sense of wonder at the universe (which I often feel), a full range of emotions usually most prevalent with extreme highs and lows, as well as a garden variety of other very important and meaningful things throughout one's life. I'm sure if my wife were to ever get pregnant and I became a father, the experience of seeing my son/daughter for the first time would probably be hard to explain in words - almost a spiritual moment perhaps.

I suppose you could say I'm a 'spiritual' person although I do not deign any sort of supernatural being, a wispy smoky figure residing in my cranium, or anything else of that nature to my 'spirituality'. I feel things very strongly, I have a vast array of emotions, and probably more than anything, I find the processes the universe undergoes to create and destroy absolutely fascinating and it fills me with a very fulfilling sense of happiness to learn more about it.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a stigma in our society about Atheists that I'm rather certain was reinforced by the Cold War wherein all the Commies were Atheists and therefore we were heartless, cold, un-emotional, un-caring people incapable of reflecting upon the majesty and beauty of life and hellbent on destroying America. I know you don't think that way, Alpha but I think a lot of people have that impression and it's rather sad, if you ask me. My own mother, who I'm rather certain doesn't believe in God was surprised to hear me use the word Atheist to describe myself some time ago. She had grown up in a time and age where Atheist was synonymous with Communist and thus also relative to the adjectives I used above.

I can tell you this. I've read some of the greatest works of literature, I've read the Bible and I've read much of the Koran (though not all of it) and in each one of those works I've found inspirational, uplifting, and moving verses and quotes. I look at all three the same - as works of inspirational literature. I feel the same way about Charles Dickens' opening lines in A Tale of Two Cities as I do about 1 Corinthians 13:7 or Abraham Lincoln being quoted as saying "It's not the years in your life but the life in your years that count."

They're all inspirational to me. They all allow me to have some sort of internal and self-imposed meaning to my life. When I read something or experience something that connects with that it becomes special to me and I don't mind to call it something 'spiritual' but you will not find me trying to relate it to any sort of abject system of supernal and numinous causes.

I don't mind calling those moments where I connect with the things that are important to me as being 'spiritual' because, in some cases, there are not many other words to describe it although I'm sure it can be very confusing to hear an Atheist say it. Perhaps we Atheists should look for a different word to use that means the same thing but excludes the idea of belief in God or supernatural, external causes to presuppose it. Perhaps the word(s) "existential fulfillment" would do???

Anyway, I think a lot of the resistance you will find from Atheists (in case you haven't noticed in the two years you've been here) is that we, at least I think I can speak for many, feel as though religion has tried to exert its opinions and beliefs on us in such a fashion that really invades our own sense of existential fulfillment. It's almost as if religion says to us "You cannot make these things for yourself. You cannot be fulfilled from within and all relativistically special moments in your life have nothing to do with you but MY specific God. You must relinquish all sense of selfishness in assigning your own purpose and hand it all over to MY God." Well, if you ask me, that's a bit like trying to overtly steal all those important, self-defined things from someone and claim it as your own.

Well, I'm not sure if I clarified anything or just made the waters murkier. But, I will consider myself 'spiritual' because there are things I can connect strongly with and feel important about. However, I refuse to assign any of those special things that I would consider 'spiritual' to be anything more than a personal cognition of important things in my life that reach me on a deeply emotional and fulfilling level.

[ptsum]

Originally Posted by Alpha8207

Is it possible to be spiritual and an atheist?

What does that look like?

Any atheist willing to talk about their spirituality in the absence of believing in God?

I read this earlier and it's been stuck in my mind:

The Spiritual Atheists - Steven Waldman

You know Alpha, the article that you presented here about Spiritual Atheists, upon reading it, not only sounds like Buddhism but it also sounds like they're describing the Native American culture and beliefs, I wonder if we should be classified as that.

[Oakback]

Originally Posted by GCSTroop

Hey Alpha,

I'll try to respond although I wouldn't really classify myself as one of those mentioned in the article. My personal thoughts are that the word 'spiritual' has been used by religion for so long that when we think of it in terms of having these spiritual experiences, we automatically process it as having to assign some sort of supernatural entity often called God to it.

I'm a firm believer that the word 'spiritual' could be used by many Atheists to describe their awe and sense of wonder at the universe (which I often feel), a full range of emotions usually most prevalent with extreme highs and lows, as well as a garden variety of other very important and meaningful things throughout one's life. I'm sure if my wife were to ever get pregnant and I became a father, the experience of seeing my son/daughter for the first time would probably be hard to explain in words - almost a spiritual moment perhaps.

I suppose you could say I'm a 'spiritual' person although I do not deign any sort of supernatural being, a wispy smoky figure residing in my cranium, or anything else of that nature to my 'spirituality'. I feel things very strongly, I have a vast array of emotions, and probably more than anything, I find the processes the universe undergoes to create and destroy absolutely fascinating and it fills me with a very fulfilling sense of happiness to learn more about it.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a stigma in our society about Atheists that I'm rather certain was reinforced by the Cold War wherein all the Commies were Atheists and therefore we were heartless, cold, un-emotional, un-caring people incapable of reflecting upon the majesty and beauty of life and hellbent on destroying America. I know you don't think that way, Alpha but I think a lot of people have that impression and it's rather sad, if you ask me. My own mother, who I'm rather certain doesn't believe in God was surprised to hear me use the word Atheist to describe myself some time ago. She had grown up in a time and age where Atheist was synonymous with Communist and thus also relative to the adjectives I used above.

I can tell you this. I've read some of the greatest works of literature, I've read the Bible and I've read much of the Koran (though not all of it) and in each one of those works I've found inspirational, uplifting, and moving verses and quotes. I look at all three the same - as works of inspirational literature. I feel the same way about Charles Dickens' opening lines in A Tale of Two Cities as I do about 1 Corinthians 13:7 or Abraham Lincoln being quoted as saying "It's not the years in your life but the life in your years that count."

They're all inspirational to me. They all allow me to have some sort of internal and self-imposed meaning to my life. When I read something or experience something that connects with that it becomes special to me and I don't mind to call it something 'spiritual' but you will not find me trying to relate it to any sort of abject system of supernal and numinous causes.

I don't mind calling those moments where I connect with the things that are important to me as being 'spiritual' because, in some cases, there are not many other words to describe it although I'm sure it can be very confusing to hear an Atheist say it. Perhaps we Atheists should look for a different word to use that means the same thing but excludes the idea of belief in God or supernatural, external causes to presuppose it. Perhaps the word(s) "existential fulfillment" would do???

Anyway, I think a lot of the resistance you will find from Atheists (in case you haven't noticed in the two years you've been here) is that we, at least I think I can speak for many, feel as though religion has tried to exert its opinions and beliefs on us in such a fashion that really invades our own sense of existential fulfillment. It's almost as if religion says to us "You cannot make these things for yourself. You cannot be fulfilled from within and all relativistically special moments in your life have nothing to do with you but MY specific God. You must relinquish all sense of selfishness in assigning your own purpose and hand it all over to MY God." Well, if you ask me, that's a bit like trying to overtly steal all those important, self-defined things from someone and claim it as your own.

Well, I'm not sure if I clarified anything or just made the waters murkier. But, I will consider myself 'spiritual' because there are things I can connect strongly with and feel important about. However, I refuse to assign any of those special things that I would consider 'spiritual' to be anything more than a personal cognition of important things in my life that reach me on a deeply emotional and fulfilling level.

I KNEW IT. I KNEW IT

I don't care what anyone says,

I NEVER thought good ole Troop was a heathen commie pinko pagan.

[MontanaGuy]

I don't see myself as spiritual at all because of the religious nature of the word and the fact that it seems to suggest that a spirit world exists. I did go to a few classes many years ago in Seattle to learn a little about meditation but I honestly didn't get into it. I do feel a sense of awe and mystery when I think about the universe and the workings of nature. I also appreciate the beauty and complexity of the natural world. Just this morning as I walked out the front door I was amazed at the fact that the large tree in my front yard had grown these beautiful white blossoms in just the last couple of days. So I guess from my point of view I don't see anything about my experiences, emotions or intellect that I would categorize as spiritual but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying the beauty of nature and the fact that I'm conscious and able to appreciate it.

[chielgirl]

I don't see myself as spiritual and I practice yoga and vipassna (buddhist) meditation.

The most basic way to describe what I do is follow my breath.
In yoga, it is with movement; my thai massage practice is also moving meditation.
The function of meditation is to be present in the moment. When I sit in meditation, I follow my breath: in, out, in, out. When my monkey mind goes somewhere else (for me, it's usually planning - my friend restructures tax codes) I return to my breath.
Sometimes I try to focus on the space between the inhale and the exhale.

I'll make a breath related suggestion: if you're ever having a bad day, hard time, etc. take a deep breath, hold as long as you can (perhaps to the count of 10) and let it go. Repeat 3 times, it will lower blood pressure, calm you down, etc.

Breath is a good thing.