Where I think doing spirit work takes us is one step at a time. It is about being totally aware to all of life, looking for symbols, looking for coincidences, and being open to messages with the emphasis on whether they are true. To me, spiritual (super-natural) work is not about emotional highs. It is building up confidence in ourselves. It's looking for satisfaction in more than a material sense. It is not about ecstasy but about connection.
Nothing is wrong with material goods for joy but generally speaking their pleasures don't last. What we feel joy at today, from something shiny and new, will not be the same in a month. It will take something more. This is possibly true of spirit work also but maybe it then takes us toward greater understanding of life's mystery and our place in it.
It bears repeating that I am not one who believes that growing our spiritual effectiveness can be attained through gurus or books. I don't say they can't help direct, but spirit work is experiential. It is objective only for ourselves-- and not transferable. You can tell someone else what happened, but they will either doubt or at the most get an emotional reaction.
It is possible that my thinking on this comes from Pagan and Native American cultures where each person is encouraged to have their own vision quest. A vision quest is both into self and the spirit world. Native American traditional vision quests went into nature and waited for insights. It wasn't like the medicine man could tell someone what they would see. Often people got their adult name from their experience. Were their experiences delusions? Some would say they were. I am not part of the some.
I do believe there is more to the Universe than what we see. I believe in a Creator but not necessarily like one in the box of any religion-- and religions are about boxes. Religions were and are man's attempt to understand mystery and majesty that goes beyond human understanding. The box has been an attempt to find security for the people and power for those controlling the religions. Often they have done more harm than good.
Religious dogma, especially that with 'one' idea that doesn't change, has often led to followers who don't think they need to find out anything for themselves. They want to follow a pattern, a trail blazed by someone else. Human religions often punish by banishment those who would strike out on their own trails.
This is not saying belonging to a church is wrong. It's more that the church won't take someone to spiritual experiences in itself and some will block those experiences. Like one of the commenters said, I don't see going to church or joining a religion as being more spiritual than going to the store. Could be less so. It is all in the attitude.
Personally, I think a lot of what people call spirituality is working with energy. Is there guidance from beyond to help with it? Maybe. Some of what doesn't seem explainable today may someday be seen as science.
All photos are from Hubble and of stars and space. They inspire in me a feeling of great energy and joy because out in that vast expanse (the colors cannot be seen in space but they are the colors of their elements) creation is happening, destruction is ongoing, and it is all part of this glorious thing we call life.
The complexity of space is matched by the complexity of our inner world. It is why I have to believe there is something behind it all.
7 comments:
I wrote these four together, to be in a sequence and the last was the hardest because the four go from the finite (the beginning) to the infinite (there is no end). What is beyond, behind? That I don't know and trying to write something here ended up being confusing even to me. Hopefully it made enough sense. In a year, I might do better with it or maybe not. The older I get, the less simple it seems.
I am a believer that we can connect with something beyond the physical and emotional that enriches our experience of living but what is it? God was an easy answer for people to use but is it that simple? Life certainly isn't.
Oooh, the Firefox nebula!
Love that one!
I can I think see your point. You say you are aware of something beyond the physical and emotional that enriches our life but what is it? Some of it is intuition but I think you mean more than intuition and vision of the future. The spiritual as you speak of is many experiences that has not been completely understood or properly labeled. Our language can only go so far. Maybe the spiritual is approachable by some other sensual language like music, tactile or visual art.
The more we learn, the more we find out how little we know. The universe is mind boggling.
I really don't know what it is and how reliable are feelings? We just have to go with what we believe as best we know it and be honest whether that's popular or not
Rain . . . There are dreamy days when you write deep and spiritual thoughts, and this essay was one of your most interesting. A person can easily become frustrated trying to answer the REALLY BIG questions:
Just how far away is infinity? Did the initial creative spark occur in a vacuum? Is everything we see out the window the result of an accidental combination of chemicals?
If God is responsible for creating everything why did he creat a mosquito? If he (or she) is omnipotent and can answer prayers, why does he (or she) create children that must be in pain their entire lives?
And of course, the other side of the coin: If there is no God how did we get here? If there is no afterlife, is there a purpose or reason for us to be here?
Did our creator, if there was one, really intend to create in his (or her) image? If so, why did he create Charles Manson?
As you contemplate the natural beauty around you, the complexity of life forms, and the peaceful serenity of a night under the stars - is it still possible to believe it's all an accident?
Dixon
Dixon, it's not possible for me but I don't really know. It's a wondrous thing and you wrote some very good points about the whole set of questions that go along with it if we stop to think at all.
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