What is spirituality?

PQ,

As a one liner ....

Spirituality is a state of mind or being involving transcendence of the "self".

Tradititional reductionist science tends to claim that such a state is illusory, but
recent developments like Quantum Mechanics have raised sufficient ontological questions about the status of "observers" to encourage some of their number to support concepts like "holistic consciousness".

concerned with matters of spirit ?

Do you think that is a 'way forward' in that case? Are we waiting for more 'evidence.'

Be nice and define all that.

What is Quantum Mechanics without capital letters?
What is ontological?
What is holistic?

QM...an established model in subatomic physics where the act of observation affects the observed phenomena such that "objective reality" becomes problematic.

Ontology...philosophy of of "existence" or "being" or "reality".

Holistic...single unified totallity...as in the idea of "holistic consciousness" where all consciousness is part of the same entity or force which permeates all aspects of "reality". (David Bohm the physicist was an example of one such advocate)

PQ,

"Forward" implies we specify a preferred direction. What is happening is a limited number of "paradigm shifts" in attitudes to "knowledge", one of which has taken an ecological route which follows holistic principles. (see Capra "The Web of Life"). The ecology movement, together with Bohm's exhortations for us to engage in "critical dialogue" does give support for some aspects of "spirituality" but politics has tended to muddy the waters.

Fresco-
Is this state of mind a 'cognitive' one, or an emotional one, or a bit of both?
I understand the concept of transcending the self philosophically to the limited extent you have seen me talk on these boards.
I have also meditated over a period of time, (not very well, admittedly)- so have understood it superficially in the zen buddhist sense too.
It just all seems so 'dry'.
I can't help but think spirituality is more of an emotion than anything else.
Am I really wrong on that?

My model for understanding "spirituality" comes from Hesse's Siddhartha (available on line). In this, the eponymous subject goes through stages of self transcendence in which all the attachments of living, physical, emotional and intellectual, gradually drop away. My conclusion therefore is that spirituality is not one of these three states, but rather it is the observation of ourselves and others in those states, which then has a modifying effect on subsequent thought and action.

In my opinion,
spirituality is the consensus of people who live in spirit,
as distinct from those who inhabit material bodies.

This applies, particularly, to people whose material vehicles have
worn out and become dysfunctional. After returning to re-inhabit
their material Earthly bodies, those people have informed us
that a Judgment Day exists; u r then the judge of how well
u did in that incarnation, according to 2 criteria:

1. Love
and
2. Learning.

These criteria have been reported on a 100% basis,
of those who had a (remembered) Life Review Experience.
Those experiences are reported to take place in the Presence
of a Being of Light of (intuited) very great intelligence and unconditional Love.

It is my opinion, that "being spiritual"
is running one 's life by those 2 criteria.

I believe that u shoud get extra credit
if u employed fonetic spelling; I 'll c if I can get a 3rd criterion added.





David

I agree with the concept of 'observation' as much as I can understand it.

Fresco, do you think there is any validity to the 'emotional' concept for the 'layman.'
I think for most religious believers the attraction lies in the 'spiritual' feeling of being 'aware' of belonging to something larger than oneself.

U might consider checking out your local bookstores New Age section
for the literature of Near Death Experiences; most of it written by medical doctors,
concerning their patientss experiences, if u r interested.

www.IANDS.org is also available

I wish u love and learning



David

PQ,

In the sense that "belonging" involves "closure against the void" I think you are correct. i.e. Religion is the palliative against Shakespeare's "Life ...a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury...signifying nothing".