Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
I'm confused!
Options
-
03-07-2011 5:53am#1I have no faith whatsoever in a god, a higher power, life after death, angels, energy points, tarot cards, astrology, eneagrammes and so on.
I do not believe that we need a faith in anything.
But I do wonder if we need spirituality.
While at the same time, I cannot grasp what exactly spirituality is, if not linked to a faith of some sort.
Is it a feeling of 'wholeness', acceptance, and inner peace?
If so, what makes spirituality any different to personal growth and general well being, which I consider to be psychological issues unrelated to spirituality.
Sorry if none of this makes sense.
I have thought about this for years, but still remain unable to articulate my feelings on the subject.
I have tried to read about all of this before, but I can never connect with any of it.
So, I think I would like opinions on whether or not people need a spiritual side.
And I also would like help with figuring out what exactly spirituality without faith is.
Thanks
Tagged:0
Comments
-
-
Hi, thanks
Most of your post made perfect sense to me.
Still a bit stuck on what spirituality is though!
Are you saying that spirituality is a connection with the universe and everything it embodies, has ever embodied, and ever will embody?
This is what I got from your post.
Sorry if I misinterpreted it.0 -
Hey, thats a good way of putting it, I suppose my own definition of spirituality is feeling connected to the bigger picture, finding time to be present in this moment and appreciate whats happening right this second, rather than worrying about the future or reflecting on the past,living in the right now, its easier said than done, but I dont think it has to be constant, thats not an easy feat
But everyone has faith, whether it comes from being inspired by a religion or just from within, your beliefs with regard to haw you behave and treat people, your morals and your sense of right and wrong, these are all your faith, and faith should always be questioning, never blind. 0 -
bananabobana wrote: »Hey, thats a good way of putting it, I suppose my own definition of spirituality is feeling connected to the bigger picture, finding time to be present in this moment and appreciate whats happening right this second, rather than worrying about the future or reflecting on the past,living in the right now, its easier said than done, but I dont think it has to be constant, thats not an easy feat But everyone has faith, whether it comes from being inspired by a religion or just from within, your beliefs with regard to haw you behave and treat people, your morals and your sense of right and wrong, these are all your faith, and faith should always be questioning, never blind.
I really like how you have worded this whole post
It has definitely helped.
Thanks.0 -
flutterflye wrote: »I have no faith whatsoever in a god, a higher power, life after death, angels, energy points, tarot cards, astrology, eneagrammes and so on.
I do not believe that we need a faith in anything.
But I do wonder if we need spirituality.
While at the same time, I cannot grasp what exactly spirituality is, if not linked to a faith of some sort.
Is it a feeling of 'wholeness', acceptance, and inner peace?
If so, what makes spirituality any different to personal growth and general well being, which I consider to be psychological issues unrelated to spirituality.
Sorry if none of this makes sense.
I have thought about this for years, but still remain unable to articulate my feelings on the subject.
I have tried to read about all of this before, but I can never connect with any of it.
So, I think I would like opinions on whether or not people need a spiritual side.
And I also would like help with figuring out what exactly spirituality without faith is.
Thanks
Hi flutterflye, people dont need a spiritual side, spirituality is an escape for alot of people, a nice escape, but an escape non the less, once you figure out what it is you are actually escaping from and see that is it not what you thought it was (i.e. something real), then you no longer need to feel like escaping.
Ironically , even though it is an escape for people, they are actually attempting to engage with reality even more, but they are still holding onto the belief of self, this is the belief they are trying to escape from.
See the self is only a belief and you stop trying to escape it.0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
flutterflye wrote: »Hi, thanks
Most of your post made perfect sense to me.
Still a bit stuck on what spirituality is though!
Are you saying that spirituality is a connection with the universe and everything it embodies, has ever embodied, and ever will embody?
This is what I got from your post.
Sorry if I misinterpreted it.
It is necessary to realise that all spirituality must be separated from religion and religious beliefs. This is because all religion is based on myth and the dogmatic belief that faith and beliefs are fact, which they are not. Spirituality is real, and based only within the reality of the certainty of fact. Too many people firmly ‘believe’ that spirituality is about religion, because thy have been taught to ‘believe’ this to be so. Religious spirituality is fantasy based on nothing that is real. It has been separated at some distance within the human mind from reason or logic.
You are a spirit with a body. You are a mixture of animal instincts and humanity. Your humanity controls your animal, or base instincts; this being all that separates you from the lower animals. This doesn’t just mean cats, dogs, lions and tigers etc. as it also means men and women without a sufficient amount of humanity to control their base animal desires and instincts, who look human, but behave like beasts. Such people are usually controlled by self-interest and fear of retribution, and not, unfortunately, by any humanity within them. And because of this fact, which you can experience every day, so many so-called human beings are in reality just beasts of the very lowest order, so often totally lacking the humanity that is necessary to makes a real and complete human.
The spirit of man cannot be found, no matter how hard you look for it. You can open up the human skull and dissect the brain, and you will neither find a picture or a single thought. These things are not evident to the eye, yet we know that they are there, because we all experience them every day. You may ask about the realities of death, because you hope that you will live in some paradise or other after death. Yet again, this is the promise of religious leaders. For example, at most Christian funerals they will mention the “Sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the body”. Just like all things, people never really notice, nor do they even question. If such resurrection is sure, then why the need for hope? If it is certain, again, why faith? And why hope if it is sure and certain? It goes around and around, contradiction upon contradiction.
The body is made of energy, and as energy cannot die, nor can it be destroyed, then the body returns to its elements from which it came. This leaves that spiritual thing that is the real you, that thing that you can’t put your finger on, and no one can actually see it. That is why it was originally called ‘spirit’, as it was considered to be like an ether, a vapour-like form that could be sensed by the mind, but not captured. It too is made of pure energy, and again, energy cannot die or be destroyed, so it must go on in some form or other. But we who follow The Way are not religious, and therefore will not tell you what we believe, but only that which we know for certain and can either demonstrate or prove. You can admit that it’s a good theory, but sadly it’s not yet proven.
Who and what were you before you were born? Some will say, “Nothing”. But there is no such a thing as nothing, for even nothing is something, so you must have been something. Nothing has consequence, so it can’t be nothing, it must be something. Whatever we are, we are not at all sure. We have our theories, but we don’t know anything factual or provable for sure regarding this question.
When you see pictures of ghosts, as they have been described by people who have seen them, they are usually transparent. Those who are unfortunate enough to be supersensitive, see them in this way. Some may see one in their lifetime, some may never see anything, and many imagine they have seen something. Others lie through their teeth, for their own reasons, such as wanting to appear important, just like a small child attention-seeking. Herein lies the great confusion. Who is lying? Who is imagining things and not capable of recognising the difference? Who is telling the truth? Is it real or is it not? Religions are built on such confusion.
It is my experience that so called ghosts or entities do exist, or I’ve lost my marbles. They are the energy of those now dead to us. It is a fair possibility that there is a parallel world, or perhaps several parallel worlds, with those who do not know that they are dead slipping backwards and forwards.
For instance, how do you know for sure that you are alive? Can you prove it to yourself? Perhaps you are wrong, and you are just a spirit drifting in space imagining all this? Or perhaps you are already dead, reliving your past life over and over again? Then maybe you have never lived at all, and you are just dreaming your way through some spiritual existence? How do we really know? The fact is, we don’t.
Why do you sleep? There is no actual, realistic need for you to sleep, yet we know that if you are deprived of sleep you will die; and sooner than you think. So what’s the point? There is a theory that when you sleep you go back to the source of your energy, to recharge your batteries, for want of a better word for it. Perhaps to dream your way through your many problems, and allow your subconscious mind to work its way through them. But your subconscious has no reason, so we find ourselves back at the starting point.
Have you ever noticed how everything goes round in circles? There is no beginning and there is no end to life; it’s pure energy, and therefore, even though your body effectively rots, it in fact is just going through its natural cycle: back into earth to grow grass for the beasts to eat, and your children or grandchildren to kill the beasts, and eat them at a later date; which in turn feeds their bodies on the energy of the beast, which passes through them in faecal matter. Again, that feeds some thing that in turn feeds something else, that eventually feeds them, and then they in turn die; and on and on it goes, round and round, eternally. At least that’s the way it would be, if we, the so-called human race, the believers in that false belief in our superiority over all things, hadn’t messed it up.
Now what about your spirit? Your thoughts? They are energy too, and in the natural world nothing is ever wasted. So you go round and round, and it’s a fair bet that even this energy is recycled, and sometimes we see it as ghosts; seeing or not seeing, depending on the level of your sensitivity, or perhaps we experience it as some sort of entity, causing chaos or bringing blessings.
Perhaps even space ships with little red men from Mars do exist. Even fairies at the bottom of the garden; and I am not being facetious. Think about it, and it might just start to make sense to you, and make sense of a lot that confuses. It may even confuse more, but it’s a thought, isn’t it? But there is no evidence, so we are not sure, and study is needed, as all good theories have something that makes them worthy of investigation.
If you are a believer or have a faith in any form of religion, you may well have problems living with cold fact as your only comfort. And it is a cold comfort, but you can take it to the bank of life any time and the check won’t bounce. We cannot adjust reality for excuse or humour, so we therefore have little to comfort us, except the methodical gathering of factual knowledge, which some may well see as a kind of religion.
Belief allows excuse, which itself is, by definition, a lie. Should you rather false comfort of belief and faith than cold facts that can justify anything, and should you need to feel that there is a god or gods, angels and the like, looking over you, ready to take you to paradise when you die, and many people do, then pass me by and go your way, for where I go is not for you. Where I lead, few can follow, no matter how sensitive they may ‘believe’ themselves to be.
No matter how intelligent you might think yourself, beware your reason, which is rendered almost useless by the falsity of belief. But, beware more so your lack of reason. Know yourself well before you venture, lest you shall be lost, in a dark place, beyond help; a forlorn place, where none shall ever find you, not even yourself.
Hope this helps 0 -
-
-
flutterflye wrote: »I definitely agree with your friend.
But my depression usually comes (this time included) from me burning myself empty - trying to be a million things to a million people, forgetting myself.
So then I become overly stressed.
Then my sleep goes out the window for a few weeks/months.
Then my diet.
Next thing I know I'm in a heap of depression.
Sorry, but in my case anyway, it has little to do with 'truth' etc...
Thanks though.
Do you really think not? Once you realise the truth of what you are doing, and why you are trying to do these things, then it becomes apparent, doesn't it?
Truth is not some 'out there' thing, but in the very nature of every thought and action we perform. Forgetting your own physical and spiritual/mental needs is just as unbalanced as doing the opposite i.e. being self-centered and hell-bent.
Life, as I have learned to great cost and reward, is not all about being all things to all people, as that is neither necessary or indeed possible. I've been there, for all the wrong reasons, and it was only when I saw the truth of what I was both doing and not doing that the light came on, and then things changed. It took someone outside of me, someone who was more objective than my own limited view, to trigger the possibility that I might not be on the right track, though for the most part I would have at that time completely denied being unbalanced, but the fact was the fact as it was, and until I took a good hard look and asked for directions I would probably never have known any better. To have knowledge is said to be good, but to have realisation is essential, and it all depends on how well you know yourself
Take care0
Advertisement