Does anyone have good indicators for spirituality ?
Depends on how you define "spirituality". Generically, it means more concern with the human spirit or soul rather than with "material things", therefore, valuing the immaterial above the material. This is inherently meaningless as a definition in my view, as we really aren't in a position, as material creatures of the material world, to do anything but speculate about the immaterial.
In practice it boils down to an interest in a search for meaningfulness and purposefulness and the satisfaction of similar subjective / emotional needs and drives, rather than the acquisition of wealth, possessions, or social status. But even this is a false dichotomy of minimal utility. We're hypersocial creatures, so how we relate to society has a lot to do with subjective happiness. We need at least some basic level of property and funding to function in society and maintain health as well.
So I prefer to view it more holistically and try to live a well-rounded life, one with clearly defined values, and that is occupied with seeking those values. For me that means interacting with kindness and empathy, being responsible and diligent, and connecting with like minded people in ways that work for me and them.
William Blake made two things his main methods for spirituality:
Blake used to see angels in trees. Great poet, interesting philosopher, strange dude. And good artist- wood cuts.
For an alleged madman, he was very prescient.
You need to define it first, and good luck with that, as it is one of those words that can mean what ever is expedient to the speaker at any given point in time.
I have no tolerance for this word.
Any explanation for it to mean a connection to others and the world around us, and has been articulated well here (using world like humanity, awareness, natural world) does not require the word "spiritual."
In my experience, people who use it make similar claims of supernatural powers in the universe. They just don't reference religious books.
My spirituality is firmly rooted in my constant awareness of my place in the natural world
I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you are asking. Please clarify. It always trips me out to hear people say, "I'm spiritual, but not religious." Hehehe,,, I find that funny.
I need more knowledge on how one can claim to be very spiritual than the other and whether it can be compared, variables etc
Also crystal healing, chakras, karma and sometimes reincarnation and witchcraft..
My neighbour was a cat in a past life.. yup, it's TRUE. She told me so.
Claims no religion and also that religion has destroyed the world, but is "spiritual."
I'm hoping she'll reincarnate before her next life, into a bee, so she can buzz off.
@Ms_McSteven this is what drives me nuts. a belief in god? without religion? what god if you're not religious? you need to define it or it is a ludicrous statement. you are saying one of two things when you say i am spiritual, imo.
i believe in something as yet undefined that i constitute "a god." it is my own definition and my own prescribed attributes (or an alternate/hybrid definition that is also yet and will remain unproven) and is likely as absurd as anything the religious came up with. [after thought: i have heard people say they are spiritual and think of "nature" as their god, and the connectivity concept described by others.]
i am still in my religion, not all the way but i cannot bring myself to disengage. yes, to THAT god; but not all the dogma/ritual/practice? that religion has a definition for god, nothing else characterizes god as god but that religion.
it is the same reason i have difficulty dealing with the agnostic v atheist debate. as an atheist, i find i am not debating the same thing as an agnostic. they are talking about allah or the holy trinity or other religiously defined god. the existence of THEIR god, not an undefined god. if the debate is an unknowable, undefined, working to find it with science point of view, well, i am agnostic.
My only interpretation of this word is that it is a feeling of being part of a larger network of people and the natural world.....a connectivity, or if you like - an empathy with all living things. This a purely personal feeling as I have no concept of how others relate to this word.
I need more knowledge on how one can claim to be very spiritual than the other and whether it can be compared, variables etc
@Donnamc6040 I can’t help you I’m afraid ....spirituality, whatever that is, cannot be measured as it is not a quantifiable entity.
I don't even know what the word really means.
Me neither.
I need more knowledge on how one can claim to be very spiritual than the other and whether it can be compared, variables etc