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Do you have any spiritual practices?

After yet another presentation that emphasized the mental health benefits of spiritual practices, I thought I might at least consider adding something "spiritual" to my routine. I was wondering if any of you do anything. I mean, besides your worship of that first cup of coffee in the morning . . .

UpsideDownAgain 7 Jan 28
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Regular meditation along with attention to each passing moment and the analysis and policing of thoughts are practices that bring great benefits whether you label them as “spiritual” or not.

The benefits include healthy, bountiful living, inner happiness and peace, good relationships, friendship and a sense of awe and reverence for reality.

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Recently yes though it is difficult to deal with. I do not belive in gods or anything spiritual at all and my girlfriend knows it. She is at least a 5th generation witch. There are customs in her family that I simply deal with that are spiritual in nature.

Little things like point a knife blade toward ones self when placed on a plate. This is done to show no aggression towards others or spirits. The family actually gets agitated if the knife is not placed "properly". My girlfreind understands that I don't believe in that stuff at all. But hey, I get a great meal and keep her family happy.

Lol. Okay, I'll start pointing my knife in my direction instead of outward. Should do wonders for my mental health.

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There are plenty of peer reviewed studies acknowledging the beneficial effects of the mindfulness practice.

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How are you defining "spiritual"? I don't mean to be difficult; it's just that it seems everyone has their own idea of what the word means and that makes it rather difficult for me to answer questions such as this. Some people talk about spirituality in terms of quieting their thoughts or being mindful/focused — meditative in some capacity, I suppose. Others talk about experiencing the awe, wonder, and beauty of nature. Some refer to an experience of oneness with humanity and/or the universe. And still others talk about one of various metaphysical beliefs (e.g., talking with God or gods, astral projection to a higher plane of being, joining a universal consciousness, communing with Lady Ayahuasca). Some use drugs to attain new perspectives or to "reset" their brain in some way. And I'm certain there are countless conceptualizations of what spirituality entails that I haven't touched upon. I tend to avoid using the word "spiritual" because of its nebulous nature, favoring more specific terms or descriptions for what I mean. So, what do you mean by "spiritual"?

Good question. I guess for me "spiritual" is things that exist but that we can't really study directly, like thoughts and emotions. Emotions affect the physical world (tears, flushed cheeks, physical sensations, etc) but they aren't physical themselves.

@UpsideDownAgain Would you say, then, that you're looking for clarity of thought and healthy expression of emotion? I know those were examples and not necessarily the totality of what you consider spirituality, but it sounds like there might be things like meditation or various relaxation techniques to focus your thoughts and channel your emotions.

Sam Harris and others have lauded certain drugs, which seem to have a profound effect on the mind in some interesting ways. In particular, certain psychedelics seem to help break habits and patterns of behavior that are unhealthy. Different drugs have different effects, though that also means that potential benefits also come with potential harms. (I'm not advocating for or against drug use; I'm just spitballing.)

I guess for me, given your understanding of spirituality, I'd have to say I don't do a lot directly. But I do try to focus my mind in certain ways, to find some little things that help me relax. I spend a lot of time in my head already, but I'm not especially good at meditation. I've tried it, and it just feels ineffective — but, as I understand it, mediation usually takes some practice to start seeing benefits. I guess I'm just impatient.

On my daily commute to and from work (driving about 50 minutes each way), over the last year or so I have turned off the radio and have instead been allowing my mind to wander some of the time and I've also been using that time to memorize poetry and other passages. (I recently finished memorizing The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, and that took me a few months. I've finally got it so I don't stumble [much] over it when reciting. That's a long poem, though — about eight to ten minutes to recite at an appropriate pace.)

I do practice an occasional breathing technique to calm myself, which can be good when I'm feeling anxious or when I'm just trying to relax for sleep. It's a 4-7-8 breathing pattern: a count of four to inhale, a count of seven to hold the breath, and a count of eight to exhale fully. It's remarkable how doing that a few times can release tension. In this case, it's probably physiological to start but that in turn affects emotion.

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I have enough trouble with all the neardeath situations i have survived...i can't escape the reality that im charmed....then im on the lookout for the next one coming up....makes me feel connected to chance.

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I practice the Three Consonances: Social, Adaptive, and Cognitive.

skado Level 9 Jan 29, 2020

I tried to research those three consonances and find nothing specific, though I think I understood what you are talking about in general terms.

You practice harmonious thoughts and beliefs that reinforce each other and avoid thoughts and beliefs that are out of accord. Odd that we hear all about dissonance and seldom talk about consonance.

@WilliamFleming
You’ve got the right idea. We all know about Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance, but Festinger himself also talked about it in contrast to Cognitive Consonance.

For my purposes it’s a concerted effort to bring worldview into alignment with verifiable reality; a never perfect, and never finished project, but one that has hidden benefits.

Social Consonance is a mindfulness of our natural tendency toward xenophobia, and a practiced effort to replace it with a focus on commonality. Then followed by a gentle effort, where appropriate, to build wholesome relationship on that common ground.

Adaptive Consonance is a practice aimed at awareness of the effects of evolutionary mismatch, and the disciplines that help resolve mismatch disorders.
[theconsonant.org]

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In the vaguest sense, most of my habits are spiritual.... cat care, food appreciation, bathing, breathing, star gazing, flower smelling, music appreciation, sleeping and dreaming.....when my future mate chooses me for lifelong love, I shall continue my spiritual empathic healing touch and taste and sounds with her.... none of that is ritualistic or delusional for alleged deities nor expecting miracles

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