Spirituality – A Belief In A Higher Power
Spirituality is one of those things in life that’s experienced with no tangible evidence. For many of us who practice a spirituality, it’s about connecting with something that’s greater than we are. It’s also about finding a meaningful path in life. Spirituality is not for the narrow-minded. It’s for those who are open to possibilities and will accept that there are things in life that are sacred and worth holding on to.
Chances are, if you asked two individuals to define what spirituality means to them, their definition would be different. That’s because, for some, spirituality represents transcendency or a deep sense of connectedness. While others may describe it as going to church, a temple, or a mosque.
An Introduction
The text below is a reprint with some update from a post published in 2015 by Luke Miller on Truththeory.com. This post is a great introduction to the higher power of spirituality. Broad as it may be, according to adherents.com, it’s practiced by 84% of the world’s population. That amounts to over 6 billion people. The article is in its entirety here, but here is a link to the original post, as well as the author’s bio.
I think it’s safe to say that spirituality is indeed a good thing. The problem is that some people can enter the spiritual world with a preconceived misconception that it is going to be an all-round, positive experience.
Spirituality is not one thing and can be expressed in multiple ways. Some will find enlightenment through their work, religion, or spiritual practice. Their practice usually entails mediation, yoga, psychedelics or by just expressing themselves positively through kindness, compassion and love. No matter how you find the spirit within you, there is no right way of doing it.
What is spirituality?
Spirituality is a very misunderstood term. Some equate it to religion and, while we can relate it to religion, it is not only a religious thing.
The spirit is the essence of a person, that elusive thing within us that makes us naturally behave in certain ways. When the mind is quiet and all is peaceful, all that’s left is the spirit.
You have your 4 levels of health- the physical, emotional, mental and physical. All but the spirit is definable, measurable, and explainable. The spiritual side of things is a little more mystical and hard to explain in a short sentence. But it is still a real thing.
Spirituality & Consciousness
One thing that will be present in all spiritual practice is consciousness. Consciousness is also hard to define as spirituality because, again, it is not just one thing. To make things simple, consciousness on an individual level is your awareness of a thing, even if that thing is nothing.
One problem that can arise because of expanding your consciousness or awareness is a hard slap around the face of reality. It’s almost like The Matrix when Morpheus offers Neo the red or blue pill. Once you take that red pill, reality can be hard to comprehend.
Spiritual practice and the expansion of your consciousness are like dissolving a barrier. It happens throughout your childhood and adulthood- through education, society’s expectations and family and friends.
Once this barrier is down, it opens up the floodgates for all the good there is, but also the darker side of the world.
Collective & Individual Consciousness
First, if you look at the collective consciousness, you will see a lot of disharmony between people. As you walk down the street, you will see people’s pain and on a global scale you will see how terrible the wars and suffering are. That’s not to say you didn’t see some of this before, but once awakened, it’s hard to ignore.
The second thing is your individual consciousness. Once activated, this spiritual awareness is like the holding up of a mirror and while it will help us see the good in ourselves and others, it can also help us see with clarity. It’s easier to see the mistakes we are making and where we are going wrong.
Spirituality makes you face your flaws, the pain you have caused and the negativity which lies within you. Sometimes it can make you question who you are and what you stand for. It will also help you realize the pain you have locked away and this can be a lot to handle.
The Journey
One thing that is common to experience is an initial feeling of euphoria when trying to reach a certain level of spiritual development. While this euphoric feeling is great, it can often set you up for unrealistic expectation of yourself and others.
For some, it will manifest in an expectation of others to understand their process. While it is good to have people around you who are on a similar path, it is ultimately an individual journey..
Another misconception is that a spiritual awakening is the end goal, when in reality it is just the start. It’s a bit like capturing a wild lion and expecting it to be tame. Nurture your spirit and continue to ask questions. Sometimes you will not like the answers and other times the answers will not always be clear, but if you persevere, you will find what you are looking for.
Taking the road of spirituality can be the most difficult and rewarding thing you will ever do, and it’s important not to get attached to your current situation. You usually find that the dots connect and nothing you have ever done has been pointless.
A Unique Experience
One of the most important things you can do to minimize stress and anxiety is to trust the process. To know that if you continue to move towards your goals, the only thing that can stand in the way is time or internal conflicts.
When you can separate the darkness which we all have from the light and understand that both are normal and necessary, it will make the road a lot less bumpy. Different states of mind serves different purposes. When you get to know your own emotional cycles and how they affect you, you can use that knowledge to perform at an optimal peak.
Ultimately, attempting to grow spiritually is the best decision anyone can make. Spirituality will inform you of the truth, positive or negative, and once you can face that truth in your own life, growth will be inevitable!
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