An Open Place to Ask Spiritual Questions

Decided we needed a more open place to ask about spiritual things.

Also, anyone can offer their opinion, their experience with certain spiritual problems, situations, questions, ect. I think this will offer more complete answers, or at least more guidance, without having to worry about being shut down.

This is an open learning environment. Knock, and the door will be open to you. Speak, and we will listen. For it is in giving that we receive.

May the Force guide this thread.

To everyone: what does "spiritual" mean/what do you mean when you say "spiritual"?

OB1Shinobi wrote: To everyone: what does "spiritual" mean/what do you mean when you say "spiritual"?

Lol, a good question. Really up to personal interpretation, and I really don't want to make this thread another where we debate the definition of a word.

Many would agree the spirit is the essence of what it is to be human. It is who we are, beyond the ego and the physical body. So a spiritual question could be, really, anything that affects us as a person. Things that cause us to question ourselves, that shake us to our core. It can be things that bounce around in our heads, stresses that plague us, ect.

Of course the definition is not really set in stone, and not really looking to debate the definition here.

To me spirituality means my faith. What I hold sacred and what I believe in and how inpracrice my faith. My own definition of the selfless and compassion and virtues of character. Definitions can and will be diffrent from person to person so the more I say the merrier . Whats your definition and how do you use the "spiritual" word?!

Its difficult for me to think about "spiritual" without calling up my Christian roots. Beyond physical I suppose. That which makes a person a "living being". Anything which speaks to or affects out living being.

I realized I just talked myself into a circle because really "anything" can be spiritual, even physical activity depending on frame of mind

@Arisaig:
No worries my friend, Im not asking so that i can tell people theyre wrong

@Carlos:
To me, "spiritual" and "psychological" are completely interchangeable. They are functionally the same.
"In psychology, the psyche /ˈsaɪki/ is the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious. Psychology is the scientific or objective study of the psyche. The word has a long history of use in psychology and philosophy, dating back to ancient times, and represents one of the fundamental concepts for understanding human nature from a scientific point of view."

For me, the mind, the psyche, and the spirit are all the same thing. Im not convinced of immortality of the "soul" or non-organic consciousness for the human being. I believe our consciousness originates/is the result of our biology. Before we understood basic biology, we had a explanations that were limited to "magic". Now we have a little bit more than "magic" and in my opinion we've crossed the threshold out of "spirituality" and into "psychology"
So, when talking about "spiritual disciplines" etc, to me these are behaviors that useful (or not) insofar as they effectively promote psychological development and maturity.

I dont deny the possibility of "spiritual beings" such as ghosts or angels or whatever, and ive had some....odd experiences, perceptually, but ive encountered no evidence convincing enough for me to fully believe in them, to fully accept their truth as a given. Theres always been more than one explanation, in my experience. So for ke personally, when people talk of "spirits" i hear "superstition" or at best "religious faith".
Just my view. Its ok with me if others have different views.

Roz: awesome!
To me, everything has psychological (spiritual) ramifications. All behavior has a spiritual underpinning because it is motivated by our frame of reterence, our "state of mind" and that is inextricably linked to our psychological development.

Please, I would like to know "what is the purpose of being alive?"

Magic - I find this word in my definition amd my practice as a word of wonder. It's magic- that feeling I feel when I swim in the ocean or sit under the stars or near a tree or next to my family. Spirituality can be just the same. That magic. That gift from that one story some one found faith to somber on. I too can when I remember it and share that connection. Spirituality can be found almost anywhere we seek it.

As a wiccan I use magick almost everyday, either im using the energy around me to heal or using magick through stones to help with emotions, magick is in everything just takes an open mind to see it

Carlos: i dig that and i have felt the same about the word but at this time in my life when i think of magic its more like a place holder for "we dont know so we make our best guess".

Rosalyn J wrote: Please, I would like to know "what is the purpose of being alive?"

Ha! You and me and fifty thousand philosophers from ancient Greece to modern day youtube videos lol

All i can say is that i believe it has something to do with evolution, and that i dont believe any of us are smart enough to claim any answer as certain.