A Little Slice Of Eternity - Spirituality Information
How many of you find yourself ever so slightly curious about spirituality? There are so many religions, beliefs and practices in the world that it can be hard to tell where you fit in the grand scheme of things. That's why we’re going to explore what spirituality means and how it affects us all. We’ll also delve into some of the basics: What is a spirit anyway? And what is an afterlife? Check out this short summary below for more information.
Everyone experiences different emotions, feelings and thoughts as they go through their lives. Religion gives people an understanding on how those emotions are supposed to be handled, giving them a sense that there is something bigger than themselves happening in their lives at all times. If someone was religious, they would probably belong to a religion. Yet what about people who feel the need for spirituality but don't necessarily want to join any particular organization?
One of the first questions that one might ask about a spiritual person is "What does spirituality mean?" The answer is simple: People who follow faiths, beliefs and/or practices that are spiritual believe in something beyond what people usually believe in. There are many kinds of spirituality, including religion, shamanism and other types of knowledge that draw on the heart and soul to make their adherents feel that there is more than what they can see with their own eyes.
Those who associate themselves with things that are spiritual believe in the sacred. They also believe in a higher power and that there is an afterlife for people who leave this earthly plain. Some people believe that everyone has a spirit, although it is usually said to belong to the soul or something else like that. These beliefs can calm people down if they are feeling out of sorts and can tell them what to think about when they’re concerned about the future or what's happening around them.
Do you have spiritual thoughts? People of all kinds have spiritual thoughts and feelings because they know there is more than just what they see everyday with their own eyes. For more information on spirituality, visit http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Spiritual
If you're curious about spirituality, you can ask your parents, grandparents or other family members. You can also search the internet to see if there are any sites that might have information on the topic in entirety.
Many people associate their spirituality with religious beliefs and practices. However, spiritual people may describe their spirituality as something else altogether, such as a belief in a higher power. An understanding of the many different types of religion would go a long way towards helping people understand where they fit into the scope of things.
For more information on spirituality and everything else in this article, check out these related posts: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Spiritual
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Spiritual
http://spirituality-for-all.blogspot.com/2011/03/little-slice-of-eternity.html
The main objective of this article is to provide a concise overview on spirituality and how it effects us all in a positive way. I am however an American, so my article will focus on American spirituality specifically, for the purpose of providing a broad view of what spirituality means to people all over the world since American spirituality is influenced by many different religions and beliefs based upon various cultures throughout the world, such as African traditional religion, Buddhism, Hinduism and others.
The first known definition of spirituality is attributed to the English physician and author Thomas Taxil in his 1891 book "La Question des Esprits" (translation: "the question of spirits"). In this definition, Taxil states that,
"...the word 'spiritualism', or 'spiritualist,'...at last appears to me to be very correctly understood by the majority of believers. Not only is the general sense of these words well established, but also their scientific value appears to me incontestable."
A more modern definition is presented by M. Lamar Keene, author and Spiritualist minister in his translated work "The Psychic Circle", which defines spirituality by stating that:
"...the term spirituality is used to describe the gifts, heritage, potential and purpose embodied in each individual. It is a quest for universal truth and fulfillment."
Keene then presents an early historical account of the term "spirituality" by stating that:
"The concept of spirituality entered the English language by 1741. The term originated from the Latin word "spiritualis", which comes from "spiritus" (meaning breath or spirit) and "-ualis", that pertaining to being or having been incarnate. By 1825, spiritualism was first clearly perhaps defined as a philosophy or religion in Great Britain by Thomas Brown in a book entitled "Lectures on Philosophy". In this work Dr. Brown accepted "spiritual" as a synonym for "psychical", thus encompassing all things of a psychic or spiritual nature."
Although most definitions of spirituality are not specific to any culture or religion, the concept itself is strongly influenced by various religions and philosophical thought from around the world, including religion, truth, enlightenment, morality and devotion.
The concept of spirituality is closely tied to religious practices and beliefs. The development of Western religions is one major example of how we can trace the evolution of the idea that a spiritual realm exists that impinges on the everyday lives we share with others.
During the Middle Ages, a variety of belief systems expanded in Western Europe and most places in Western Europe had one or more belief systems that were practiced during each time that a person lived. The variety of belief systems included Paganism and Judaism, which were practiced by many people during this time, as well as other forms of Christianity from different sects. During this period there were people who believed in Shamanism, Druidism and Oracles. In addition to these American Indian tribes and primitive heathens also had their own beliefs about the spiritual world and existence.
Conclusion:
Although it is difficult to trace the exact line of development for spirituality, we can trace its important role in the development of religions and culture. It is clear that the primeval concept of spirituality was present in people's mind long before Jesus Christ or Socrates were born. People's belief systems reflected what they perceived regarding their spiritual world and social disposition, especially in relation to their own life journey.
Modern scientific thought has also questioned spirituality, by presenting arguments regarding its scientific basis. Physicists such as James Clerk Maxwell and Pierre Duhem used the idea that science could be rational without appeal to a non-natural spirit world.