Re: Secular Spirituality
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 8:55 am
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Marjoram,you seem to tolerate "Wow!" exclaimed with manic persistence every second utterance. The presenters presented themselves far too much and their unfailing grins and cliche-ridden comments became wearisome. Rome was badly presented by an idiotic production, photographers excepted.Last night I watched BBC2 'Rome Unpacked', Series 1, Episode 2.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09l64hd
It is about the spirit and history of Rome, specializing in off the track food and art.
The enthusiasm of the presenters can be a bit overwhelming at times - but the things you learn and see not available to the usual tourist, amazing.
Belinda wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 10:36 am Marjoram Blues wrote:
Marjoram,you seem to tolerate "Wow!" exclaimed with manic persistence every second utterance. The presenters presented themselves far too much and their unfailing grins and cliche-ridden comments became wearisome. Rome was badly presented by an idiotic production, photographers excepted.Last night I watched BBC2 'Rome Unpacked', Series 1, Episode 2.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09l64hd
It is about the spirit and history of Rome, specializing in off the track food and art.
The enthusiasm of the presenters can be a bit overwhelming at times - but the things you learn and see not available to the usual tourist, amazing.
Heh, do Dubious and I have such a great connection or was it just unusual to see people just chatting?marjoram_blues wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:13 amFascinating to hear about how you were feeling ( an unusual sense of well-being) before a peak spiritual experience. I wonder what it was that fuelled this. Because it seems to me that that in itself is a feeling of spirituality. I begin to think that spirituality is a process of thinking and all types of thinking involve a movement, including motivation - emotion being the root of all.
Your 'cognitive feedback' would seem to tie in with Solomon's 'hallmark card phrase' in the title of his book:
' Spirituality for the Skeptic: the Thoughtful Love of Life'.
The Thoughtful Love of Life.
I read it Greta. Meditation: It puzzles me how it might be possible to lose one's sense of self preservation i.e. one's ego, and retain one's life. True, the moment is fleeting and never returns in its uniqueness. True, we cannot stop time and change . However the effort to conserve what allows us to stay alive is worth being neurotic about, unless one positively wants to die. I faithfully tried TM for eighteen months. I learned more about my shadows from intellectual introspection than I did from living in the moment.A nice bit of grounded advice from a guru here: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=vM ... on&f=false
Ta, Greta. It's always uplifting to hear positive contributions being shared in an easy manner without hostility. Although, even the other kinds have their place in learning and development - perhaps it is the challenge that counts. Either way, it's all good...except when it's notGreta wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 12:00 pmHeh, do Dubious and I have such a great connection or was it just unusual to see people just chatting?marjoram_blues wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:13 amFascinating to hear about how you were feeling ( an unusual sense of well-being) before a peak spiritual experience. I wonder what it was that fuelled this. Because it seems to me that that in itself is a feeling of spirituality. I begin to think that spirituality is a process of thinking and all types of thinking involve a movement, including motivation - emotion being the root of all.
Your 'cognitive feedback' would seem to tie in with Solomon's 'hallmark card phrase' in the title of his book:
' Spirituality for the Skeptic: the Thoughtful Love of Life'.
The Thoughtful Love of Life.
In terms of brain chemistry, I expect that dopamine was involved. Maslow had a bit about to say about the practical triggers for PEs: http://www.intropsych.com/ch09-motivati ... ences.html
A nice bit of grounded advice from a guru here: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=vM ... on&f=false
Can you say more about what you mean by 'transcendent good', please.Belinda wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 12:36 pm Greta wrote:
I read it Greta. Meditation: It puzzles me how it might be possible to lose one's sense of self preservation i.e. one's ego, and retain one's life. True, the moment is fleeting and never returns in its uniqueness. True, we cannot stop time and change . However the effort to conserve what allows us to stay alive is worth being neurotic about, unless one positively wants to die. I faithfully tried TM for eighteen months. I learned more about my shadows from intellectual introspection than I did from living in the moment.A nice bit of grounded advice from a guru here: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=vM ... on&f=false
I think that spirituality is about facing towards transcendent good. Transcendent good may or may not be imaginary but it's a worthy inspiration in all cases.
That answers my question.marjoram_blues wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 8:55 amIt's not an oxymoron. You would recognize this if you make time and effort to read and reflect rather than reflexively react.
Reflex wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:36 pmThat answers my question.marjoram_blues wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 8:55 amIt's not an oxymoron. You would recognize this if you make time and effort to read and reflect rather than reflexively react.
Note: I didn’t say a secular person can’t also be spiritual, but secularism is not spiritual by definition. But it seems clarity doesn’t matter nowadays so long as everyone is in agreement.
We each find out own way, if so inclined.marjoram_blues wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 3:57 pmTa, Greta. It's always uplifting to hear positive contributions being shared in an easy manner without hostility. Although, even the other kinds have their place in learning and development - perhaps it is the challenge that counts. Either way, it's all good...except when it's notGreta wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 12:00 pmHeh, do Dubious and I have such a great connection or was it just unusual to see people just chatting?marjoram_blues wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:13 amFascinating to hear about how you were feeling ( an unusual sense of well-being) before a peak spiritual experience. I wonder what it was that fuelled this. Because it seems to me that that in itself is a feeling of spirituality. I begin to think that spirituality is a process of thinking and all types of thinking involve a movement, including motivation - emotion being the root of all.
Your 'cognitive feedback' would seem to tie in with Solomon's 'hallmark card phrase' in the title of his book:
' Spirituality for the Skeptic: the Thoughtful Love of Life'.
The Thoughtful Love of Life.
In terms of brain chemistry, I expect that dopamine was involved. Maslow had a bit about to say about the practical triggers for PEs: http://www.intropsych.com/ch09-motivati ... ences.html
A nice bit of grounded advice from a guru here: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=vM ... on&f=false
I have noted your links and will save for later. I appreciate Maslow but not so hot on cross-legged meditation.
Recently, I was on the prowl for an easy relaxation method for anxiety and discovered Chris Williams, Professor of Psychsocial Psychiatry, University of Glasgow, and President of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies.
He is also a contributor to a book, ' Spirituality and Narrative in Psychiatric Practice - Stories of Mind and Soul'. The book grounds the abstract concept of spirituality via case stories. It shows how spiritual concerns/difficulties impact on, or can be included in a range of treatment options.
Problems include depression, anxiety, psychosis, psychiatry of old age and mentally ill offenders.
Chris Williams in chapter 7 - discusses 'Stories of fear: spirituality and anxiety disorders'.
Thus began my exploration into secular spirituality !!
Everyone has a story...
Whether it was tone, style or whatever that did not allow me to embrace the content of the article, I don't put in doubt that the content does reflect what "secular spirituality"is all about. I guess that means that as a secularist, humanist and atheist, I cannot endorse this "secular spirituality" thing.marjoram_blues wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:42 am
I think you could be right. I might look into this further to try and improve my own writing. All the better to relay information and relate to others. At times, to be concise it may sound abrupt. At others, it could reflect emotional state !
However, it is tone according to wiki.
'Two styles, closely related and not mutually exclusive, tend to be used for Wikipedia articles.
The tone, however, should always remain formal, impersonal, and dispassionate...'
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped ... r_articles
Sounds like they could do with your help to improve that entry.
Either way, it seems we differ in subjective appreciation of the article. I guess we sometimes pick out bits we find important to ourselves and disregard the rest. The same with writers of an article.
The good thing about wiki is its collaborative spirit, if there is a problem with content, style or tone then it can be corrected.
I guess I took your tone to be dismissive of the article and the topic as a whole. Something I wanted to correct. Again, the final sentence containing subjective view rather than giving more context as per article.
Interesting to consider the spirit with which we both take to and from any text.
Thanks for making me think further about this.