Beware of the trap of modern day feel-good spirituality
Feel-good spirituality has become a modern-day religion. We tend to define 'spirituality’ or ourselves as ‘spiritual people’ based on our activities and practices such as yoga, breath-work, ecstatic dance, kundalini experiences, conscious manifestation, quantum prayer (yes, you heard that right) or forms of meditation which are solely focus on relaxation and feeling good in the moment, without the contemplations and introspection that are necessary to gain insight into the real purpose of meditation. While there is nothing wrong with any of these activities or practices (I myself enjoy some of them from time to time), if our attention is solely on these feel-good practices, we miss the whole point of spirituality.
The word "spirituality" stems from "spirit," which is defined as 'the non-physical aspect of a human being—the seat of our thoughts and emotions.' At first glance, this definition might seem like a lovely concept, but upon closer examination, it points us back to ourselves in the truest sense. It represents the direct experience of awareness or consciousness—the non-physical essence within us, that IS US.
The accepted description of consciousness in philosophy and science is often referred to as "what it feels like to be me." Every thought, feeling of sadness, surge of anxiety, or profound joy is experienced by me, consciousness. Likewise, the beauty of a melody or the taste of an apple is perceived by me, consciousness. This means that when we experience a beautiful melody, the feeling of joy or sadness, or the taste of an apple, it is consciousness that is having that experience. But consciousness can never ‘be experienced’ itself. It is that which is ‘experiencing.’ It is not physical or tangible, it can only ever be recognised as what we are essentially. The awareness that knows my thoughts, my feelings and the world, IS consciousness. It is me.
When my thoughts and feelings arise, they arise in the only place they can: within me, consciousness, ‘the seat’ of my thoughts and feelings. So as a matter of experience, consciousness constitutes the non-physical part of who we are and it is ‘the seat’ of our thoughts and emotions. It is, what we are essentially. Therefore consciousness is spirit—they are inseparable. And any claim to spirituality that does not involve an exploration of our own spirit is merely a pleasurable joy ride, a form of seeking pleasure or self-soothing. While it represents a step forward from seeking solace in alcohol and fast food, it falls under the category of feel-good spirituality or 'spiritual fluffery,' rather than embodying the true essence of spirituality.
In writing this, what I hope for is a genuine shift towards authentic spirituality. To be able to still enjoy the pleasures of life and the feel-good spiritual activities but to understand that any spiritual practice that doesn’t eventually point to or directly guide us to our own spirit, is not authentic. If it doesn’t help us contemplate the depths of our spirit, to see that all of our suffering is nudging us towards a more complete understanding of what is really meant by the often clichéd words 'body, mind, and spirit.' To help us glimpse the intuition that my spirit, my consciousness is your consciousness. That we are all waves uniquely manifesting in the one ocean of Spirit, or God, or consciousness, which in my view, forms the foundation of authentic spirituality – an ongoing journey towards wholeness, embracing the profound meaning of being a complete human being. This pursuit holds far greater significance than any fleeting feel-good spiritual practices that momentarily appease us but ultimately reinforce the belief that "I am incomplete as I am." This, in essence, encapsulates the true purpose of spirituality.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Isaac