The Spiritual Experience
For about ten years, I've had the idea that "rapture," being born again, nirvana, enlightenment, and whatever else we want to call it, are all the same basic feeling of connectedness to the world around us. And since we are biologically, chemically, and physically part of that cosmos, there's some possibility of a scientific basis for it as well.
Yet I'm not convinced a scientific explanation of a spiritual or even an emotional reaction is particularly helpful in fully understanding that reaction. Yes, anger can be explained as a mix of chemical and biological reactions, but we don't feel those chemical and biological reactions; we feel angry. Language can translate almost any experience, but it can't adequately relay that experience to someone who hasn't experienced it themselves. Any Star Trek: The Next Generation fan knows this by watching Data. A person has to have felt anger to understand what it feels like; no books, theories, or rationales can effectively translate the experience to someone who hasn't felt it. I think the same holds with the spiritual experience. It has to be felt to be understood; it can be written about, but only the initiated really know.
The spiritual experience is a feeling, not a book or a social club, a connectivity to the world that cannot be adequately be explained by the five senses or the abstracting, logical method of language. It is something "extra" that can only be proven by its presence, something that tends to really annoy logical, scientific types. Language is infinite within finite boundaries, and the spiritual is something outside of those boundaries.
The problem is that enlightenment is ineffable, unspeakable, so there will always be some confusion about what is actually experienced, because everyone will use slightly different words to describe it. This wordlessness is found in the opening lines of the Tao Te Ching, “The way that can be spoken of is not the eternal way,” which then goes on to do what it says it cannot.
But beyond this little riddle, looking at various descriptions of it through the ages has shown me, at least, that they all are talking about the same basic thing. I have a feeling that with enough knowledge of humanity, someone could come up with a program designed to unleash it in pretty much anyone (which, by the way, is the entire point of Buddhism, Taoism, and a few other ism's out there). The difficulty is that since each human has different attachments, priorities, and limitations, the program would have to allow for a nearly infinite set of variations. Still, I think it can be done. When I figure it out, I plan to start my own cult.
I think there is some kind of "religious gene/religious instinct" in humanity, just because pretty much every culture ever has had some form of symbolized, organized belief system that goes beyond logical and rational thought. Even when science provides a more provable and logical alternative to a question, religions still thrive and still hold value for people and societies; religion and spirituality seem like an evolutionary benefit, if held to a certain role. Religion can provide a social unity, motivation, connectivity, and most importantly, a “meaning to life” that a coldly rational existence cannot.
Of course, all of these uses can and have been corrupted, and religious wars show us that religion can harm as well as heal. Atheists and opponents of religious practice in general are quick to show us how stupid, foolish, and deluded it is to believe in a force that is outside the realm of scientific explanation. Says Mencken, "I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind — that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking."
I'm almost surprised some atheists don't attack Superman or Spiderman because there's no direct evidence of their existence. Then again, there aren't many people building churches to Spiderman or sending missionaries into the jungle to tell the story of how he invented webbing in only six days. Atheists and fundamentalists alike make the mistake of taking the symbolic lessons of religion entirely too literally.
However, blaming the religious impulse itself seems a mistake. When most people criticize organized religion, they attack the religion, not the organization, which seems backwards to me. Organizations and institutions often divert from their original purpose; followers often misinterpret their leaders' intentions. These diversions and misinterpretations happen with or without religion, and there are often complaints about other similarly large organizations: governments and corporations. “The trouble with Communism is the Communists, just as the trouble with Christianity is the Christians.” The problem is in how we organize, not in what we organize for.
The big difference between a religion and a corporation, of course, is faith. There are contracts and laws regulating corporate business, but sadly, there is no such guarantee for our immortal souls. Religions demand the followers' faith, but I don't think they should. Belief and disbelief are by definition assumptions. The "rapture" experience, feeling the presence of the ineffable is supposed to eliminate the need for faith and replace it with knowledge, but the form of most religious rituals as performed today don't really nurture the feeling. A perfect example is found in the old chestnut that is Langston Hughes' "Salvation" essay. Feeling the pressure of those around him to conform, he fakes his experience of rapture, ironically losing his faith when the entire point of the ritual was to find it. The hidden mysteries and profound glories sold to us by religious groups are ones that need to be earned through self-discovery and honest humility; they cannot be given by old books and passive obedience.
-
- by Jordan Schneider
- Login or register to post comments
Re: The Spiritual Experience
Submitted by Anonymous BlowHard on September 2, 2009 - 1:26am.I have to sign up in order to let everyone know that this is Chrissy. I suppose, i'll do that now. lol
Anyhow, I love this! Personally, I noticed that the people who live their lives based on logic prevent themselves from being able to understand the point of view of a spiritual. They don't open their minds enough, and give any of it a chance. I've heard them say things like, " I'll believe it when I see it." What logical people, and of course close minded people, don't understand is ask, believe, receive. I know, I know, it sounds so religious of me. That saying goes for Shamans, Pagans, Wiccans, Christians, Etc.
So i guess the whole point of my comment is that close minded people piss me off!!!! Don't knock it till you try it.
Ha, I was in a cult for a couple of years growing up. We basically tried to pull in all the adolescents and tried to feed them wisdom and I gotta tell ya....I still know some of them and they were lucky little kids because they are smart now! They carry a certain understanding that other kids don't their age, hence why we picked them. They would be able to read this and comment as well with so much insight. Joining or leading in another cult would be fun, but the fact that everyone really is their own Matrix makes it way too hard.
Reminds me of Astrology. I seriously think this bullshit has to stop already, all the unnecessary wars over religion and tangible worthless material shit that is less important then the main factor...we are all believing in something and whatever the differences may be, the one thing that is the same is that it's a belief! So why does the personal difference matter, it makes religion seem like money and then people are left hurt, scared, and confused. Which in turn, makes them fucking angry! Like me. =)
I mean, nobody (not one person) literally knows what happens to you when you die! No one. Unless, of course the ONLY explanation is that a human came from a graveyard and said "Dude, ____ happens when you die!" There is no evidence and it makes me so sad to witness all these people who think that they've got the perfect little explanation for an answer. Mainly because i was one of those people, i thought so many different things, i meditated and studied so many alternatives and once i stopped defending my blind answers i admitted that the people who were telling me where absolutely right! The best thing about it though, is that the beauty is really in the factor alone that you have no idea. I think we should really all admit that. And if somebody wants to defend this with the fact that people who've written books about OBE's and ways to alter your mind in order to receive contact with the dead....I will just say....lay off the drugs! No really, everyones third eye is in tact. It is the will behind what we perceive and the thought process along with the imagination that created such visuals. I am not putting this down, just because i am saying it is far fetched to have contact with the dead for evidence of afterlife. I am nearly stating that people will abuse their abilities with confusion. I have a tattoo of a triskellion which i added the 3rd eye to, I'm no hypocrite. But having the tat, i capture staring eyes. It was an experiment that is very successful and i love it. My tattoo advice, if you want to attract a certain crowd then get something religious the intentions of religion is worldwide. =)
I wish i could gather a shit load of people in every country and just express all of this to them, i'm sure more than half have to agree. If i were president i would ban Eclectics and make everybody study Buddhism or you DIE! Ha, doesn't that sound fit for a Buddhist?!
No really though, there is so much misinterpreted from the Bible, there is a lack of communication and understanding. We have to learn to agree, to disagree. There is nothing wrong with that, with the population we are at now! It is out of hand. I just see religion as a subconscious cry for help. Maybe i just misunderstand it, but my instincts tell me otherwise. I used to think when i was a child, that all the stories in the Bible were way too exaggerated and right away i analyzed people's emotions when talking about the subject of religion. I would rather live by my instincts than feelings. Church was my favorite place to go as a kid.
But enough about me already, you have made a lot of good points and it all makes me sick to my stomach. When people are narrow minded, even when i can be as well.
- "Feeling the pressure of those around him to conform, he fakes his experience of rapture, ironically losing his faith when the entire point of the ritual was to find it. The hidden mysteries and profound glories sold to us by religious groups are ones that need to be earned through self-discovery"
I like this. I've experienced somewhat alike. It's funny because when i was in the cult, there was a "leader" (we'll call him) whom was my boyfriend at the time. Dating the leader of the cult, your position in the cult is just as royal. So there was a lot of pressure on me, i basically followed everything after him, but with doubts being more of a competitive opponent instead of gullible like everyone else. I was IN that cult for 4 years to try and find my faith, but only realized when i was OUT of the cult, that i had to find it myself.
It is a long process but can only bloom when it's experienced. Learn from your own mistakes, take leaps, admit when you are wrong, and don't be a narcissist. That is only healthy at the infantile stage of development!
Ah.. I've said too much. I really do love all of this and will get to another topic, another time.