It may seem as though there is a quirky trendiness to spirituality as a lifestyle that feels as though it is simply passing through the zeitgeist like a tourist in Time Square. However, it has survived in hundreds of forms throughout human history and may be the longest-surviving alternative to mainstream religion. The very idea of spirituality defies constricting definitions, making the beliefs associated open to a sort of fluidity, inviting to the religiously uninitiated.
It may be posited that perhaps the trending nature of modern spiritual practices are providence of its nature as an evolving belief system, and conversely, that it may be as cotton-candy in a river, fading and fleeting as soon as it arrives. Whatever the case, there appears to be more literature and discussion in the vein of spirituality, and the participants certainly believe in it in varying degrees. However, is there more to it than Tarot, Tea Leaves, and Palmistry?
Significance of the Spiritual Mindset
Since the first coherent thought was had, the human mind has sought answers to questions pertaining to the meaning and purpose of life. While some find solace in the answers they are given, others are only propelled further into the void, and the pursuit is given several different titles, from religious studies to scientific research, and onward into the realm of speculative theory. Somewhere in-between exists the position of Gnosticism, a general openness to truth in whatever forms it may have, deistic or otherwise. Spirituality is the transitive and fringe exploration of that openness that focuses less on concrete data and more on the perception and feelings one might have.
This is not to say that spirituality is formless, or without structure. In some cases, the disciplines of spiritual practices are as stringent as a Catholic Mass, but in other instances, it may be as simple as an appreciation of sunshine, or a cool breeze. In this way it is easy to definitively qualify spirituality as a way of life, rather than a trend, however, there may be more to the question than the black and white.
Spirituality has a “Third Position”
According to recent statistics, religion in its many forms is losing numbers faster than ever in history, leaving many with a religion-shaped hole in their psyche. This leads some to believe that the increase in spirituality, particularly in the youth, is a fad in the march toward self-discovery. It stands to reason, as many who were polled have said that in other belief systems, they participate simply for the sense of purpose it creates, and it appears that spiritual young adults may not be so different. This is described by many in the psychological studies as a “Reality Coping Mechanism”, and it has its roots in our most basic senses.
When a young practitioner of Tarot, or a self-proclaimed social media “wiccan”, is engaging in ritualistic moon or tree worship, really, they are making more of an observation in their psyche. This observation is that the tree, moon, sand, grass, ocean, etc, are a part of life, and are tangible. These objects are real, measurable, and easily identifiable with memories, granting the aforementioned “perceived truths”, that somehow, they are related to these things in a way that is supernatural.
This is contradictory to itself, an oxymoron of belief, and this has lead to the determination that these particular individuals are most likely going through a phase, propagated by the overwhelming social media presence of spirituality. These individuals exist in a bridge between lifestyle and trend, where they may very well be convinced of the validity but are simply expressing the existentialism of angsty youth, which will pass.
The Way of Life, Spirituality as The Third Position
For others, who have dedicated themselves to the beliefs, it is very much real. There are communities of elderly spiritualists, where they share and experience a perceived truth, collectively. In fact, most of the Occult and other referenced materials are older than some entire writing structures and languages. Alongside the greatest human religions, spirituality has existed between the deists and naturalists, the eternal “Third Position” in the eternal inquisition.
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