06/11/22
*Disclaimer! As this is a spiritual blog, some of the opinions stated in my posts may change as I grow and learn.*
"Hmmm, what's this?"
"What is THAT?"
"How is it doing that???"
- is what I imagine was going on through modern man's mind when he first discovered that he was conscious. However, those simple curiosities graduated into...
"What am I? Why am I here?"
"Why am I the only creation that's asking this about myself?"
"Do other creatures think like me? Do they know something that I don't?"
The conviction to grow
So naturally, man sought out answers for he realized that he could never silence the fear of not being in the know. The answers brought forth understanding, some-what peace, growth, and overall better mental health.
So philosophy was born and with it the freedom to question everything, including the logic of those that thought they'd cracked the case. The anxiety of it all probably felt like what it feels like when you have a word right at the tip of your tongue but can't retrieve it.
His existential crisis was not yet quite solved, so he had to carry on digging and eventually, rightfully so, convinced himself that he was made for a greater purpose. This conclusion seemed to bring him the peace he actually needed.
The conviction to know
This greater purpose was thought to come from a greater power, which graduated from gods up in the sky to religions, cults, and millions of other belief systems. Cool, but now a new conundrum was born. How could he know for sure that he believed the right thing?
Out of fear of wasting their time, some dropped out of the race and reverted back to science, totally abandoning the idea of a greater power. Out of fear of missing out, some hid in systems they did not understand and called it a day. Out of fear of the unknown, others secluded themselves from curious society, as if that would solve anything.
So how could he know? How could he know that he believed the right thing? This is when he discovered faith. The assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen.
For some funny reason, it felt better to believe in a greater, invisible power than to just stop the convo and move on to other things.
By definition, transcendence is existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level.
For some funny reason, achieving transcendence puts our existential curiosities at rest. Knowing that there's something more to everything has always made all of humanity feel better about their existence. We want more than the physicality of our existence. We actually don't want it. We need it. We are kind of biologically wired that way.
In order to achieve it though, it seems that we must first believe that there's a greater power.
Think about it. Why would having a purpose matter if we weren't trying to impress someone/something? We want to please that power and we want someone to be proud of our existence. Why? So that we can be rewarded for it later. Duh. So in all logic, there must be a power out there. We all just define it differently.
We refuse to believe that life ends when we die, or that while we're alive there isn't another layer to existence that's beyond physicality. All philosophy, spirituality, and religion support this belief.
We practice religion and spirituality in order to achieve a state of transcendence and this state increases the more we practice. It could be transcendence in general or self-transcendence. Being transcendent gives rise to a better life because it gives space for positivity and transcendent emotions to grow.
Transcendent emotions are emotions that are more focused on others than on ourselves. They help us form meaningful, purpose-filled interactions better. Such emotions include but are not limited to compassion, peace, understanding, contentment, gratitude, inspiration, admiration, elevation, and love.
It's an amazing feeling, to be transcendent. It's truly unmatched. Now that we know about that, let's talk about how we can connect to our spirituality in order to achieve this freeing state.
How to connect with your spirituality
This is gonna be a straight answer. The best thing about being Spiritual is that there are no rules or commandments or any of that. What you believe is all up to you and your intuition, which is why I believe spirituality is more genuine than religion. So know that you don't have to accept anything I'm about to say. It's just my POV.
You need to connect with yourself first. This way you can find out if at all you feel like something's missing from you. If you feel okay and that you don't need to believe in anything, then good for you. However, if you do realize that there's some kind of faith in you, then you have acknowledged that there's a greater power.
The next step is gonna be surrendering to the higher power - whatever you believe it to be. It could be God, it could be the universe, it could be whatever. For me, it's God. My spirituality is mostly religious-based.
Now the next thing you wanna do is do some research on the power so that you know how to connect to it. Speak to a pastor, read hundreds of web pages, stand at the edge of a cliff, and speak out loud lol whatever you feel will connect you better to that power, do it.
After your research, you'll know what makes you feel more connected to the power. Now all you need to do is set aside time every day to practice that. Could be praying, yoga, meditation, reading associated literature, or practicing love aspects like community service, volunteering, giving, etc.
Before I forget, know that spirituality is a journey and your beliefs will change ALL the time. Don't panic and don't be afraid to ask questions. We were not given the spirit of fear. So in the face of curiosity, attack it with the spirit of sound mind investigation.
That's it! In the face of all this, you will reach a higher and higher state of transcendence with every passing moment, and you will be happier and more secure.
In conclusion, the reason is transcendence. The reason for everything to do with existentialism is achieving transcendence one way or another. I hope this was helpful. Contact me if you need clarity 💟