Spirituality is actually about breathing and accepting

Not so...it simply says an approach to health. lilygran if you have your religion then what are you still searching for?

The article (and probably the book) seems to be just advocating positive thinking.

It is just an advert for yet another book of self-help nonsense.

Just another example of the sins committed in the name of spirituality (whatever that is). No, Nanadogsbody I am not searching except in the sense that I am trying to understand people mean by spirituality when it is divorced from religion. I think it may be a kind of magic. Not everyone does, of course, but there are many out there who decry religion and want some of the good bits without any of the rigour.

Not me, Lilygran. I can live with the acceptance that much of my life has been governed by chance and that this is the only life I will ever have.

I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I enjoy our discussions, Lilygran. You give as good as you get and never whine that you are being bullied when people disagree with you. We will never convert each other (I would not want to, as your religion is obviouly a positive influence in your life) but I respect you and I know you are sincere. You are obviously used to engaging in robust debate with other plain speakers and do not take personal offence where none is intended.

Thanks for the bouquet, Greatnan. I did say not everyone does and I'm impressed by the robust approach both you and Bags adopt.

I'll second greatnan's post, lily, in praise of your discussions. It's good to have you around.

Re the rigour, as you call it, of religion. I think I have that without religion, it's just that I call it my moral guide. I have good human moral standards without religion, as do most non-religious people. And for me, the spiritual side of life is a kind of awe at the existence of the universe and life. I can't know, but I reckon that's probably very similar to what religious people feel, but without the embodiment, if you like, of actual spirits.

Cheers, lily,

I cannot decide whether it is more frightening to think we are alone in the universe, or to think there are other life forms we know nothing about - I don't think any of them will be supernatural though.
Whenever I think of space, I try to envisage coming to the end of it - but what is on the other side? My finite brain cannot encompass infinity - could this be one reason for the widespread belief in the supernatural? It is a simple way of explaining the inexplicable.

Wouldn't you eventually come back to the point you started from? That's what my father used to tell me, anyway...

I have tried to imagine the universe like that, but it doesn't work. If space is curved, there is still something outside the curve.

What's frightening about either being alone in the universe or there being other life forms we know nothing about? I don't find either of those ideas frightening, just interesting. For what it's worth, I incline towards thinking that it's mathematically likely there are other life forms somewhere. So what?

It reminds me how insignificant the earth is. Yes, I think it is likely that other stars have planets at the right distance and density to support life.

The earth being insignificant in terms of it being just another planet - yes, I see what you mean Greatnan, but I feels it's very significant to me as I happen to live on it, and value it's superb diversity. It'll do me. As for 'up there' in the sky and yonder - all I can do is wonder at it and enjoy what I can see.

"Accept there is a reason for everything you do in life". Leave it out. What a bunch of rubbish. So much is random it's quite frightening.

Lilygran It's good that you have started another thread about sprituality as the one where we were talking about it was getting very clogged and muddled as a discussion of secular or even religious spirituality wasn't actually the point.

Breathing is a physical thing and reflex so I would suggest not relevant to a definition of spirituality. Acceptance is a limited thing and hardly a complete answer. I so want a word that means transcendental but doesn't involve a god. that's why I went for words like ineffable on the other thread.