As I remember, I became aware for the first time something spiritual - that the word "heaven" at age 4, when I woke up one morning and noticed that my yellow parakeet was lying lifeless in a cage with his head stuck in one of those giant wheels of small plastic. Actually this was my first experience with the concept of death. She was my mother, who wiped tears ran down my cheeks, I put the word - the sky, trying to heal my aching heart.He said that the body of my bird does not move, because he was dead, but his soul went to heaven with God somewhere along the line I developed the idea that "God" was an angry old gray-haired man who lived in heaven and a proof of all the bad things I had done and the pain and guilt I felt was to be part of the sentence. The concepts of death, heaven and God very difficult for my four - year spirit of understanding, at the time. All I knew was thatbefore going to bed, my bird chirping active, eat and fly around and when I awoke, I was calm, your body still in a cold steel cage. It seemed that death is not a popular topic to be discussed at length in my family, like the next thing I felt I was very calm from my mother - "Do not worry honey, we'll buy another bird."
I think my next thought spiritual experience was at age five, when my uncle, who wasearly twenties, died suddenly in an accident at work on a ship. I remember suddenly in the middle of the night by screams and cries strong fear when my parents were awakened with the news of this tragedy. According to feelings associated with sadness, anger, grief and shock at death, I began to feel a bit 'confused on the concept of "heaven". As a teenager, my little head started filling applications, like - "If people are truly in heaven to be with God after death, because it iseveryone around her looked so sad, angry and confused? "And," If only good people go to heaven, go to how bad you have to go to hell? Upon receipt of the many contradictory answers by well-meaning adults who obviously did not expect was for him, I decided to take some advice from my father and These adult volunteers on the shelf, until I became an adult. Then I also followed his advice not to enter into a discussion on issues of religionPolitics by other people that I thought would never protect me from having to think about these "spiritual things" again.
I think my uncle's tragic and fatal accident experience influences the way in which spirituality, I thought about death until my twenties, when I checked again my faith in my spiritual first. This means that I do not honestly think about spiritual things, for a period of almost 15 years. I can be sad, angry or confused after visitingsome religious services, funerals or movies considered relatives deal with the matter, but I stayed firm in my conviction of child spirituality.
Over the years, and after many discussions that have discovered that the "standard for the most part do not want to change the religion of their opinions on topics such as spirituality and are not related directly across new information or experiences injury, illness , age and / or traumain connection with war, hunger, disease and / or natural disasters. So, I would take the time to this religion with you some reflections on spirituality and death with the hope that it review its previous position, and some changes or adjustments are spiritual, as it may be twenty years (or more) and may also desire to think and act more responsible adults in relation to some of the most important things to give meaning to your lifeat this time.
Spirituality and death
Many young people a sense of invincibility in a very short period of a high-risk behavior with minimal impact to recognize the difficulties that life is derived is not guaranteed tomorrow today. Most of us have recognized, however, that at least two UN escapable truth in this world: 1.You have to pay taxes, and 2 will die one day. Since we already know what happens after we pay our taxes (we pay more taxDie), "may be the most popular beliefs, examine what happens after death. I discovered that many people fall in their beliefs about life after death in one of three categories:
1st When you're dead - you're dead
2nd When you're dead - you are born again.
3rd when you're dead - you go to heaven or hell.
Now consider these three points of view on life after death:
1st When you're dead - you're dead
This is a coroner, and sometimesDefinition of death, said there is no life after death. When your heart stops beating and your brain no longer works - you are biologically dead. Since there is no credible scientific evidence documented (replicated impartial research with the objective facts observed, can be tested and measured against others) indicates that there is no one, after he has lived for a significant period of death (after many near death experiences return), then when we die physicallyOur bodies are only returned to the earth, and we will cease to exist.
This is the secular, rational, intellectual, rational and scientific perspective, argues that, because you can observe, measure, test or anything that is spiritual, you can not prove that all that exists is spiritual. Therefore, a spiritual life after physical death can not exist.
2nd When you're dead - you are born again.
Reincarnation is the belief that after physical death, we are born again orincarnate on earth again and again in various forms of physical, according to a divine plan, until we learn the lessons necessary for our spirit of unity with creation and God developed. Some believe that the rebirth of the curse of the individual who always fight to the ground by the necessities of life, teaching and repay their karmic debts. The aim is to achieve enlightenment and break the cycle of rebirth. This spiritual evolution are his "followers aproper understanding of their developing personalities and reduce the kind that must be corrected, and to expand their awareness of their divine spirit higher. Life goes then in other areas, such as spiritual consciousness developed gradually towards unity with God
This belief system is important documented in the Bhagavad-Gita - the sacred text of Hinduism, and popular in many other Eastern religions (eg Buddhism, etc.) and more recently in some Western spiritualityPhilosophies.
3rd when you're dead - you go to heaven or hell.
This is the authentic traditional Judeo-Christian and Islamic, that only go around once in this world, and then you die and go, or a paradise of eternal bliss with God or a place of eternal damnation with the devil. The 'Angel of Death is the only transport one or the other (some believe in a state called in-between - purgatory for those who are not yet good enough to go to heaven or badenough to come to hell).
These systems are important beliefs of the Bible Old Testament (Hebrew / Jewish document), the New Testament (Christian Democrats) and the Quran (Islam / Muslim) Holy Scripture. In short, the Old Testament and the Koran (56, 16-41), both teach that if you are good - you get to heaven, and if you are bad - you go to hell. In other words, if you obey the laws of the Torah or the Koran, and for good works (such as charitable donations, etc.), the Day of Judgement - Your goodActs like your evil deeds, and by the grace of God will be granted to heaven for eternity. The "Christian" New Testament writings show that one from eternal damnation does not try to live by good works or being good, was saved, (Eph 2, 8-9), but from a personal relationship and belief in the identification personal and spiritual with the crucifixion, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ. "
Before proceeding, I believe it is appropriate to discussAt the time, ignoring a growing phenomenon that the medical community is increasingly difficult to find. I refer to the near-death experiences (NDE). Once regarded as meaningless hallucinations rare NDEs have been recognized that 33% of people who came to death and were the subject of a serious medical research are reported. A Gallup poll showed that about 5% of the U.S. population or about 13 million Americans in 1992 had reported NDEs.
This informationAbout-death experience was so fascinating to me that I thought you would get from the "horse in the mouth." So the three tracks that follow were extracted from the Concise Encyclopedia of Psychology, 1998, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 566-567:
Raymond Moody, the psychiatrist who coined the term near-death experience, he used an incredible experience to the point of death, the hearing may also declared dead, report feelings of peace, unusual noises, a feeling ofMoving through a dark tunnel, the feeling of being outside the physical body, meeting other spiritual beings, encounters a being of light, a review of life, an edge or a point of no return, a return to the physical body, trying to frustrated to tell others about the experience, profound changes in attitudes and values, the elimination of their own fear of death, and independent confirmation of the results outside the body. "
"Typical sequelae reported by many independent scientistsIncreases in spirituality, concern for others and appreciation of life and reducing the fear of death, materialism, and competitiveness. People who have NDEs tend to see themselves as part of a benevolent and purposeful universe, where personal gain, especially at the expense of others, is no longer relevant. These profound changes in attitudes and behavior have been confirmed in longitudinal studies of people with NTE, in interviews with their carersand seeking confrontation with these people surviving near death touch, the NTE not remember. "
"In addition, cross-cultural studies do not show the expected changes in the content of NTE and individuals often report that the experience of conflict to their religion and personal expectations of the place of death. In addition, people who had never heard or bed, the NTE describe the same type of experience, people familiar with the phenomenon, andKnowledge workers had previously not appear to affect the details of the NTE their experiences. "
Spirituality and choices
I once heard an energetic young pastor proclaim that the human race could theoretically be divided into three categories:
1) I
2) do not believe, and
3) Set the believers
I understand his teaching that "believers" were all the people in the world, were taught to say what he felt boundany other religion, "infidels" were all those people there were absolutely certain that no God, and "make believers" were those that are unsafe or have been willing to make a decision. This pastor believed that the "make believe" was the second biggest group of three. He continued to preach that people who were in their fantasy world and lived and / or do not want or know, or care enough to find out if thereIt was a spiritual world of God, and / or life after death. It 's interesting that the Greek word - ignorant agnostic or ignorant of its root word is. Someone who calls himself an agnostic, is simply taking the position that he / she wonders whether God exists or simply said the problem could be solved - Does God exist? - "I do not know."
Although there are various definitions of spirituality for the above categories of people who have different opinions about God, would be the most generalassembled in three groups:
1st Atheism - (4%) - An atheist is a person who denies the existence of a
and all the gods or deities;
2nd Agnosticism - (15%) - An agnostic is a person that his ignorance or admit I just do not know, but is open to the possibility of a god or gods, but also believes that
There is no way to prove that there is a God or other gods, and
3rd Theism - (81%) - a theist is someone who believes in a certainGod,
Goddess or a combination of gods or deities.
Spirituality and Atheism
Interestingly, only 4% of world population of six billion more (6654377099 3 marzo 08), are human beings on earth absolutely certain that God does not exist. In other words, 96 out of 100 people worldwide believe in the possibility of the existence of God, and 80% of them are absolutely sure that God exists. Although not many facts, atheists have argued for centuriesscientific arguments against the existence of God As the matter is all there is always the scientific method, the existence of the supernatural are denied. After all, if not you can observe, test and measure something, then do not need them. How can someone something they can not see, hear, taste, touch, smell, or believe?
On the other hand, do our faith in daily life many things that can not capture our five senses. For example, visible lightThe waves are waves in the electromagnetic spectrum that only we can see with the naked eye, but this does not prevent us from believing in the existence of thousands of photos, songs and voices filled the air around us. When our human senses radio (AM, FM, TV), radar, light waves (infrared, ultraviolet), microwave, X-rays can detect gamma rays and cosmic rays, would not have continued much of the expenditure of our paycheck tools (z. as radios, televisions,Microwave ovens, computers and other communication devices and services, etc.), able to decipher these waves. Many people can not, something they do not understand, believe and rejecting things in a spiritual way, because it can not be observed, analyzed and tested and understood. Everyone I know, however, use electricity on a daily basis, and I still have not managed an intelligent person who knew how to find me an intelligent answer is: whatElectricity? In fact, just use things on faith, because they work.
By the way, if you ask "Jeeves - Children on the Internet (AJkids.com), he will tell you that there is no right answer to the question (What is electricity?) Because there is a substance called electricity it . We Huh? That's right, when we asked what is electricity - is to ask questions of the type of boxing George Foreman to say, the former U.S. operations of his son George is like. for the Father (famousBoxer - named George), all her children, 9 or 10 (I think I'm exaggerating a bit ') George - who can not answer your question because the question itself is wrong. They have not recognized, the son of George. Similarly, there is a substance called electricity, but there are many electrical phenomena that we all work together in the group, for any reason, electricity and telephone as follows: electrons, voltage, sparks, static electricity, electromagnetism, electrodynamics , electricity, electricity,And load imbalance, etc. etc. So when we answer the question: What is trying to electricity? - Teachers, engineers and scientists are often at odds with many answers incoherent and confused.
I would like a more scientific example of "matter". Probably
Place your faith or your weight on the chair you sit in, why do you think is solid matter. I mean, who would sit on something thatprobably mostly empty space. The scientific fact is difficult for an atom, and then all the matter scientifically proven to be mostly empty space. The electrons in the atoms of your chair around so quickly that damage their core is the illusion that the chair is solid matter. If all electrons stopped vibrating in place even for a moment, your chair would disappear. So, what does not sit solid (eg plastic, metal, etc.)but vibrant with energy. We can not see because the vibration of our five senses can not perform speed oscillating waves. The same applies to anything you've ever seen, taste, smell, touch and feel. Have questions? How much of what we know comes from scientific observations have you made? If we as people can not trust our senses, our perception of the physical world to the point boundary after an illusion, how can we be absolutely surethat the supernatural / spiritual world does not exist? , I believe that Albert Einstein - the greatest scientific thinkers of the world has ever known, it was said best: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind (Einstein, A., 1941).
Spirituality and agnosticism
Despite the chapter above question atheism is not my intention to persuade, influence or convert to convince someone of my spiritual / religious beliefs personally. My goal isto help others to clarify and determine where he is currently at this point in time, to consider drawing a path from which to go where they want to be someday. I still can not do, flight reservations, unless you know what you're departing from. So if you are satisfied with your atheistic beliefs, do not let me convince you to do something different. They are, however, are interested in viewers or people who do not clear their faithAbout spirituality and religion.
The British philosopher and sociologist Herbert Spencer, the former is better known for having developed the theory of evolution says we can not know whether God exists or not, because they know that we can not know everything that we can not observe in practice and test empirically. Although Spencer has been a sharp critic of religion, could not decide to take the position of an atheist. He claimed that theism can notaccepted because there is no way to buy or to test the knowledge of God, but he argues that while we can not know if God exists, we can not prove that God does not exist. For example, the agnostic position and Spencer was quoted making the following famous theorem:
"It 'a principle, a bar against all information, which is against all arguments and I can not help a man who was kept unaware perpetual - that principle is contempt priorInvestigations. "
- Herbert Spencer
I grew up hearing the phrase: "Do not knock until you try." "Spencer - the principle of contempt initial investigation has pursued similar goals:
The 1st bar (prohibiting, preventing and / or ban) against the acquisition of new information;
This is the 2nd (false) proof against all arguments and
3rd It can not keep a man in everlasting ignorance.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines - as the open contempt and disrespect /or
disobedience of a feeling that someone or something lower and undesirable. Examine the means - to observe or examine with care - or to study systematically. I think Spencer is saying that if someone or something before you open disrespect to know that person or thing, then this feeling will deliberately disobeyed by "lack of respect for the other person:" You learn nothing from this person or thing am. It will continuekeep in a state of ignorance of that person or thing, and will be your only argument against the change are your thoughts about this person or thing.
I could never say with absolute certainty that you have never had a personal experience with someone or something, if I had first observed, tested and / or examine your life from that day until you were born. I can only say that "I" personally have an experience with someone or something, so he had only"I can say" that God may or may not exist for me. I could never say that God does not exist for you. Who am I to say that God does not exist, though I have personally examined me for God? Although I have some weak attempt to know God always done, how do I know absolutely without a doubt certain that God does not exist. Someone said that it takes more faith to believe that God no longer exists to believe that he exists.
So, as mentioned above, there aremany options to consider if you have a way of spiritual life. It 'one thing for sure, however, and this is what we choose to spiritual life, it requires a certain faith, to live it.
Spirituality and faith
Since we commonly associate spirituality with faith, I think it should be: a few questions about faith in this moment as what is faith? I need faith? Everyone has faith? How can I have faith?
Webster's Dictionarydefines faith as:
1st Fidelity to duty or a person;
2nd Faith and trust in God;
Trust and 3rd
4th A system of religious beliefs.
Two of these definitions about God and religion, but the other two do not. So I think it's fair to say that it is possible, "faith" in a practical sense them the all-spiritual and / or religious. At least we can all have confidence in a person, a belief that a system is reliable;and loyalty to a cause or position without a loyal member of a religious organization or a spiritual journey to Tibet. How many of you drive through intersections at 40 to 50 mph without slowing down or looking both ways, because you see a light green? Can a "red light bulb physically stop a moving car? Drive without slowing down just because we have faith in the laws of our state system of transport and faith that weour fellow drivers.
How many of you open your eyes every morning to read that you believe in enough oxygen to breathe, water to drink, a roof over their heads, electricity for lights, food for breakfast, wear clean clothes to work, and yet has a position open for you when you arrive, let alone believe that we expect (the trust and confidence in) our social, legal, financial, medical and local government, state and national servicesperform exactly as usual.
We all go to work every day because we believe, trust and trust or have faith that our employer pays the salary promised us so that we continue to pay for our daily needs. So you can see that we all need, "faith" to survive in this world. Those who consume little confidence in themselves, others and / or a higher power seems to be rather with concern, fear and fear that can and often leads to mental healthProblems (eg depression, suicide, etc.).
Most of us have a pattern of behavior and activities that we get to do the more comfortable to go (to work, hang with some friends sitting in our favorite lazy-boy, Eating Bon Bons-or cheese-its, "the remote control and television, etc.). We tend to have a voice in our knowledge in this together, and to avoid trying something new or different because we fear that any change unpleasant. Some call this groupActivities of their comfort zone, and there like a wall before the world "evil, or a wall that prevents them from growing to a mature, responsible adult can be described. Every time that new opportunities come along, we change Have all the choice and avoid surrendering to shrink because of fear of failure or of facing our fears with faith and going out for something new to try, Which, ultimately, an increase of proving our self-confidence and self esteem , greater and better things in life. II think this is just a practical choice that we all can develop a belief in ourselves, and then - God, or spirituality.
In practice, I believe that with a dose of faith, all born and most of us put our faith (faith, trust, and confidence) in all that motivates us and gives our life energy and that is the focus of our spirit or our spirituality. For example, if you have sex with, deals with drugs and rock'n'rollor in modern times - Rap, Bootie, Blunt and "Bling Bling" and then your values, beliefs, priorities and objectives will focus on these things, trying to make sense of your existence. Taking a personal inventory of where we spend most of our spare time and money (for example, look at your checkbook and credit card monthly reports, etc.) can usually give you a good idea of what or who we are putting the Our confidence in.
Note: If you feel a bit 'disappointed right nowbecause he hoped to see a detailed theological dissertation on spiritual beliefs in your own personal religious perspective is not too discouraged at this time because I have saved a similar analysis for a future article.
Spirituality and decisions
In support of stakeholders to address their personal spiritual decisions for their advanced directives spiritual, Spirituality 101 Inventory is presented.
Please read the following statements in theand select an option by an (X) next to the corresponding letter (eg, ABC, etc.) to make the statement that best describes your trust. Note:
Select only one option.
I believe that:
___ A. When you're dead - you're dead
___ B. When you're dead - you are born again.
___ C. When you die - you go to heaven or hell
I believe that religion should be:
___ A. individualistic, subjective, informal, activeDirection
___ B. Community focused, objective, systematic and outwards
My past experiences have been religious:
___ A. positive
___ B. Negative
___ C. non-existent
I think (that):
___ A. A God
___ How many gods
C. ___ A supreme enlightenment - not in God
___ D. God and nature are a
___ E. There are two opposing forces / deities
___ F. There is no God
___ G. In some parts or all of the above beliefsdepending on the situation
___ H. I'm not sure what I think
I think I have one (Clock):
___ Atheist A. (I do not believe in God)
___ B. agnostic (do not know if there is a God)
___ Theist C. (I believe in God or many gods)
I think for my personal satisfaction, satisfaction and confidence that I leave my faith (eg cling-on, self, confidence, etc.):
___ Things A. to meet my eyes and feel safe (eg, cash,
Materialism, beauty, etc.).
___ How are things to satisfy my body and feel good (eg food, sex, music, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
___ Content things C. my ego and I feel like I'm under control (eg
Power, fame, pride in personal achievements, etc.).
___ D. spiritual things (a supreme being, faith, hope, love, etc.).
___ E. Other: ______________________________________________
Qualification Note: This article was written, and should notnot be seen as a religion or a formal theological treatise on spirituality. It 's just a simple introduction to reveal how these critical issues defining the process of addiction recovery, hoping to help each examine their values, and are rethinking their priorities, what is truly important in their lives. My intention is not to persuade, influence to convince or convert everyone to my personal beliefs. My goal is to helpothers to clarify and determine where he is currently at this point in time in any way they trace a path from which they go where they want to be someday. I still can not do, flight reservations, unless you know what you're departing from.
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