RUU: Religion of the Unexplained Unknown: Being Spiritual

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They say that spiritual experiences depends on the religion of the person having it. But what if you don't have a religion at all?

Well, then you are pretty open to having any kind of experience you want.

And, you're not limited to the practice that is dictated by the school of thought that brings you to that experience. This means if you want to have one, you don't have to only do a shamanic journey or some sort of meditation or otherwise. You can mix and match whatever works for you. Spiritual experiences can be as simple as sitting in your chair and being loved by a pet and all of a sudden a feeling of peace overcomes you and you become completely enmeshed into the moment of love. Or as simple as a beautiful song playing on your car radio while you are driving on a gorgeous day and all of a sudden you feel 100% connected to everything around you. Like the sun is shining just for you in that moment. The air is the perfect temperature. Everything is just right.

Or it can be as complicated as actually feeling like you're traveling somewhere else completely and having some sort of information imparted upon you that no other human may know that may only pertain to you. My hubby has these regularly.

In your experiences, you can come across guides or scenes, or you can be completely awake experiencing real life in an altered way from normal. There are no limitations to what you can achieve or experience.

So, how do we accomplish this?

Well, for one, you can visit the Tools section of this blog for a pretty big list of ideas you can use. You can also visit our Pinterest page and check out some great quotes you can meditate on. You can also check out the Spiritual Nourishment series and find something that appeals to you.

There is a quote by Teilhard de Chardin (who was a French philosopher, paleontologist, and Jesuit priest) that says:

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/pierreteil160888.html

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

If that's the case, then we're always having a spiritual experience, in every single breath we take, every single heartbeat, everything, all the time. Whether or not we actually have "souls" doesn't matter, because being a "spiritual being" could just mean we're always seeking out new information to better our lives and those of who are around us (and possibly even the world). It could mean finding the love in every single situation you are in, good or bad. It could mean always having compassion for your fellow man, woman, child, and animal. And it could mean just knowing you are divine by the simple task of living.

What does "divine" mean in relation to RUU?

The atoms that make up the structure of everything in our universe (including us) are the same atoms everywhere (meaning the same atoms that make up your table, the air you breathe, and that rock out in your yard are the same ones inside of us). These atoms then join up to create elements. These elements are created by stars (some are left over the Big Bang). So the universe is joining up together to create everything, including us. That sounds pretty divine to me. Dictionary.com says that the word divine means being godlike, heavenly, or being god. And if you see god as a creator, and you realize we're created by everything that makes up the entire universe, then we're kind of godlike, aren't we? We are "like god" because we are made up the same exact things everything else is. Stars give their lives so we can have a good amount of the elements around us. One being oxygen, which is vital for life on Earth.

So, as you can see, you are always having an spiritual experience, just by living.

But sometimes, we need a reminder of our divinity or our connection to the divine. And that's where this idea of "having a spiritual experience" comes into play. We need time to take a moment (or many moments) to sit, re-connect, and re-energize our body, mind and soul (soul, meaning that part of you that feels the spiritual side of life, like a receiver or a plug-in). Exercise, eating right, reading something empowering, and silence are sometimes all you need in order to do this.

But if you're looking for a more guided experience, please feel free to download this free poster. Print it out, hang it, and get to it! Get it here.

Or print out this list of various ways to get in touch with your spiritual side (download here):

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/pierreteil160888.html

12:04 PM / Tuesday Adams / 0 comments /

Being Spiritual

Spirituality is the way we find our connection to everything around us, and for some, as a way to connect with the source of all life, whatever that is. But mostly, it's made up the little things around us on a daily basis. As a RUUist, I am always thinking of how things relate to my own existence and that of those around me. I ponder different open-ended ideas, such as:

Are ghosts really real? And if so, how could science explain them? If not, then are we just putting meaning into a part of life that we don't understand and pushing ourselves to the point of hallucination?
What if our universe is a being of it's own and we're just the bacteria or virus inside of it? If so, then how do we find meaning in our existence? Would there be any meaning at all? And if so, does our meaning have anything to do with the universe at all? Are we even connected? Or are our existences totally separate? If so, does that even matter?
How come when I think of certain people in my life who have passed away, all of sudden their song will come on the radio? Is it them sending me that song? Is it some higher power assuring me they are okay? Is just just a (very timely and quite often) coincidence? (note: I have "Life Songs" for all people in my life that are deceased).
Last summer I was in my backyard and was entertained by an anise swallowtail butterfly for at least an hour. It was very interested in me and didn't care that I was another (very big) being capable of hurting it. It just trusted me and loved tickling my toes by landing on them and hanging out on them for minutes at a time. Was that a sign? Was it a spirit of a loved one who passed was now embodying this gorgeous butterfly? Or as it just an insect who wanted to do something different that day? Does it even matter?
Are spiritual experiences caused by an outside force? Or are they made by our own brains?
How come when I need to know something I can ask a question (to myself? the universe? etc.) and either throughout the day or in my dreams, my question will be answered? The bigger the question, the longer it takes to get the answer, but usually the questions are small and are answered the same day. Is this my own brain unlocking the information? Like the information is deep in my brain somewhere and needs time to be found, like a computer file, and then I am accessing ideas in the outer world that make sense to me? Or is there something bigger at play here?
Where do dreams come from? How do our brains sift through the infinite images we have in our heads and patch them together into the experience we ultimately have? And what am I dreaming about that I don't remember? Will there be machines one day that can record our dreams so can watch them at a later date? Would I even want to?
Why do we have the need to create things? Why do some people have it more than others? And why are some people born with it and others have to work at it?
Why is some art healing? What possible evolutionary purpose explains that? Surely there must be something spiritual attached to it.
Can science be spiritual? The book "Waking Up" by Sam Harris entertains this idea. He's an atheist neuroscientist and he proposes the notion that science indeed can be spiritual.
What if the Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammad were real dudes? What if they were just trying to explain something they experienced in a drug-induced hallucination or a mental delusion but the messages got all goofed up. And then they ended up just like other "gurus" who bent and distorted their original ideas to fit their own agendas? Just a thought. (note: this is a funny thought, but something I ponder nonetheless)

Those are just 11 random ideas to get you started. If you think of any more, please share them below. I'd love to know what types of ideas other people like to ponder in their spare time.

Just because you don't believe, doesn't mean you can't philosophize about spiritual ideas. Not only is it fun, it can be eye opening and lead to more ideas to ponder at a later date.

So go and ponder something great today and maybe start a "Pondering Notebook". You can record your thoughts and ideas and maybe even one day, build them into a book to publish. Or you can just tuck it under your mattress and read it later :)

10:50 AM / Tuesday Adams / 0 comments /

Being Spiritual The Big Questions

Are you in a rut for what to post on your spiritual blog? Or maybe you're keeping a spiritual journal and need some new ideas on prompts. Sometimes we can get stuck and nothing to comes to mind to write about. And the worst part, you may even give up on your journal or blog if you can't think of anything to write about! We don't want that to happen, and so it doesn't, here are 20 post ideas for spiritual blogs:

What are you grateful for this week? Day? Year? In January, write about what you're grateful for the previous year. If it's today (the middle of May) just write about now. You can do a top 10 list, top 5, or just one thing. So many ways to use this prompt, it's almost limitless!
What's your relationship to silence? (a DL burning question) Love it? Hate it? Use it for meditation? Introspection?
What's the dumbest thing you used to believe? It can be something to do with spirituality or science or any belief you once had and now know it was either wrong or just something misunderstood.
If you could go back in time and tell your child self something, what would it be? Try writing your little self a letter or a series of letters.
Best spiritual book you ever read and why was it the best? Who are your favorite spiritual authors?
Who could you be if you could just let go of the past? (another burning question by DL)
If you could make a spiritual playlist, what would be on it? Make a youtube playlist and share it.
What do you need to walk away from? Who or what are you done with that you need to leave behind?
What in your life is a broken record right now in both the spiritual realm and physical/outer realm? How might you lift the needle on that record?
What are your core, basic ideas on life? What do you stand for? What won't you tolerate?
What do you want more of? Money? Love? Support?
What are you satisfied with in your life? This is a big one. Most people might have like one or two, and some may have none at all. If you aren't satisfied with anything, then how can you learn to be?
Who are you? I am not asking your name, I am asking who are you at your core? This is different than your beliefs. This is about you. Are you kind? Are you grouchy? And if you are either one, is that truly you? Or just how you feel sometimes? Explore this idea in length.
What's your tao? The tao te ching is a set of guidelines to follow in order to have a happy life. What are your "life rules"? Do they bring you happiness? If not, is it because you're following them too strictly? Or possibly too loosely? Make a list and explain each one.
Where do you need to set more boundaries in your life? With your kids? Parents? Spouse/partner? friends? Yourself? Your work?
Instead of a "to-do" list, make a "Don't-Do" list. What's on it and why? And do you ever notice when you stop doing something that it opens a space for something new to occur in your life?
What is your spiritual practice? Do you practice alone? With others? At home? Out in nature? If you don't have a practice, do you want to?
Describe how you use your five senses to connect with life. What smells make you feel serene? What sounds make you feel calm? What textures make you feel good? What are your favorite things to look at? What flavors make you happy on your tastebuds? Sometimes the most simplest of things can be the most spiritual.
What is a negative spiritual experience you've had? Or is there a spiritual leader you'd like to criticize for their negative behavior? Don't think you only have to talk about the positive parts of spirituality, because the negative parts can be just as eye opening at times.
Write about your spiritual journey. How did you get to where you are today? Where did you start from? How bumpy of a journey has it been?

How do you use these prompts as blog posts? Come up with a list for each one (or just blog for the personal ones) and use a title such as "Top 10 Things to Put on Your To-Don't List" or "Best Places in Your Life To Set Boundaries" or "How To Develop a Personal Tao". These headlines are attention grabbers, rather than just all personal blogging like journal.

Feel free to use these at your leisure and feel free to answer any of these below your share your links to your posts if you use them :)