What is a spiritual experience for an atheist ( or anyone else )?

Question

Something causing a major shift in your thinking ?
An experience that makes you see the world differently,
or make you understand yourself better,
or make you understand other better ?

Is that something you can experience through fasting, or lots of exercice, or meditation, or relaxation techniques, or sex, or age, or drugs, or psychotherapy, or deep thinking, or martial arts, or arts, ... ?

Can you consider that people have spiritual experiences without linking that to god(s) ?

Have a good day.

Training and education---that`s the best spiritual experience one can ask for !

Major shift in someone`s thinking: i didnt say this is a good or a bad thing. You can be converted or brain-washed, or convince yourself of something that changes your mind a lot, and make you do stupid things.
I`m more thinking of positive change, like understanding more what is going on around oneself, feeling more confident, listening more to people or seeing more one`s prejudices.

Martial artists, monks, artists, ... some people claims spiritual experiences change their life - I am wondering about this idea of life-changing or mind-changing experience.

( read me better - i am not assuming this is strictly for god-believer...)
Looking more at your views on the subject. I have my answer to my question, expressed above too--

I have met 2 people who changed their behavior a lot after getting converted ( to islam, sadly covering her beautiful face with a veil, and another to catholicism ). Another one after practicing aikido.
Yes our minds are changing all the time - I am mentionning a "major" shift.
Imagine you know this persons who is quite mean or criticising everything people do, and after this experience, this person is genuinely more caring about people around ( or so it seems ).

Or imagine a guy who is afraid of dying, or getting very nervous about the universe, god/no god, afterlife, ... and after a "spiritual experience", stop asking and asking himself the same questions, and get more confident, without having a real answer for his questions.

...and dont quote scriptures please...
i can copy paste too...

Answer 1

If you'd really like to know about the sacred for this atheist... go here...

http://www.pantheist.net

Answer 2

An athiest typically gravitates towards philosophy rather than theology.

Everyone see the world differently, and a lot of that depends on your religious beliefs, whether you are Muslim, Christian or Jewish. Those who practice these said beliefs, fast, pray to God and observe various rituals. For example, Muslims observe Ramadan, Jews observe Rosh Hashanah, and Christians observe the birth of Christ, His death and resurrection.

In Judaism and Christianity, it is strictly forbidden to worship idols. There is only one true God, our God is Sovereign. In Christianity, the only way to God, our Heavenly Father is through faith in Y'shua Mashiakh, which is Aramaic for Jesus Christ. See John 3:36. You can find this passage in the 3rd link below. The Jews do not believe that Y'shua was the true Mashiakh which is contradictory to Christian belief.

In addition to the third link, the first two links will help further your understanding of Judaism and Islam.

Answer 3

a storm at sea, a sky full of stars, a medow full of of buttercups on a spring morning, a wood full of bluebells, the wind rippling through the wheat fields, clouds like fairy tale castles in a juicy blue sky, a nightingale singing, the blue sillouettes of trees on misty mornings, a patina of frost on autumn leaves, watching the wind whip the snow in by lamp light at night, a clear sky and a bright silver moon an a snow filled landscape. watching the sun beams burst through the clouds on white horse hill, the sun bleached wood on an old garden shed, spiders webs covered in dew, the pale gold sun that burns through the fog, the sound of trains at night, the old garden gate with peeling green paint, art made with passion, (religious or not), music with soul, writing with thought and feeling, keats and cummins and frost and so many more, and so much much more. and i know that it is the knowledge that it all comes from this wonderful self creating natural universe, we are here because we're here and the universe is beautiful because it is, not because some deity willed it to be so. and that is so much more wonderful and satisfying.

ps and tequila, that's important too.

Answer 4

I used to be a an athiest and one day I read a book that awoke in me feelings like memories of things I already knew but had been conditioned to keep hidden for fear of ridicule. The seed was sown, I opened my eyes and awoke to knowledge that erradicated all my fears and gave me all the answers to every question I had ever asked. It was all so simple and easy to relate to without any dogma and I now have reasons to live and further my education. Anyone can find spirituality through meditation.

Answer 5

Decode this lyrics " Bettermen"
What spiritual experience?
What is the definition of worshiping God?
Simple thing also don't know.
To follow instruction manual.
Ever wonder how can one follow instruction when our creator's universal instruction manual is missing and was lost with time.
Luke 19.9-10
Decode this lyrics " Let your love grow"
It's just the mastering of our creator's universal gift of life vital for the survival and advancement of each and every living human kind on planet earth.
Revealation 22.13-17
Decode this lyrics " The greatest love of all"
Ever wonder how blunders and slip-ups with human errors
blindly threw away our creator's universal gifts of life with self prides and self discrimination in climbing up the coconut trees and still look green.
Luke 11.46-52
Decode this lyrics " Dirty old man"
Getting kick on the butts as casualty of the dead Mummy in not worshiping God.
John, 8.44, Matt 23.27
Ever wonder how our creator's universal gifts of life were just an instruction manual?
Luke 24.44-45
Decode this lyrics " Where do we go from here"
Ever wonder how the blind were blindly following the three monkeys blindly happily singing " For he's a jolly good fellow"
getting kick on the butts as casualty of the dead Mummy?
Luke 6.39-40,41-45,46-49
What do you think?

Answer 6

Your sarcasm aside, you should read more about why we have spiritual experiences. New research is showing that spiritual experiences are just physical.

You are an unbeliever, just like me. Hindus believe in Shiva and pray over statues of their God (a phallic statue). Do you think that there is an invisible Shiva God who wants his phallic statue to be prayed over - or are you a skeptic?

Answer 7

Having an Epiphany? Two things that connect in the mind and bring about a realization of something?

For me...it's just in thinking about stuff...

And yeah, technically "spiritual" doesn't have to include gods.

Answer 8

Philosophy did it for me. Learning about utilitarianism- the belief that there ARE absolute moral rights and wrongs, regardless of religion and culture.

Watching the miracles of science, and the hateful attempts to shackle it by believers.

I have spiritual experiences whenever I read about scientific breakthroughs, and about people HELPING those in third world countries, instead of converting them and leaving them to die.

Answer 9

spiritual means it effects your spirit. it has nothing to do with belief in any religion. many make the connection but like the indians in america, you can get a spiritual experience from a tree, animal or even a blue mushroom...

Answer 10

you do no longer ought to have a faith to have self belief there's a probability of a non secular adventure.. in my view i do no longer think in God, Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha or anybody else that billions of people have self belief so i'm an Atheist yet i meditate and cleanse my ora, i've got self belief in ghosts and recon the ineffective could be spoken to so i do no longer think of its truthful to assume all Atheists' have not got self belief interior the potential of a non secular adventure.. and if an somebody chosen to no longer have self belief you.. why could you desire to cajole them otherwise? ideals are not there to objective and alter peoples strategies.. billions of people have self belief countless issues and who're you to assert which you way is sweet?

Answer 11

Atheist can be very spiritual. The flaw in your assumption is that spirituality is only reserved for God-believers.