So If Spirituality Is not the Same as Religion, What Is Spirituality?
Spirituality is part of the human experience in which we explore who we are and what our life is about. This can include any, some or all of the following:
Getting in touch with your own moral compass -- a way of knowing what is right and what is wrong according to your own beliefs and principles. These beliefs do not need to be handed to you by a religion.You can discover them by exploring your own thoughts and feelings.
Learning to use your moral compass as a guide for how to live your life. For example, if you believe it is wrong to lie, finding ways to live more truthfully.
Respecting yourself and others. People who grow up in abusive situations may find this difficult, but ultimately very fulfilling when they achieve it.
Getting perspective on your problems. This includes recognizing that it is possible to improve your situation with willpower and support.
Realizing that we all have human weaknesses, and letting go of pride that may be getting in the way of asking for help if you need it.
Receiving and giving support to others.
Elizabeth Hartney, PhD, is a psychologist with extensive experience in research, practice and teaching in the field of addictions and concurrent disorders.
http://addictions.about.com/od/overcomingaddiction/a/spiritualityandaddiction.htm
GIVE IT A GO - a beginners guide to spirituality...
By Larry Culliford
Spirituality can best be thought of as new territory, there for you to explore. Think of yourself as a pioneer and the spiritual landscape as a vast kind of brand new adventure playground, a place where you can both learn and have fun. It can be scary, but there is no need to be frightened if you don't stray too far too soon.
Why explore this new realm?
Firstly, because a unique area is reserved for each individual person, and only you can discover this part...It can be peaceful and beautiful too. Reading the accounts, the maps and guides that others - spiritual masters - have already drawn is highly recommended. They have trodden the pathways and learned, no doubt, from making many of the mistakes. But you really have to experience it for yourself. It is a mistake, in other words, to consider spirituality as just an object, like some lifeless specimen to dissect and analyse. It doesn't work that way.
Secondly, because it is all so amazing!
Thirdly, it is worth exploring because there is nothing ultimately to lose, and much to gain.
How can you explore this new terrain of spirituality?
This series of articles will not require any previous knowledge. Its aim is to guide you step by step, partly by asking you to think about a number of questions and reflecting on your own experience. Many people are surprised, when they stop to think about it, by how much spiritual experience they have already had. This will become clearer and make more sense as we go. Beginners do not need any special religious knowledge or experience. Spirituality and religion are obviously somehow linked. People have likened spirituality to the roots of a great tree, for example, providing it with stability and nourishment.
The different religions and philosophies are represented by the tree's different trunks, branches and leaves.
To keep thing reasonably simple, I am not going to write a lot more about the links between spirituality and religion. It's not necessary to go too deeply into them at this stage, as it can be confusing. Nevertheless, this idea about the roots and the tree's different branches gets you thinking and leaves us free to use examples from different world religions to illustrate various points as we go along. A good way to find out about spirituality is to ask yourself questions. Here are a few questions to get you thinking
A good way to find out about spirituality is to ask yourself questions.
Some types of question are better than others.
For instance, the question "Does God exist?" is problematic. Why? Because it only permits a ‘yes' or ‘no' answer. Of course, a person can always say ‘I don't know', but that might not get us very far.
Also, this kind of question immediately gets people arguing. Some say ‘yes' to it, and others say ‘no', so there's a conflict; and this can waste a lot of time.
It is better to start with open questions, and questions on subjects that you already know something about. Then you can build on that knowledge.
A good question to begin exploring spirituality with is, "Who am I?" Everyone can answer that question. You just say, "I am..." and give your name. But, of course, each of us is much more than a name. Isn't that so? Each of us is a person.
Taken from Spiritual wisdom for secular times:
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spiritual-wisdom-secular-times
Larry Culliford, M.B., B.Chir. (Cantab), M.R.C. Psych. (UK), is the author of the Psychology of Spirituality and a psychiatrist in Sussex, England.
Larry is a psychiatrist in Sussex, England and the author of The Psychology of Spirituality. He has also written several books on happiness using the pen-name Patrick Whiteside. He was a co-founder of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group.