At our first Exploration Gathering of Fairbanks Spiritual Explorers we had a vibrant discussion around the question, “What is Spirituality?” The group was very enthusiastic to take on the question. The following are some highlights of what we experienced as a community.
Pointers to Something More
Several explorers mentioned having out of body experiences or paranormal experiences. This has caused them to question whether there is something more to us than just our human body. In those experiences, some people described interacting with other beings as well. For some interesting searching on the Internet, lookup “near death experiences.”
Another pointer was nature. Several explorers noted that observing nature or being out in nature convinces them that there is a spiritual aspect to life. We even attributed spirituality to animals and pets. We can just feel their spirit sometimes and they seem to live in the “now moment.”
The group talked about a feeling of spirituality. It is that inexplicable shudder that you get when you are awe struck by something or someone. You just know that you know.
The Opinions of Several Authors
Our exploration led us to examine what others have said to define spirituality. We explored Brené Brown’s definition of spirituality which you can find in the post on this website entitled, “What is Spirituality?” Tom Rapsas quoting a University of Minnesota website says that it is “…a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves…” Jacob Needleman says, “Religion talks to the belief in God. Spirituality gives us the experience of God.” This last quote really resonated with the group.
Spirituality in Music
The group listened to several musical pieces and discussed how that felt to them. The explorers were encouraged to listen with their whole body, mind, and spirit. We listened to Go Crystal Tears by John Dowland, Handel’s Symphonia from The Messiah, and James Taylor’s rendition of Carolina In My Mind.
Different explorers resonated with different pieces of music. Each described how the music made them feel or what it reminded them of. The group talked about how ballads are some of their favorite style of music because it tells a story. Ballads seem to be more relatable to most.
Consensus about the Community
The group felt like this type of meeting is needed in Fairbanks. It felt like a safe place to explore one’s individual spirituality without being told what or how to think.
We hope to see you at the next Exploration Gathering.
