Reality is what was, what is, and what will be.
In reference to secular spirituality, “reality” is also referred to as the ultimate reality, or life, or the world at large. Sometimes as the big picture.
- Spirituality is a term use to describe mankind’s innate need to understand the world (life, ultimate reality) and his place in it.
Reality is what actually exists. Independent of our perceptions of it. Scientists try to discover reality. Philosophers speculate about it. And religions claim to know it.
We humans experience reality based on our 5 senses. And upon what we learn about it from society at large. But reality has a “perception problem”. Much like the story of the blind men and the elephant.
The Blind Men and the Elephant is a parable from India that has been adapted by many religions and published in various stories for adults and children. It is about a group of blind men who attempt to learn what an elephant is, each touching a different part, and disagreeing on their findings. Their collective wisdom leads to the truth.
The end product of spirituality is to find our place in the world (reality). And this end (conclusion) is a direct function of how we understand (perceive) reality.
There is only one overall (true, ultimate) reality. But there are billions of different perceptions of reality. Each perception is based on the individual’s unique experiences, life history, and circumstances. Everyone sees a slice of reality. Their slice. But it takes a conscious and dedicated effort to see the bigger picture.
The goal of secular spirituality is overcome our perceptions of reality to discover and understand reality as it really is: The bigger picture. And we do this by first being aware of and acknowledging our perceptions.
The MO (method of operation) of religious spirituality on the other hand is to lean into their perceptions and further solidify their beliefs by specifically avoiding conflicting information (the big picture).
- Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
Each of the three different spiritual paths (religious, mystical, secular) are based a different perception of reality, which necessarily leads to different (spiritual) conclusions about man’s place in the world.