"spiritual" experiences for fellow atheists...

What type of experiences do you consider 'spiritual' - elliciting an inexplicable positive emotion?

For me, it's contemplation, music (listening or playing), and close contact with the people I love. You?

there is nothing larger in their lives than themselves.

Where on earth do you get that idea? Just because we don't believe in supernatural entities doesn't mean there is nothing larger in their lives than [ourselves].

Perhaps it reflects your own bleak view of the world that the only thing you view as more important than yourself is your god?

well...ha ha, I'm not an atheist, but I get what you're asking.

for me it's being alone in nature and just...listening to quiet. also...doing service. it really does create a wonderful spirit.

is that ok?

..sure SG, I get that.

lol, you being real or sarcastic?

Nothing I'd call spiritual. I enjoy those sorts of things, even find them uplifting, but I wouldn't call them spiritual.

Climbing mountains. There's something about reaching the top of a mountain and looking out over everything that is very calming, and very rewarding.

Meditation and Walks in the woods on cool days. Rituals as well

Of course I don't believe in spirits so nothing is spiritual but then again you did put quotes around it

For me throwing myself into exercise is the most common way I attain an altered state of consciousness. I used to meditate but I really don't do that much any more. When I was a musician I noticed that when I sat in a really good ensemble that when we were playing our best everything disappeared and we became the music; it was an eerie and profound feeling.

I love to meditate and take walks through nature. I do find these to be spiritual at times.

I also find it to be spiritual to have deep connections with love partners. It is very beautiful.

I don't think there is a possibility of a spiritual experience for athiests...All things would come to them via a personal response...there is nothing larger in their lives than themselves.

p

phrannie, most atheists I know are well aware of how much greater the ecosystem and the universe are than any one person, including themselves. It's religious people that tend to exaggerate the place of the human race in the universe. I'd also point out that there are thousands of secular charities working on issues all over the world: generosity is not a virtue respected only by the pious.

As arachnid said, if the only two possibilities you see are 1) believe in and serve a deity of choice or 2) be selfish, then you have a very narrow-minded worldview.

Spiritual is the wrong word in the case of athiests...

And NEVER have you EVER heard me say anything about serving a deity, of any shape, size of form...I'm purely an agnostic...It's easy for me to say I don't know, and you'll never find me on a stump pushing atheism anymore than you'd find me pushing religion...Actually, that's MORE open minded...I haven't closed my mind to one or the other.

p

Spiritual is the wrong word in the case of athiests...

Which is why he put quotes around it

Fair enough, you're an agnostic. The fact remains, you claim that atheists have nothing in their lives larger than themselves. You have yet to explain what you meant by this.

***I don't think there is a possibility of a spiritual experience for athiests...

phrannie, when I put spiritual in quotes, it was supposed to convey the idea of awe inspiring circumstances, or those experiences that make us feel a part of something bigger than just ourselves. It was not intended to convey any metaphysical/religious conotations.

That's what it was in quotes.

***Spiritual is the wrong word in the case of athiests...***
***I don't think there is a possibility of a spiritual experience for athiests...***

Buddhists are atheists...

Well,I'm not an athiest, but with the definition elliciting an inexplicable positive emotion I would say listening to music and figuring out the meaning of what they're saying,being alone with my thoughts, and being with my best friend...