Ways to Go Beyond And Why They Work

1. Spiritual practices connect us to greater consciousness

Through spiritual practices and direct experiences that we can effectively deepen our own connections with the more-than-human realms of consciousness, and become more aware of the underlying source of all consciousness and all nature.

Spiritual practices as gateways. These practices, ranging from meditation to sports, fasting to psychedelics, offer pathways to experience consciousness beyond our individual selves. They allow us to tap into what many traditions describe as the ground of all being, the divine, or ultimate reality.

Measurable effects. Scientific research has shown that spiritual practices have tangible effects on our physiology, brain activity, and overall well-being. For example:

• Meditation reduces activity in the brain's default mode network, associated with mind-wandering and self-referential thoughts
• Fasting increases levels of ketones in the blood, which can enhance mental clarity
• Group singing and chanting synchronize participants' heart rates and breathing

Diverse paths, common destination. While the practices vary widely, they often lead to similar experiences of:

• Heightened awareness
• Sense of unity or interconnectedness
• Feelings of bliss or profound peace
• Transcendence of ego boundaries

2. Sports can induce flow states and spiritual experiences

A football player in an important match is completely in the present, or else he is out of the game.

Flow states in sports. Athletes often experience a state of total immersion in their activity, characterized by:

• Complete focus on the present moment
• Loss of self-consciousness
• Sense of effortless action
• Altered perception of time

Spiritual dimensions. Many athletes describe their peak experiences in terms that parallel mystical or spiritual states:

• Feeling of oneness with their environment or equipment
• Sense of tapping into a power beyond themselves
• Experiences of transcendence or self-dissolution

Evolutionary significance. The author suggests that sports may be one of the most common ways modern humans experience self-transcendence and connection to something greater than themselves. This mirrors more traditional spiritual practices, but in a secular context that is widely accessible and culturally accepted.

3. Animals teach us humility, love, and intuition

Many animals have powers and abilities that surpass our own, such as the flying of birds, the swimming of fish, the leaping of monkeys from tree to tree, the complex societies of millions of termites who build huge architectural structures even though they are blind, the migrating of Monarch butterflies over thousands of miles, and the echo-location system of bats.

Humility through animal abilities. Recognizing the extraordinary capabilities of animals can foster a sense of humility and wonder at the diversity of life. This perspective challenges human-centric views and encourages a more holistic understanding of our place in nature.

Unconditional love and healing. Many companion animals demonstrate a capacity for unconditional love that can be profoundly healing for humans. Studies have shown that interacting with pets can:

• Lower blood pressure and stress hormones
• Alleviate depression and anxiety
• Improve overall physical and mental health

Intuitive and psychic abilities. Some animals appear to possess intuitive or even psychic abilities that surpass human capabilities. Examples include:

• Dogs that seem to know when their owners are coming home
• Animals that anticipate natural disasters
• Apparent telepathic communication between bonded animals and humans

These phenomena challenge materialist worldviews and suggest a deeper interconnectedness in nature that humans may have lost touch with but can potentially rediscover.

4. Fasting enhances mental clarity and spiritual awareness

Not eating became easier. However, when I fast, the days seem to be longer than usual, without breaks for meals, and food smells extraordinarily delicious. But I can concentrate better, and have more vivid dreams.

Physiological effects of fasting. When we fast, our bodies undergo several changes:

• Shift to using stored fat for energy
• Increased production of ketones
• Elevated levels of growth hormone
• Changes in neurotransmitter levels

Mental and spiritual benefits. Many people report enhanced mental clarity and spiritual experiences during fasting:

• Improved concentration and focus
• More vivid dreams and insights
• Heightened sensory awareness
• Feelings of lightness or detachment from physical concerns

Historical and cultural significance. Fasting has been a part of spiritual practices in many traditions:

• Religious observances like Ramadan in Islam or Lent in Christianity
• Vision quests in Native American traditions
• Ascetic practices in Hinduism and Buddhism

The author suggests that by interrupting our normal patterns of consumption and desire, fasting creates a space for deeper spiritual awareness and connection.

5. Psychedelics offer profound spiritual insights and connections

Some people speculate that psychedelics may have played a hidden role in the development of Judaism. Benny Shanon, a Professor of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, suggests that Moses, who led the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, may have had experiences similar to those induced by ayahuasca.

Altered states of consciousness. Psychedelics can induce profound alterations in perception, thought, and emotion:

• Vivid visual and auditory hallucinations
• Dissolution of ego boundaries
• Sense of unity with the universe
• Encounters with seemingly autonomous entities or spiritual beings

Therapeutic and spiritual potential. Research has shown that psychedelics, when used in controlled settings, can have significant benefits:

• Treatment of depression, anxiety, and addiction
• Reduction in fear of death in terminal patients
• Catalysts for mystical or spiritual experiences
• Enhanced creativity and problem-solving abilities

Cultural and historical context. The use of psychedelics for spiritual purposes has a long history:

• Traditional use in indigenous shamanic practices
• Potential role in the development of religious traditions
• Modern psychedelic churches and neo-shamanic movements

The author suggests that psychedelics may offer a direct experience of the spiritual realms that many religions describe, challenging materialist worldviews and opening up new avenues for exploring consciousness.

6. Prayer harnesses the power of intention and interconnectedness

For an atheist and materialist, all of these entities are non-existent; they are projections of human minds. They are not really 'out there'. They are inside heads. There is no point in praying to an imaginary being.

Prayer as relationship. Unlike meditation, which can be practiced without belief in a higher power, prayer presupposes a relationship with a consciousness greater than our own. This relationship can take many forms:

• Personal communication with a divine being
• Invocation of spiritual forces or energies
• Alignment with a universal consciousness or higher self

Effectiveness of prayer. While controversial from a scientific perspective, many studies have explored the effects of prayer:

• Potential health benefits for those who pray regularly
• Psychological comfort and stress reduction
• Possible effects on physical healing, even at a distance

Interconnected consciousness. The author suggests that prayer may work through a fundamental interconnectedness of consciousness:

• Our minds may be "transparent" to higher forms of consciousness
• Intention and focused attention may influence events at a distance
• Prayer may tap into collective or universal fields of consciousness

This view challenges materialist conceptions of consciousness as isolated within individual brains and suggests a more holistic, interconnected understanding of reality.

7. Holy days and festivals foster community and spiritual renewal

Holy days are literally holidays. They are days on which normal work comes to a stop so that the community can take part in collective celebrations.

Rhythms of renewal. Holy days and festivals provide a regular rhythm of spiritual renewal and community bonding:

• Interruption of daily routines
• Opportunities for collective celebration and ritual
• Connection to seasonal cycles and cosmic rhythms

Cultural and historical significance. These observances often have deep roots:

• Ancient origins in pre-historical cave ceremonies
• Evolution of seasonal rituals in agricultural societies
• Transformation and reinterpretation of festivals by different religions

Modern challenges and opportunities. In secular societies, traditional holy days face challenges:

• Commercialization of holidays
• Erosion of shared cultural practices
• 24/7 work culture and digital connectivity

However, there are also new forms of collective celebration emerging:

• Music festivals reviving ancient midsummer traditions
• Neo-pagan observances of seasonal cycles
• Secular adaptations of traditional holidays

The author suggests that these communal observances fulfill a deep human need for connection, meaning, and cyclical renewal that transcends specific belief systems.

8. Cultivating virtues and avoiding vices is a spiritual practice

Virtues are positive skills, and require practice.

Virtues as spiritual skills. Unlike simply following moral rules, cultivating virtues involves developing positive character traits through practice:

• Wisdom and knowledge
• Courage
• Humanity (kindness, love)
• Justice
• Temperance
• Transcendence (gratitude, hope, spirituality)

Universal recognition. Many of these virtues are recognized across cultures and religious traditions, suggesting a common understanding of human flourishing.

Vices and addictions. The author also discusses the importance of recognizing and overcoming vices or character weaknesses:

• Traditional "deadly sins" like pride, envy, and greed
• Modern addictions to substances, technology, or behaviors
• The spiritual dimension of recovery programs like the 12 steps

Kindness as a central virtue. The author emphasizes kindness as a particularly important spiritual practice:

• Rooted in our evolutionary heritage of cooperation
• Extending beyond our immediate social group
• Cultivating a sense of connection to all beings

Practicing virtues and overcoming vices is seen as a way of aligning ourselves with greater spiritual realities and fostering personal and collective well-being.

9. Spiritual experiences reflect a trinitarian nature of reality

All these traditions share much common ground. As the theologian David Bentley Hart summarises it: 'In God, the fullness of being is also a perfect act of infinite consciousness that, wholly possessing the truth of being in itself, forever finds its consummation in boundless delight.'

Trinitarian models. Many spiritual traditions describe reality as having a threefold nature:

• Being (Ground of existence)
• Consciousness/Form (Logos, Order)
• Energy/Bliss (Spirit, Flow)

This trinitarian structure is found in:

• Hindu concept of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Being-Consciousness-Bliss)
• Christian Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
• Scientific concepts of fields, energy, and ground state

Correspondence to spiritual practices. Different spiritual practices may emphasize or connect us to different aspects of this trinity:

• Meditation: Ground of being
• Contemplation of beauty: Form/consciousness
• Sports and dance: Energy/flow

Unity in diversity. The author suggests that this trinitarian model helps explain how diverse spiritual practices can all lead to similar experiences of connection and transcendence, reflecting different aspects of an underlying unity.

10. Evolutionary spirituality embraces ancient wisdom and modern science

In fact, in the twenty-first century, religions and spiritual practices are evolving at an unprecedented rate.

Synthesis of old and new. Evolutionary spirituality seeks to integrate:

• Ancient wisdom traditions and practices
• Modern scientific understanding
• Contemporary cultural and technological contexts

Rapid evolution of practices. Traditional spiritual practices are being transformed and spread globally:

• Mindfulness meditation adapted for secular contexts
• Yoga evolving into diverse forms worldwide
• Shamanic practices taught in urban workshops
• Psychedelic churches combining indigenous and Christian elements

Scientific study of spirituality. Research is shedding new light on spiritual practices:

• Brain imaging studies of meditation and psychedelic experiences
• Psychological research on flow states and peak experiences
• Investigation of health benefits of prayer and community rituals

New frontiers. The author suggests several areas for future exploration:

• Revival of practices like dream incubation in sacred places
• Integration of technology and spiritual practices
• Cross-cultural and interfaith spiritual dialogue and synthesis

This evolutionary approach sees spirituality as a dynamic, ongoing process of discovery and integration, rather than a fixed set of beliefs or practices.

Last updated: November 5, 2024