When did you last have a spiritual experience?

[ben@kwiecien.us]

@evan Of course, I'm not asking you to define it. 😁 It was more rhetorical so I could reflect on my own experience

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@ben cetere, mi ne sciis ke vi estas samideano! Kial ni parolus angle tiom longe?

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@ben ah, ok. I can never tell when people are talking about me in particular or one in general when they say "it all depends on how you define X"

[ben@kwiecien.us]

@evan Dio mia, ankaŭ vi estas esperantisto? 🤔 Kial mi ĵus malkovris tion? La komunumo estas tiom malgranda

[gatesvp@mstdn.ca]

@evan I watched this one with the kids. I'm calling that a spiritual experience for an atheist.

https://youtu.be/lfEa55AqxCI?si=uPy33ffM4EL8jyHH

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@ben ekzistas sekreta kerno ĉirkaŭ Vikipedio.

[stinerman@mastodon.social]

@evan I honestly don't understand what the word "spiritual" means. Not asking for a definition. Just providing context for a "never" vote.

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@stinerman that's interesting. What definition pointed you towards "never"?

[ainali@social.coop]

@evan I'm going with Wiktionarys fifth definition and then it was when trying to figure out how to answer to this poll.

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@ainali

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spiritual

"5. Of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual."

[rasterweb@mastodon.social]

@evan No "Never" option?

[brucelawson@social.vivaldi.net]

@evan where's the "Never - I'm a man of Science" option??

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@rasterweb https://evanp.me/pollfaq#never

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@brucelawson

https://evanp.me/pollfaq#never

But surely a man of science is aware of the effect of gratitude and connection on mental and physical health?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_psychology

[dneary@mathstodon.xyz]

@evan I am interested in seeing your definition of a spiritual experience after the poll is over. I was thinking of a sense of wonder and contentment - and unfortunately it's been too long.

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@dneary honestly, understanding what a "spiritual experience" is, and how often they occur, is a pretty big part of why I asked this question.

[bignose@sw-development-is.social]

Asking many people, I've never had a description of what they mean by “spiritual experience” that puts it outside the bounds of a physiological + mental experience.

This might be because people sadly underestimate what range of experiences our minds and bodies are capable of generating, and insist there must be some “spirit” separate from the mind and body.

I have much greater respect for minds and bodies than that, to ever need to invent a distinct spiritual realm.

@evan

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@bignose So, question for you: could you have a *spiritual* experience that is not a *supernatural* experience?

[bobcollins@fosstodon.org]

@evan Never

I'm not sure why "never" is unimportant to you.

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@BobCollins I'm not sure either!