What do you think about the notion of spirituality in the context of self-discovery, and how it relates to modern spiritual seekers who are primarily focused on experiencing ‘higher ecstasy’ or on feeling relaxed and relieved at all times? I often feel the first one greatly contradicts the second….but very curious to hear your thoughts
Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Hanne! I feel the pursuit of some kind of special experience drives us in the early, less mature stages of the path (should we even speak of "stages" or a "path"). Seeking self-discovery, too, seems to me but a subtler form of this chasing after something exciting, new, special... "spiritual". But as the workings of the mind become more transparent, all pursuits and ambitions, no matter how refined, reveal themselves as forms of escape from the reality that is here and now... And yet our escapes are also creative expressions of being, and I don't think we should deny them their proper place in the world and in our souls. After all, who would admonish Shakespeare for escaping in poetry, or Jung for escaping in the psyche, or van Gogh for escaping in art? Would the world be a better place without these escapes? I, for one, cannot say.
I really like how you frame our escapes as creative expressions, Simeon. At the same time, I’m not sure I’d see all self-discovery in that light. Sometimes it feels less like escaping and more like turning toward what’s uncomfortable or hidden. Maybe the interesting question is where the line lies…when our seeking is avoidance, and when it’s a deeper meeting with ourselves.
What do you think about the notion of spirituality in the context of self-discovery, and how it relates to modern spiritual seekers who are primarily focused on experiencing ‘higher ecstasy’ or on feeling relaxed and relieved at all times? I often feel the first one greatly contradicts the second….but very curious to hear your thoughts
(great article btw!)
Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Hanne! I feel the pursuit of some kind of special experience drives us in the early, less mature stages of the path (should we even speak of "stages" or a "path"). Seeking self-discovery, too, seems to me but a subtler form of this chasing after something exciting, new, special... "spiritual". But as the workings of the mind become more transparent, all pursuits and ambitions, no matter how refined, reveal themselves as forms of escape from the reality that is here and now... And yet our escapes are also creative expressions of being, and I don't think we should deny them their proper place in the world and in our souls. After all, who would admonish Shakespeare for escaping in poetry, or Jung for escaping in the psyche, or van Gogh for escaping in art? Would the world be a better place without these escapes? I, for one, cannot say.
I really like how you frame our escapes as creative expressions, Simeon. At the same time, I’m not sure I’d see all self-discovery in that light. Sometimes it feels less like escaping and more like turning toward what’s uncomfortable or hidden. Maybe the interesting question is where the line lies…when our seeking is avoidance, and when it’s a deeper meeting with ourselves.