So, in my recent ayahuasca posts, particularly the one about my second ceremony…
I mentioned that I wasn’t really sure how to trust and have a relationship with “my inner light; God, spirit, the universe, or whatever you want to call it”.
I realized that it might have been helpful to actually explain what I meant there, and what my spiritual beliefs were, instead of just assuming all of you knew… but there was just no more room for words!
This may open up a huge massive can of ‘religious debate worms’, but here goes:
It’s All the Same Thing
So I, and most people in the world, seem to believe that there is some kind of powerful force out there; something that is beyond our physical incarnations.
How to actually put into words what this is is a bit difficult… but you know… it’s some kind of ethereal life force of energy and consciousness…
Religious folks (from all the different religions) refer to this as God. New agey folks refer to this as “the universe” or “the source energy” or my “inner light” or “the spirit within”.
This may be the part that sparks debate, but I personally believe that everyone is talking about the exact same thing.
Which also means that I don’t really believe that God is a thing that is separate from us (as it’s been personified through religion as a sort of ‘man in the sky’ type idea)… I believe God is everywhere, it’s in everything, and it’s in every one of us.
This force is God. It is spirit. It is the universe. It is the inner light.
It’s the exact same thing, everyone is just disagreeing about the “right” way to get in touch and connect with that extra special life force.
For some people, religious practice, teachings, and prayer are the right way for them. For others, they have their own personal spiritual practices or beliefs… perhaps meditation, concepts of energy and vibrations, or other such rituals.
I strongly believe there is no right way to connect, so I think that everyone’s own spiritual path must be respected.
My Spirituality
For me, I didn’t grow up in a religious family. I dabbled a little bit though… I attended a youth group regularly and went to a couple Christian summer camps. I tried to get into it. I remember trying to love Jesus. But it just never really stuck.
I wouldn’t say that organized religion is for me, and these days I definitely swing more “new agey”, but like I said, I still don’t really get how to truly connect and trust and have a relationship with that spirit force. Nothing new agey has ever really stuck that strongly either.
Obviously I feel that I have a spirit. Something is conscious inside my body. When I am not thinking anything, I am still awake and aware.
I do feel like when I quiet my mind, there is definitely energetic forces at play in the world; vibrations; this and that. I especially enjoy feeling the subtle energies of nature.
When I do yoga, I feel the “prana”.
And I do feel like I have a good sense of intuition. Not to say my mind doesn’t trick me all the time (usually due to my fears acting up), but I can get pretty strong gut feelings about things.
But still…. some people seem to have this really deep, meaningful, trusting relationship with this force, and I have just never understood what that means exactly. For them, it is such a big part of their life. They feel it so strongly.
I have heard many people say that that’s the only way they get through the rough stuff, is their trust in God, or their inner light, or whatever their choice words are.
Which is what I learned from my ayahuasca ceremonies… is that to get through the bad times in life, a really good idea would be to learn to surrender to this force and cultivate trust in it.
But for myself, I just don’t get it. The whole concept feels so intangible, I don’t understand what it would feel like to have a deep relationship with it.
But then again, I also realize that maybe I do actually get it, and just don’t realize that I get it. Maybe I’m just overthinking it.
What Do You Think?
So that leads me to want to know …
What do you think about this?
Are you like me and pretty confused, or do you have a trusting relationship with God or spirit or the source energy? Or maybe you don’t believe there’s any ‘spirit force’ at all, which is cool too.
But if you do have a pretty active spiritual life, how do you achieve this relationship? What are your spiritual practices, and what does it feel like when you are really connected to “it”?
Leave a comment below!
21 Responses
Hi Tracy, I definitely ‘swing new agey’ too. I love reading Zen literature because the concepts and meditation resonate. Adyashanti is a great teacher. I like his book Falling Into Grace. Also there is an author called Pat Rodegast, and he actually kind of channels this spirit, Emmanuel. I reference the two Emmanuel books very often. There is some referencing Christ and a strong belief in reincarnation. Love is the belief, and light. And that we are all perfectly safe. There are other aspects of humanity and health that are part of a spiritual practice, loving kindness. Exercise, mindful eating, general mindfulness, compassion and helping others. I often saw God as a kind of ‘crutch’ for dark times, but realise that even though fear is there, it is not the truth. There is a lot of room for growth and experimentation. All paths will lead to light, when the lessons have been learned.
Thanks for sharing Jenna! 🙂
Hi Tracy,
I’m one of those people who truly finds my strength in God. But I haven’t always been that way, and even now, it isn’t always easy, but I do feel like I’ve reached a point in my life where I firmly trust God. I know he is there and has my best in mind, although I still struggle as humans do.
I grew up Catholic, going to church each week, knowing to pray certain prayers, knowing that I wanted that relationship, but never really understanding it. I spent many years angry with God, because I didn’t get why life was so painful, or why my spiritual experience seemed so empty, mechanical, and pointless… I saw spirituality as a way of controlling bad behaviors. But I always talked to God, I complained, I asked why, I asked to perspective, etc. This went on for many years. One day about 7 years ago, or so, I started listening to a preacher on the radio (it was random)… he was funny and it drew me in. I kept listening, though, no longer because he was funny, but because the bible studies were all so relatable to my own struggles… everything mirrored my own pain. I’m easily reached by metaphors and the Christian bible is full of them… for once I felt like this was the very beginning of understanding so many things that I know will take a lifetime to fully understand. Previously, I wasn’t introduced to the bible, I was always sent to seek wisdom from other “more educated” people who knew what was inside… but sometimes other people twist what the bible states to be true, and that can be misleading. But this non-denominational study approach really helped me connect… I got connected to people locally who were able to help me find the answers to the many, many questions and concerns I had (I went through 4 churches until I found an environment where I felt I could learn and not be judged by others). I don’t think there is any right way to connect to God, there are different ways for different people… and no matter what you believe, there will always be someone there to disagree… but once you firmly know what you yourself believes, no one can take that away, even in your darkest hour. And it’s not easy, life is still really hard, but I do truly believe inside myself that God is holding my hand, and that does bring peace. Unfortunately, the exclusive attitudes of some people and the common, unfortunate misunderstanding that God is shaking his finger at rule-breakers causes so many people to give up or seek other systems that feel less uncomfortable… or at least, this has been the experience of many others in my life.
If you haven’t found your way yet, keep at it and don’t give up. Even if you aren’t sure who you believe God is, keep investigating and try talking to whoever it is you suspect God might be. You seem very open-minded, intelligent, and reflective, and so, if you truly seek to find out who you believe God is, I’m sure you will make that connection eventually, in whatever way that might be.
I attend a church that is very firm in their beliefs, yet they are very open and loving to help others figure out what they believe, by offering information and support even if they currently don’t know what they believe. We are far away from you, on the East coast of the US, but if you are at all interested in investigating a Christian bible-based perspective, check out our sermon videos online (links below). This may not reach you in the way it reaches me, but being someone who has felt lost in the past, I couldn’t not suggest this resource to you.
Best wishes to you, and even if our perspectives differ, the God that I trust loves you, as he loves everyone. He doesn’t want us to be perfect, he just wants us to try to trust him and to communicate with him, even if you’re not sure he’s there.
http://revolutionannapolis.com/
This sermon from last Easter was particular illustrative of what we believe as followers of Jesus:
https://vimeo.com/125179382
Hi Katy, I really enjoyed reading your comment! This is exactly what I was interested in hearing about, was other people’s spiritual processes, and especially how you came to find that spiritual connection. Thank you so much for sharing that 🙂
Hi Tracy!
When you said “it’s all the same” I think that its partly true because God created the universe….the whole earth…. So of course we all feel him, he’s everywhere. The earth worships him for one thing, it’s one of his creations.
But I disagree a bit because you keep referring to God as “it” which honestly might be part of the reason why it’s hard for you to relate or much less trust.
When you start to look at God as “someone” instead of “it” or “inner spirit” or “energy” then it’s wayyyy easier to have a relationship with him(Jesus)
Another reason why I think you’re right about a whole lot of people “feeling” the same thing but just calling it something different is because God created us all, we; you and me and everybody else on this planet are children of God. He’s our father and He is just trying to reach out to us and love us and take care of us…..and whether we know that it’s Jesus calling out to us or not…..that’s what it is.
And the “inner spirit” that we all have, that’s the Holy Spirit (which Jesus gave us) living inside of us.
And he gives us love, joy, and peace. And he lightens our burdens and calms our fears/worries. All because he loves us so much and he loves to take care of his children.
Hi Adelle!
Thanks so much for your comment! I understand what you’re saying, and it did make me think… it is probably very true that maybe the reason that I have a hard time with that connection is because I don’t think of the “God force” as a person. And us being human, we understand human relationships, so it makes perfect sense that if we personify this force, it would be easier to have a relationship with it that we understand.
That being said, I think that what you said is still your own interpretation. It’s what you believe, and it’s 100% true for you, and that’s cool, but this is what I mean about people disagreeing about the “right way” to get in touch with that force. For you, the best way is through this interpretation that you’ve shared, and Jesus in particular, for others, that may not be their best way. I’m still trying to figure out what my best way is, so your comment did spark some thought 🙂
Thanks for sharing! It’s exciting to hear you at this point in the journey and asking these questions!
“But for myself, I just don’t get it. The whole concept feels so intangible, I don’t understand what it would feel like to have a deep relationship with it.
But then again, I also realize that maybe I do actually get it, and just don’t realize that I get it. Maybe I’m just overthinking it.”
Your intuition is spot on–the second we start ‘thinking’ about ‘concepts,’ we are lost. “The life force” is an experience, something to be felt and perceived. It’s also the simplest thing in the world. Not magical bliss and bells and whistles. We can experience it even during fits of anxiety, sadness or apathy. You say you feel the prana in yoga. That’s a great start!
Take a particular interest in that experience of connectedness. Do you ever experience it outside of yoga class, if even for a few seconds? What’s that feel like? What prevents you from experiencing life that way all the time? Powerful emotions? The impulse to avert boredom? The sense of overwhelm, busyness and need to figure stuff out? Compulsive thinking? Become a student of your own inner reality, particularly the experiential difference between connectedness and non-connectedness. That in combination with a regular formal period, of a few seconds to a few hours, set aside with the sole intention to ‘try’ and stay connected (through whatever practice or non-practice you like), will reveal much more than reading 1,000 books or hearing answers from 10,000 people.
My own experience follows from all of that. I still have a bunch of inner “stuff” going on. But after many thousands of hours of spiritual practice, I feel a more or less permanent connectedness that doesn’t let the thoughts and emotions overpower “me,” and, instead, they are just like visitors in my inner reality, and I keep a pretty steady baseline state of okayness.
When my life situation is particularly trying, there isn’t even really a need for “perspective” or “reminding myself”… it’s a felt experience, a deeper-than-thinking knowing that this moment is just as it should be… For me, that felt experience has built over time. Initially, I would just get glimpses, but was mostly in a cloud of apathy and complacency that obscured it. Over time, I understood my ‘personal obstacles’ a lot better (not analytically, but experientially), they didn’t weigh me down so much, and the glimpses became more frequent and for longer periods of time, until it’s pretty much always there…
Anyhow, best wishes on your spiritual journey!
Hi Jonie, thank you thank you thank you for this! You made me realize that I DO get it. It’s just getting out of your head and into your body. Yep. I get it. I realized after these recent events how much I default to wanting to talk and write and.. well use my mind to figure a way out of my problems. Even this blog.. I’d rather share everything all over the internet instead of just “feeling” and allowing and being present and accepting with whatever is there. I really appreciate this comment. Thank you.
Hi Tracy,
I feel inspired to answer to your post but at the same time nervous…I have never spoken to anyone “publicly” about my spiritual beliefs.
I once read this quote somewhere “religion is for those who are afraid going to hell and spirituality is for those who have already been there”. Ok, maybe that was written as a half-joke and I do not like to make jokes about religion or spirituality never ever…but I do feel there is a little “truth” here.
Recent years I had so many fears and difficulties and became inspired to read self-help books, law of attraction books etc. spiritual material…I would say my concept about God has broadened…and it feels wonderful 🙂
I used to think or fear that God is angry with me, disappointed with me, if I’m not a “good girl”, if I’m not perfect, if I make misstakes…as if God would be a human,a person. Because we human beings can be like that, not easily accept/love others/ourselves unconditionally.
I think…and this is not easy to explain with words…but I’ve started to feel better and have more this “connection” you talked about…when I think of God as eternal life force, love energy, that my perspective/perception is not so narrow anymore…
I think the most beautiful “definition” of God is this: God IS love.
I also think this is a lovely thought: my (our) relationship with God is something that is ever-evolving and it is ok. When you say you would like to have that relationship/connection…Just wanting to have it, I think that in itself already is the connection! Maybe we don’t need to be (immediately) perfect in this matter either? 🙂
I think your post was wonderfully titled, “MY spiritual beliefs”. I think that’s the whole “point” 🙂 Everyone has their own path, everyone is at different stages at their own personal evolution and everyone has their unique history what might color the relationship with God/spiritual beliefs (for example for me, because of my childhood “conditioning”, I struggled a lot with this idea and was hard for me to believe, how could anyone, like God, love me unconditionally?).
Ok, these are just some of my thoughts, no right or wrong answers…I hope I was able to say something useful 🙂
Hi Elina! 🙂
Ah yes. I am going along with the positive definition of God and spirit and source energy, but I forgot that for many people God isn’t love, God is something to be feared.
It really is interesting the way that this spirit force is interpreted in so many ways, obviously some positive and some very negative. This may be why I don’t feel traditional religion is for me… because it’s not like I don’t think there is a lot of positives to it or that all religious people fear God or feel bad about themselves because of that fear, but this controlling aspect of it that many people succumb to (the Catholic guilt as they call it)… I’m not into that. I don’t need any kind of connection that is going to make me feel fearful and guilty. I want a connection that makes me feel loved and safe. And if you feel the same way, then I am very happy for you that you have widened your perspective on what God is 🙂 Thanks for sharing Elina!
Hi Tracy! I havent been here (your blog) in a few months and just now finished binge reading most of what i’ve missed!
I just want to say wow! You said “outloud” what , i think, a lot of people feel and never talk about. Thank you for evrything you do, write, share ect. Its because of your blog that i first started to heal from acne and help some of
my friends too. You.Are.Awesome
Thats it, just THANKS
Thank you so much for the kind words Melanie!! 🙂
Hi Tracy,
Some questions as old as humanity here. If God is everywhere, in everything and in everyone, it seems to me that God as a separate concept isn’t particularly needed, kind of like you said. Why not just call it ‘reality’ or ‘the universe’? I agree that we are the universe, we’re made up of the same stuff (atoms), but we are also different from it because we are the only things that we can measure empirically to be conscious, with the exception of some other animals. You can’t have a conversation with a rock, a cloud, etc. I don’t know if there is something more to our consciousness beyond our physical bodies, it’s nice to hope that there is, but even if there isn’t, it doesn’t change anything for me, it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to be the best person I can be, the best version of myself every day, and work to make a positive impact on the world. It feels good for most people to interact with nature; it triggers something inside us that probably had benefits to our survival throughout our evolution. It’s good for us for certain, but for me, I’ve never needed a spiritual element to enjoy the natural fascination, there’s already plenty to be fascinated by (reality stranger than fiction). It’s been very interesting to read your story. Thank you!
-Michelle
Also, have you ever looked into Minimalism? I think you might like it. It helps people focus on what’s important in their lives, eliminate any excess and distractions. The Minimalists podcast is really awesome to start, I highly recommend.
Thanks Michelle, for adding your thoughts on this subject 🙂 I like to hear all different perspectives
The fear of God and “the Catholic guilt” you were referring to is all about love. We fear God because we know God loves us enough to hold us accountable for our actions. He also allows us to feel guilty because it’s our conscience’s way of letting us know we did something we shouldn’t have. It’s all about love with God. He wouldn’t be all loving if he didn’t allow us to make our own choices and deal with the consequences of those choices. He is not controlling at all. He is rather the opposite actually. He would be controlling if He disordered our conscience to make us believe we were never guilty of anything. That would be very unloving because then He would be allowing us to go through life constantly choosing the same bad actions without feeling any remorse or a need to change our ways. God gives us this gift BECAUSE He loves us. And in turn, He wants us to use it to become better, more loving people, which I believe is something we all desire, no matter what religious/spiritual beliefs we have.
Hi Laurel, ok I see your point of view there. But I just don’t know if we necessarily need the fear of God in order to be good, loving people with morals. That’s like saying that everyone who is not religious or doesn’t have a relationship with God is an awful person who never feels remorse or guilt or doesn’t understand why they shouldn’t steal and murder. Which obviously isn’t true. Besides, what we “should” or “shouldn’t” do or feel guilty about is highly subjective and rife with societal baggage. For example, due to religion, many people feel extremely guilty over things like having sex before marriage. If it’s not hurting anyone and it feels like the right choice for you and your life, then I am just not in favour heaping guilt all over something like that.
Hey Tracy!
First, I want to say that I truly enjoy The Love Vitamin blog. I suffer from acne that ranges from mild to moderate, just depending on certain factors in my life at the time. It has been very emotionally challenging for me. Even though I feel people with severe acne are beautiful, when I see even mild to moderate acne on me, it GREATLY damages my self esteem. I believe I am finding my way to clear skin through natural skincare and a healthy diet, like you suggest. But I greatly struggle with obsessiveness over it and negative thoughts because of the “blemishes” that I do have. Journaling, like you have mentioned before, really helps me. I think what helps me the most with the “rough times/stuff” is praying. I do believe in God and Jesus, and I think your right that “it,” which I strongly believe is God, is everywhere. What is living inside of us and our spirit, I believe is the Holy Spirit. I love to read the Bible and pray about what I am reading because it is true that there are many different ways to interpret what is in the Bible. I like to pray about what I am reading so that I can interpret it in the way I believe God wants me to. More than anything, I enjoy having a personal relationship with God. I love to pray and praise God, and I absolutely love praising Him through song. Praising God through praying, singing, and reading the Bible gives me great joy and greatly relieves my mental health issues. I believe God and his son, Jesus, who died on the cross for all of our sins, loves everyone. I never want to be “that Christian” that is judgmental toward someone. I just want to love everyone, and I really try to do that. Sometimes I fail, like everyone else, but I try to pick myself up and be better next time. I am praying for you, Tracy! Thanks for being open-minded, non-judgmental, and downright helpful about so much!
With lots of love,
Daysha
Thanks Daysha, I’m very happy for you that you find such comfort and relief in your relationship with God! 🙂 Good luck with your acne journey, I know it’s so so hard on the self esteem, but you can choose to live life to fullest before you get rid of it… don’t let what others think (or your own negative inner talk) stop you from doing and living to your fullest expression! It will only make it easier for your skin to come in line with your own outlook 🙂
Jesus is the ONLY way to freedom; this is not to be intellectualized
the brain is imprisonment, with all its inventions: science,fancy science, psycology
it all leads to imprisonment
only jesus saves, king james bible
You been unlucky, wrong religion at birth, catholic is an Abomination, thats why pope thing. It is satanic.
There is real christianity… lutherian churches,baptist churches who preach the Word of God, Holy King James Bible, 1611 authentic one.
Not the fake bibles that are translated these days to fulfill the evils work in the world. They would love to see gods word perverted and as such there are over 20 translations,each adding to bible.
ONLY king james is authentic.
Your catholicism is abomination due to ‘overheads’… it is simply perverse what they do. They never teach to look up the word for yourself, for if they did, you would know the truth. NO they hide the bible,and ask you to worship false gods,idols .. Mary. It is all sexual.
Yoga is also a false religion, please don’t spread it. It is satanic, preaches wantings.
Jesus the only truth. Gives you just love. Not what you want in world…. doesn’t fix your acne, or belly, or hair.
He just is there for you.
All the other promise you fame. Or good looks.
Know them by their actions ~ bible
Thanks Michael. We’ll agree to disagree on the existence of the “one true path”. That’s fine that Jesus is the man for you; it’s not for all people and why does it have to be? Plenty of people have found plenty of happiness and freedom outside Christianity. But that’s just what I believe. And I know my beliefs aren’t facts. Maybe one day you’ll realize yours aren’t either.