Let's face it, these hidden laws [of mysticism] are hidden, but they are only hidden by [your] own ignorance. And the word mystical is just arrived at through people's ignorance. There's nothing mystical about it, only that you're ignorant of what that entails." ― George Harrison
The trouble with atheists is that they are fighting a battle with a delusion, which is not that surprising. Atheists pride themselves on their rational, secular intelligence. Atheists can see the patent absurdity of God as a violent, abusive, and controlling patriarch ( Church God), and the untenability of belief based on blind faith, and so they reject the whole thing. They feel it is foolish to believe in something “just because,” and so they do not. They reject the patent absurdity and settle into a lifetime commitment to the Church of Secular Humanism.
This is not an unreasonable position to take. However, as a former atheist myself, I would like to say that rejecting the violent and patriarchal church god is not the same, or shouldn’t be the same, as rejecting human spirituality in toto. There is something more to human spirituality than what you find presented at the pews in the churches of the big-name ecclesiastical brands. Frankly, I’m not the only scholar to say this. Consider that Einstein (Hermanns 1983), several famous physicists (Wilber 2001), not a few psychologists (Arthur Hastings 2010; Maslow 1969; Stace 1960a), and a small handful of sociologists (for example, see Hermanns 1983; Rowbotham 1980) have suspected, participated in, and even researched this “something more” for quite some time. Despite what polemicists like Richard Dawkins (2006) would have you believe, there has been a significant amount of reasonable scholarly interest in the “something more” of human spirituality for a very, very long time.
If this is true, then the immediate question must be, what is the something more. In two word phrases, the answer is “mystical experience,” “religious experience,” “transcendent experience,” or what I simply call Connection Experience (Sosteric 2018a). Connection experience is an important aspect of human spirituality, and a few scholars have recognized and noted it as such. Founding psychologist William James took mystical experience seriously when he called mystics the “pattern-setters” whose experiences established religious traditions (James 1982). Psychologists (Heriot-Maitland 2008) have noted that “mystical experience… constitute[d] the very essence of religion, such that the origin of a given tradition can often be traced to an initial transcendent encounter, moment of revelation, salvation, or enlightenment.” Abraham Maslow, founding father of humanistic psychology, spent the bulk of his career looking at “peak experiences,” which is a secular name for a secular type of mystical experiences. Like others who have studied these, he felt that mystical experience was the “intrinsic core” and essence, the universal nucleus of every known … religion #(Maslow, 2012: 339)#. Stace, an early pioneer in the study of mystical experience, said that mystical experience was "a psychological fact of which there is abundant evidence." He further went on to say that, "To deny or doubt that it exists as a psychological fact is not a reputable opinion.” It is ignorance and "very stupid" (Stace 1960b:14). Indeed, spiritual experience has been a central feature of all human existence. From the earliest emergence of humanity (Hamer 2005) to our current modern experiences, mystical experience is a psychological and neurological fact. With modern brain scanning technologies we can observe the neurological reality of mystical experience (Newberg, d’Aquile, and Rause 2001; Newberg and Waldman 2009).
Is this true? Is connection experience really the authentic root core and essence of human spirituality. It is possible. Certainly, it should be considered. Connection experience is a common human experience that has been recorded and discussed for thousands of years. Not only that, but just about everybody has them (Sosteric 2018a). What’s more, connection experiences are significant human experiences that lead to a wide range of positive and transformative psychological, intellectual, and emotional outcomes (Bien 2004; Hanes 2012). A single connection experience can heal (Hawks 2002; Mahoney and Pargament 2004; Vaillant 2002) and dramatically transform (White 2004) an individual, and not just emotionally or psychologically. Mystical practices and mystical experience have political implications. They can lead to social class realignment, a so-called “turn to the left” (Sosteric 2018b), meaningful social change (Erika Summers-Effler and Hyunjin Deborah Kwak 2015), and even revolutionary social action (Harvey 1998).
The ubiquity, significance, and obvious reality of connection experience might go along way to explaining why secularization has not significantly progressed as some sociologists had predicted and hoped for (Berger 1968, 1999). Human beings are unlikely to simply dismiss something as significant and ubiquitous as human experience, despite what some academics might say. Despite the fact that church attendance continues to decline, atheism has not expanded significantly. Only about three percent of American’s identify themselves as committed atheists, and the numbers aren’t that impressive anywhere else. We have nine percent in Canada, twelve percent in Norway and Germany, and a “staggering” nineteen percent in France (Hunsberger and Altemeyer 2006). Clearly the world is not beating a pathway to the “higher rationality” of the atheist perspective. Certainly, suggesting that the empirical reality of connection experience is what keeps the majority of humans tuned in to human spirituality is a more satisfying explanation that an explanation than one that disparages believers as irrational, illogical, and even stupid.
In any case, the point being made here is simple. It is reasonable for thoughtful people to reject the notion of Church God; however, it is not reasonable to reject humans spirituality in toto just because we find one aspect of it is questionable. Clearly, there is more to human spirituality than what you find represented in church pews. As briefly intimated in this research note, this more is connection experience. Connection experience is a class of human experiences that are powerful, transformative, healing, and empirically verifiable. Connection experience is a significant and fascinating aspect of human experience and one that we, and by “we” I mean scholars, cannot simply dismiss.
References
Arthur Hastings. 2010. “William James, Conversion and Rapid, Radical Transformation.” Journal of Consciousness Studies 17(11–12):116–20.
Berger, Peter. 1968. A Bleak Outlook Is Seen for Religion. Vol. April 25. The New York Times.
Berger, Peter. 1999. The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans.
Bien, Thomas H. 2004. “Quantum Change and Psychotherapy.” Journal of Clinical Psychology (5):493.
Dawkins, Richard. 2006. The God Delusion. New York: Mariner Books.
Erika Summers-Effler, and Hyunjin Deborah Kwak. 2015. “Weber’s Missing Mystics: Inner-Worldly Mystical Practices and the Micro Potential for Social Change.” Theory and Society 44(3):251–82.
Hamer, Dean H. 2005. The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired into Our Genes. New York: Anchor.
Hanes, Karl. 2012. “Unusual Phenomena Associated With a Transcendent Human Experience: A Case Study.” The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology 44(1):26–47.
Harvey, Andrew. 1998. Teachings of the Christian Mystics. Kindle. Boston: Shambhala Publications.
Hawks, David. 2002. “Quantum Change: Bridging the Schism Between Science and Spirituality, Ordinary People Tell Their Stories of Extraordinary Change: When Epiphanies and Sudden Insight Transform Ordinary Lives (Book).” Addiction 97(6):763.
Heriot-Maitland, Charles P. 2008. “Mysticism and Madness: Different Aspects of the Same Human Experience?” Mental Health, Religion & Culture 11(3):301–25.
Hermanns, William. 1983. Einstein and the Poet. Boston: Branden Books.
Hunsberger, Bruce, and Bob Altemeyer. 2006. Atheists: A Groundbreaking Study of America’s Nonbelievers. New York: Prometheus Books.
James, William. 1982. The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study of Human Nature. New York: Penguin.
Mahoney, Annette, and Kenneth I. Pargament. 2004. “Sacred Changes: Spiritual Conversion and Transformation.” Journal of Clinical Psychology (5):481.
Maslow, A. H. 1969. “The Farther Reaches of Human Nature.” Journal of Transpersonal Psychology 1(1):1–9.
Newberg, Andew, Eugene d’Aquile, and Vince Rause. 2001. Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief. New York: Ballantine Books.
Newberg, Andrew, and Mark Robert Waldman. 2009. How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist. New York: Ballantine Books.
Rowbotham, Sheila. 1980. “In Search of Edward Carpenter.” Radical America 14(4).
Sosteric, Mike. 2018a. “Everybody Has a Connection Experience: Prevalence, Confusions, Interference, and Redefinition.” Spirituality Studies 4(2).
Sosteric, Mike. 2018b. “Mystical Experience and Global Revolution.” Athens Journal of Social Sciences 5(3):235–55.
Stace, Walter Terence. 1960a. Mysticism and Philosophy. London: Macmillan.
Stace, Walter Terence. 1960b. The Teachings of the Mystics. New York: Mentor.
Vaillant, George E. 2002. “Quantum Change: When Epiphanies and Sudden Insights Transform Ordinary Lives.” American Journal of Psychiatry: Official Journal of the American Psychiatric Association (9):1620.
White, William L. 2004. “Transformational Change: A Historical Review.” Journal of Clinical Psychology 60(5):461–70.
Wilber, Ken. 2001. Quantum Questions: Mystical Writings of the World’s Great Physicists. New York: Shambhala.
Mike Sosteric (Dr. S.) |
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Just another loud mouth sociology professor, teaching sociology courses at Athabasca University. Check me out here at the Socjourn, over there at The Conversation and at academia.edu. |
C’mon daddy, try to make money by not making a fool of yourself. We are not stupid and aware of spiritual practices around the whole planet. Yes, very much indeed by discipline and enormous dedicadion you can establish more neural control over you body. Although, don’t confuse it with spirituality.
p.s. your termes like church god or constant references to western dominant religion looks silly for someone with a phd
See, this is exactly the judgmental, arrogant, strident dialogue that you get from atheists. You start your comment with an insult designed to paint me in a negative light. It is a childish and transparent rhetorical technique designed to make me appear illegitimate and to elevate your own self (though I think you succeed only in your own mind in this instance). It is exactly the issue I am addressing in this article, which is the difficulty of having open, frank, logical conversations with atheists because they get all arrogant and insulting and dismissive. Your comment is a pointed illustration, so thanks for that.
Anyway, despite your vague comment about the nature of human spirituality, I don’t think you have any real clue about human spirituality. You might know the practices, but your missing a substantive understanding of why the practices are engaged in, or what they are intended to achieve. I have a paper entitled The Science of Ascension which you might find interesting if you get get over your arrogant dogmatism long enough to open your mind a little bit.
As for “Church God,” I think that’s a great term. Most people when they hear the word God think of the bearded patriarch in the sky. I think most atheists do as well It is part of our cultural programming. Even now I think of Stephen Colbert. He does a regular skit on his show that pimps the “Church God” image.
I bet when I say “God” you think Church God.
For anybody else that wants to engage a discussion here, just to let you know, I will not approve insults from either side. You either find a polite and respectful way to communicate your thoughts, or don’t bother to post.
You lost me with y;our first sentence. Atheists do not believe in god; they may or may not reject spirituality.
Oh, is that right. But any acceptance of spirituality that does not include some acceptance of God (whatever that is) is a cardboard spirituality. God is a central thing in human spirituality. If you reject God, you’re not spiritual. At the most your just play acting.
Or maybe I can just ask, what kind of spirituality is it that rejects God?
You have a very limited view of spirituality if it must include “God” of any type.
Perhaps. Give me an example of spirituality without “spirit” then.
The Greek conception of Arete is a good starting point. Spirituality is an individual’s tool, and institutional religion is a group effort. What drives top performers and what does it means to be “in the zone”. What is the autodidact’s goal? What is the person seeking more objectivity up to?
Also, When you characterize the image of god, you omit “benevolence”, which indicates a weak understanding.
I think I know exactly what you’re talking about as I believe I have had some sort of mystical experiences before, which just created so much emotional resonance for me when I was reading this article. As a firm Atheist myself, I don’t buy the Church God and the whole religious system at all, to me, they are all just means of control, which is absurdly silly but effective to the mass. However, I do believe the existence of an ultimate spiritual entity inside me, which I regard as my own God, and sometimes I refer to it simply as, Destiny. I believe that everything that either happened, happening right now, or going to happen to me, no matter good or bad, is “right” for me – they all serve a purpose, which will eventually sent me on the right path, to the destination where my God think I belong. The day I found out that I am able to connect with my God, listen to his instructions and read his signs, I became more and more content with my life, and I can almost feel the true sense of happiness in my heart. I know my life is not going to be all well, but as long as I stay connected with my God, I will be blessed and get what I deserve to have. I still have lot more to say, but I think I already made my point. By the way, I’m a Chinese and sorry if my English is not competent enough to convey my feelings and thoughts. I would love to see more of your articles regarding this topic in the future, thank you!
Ok, so let’s break this down.
But then what did you do? Then, you got into bed with Christianity. How did that happen? Simple. You had an experience you couldn’t explain and you looked around for an explanation. Since science doesn’t bother with this sort of thing at all, you find nothing there. So, you cast about and fall upon the first explanation you can find, which is not surprising given your geolocation, a Christian one. “Your” idea that everything happens for a reason, your idea that if you listen to “his” instructions and read “his” mystical signs everything will be OK, is pure [Christian] spiritual ideology.
That’s remarkable, don’t you think? You disavow Christianity, but then you have an experience. Two shakes later, you find yourself right back in Church, kneeling in the same old pew. That’s pretty slick. If I was into conspiracy theories, I might even say you are the victim of a “trap” of sorts. To make a much longer story much too short, this trap, this ideology in sociological terms, this “spiritual spin machine,” takes a real and authentic experience and then explains it for you in a way that services the status quo.
This is exactly why we, and by we I mean sociologists in particular, have to be talking about this. There’s a subtle system of ideological control at work here of which we are not aware. We need to take a much closer look at this mystical experience, a much closer look at this “god” thing, because if we don’t, people looking for answers will inevitably and invariably be pulled back into misunderstanding and [Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, etc.) superstitions.
If you want to really figure this out, you have to cleanse yourself of that christian spiritual ideology (actually, you have to cleanse yourself of all spiritual ideologies, not just the Christian one) and start, with a clean slate, at the beginning.
Can you describe, in a couple hundred words or less, what happened?
Dear author, I’m a Chinese student, could I have the hornor to translate your masterpiece into Chinese for non-profit using? Waiting for your answer, thank you very you very much !
yes of course. Can you let me know where you publish it so I can link?
Of course,your paper will be published on our Wechat-public-platform——it’s a Chinese Twitter like platform, I’ll reply to you when I publish your paper and show the link to you, thank you very much again!
Dear dr., we’ve published your thesis on our Wechat-public-form this morning, now you can click following link to check it:http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/DbNb6pzFCSIdEuAdnlHSfg
I absolutely agree! This is one of the most greatest things I’ve ever read.
I am one of these guy (fortunetly I’m not alone) who thinks sipirituality is something very important to us as animals who can thinks and behave as we do.
Really thanks for this note!
You make some interesting and valid points. However, there are a few of us out there who don’t believe in a god of any sort, but do believe in reincarnation and the existence of a soul. I don’t condemn anyone for believing as they choose.
Hi Alex. YES! That’s what I’m saying. Many people believe in “something,” but not everybody, in fact fewer and fewer I think, believe in “Church/Father God.”
I, for example, believe in “Soul,” which I understand to mean Consciousness. By Consciousness, I simply mean awareness. The only “radical” thing here is I don’t believe Consciousness is rooted in the brain. I believe Consciousness to be independent of the “material” universe. Consciousness, in my view, precedes and is independent of physical creation. Consciousness is, in my view, God.
To the person reading this, share what you believe with me and I’ll construct a “survey of beliefs about God.” Answer the question
“I believe God is…”
Share in the comment section below. Note, your response will not be immediately posted (unless you are already preapproved for commenting). If you don’t want your response posted, or if you want it deleted after I see it, just make a note in your reply
I already have
I believe God is
a fantasy/delusion
a patriarchical figure
an authoritarian figure
Consciousness
What other beliefs do we have floating around out there?
Please feel safe to post. No judgment allowed here.
I believe God is