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| Spiritual, but not religious | Spiritual, but not religious |
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| By Tom de Castella BBC News Magazine | By Tom de Castella BBC News Magazine |
| Research has suggested "spiritual" people may suffer worse mental health than conventionally religious, agnostic or atheist people. But what exactly do people mean when they describe themselves as "spiritual, but not religious"? | Research has suggested "spiritual" people may suffer worse mental health than conventionally religious, agnostic or atheist people. But what exactly do people mean when they describe themselves as "spiritual, but not religious"? |
| Spirituality is a common term these days, used by Prince Charles, and by the Archbishop of York as a way of stepping beyond religious divides. | Spirituality is a common term these days, used by Prince Charles, and by the Archbishop of York as a way of stepping beyond religious divides. |
| But many now call themselves "spiritual" but not religious. About a fifth of people in the UK fit into this category, according to Prof Michael King from University College London. | But many now call themselves "spiritual" but not religious. About a fifth of people in the UK fit into this category, according to Prof Michael King from University College London. |
| In the US, a Newsweek survey in 2005 put the figure at a quarter. A survey in October by the Pew Research Center suggested a lower figure with a fifth of people religiously unaffiliated and 37% of those regarding themselves as spiritual but not religious. | In the US, a Newsweek survey in 2005 put the figure at a quarter. A survey in October by the Pew Research Center suggested a lower figure with a fifth of people religiously unaffiliated and 37% of those regarding themselves as spiritual but not religious. |
| King's research suggested that in the UK the "spiritual" group are more likely to have mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression. | King's research suggested that in the UK the "spiritual" group are more likely to have mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression. |
| There will be people who will dispute the research, but it's certainly clear that the "spiritual, but not religious" represents a major strand of belief across the West. | There will be people who will dispute the research, but it's certainly clear that the "spiritual, but not religious" represents a major strand of belief across the West. |
| It's a broad church, so to speak. The spiritually aligned range from pagans to devotees of healing crystals, among many other sub-groups. | It's a broad church, so to speak. The spiritually aligned range from pagans to devotees of healing crystals, among many other sub-groups. |
| But for millions of others it is nothing so esoteric. Instead, it's simply a "feeling" that there must be something else. | But for millions of others it is nothing so esoteric. Instead, it's simply a "feeling" that there must be something else. |
| The rise of this type of spirituality has been driven by a sense that religion is out of keeping with modern values, says Mark Vernon author of How To Be an Agnostic. "People associate religious institutions with constraining doctrines, and bad things that are done in the world. That may be outright fundamentalism, the oppression of women or some kind of conflict with liberal values." | The rise of this type of spirituality has been driven by a sense that religion is out of keeping with modern values, says Mark Vernon author of How To Be an Agnostic. "People associate religious institutions with constraining doctrines, and bad things that are done in the world. That may be outright fundamentalism, the oppression of women or some kind of conflict with liberal values." |
| Science has replaced God for many today, Vernon suggests. | Science has replaced God for many today, Vernon suggests. |
| But while science may be able to explain the world, it doesn't evoke how many people feel about their place in the universe. | But while science may be able to explain the world, it doesn't evoke how many people feel about their place in the universe. |
| Awe and wonder is how spiritual people often describe their relationship with the world. There's a sense that life is more than pounds and pence, of work, childcare and the rest of the daily grind. | Awe and wonder is how spiritual people often describe their relationship with the world. There's a sense that life is more than pounds and pence, of work, childcare and the rest of the daily grind. |
| There are moments that seem transcendent in their lives - a beautiful sunset, a football crowd filling a stadium with noise, or a moving piece of music. | There are moments that seem transcendent in their lives - a beautiful sunset, a football crowd filling a stadium with noise, or a moving piece of music. |
| Oliver Burkeman, author of The Antidote, says the phrase "spiritual but not religious" has become a bit of a joke. But the concept is worth defending. "Spirituality I take to refer to things that are not expressible in words. There's an aspect of human experience that is non-conceptual." | Oliver Burkeman, author of The Antidote, says the phrase "spiritual but not religious" has become a bit of a joke. But the concept is worth defending. "Spirituality I take to refer to things that are not expressible in words. There's an aspect of human experience that is non-conceptual." |
| It's about more than belief, Burkeman says. Just as for Christians and other religions, it is the practice of worship that is as important as the belief, he argues. | It's about more than belief, Burkeman says. Just as for Christians and other religions, it is the practice of worship that is as important as the belief, he argues. |
| Gaetan Louis de Canonville practises mindfulness meditation in Richmond, south London. "We're not worshipping a God or paying homage to something in the sky. It's about learning to accept things like impermanence and living in the moment. If you get a glimpse of how happy you can be by embracing the moment, all the chattering of your thoughts stops." | Gaetan Louis de Canonville practises mindfulness meditation in Richmond, south London. "We're not worshipping a God or paying homage to something in the sky. It's about learning to accept things like impermanence and living in the moment. If you get a glimpse of how happy you can be by embracing the moment, all the chattering of your thoughts stops." |
| Mike Stygal, is a secondary school teacher who practises paganism in his private life. He believes in a divine force in nature. "I believe everything is connected, I feel very in touch with nature and the changing seasons. Awe is a very good word for how I feel. It's a sense of deep respect for nature. I can communicate with the deity." | Mike Stygal, is a secondary school teacher who practises paganism in his private life. He believes in a divine force in nature. "I believe everything is connected, I feel very in touch with nature and the changing seasons. Awe is a very good word for how I feel. It's a sense of deep respect for nature. I can communicate with the deity." |
| Bridget McKenzie, a cultural learning consultant, does daily walking meditations. "It's about making time to contemplate the awesomeness of life on earth, the extraordinary luck this planet has in sustaining life." | Bridget McKenzie, a cultural learning consultant, does daily walking meditations. "It's about making time to contemplate the awesomeness of life on earth, the extraordinary luck this planet has in sustaining life." |
| She is not a pagan but for the summer solstice organises a Garlic Man Parade in south east London to reconnect with ancient traditions. "We all sense changes in the light as the seasons change. It's important to mark the occasion." | She is not a pagan but for the summer solstice organises a Garlic Man Parade in south east London to reconnect with ancient traditions. "We all sense changes in the light as the seasons change. It's important to mark the occasion." |
| Colin Beckley, director of the Meditation Trust, says the only true spiritual experience is silence. "Transcendence is often triggered by nature like being on a mountainside. But by learning to meditate you can bring that mountain experience to your flat in London." | Colin Beckley, director of the Meditation Trust, says the only true spiritual experience is silence. "Transcendence is often triggered by nature like being on a mountainside. But by learning to meditate you can bring that mountain experience to your flat in London." |
| Deb Hoy a practising reiki master says that by laying hands on someone according to reiki tradition, a profound change can take place. "When I give myself a reiki treatment by placing my hands on different parts of the body I can rebalance the energy flow of my body." | Deb Hoy a practising reiki master says that by laying hands on someone according to reiki tradition, a profound change can take place. "When I give myself a reiki treatment by placing my hands on different parts of the body I can rebalance the energy flow of my body." |
| It's a physical healing practice that promotes calmness and a sense of connection with the world, she says. | It's a physical healing practice that promotes calmness and a sense of connection with the world, she says. |
| Giles Terera, an actor, is not religious but is moved by everyday experiences. "When I'm abroad I love going to a church and sitting there. As much as I disagree with some of the things the Catholic Church has done, there's something very beautiful about the architecture and all the effort that that has been gone to. It's probably the same for all sacred spaces." | Giles Terera, an actor, is not religious but is moved by everyday experiences. "When I'm abroad I love going to a church and sitting there. As much as I disagree with some of the things the Catholic Church has done, there's something very beautiful about the architecture and all the effort that that has been gone to. It's probably the same for all sacred spaces." |
| But for some, spirituality is a byword for irrational beliefs and a sense that anything goes. | But for some, spirituality is a byword for irrational beliefs and a sense that anything goes. |
| The comedian David Mitchell mocked the tendency, writing a column imagining a spiritual summer camp. "From reflexology to astrology, from ghosts to homeopathy, from wheat intolerance to 'having a bad feeling about this', we'll be celebrating all the wild and wonderful sets of conclusions to which people the world over are jumping to fill the gap left by the retreat of organised religion." | The comedian David Mitchell mocked the tendency, writing a column imagining a spiritual summer camp. "From reflexology to astrology, from ghosts to homeopathy, from wheat intolerance to 'having a bad feeling about this', we'll be celebrating all the wild and wonderful sets of conclusions to which people the world over are jumping to fill the gap left by the retreat of organised religion." |
| Alan Miller, director of the thinkers' forum NY Salon, wrote that "'spiritual but not religious' offers no positive exposition or understanding or explanation of a body of belief or set of principles of any kind". | Alan Miller, director of the thinkers' forum NY Salon, wrote that "'spiritual but not religious' offers no positive exposition or understanding or explanation of a body of belief or set of principles of any kind". |
| Another group of people likely to be dismissive towards the "spiritual but not religious" mindset might come from organised religion. | Another group of people likely to be dismissive towards the "spiritual but not religious" mindset might come from organised religion. |
| "People have wanted to see how they fit into the big picture, which is really fantastic," says Brian Draper, associate member of faculty at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. But there's a smorgasbord-like array of beliefs and many are built on "pseudo-science", he argues. | "People have wanted to see how they fit into the big picture, which is really fantastic," says Brian Draper, associate member of faculty at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. But there's a smorgasbord-like array of beliefs and many are built on "pseudo-science", he argues. |
| "I don't just choose spirituality as a lifestyle choice to enhance what's there, there's an element of self sacrifice to Christianity. The danger is you use spirituality as a pick and mix from consumer culture." | "I don't just choose spirituality as a lifestyle choice to enhance what's there, there's an element of self sacrifice to Christianity. The danger is you use spirituality as a pick and mix from consumer culture." |
| Humanists are deadlocked over the issue of the "spiritual" category. Andrew Copson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, accepts that for many people it's a shorthand for saying "there must be more to life than this". But he finds its vagueness unhelpful. | Humanists are deadlocked over the issue of the "spiritual" category. Andrew Copson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, accepts that for many people it's a shorthand for saying "there must be more to life than this". But he finds its vagueness unhelpful. |
| "It can be used for everything from the full Catholic mass to whale songs, crystals, angels and fairies." As a humanist he prefers to avoid spirituality. | "It can be used for everything from the full Catholic mass to whale songs, crystals, angels and fairies." As a humanist he prefers to avoid spirituality. |
| Humanism is about the belief "that human beings find value in the here and now rather than in something above and beyond". "People have social instincts and as a humanist it's about reinforcing those instincts," he explains. | Humanism is about the belief "that human beings find value in the here and now rather than in something above and beyond". "People have social instincts and as a humanist it's about reinforcing those instincts," he explains. |
| The search for meaning can be exhausting. Philosopher Julian Baggini writes in The Shrink & the Sage that there is a yearning for something more. "My short reply is that you can yearn for higher as much as you like, but what you're yearning for ain't there. But the desire won't go away." | The search for meaning can be exhausting. Philosopher Julian Baggini writes in The Shrink & the Sage that there is a yearning for something more. "My short reply is that you can yearn for higher as much as you like, but what you're yearning for ain't there. But the desire won't go away." |
| That doesn't make it a bad thing, Vernon says. But it may lead to awkward questions. And that may explain why the research finds that spiritual people have more mental health problems. | That doesn't make it a bad thing, Vernon says. But it may lead to awkward questions. And that may explain why the research finds that spiritual people have more mental health problems. |
| "You're going on an interior mental journey. It's risky to go and try and see things from a bigger perspective. The promise is tremendous but the journey can be very painful." | "You're going on an interior mental journey. It's risky to go and try and see things from a bigger perspective. The promise is tremendous but the journey can be very painful." |
| Do you consider yourself spiritual but not religious? What do you believe in? | Do you consider yourself spiritual but not religious? What do you believe in? |
| Spirituality is about personal experience of a higher reality or dimension to life and living by the lessons learned therein. Religion is blind faith in somebody else's theories, and then conforming to their expectations and demands. | |
| Roy Blendell, Kidderminster | |
| The problem with the notion of spiritualism is that it often assumes some sort of 'other' (e.g. a god). However, as an atheist, I still feel spiritual, that is, in awe, wonder, etc. (why not despair?) of my position in the universe - and any scientist can 'feel' this while still denying the existence of a god or anything similar. Therefore, to be spiritual, is to experience an emotion - it only becomes silly when people try to explain that feeling by resorting to that 'other' rather than to their own biological, human nature. | |
| Jon T, London | |
| Religion is to spirituality as Interflora is to a bluebell in a wood. | |
| Tony, Bradford | |
| It's simply a lazy, limbo position. A half-hearted recognition of the poison of religion, but an inability or unwillingness to advance to an adult state of accepting the nature of the universe and our place within it. As an atheist I almost prefer theism. | |
| Androclast, London | |
| No, I am not spiritual, but I appreciate the aesthetic aspects of life. I believe what the evidence tells me, not in imaginary things. This article shows how unsatisfactory is the term `spiritual'. It is all things to all men. In reality, experiences that people call spiritual are neurological, mental, and hormonal. That doesn't make them any less real or enjoyable (or not as the case may be). Science is gradually explaining the mechanisms. | |
| Les Rose, Salisbury | |
| I am a Reiki practitioner and would regard myself as spiritual rather than religious. I would totally disagree with the notion that being spiritual puts me at higher risk of mental disease. At the age of 60 I feel like I have finally found myself and my place in this world. I feel connected to my 'higher self, the planet and another plain of existence. I don't fear death anymore, and work part time with the terminally ill. | |
| Barbara Massimo, Caterham | |
| I do not believe that there is 'something' outside the physical universe, or that we exist after death or that the universe has a purpose. The universe and humanity are marvellous and mysterious enough without gods or ghosts to explain them. People who use the word 'spiritual' would do well to decide whether they think there is a supernatural entity or we live on after death or there is ultimate purpose to the universe. If they do they are religious. | |
| Julian, Oxford | |
| There is a better word for the reported "sense of wonder and awe" felt by spiritual people: superstition. Any phenomenon that cannot fit into a cultural pigeonhole brings anxiety. By default, the unclassified unknown is a threat. Shamans and priests have exploited this throughout the ages. Today, it is the likes of Mr. Coelho who get rich by writing meaningless pulp that sounds spiritual. They make their readers feel empowered by belonging to the "whole", to a sentient planet, to something beyond life. When such empowerment fails to provide for a better life - emotional, financial, social - the construct collapses and paranoia returns with a vengeance. | |
| Flavio Zanchi, Retford | |
| I am spiritual but not religious. I'm not without Deity but as a Pantheist I come close to atheism. My Deity is the universe. That universe is a set of impressions, interpretations, experiences and memories of experiences. Within that matrix is a numinousness. I choose to view those experiences and memories through a spiritual lense. Whatever may happen to my awareness, my personal universe, what is certain is that I was once Stardust and to Stardust I shall return. | |
| Pat French, Longdon Upon Tern, Shropshire | |
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