Spirituality relates to the quest for a feeling of peace, a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and connection to something greater than oneself. It is marked by an ongoing journey of learning about the nature of existence and of oneself, as well as self-discovery and personal growth.
- The Big Questions of Existence: E.g.: Why does something exist instead of nothing? How was the universe created (and by whom)? Why is there suffering in the world? What is the meaning and purpose of life?
- Spiritual Growth: Spirituality consists of a mental and experiential process, a journey towards a higher level of self-awareness, with less suffering and more happiness. It is a field that contains theoretical and practical knowledge regarding the inner dimension of a person. The knowledge is intended to guide and instruct an individual regarding their lifestyle and the important life decisions.
- Spiritual Experience: This is a special, and perhaps relatively rare, type of experience, which changes the perception of reality for the experiencer. It is a kind of altered state of consciousness that has been described in terms such as:
- Experiencing reality in a clear way without the presence of the ego / self
- Feeling one with the universe (either emotionally or intellectually)
- A sense of deep connection with the world and humanity
- Profound understanding and recognition of Ultimate Reality, The Absolute, or the meaning of life
- Feeling of profound peace and love beyond anything that words can express
- Awakening, enlightenment, kensho, satori, moksha