What attracts people to the spiritual?

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

I go through this cycle. Suddenly I feel strong spiritual inclination, I try to find a religion or spirituality that will satisfy said inclination, I find no evidence then finally I give up and eventually it will start all over again. When I've tried to find correlation with any particular events like massive stress, new environment ect there is no noticeable connection.

I am very curious as to why I've so often sought out the spiritual when just about everyone else I knew either made up their minds or just further explored their own path. No answer whether positive or negative seems to satisfy.

There is a whole extra annoying element as well. Pretty much every time you try to talk to someone or well I've tried to talk to someone they treat it in the most childish terms. They'll speak down to you like you're in baby's first religion course. Like you've never read anything on religion and you clearly need to be addressed like a child.

I should point out this whole cycle doesn't just have an effect on my spiritual life. The same sort of cycle will come in hobbies and interest in general. I'll get a sudden intense interest in something and focus on almost nothing but that then in a few weeks or a couple months It will switch to something completely different. Some people say that is just life but the sheer intensity of the change make me think there is something more going on there.

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

 

[Nietzsche]

It's our urge for society. Deep in our monkey-brains we're driven to congregate with others of our kind, and perform similar tasks as them. It encourages this by releasing endorphins. That's the reason you find a lot of recovering alcoholics and addicts become quite religious; they're getting their fix from a different place. And it's the same reaction, the euphoria.

To be perfectly frank it's a dressed-up drug experiemnce. We do it because it feels good. Religion is a drug, the Church the stash.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

A wish to have answers that aren't available. There are no "teleologies" to life, and there's nothing after it. But those are so unsatisfying to our inquiring minds that we eventually give up trying to look around us for answers, and go on to making them up for ourselves (or accepting those answers that others have made up for themselves).

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

It's our urge for society. Deep in our monkey-brains we're driven to congregate with others of our kind, and perform similar tasks as them. It encourages this by releasing endorphins. That's the reason you find a lot of recovering alcoholics and addicts become quite religious; they're getting their fix from a different place. And it's the same reaction, the euphoria.

To be perfectly frank it's a dressed-up drug experiemnce. We do it because it feels good. Religion is a drug, the Church the stash.

Maybe, I can't really be sure about that because I hate religious gatherings.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Keep on searching and maybe you'll find what you are looking for.

Not sure that I have any words of wisdom you haven't already read!

Here's a site with a bunch of spiritual quotes - may help?

Words of Wisdom ~ Spiritual Awareness

Wishing you all the best!

 

[Jonathan Ainsley Bain]

I go through this cycle. Suddenly I feel strong spiritual inclination, I try to find a religion or spirituality that will satisfy said inclination, I find no evidence then finally I give up and eventually it will start all over again. When I've tried to find correlation with any particular events like massive stress, new environment ect there is no noticeable connection.

I am very curious as to why I've so often sought out the spiritual when just about everyone else I knew either made up their minds or just further explored their own path. No answer whether positive or negative seems to satisfy.

There is a whole extra annoying element as well. Pretty much every time you try to talk to someone or well I've tried to talk to someone they treat it in the most childish terms. They'll speak down to you like you're in baby's first religion course. Like you've never read anything on religion and you clearly need to be addressed like a child.

I should point out this whole cycle doesn't just have an effect on my spiritual life. The same sort of cycle will come in hobbies and interest in general. I'll get a sudden intense interest in something and focus on almost nothing but that then in a few weeks or a couple months It will switch to something completely different. Some people say that is just life but the sheer intensity of the change make me think there is something more going on there.

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

The reason is that there is no logical or material reason for curiosity to exist.
If all were purely causal we would not be able to seek for the unknown.
A computer cannot of its own accord decide to start playing the computer games on
its hard drive, just out of a sense of fun and curiosity.

Its a tender and subtle feeling, the mystical moment. It is easily discarded.
Have you ever read Jonathan Livingstone Seagull?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I go through this cycle. Suddenly I feel strong spiritual inclination, I try to find a religion or spirituality that will satisfy said inclination, I find no evidence then finally I give up and eventually it will start all over again. When I've tried to find correlation with any particular events like massive stress, new environment ect there is no noticeable connection.
I am very curious as to why I've so often sought out the spiritual when just about everyone else I knew either made up their minds or just further explored their own path. No answer whether positive or negative seems to satisfy.
There is a whole extra annoying element as well. Pretty much every time you try to talk to someone or well I've tried to talk to someone they treat it in the most childish terms. They'll speak down to you like you're in baby's first religion course. Like you've never read anything on religion and you clearly need to be addressed like a child.
I should point out this whole cycle doesn't just have an effect on my spiritual life. The same sort of cycle will come in hobbies and interest in general. I'll get a sudden intense interest in something and focus on almost nothing but that then in a few weeks or a couple months It will switch to something completely different. Some people say that is just life but the sheer intensity of the change make me think there is something more going on there.

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

You're saying ' sheer intensity of the change ' makes me think of Genesis 8:22 that there will always be a change of seasons, and day and night will never cease. So, to me, there are changes that will go on forever and ever.

Could it be what attracts people to the spiritual (spiritual side of life) is first having an inquiring mind.
An inquiring mind questions and wants to know.
A spiritual person will be attracted to cultivating the fruit of God's spirit as listed at Galatians 5:22-23, whereas a person lacking a spiritual side, or spiritual desires, is attracted to fleshly desires as listed at Galatians 5:19-21.
None of us are born with faith (spiritual side). God's main attributes are love, justice, mercy and wisdom, so God does Not need faith, but we do need to become aware, or be conscious, of having a spiritual need.
So, unlike temporary cycles, hobbies, etc, spirituality and a growing faith can go hand-in-hand forever and ever.
Hobbies, etc. are 'visible' things, whereas spiritual things are 'invisible' but manifested by what we do.
I suppose that is why God's Word (Scripture) says to read or meditate on God's Word daily at Psalms 1:2.
Thus, we should be like the people of Acts of the Apostles 17:11 and search or research the Scriptures daily.

 

[CogentPhilosopher]

I go through this cycle. Suddenly I feel strong spiritual inclination, I try to find a religion or spirituality that will satisfy said inclination, I find no evidence then finally I give up and eventually it will start all over again. When I've tried to find correlation with any particular events like massive stress, new environment ect there is no noticeable connection.

I am very curious as to why I've so often sought out the spiritual when just about everyone else I knew either made up their minds or just further explored their own path. No answer whether positive or negative seems to satisfy.

There is a whole extra annoying element as well. Pretty much every time you try to talk to someone or well I've tried to talk to someone they treat it in the most childish terms. They'll speak down to you like you're in baby's first religion course. Like you've never read anything on religion and you clearly need to be addressed like a child.

I should point out this whole cycle doesn't just have an effect on my spiritual life. The same sort of cycle will come in hobbies and interest in general. I'll get a sudden intense interest in something and focus on almost nothing but that then in a few weeks or a couple months It will switch to something completely different. Some people say that is just life but the sheer intensity of the change make me think there is something more going on there.

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

I think it's an extension of the same part of you that likes to pick up a lot of hobbies.

If you do not mind me asking have you been diagnosed with anything like anxiety, autism, ADHD, etc.

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

I think it's an extension of the same part of you that likes to pick up a lot of hobbies.

If you do not mind me asking have you been diagnosed with anything like anxiety, autism, ADHD, etc.

Major depressive disorder and anxiety. Though this is what I've been diagnosed with I think a typical depression would make more sense.

 

[CogentPhilosopher]

Major depressive disorder and anxiety. Though this is what I've been diagnosed with I think a typical depression would make more sense.

To be honest, I think that is your answer.

I would recommend meditation and taking your psychologist or psychiatrist's advice if you have one.

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

To be honest, I think that is your answer.

I would recommend meditation and taking your psychologist or psychiatrist's advice if you have one.

yeah yeah

 

[CogentPhilosopher]

yeah yeah

I don't mean that in a negative way. I have genuine concern for you.

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

I don't mean that in a negative way. I have genuine concern for you.

I would prefer you didn't but alright you can feel free to do that if you so desire.

 

[Nietzsche]

Maybe, I can't really be sure about that because I hate religious gatherings.

Clearly doesn't work on everyone. Some of us are just anti-social. I personally am.

 

[Deidre]

Our yearning for the spiritual goes back a long way - Paleolithic religion - Wikipedia

 

[sun rise]

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

At one point religion and spirituality were a void to me - I was uninterested in the topics. But in the background I had the question "is this all there is" there in the background. Then at one point the question became something I felt I had to explore. Over perhaps a year, off and on, I read various books and visited a couple of centers until I found something that had the ring of truth.

So from one perspective, my answer to your question is typical and mundane.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

From your description, in your case it sounds like it may just be your personality and have nothing to do with spirituality specifically:

I should point out this whole cycle doesn't just have an effect on my spiritual life. The same sort of cycle will come in hobbies and interest in general. I'll get a sudden intense interest in something and focus on almost nothing but that then in a few weeks or a couple months It will switch to something completely different.

 

[LuisDantas]

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

Various forms of craving. Some of them are very positive, others definitely are not.

There is the need for well-formed answers for difficult questions.

The difficulty of dealing with the idea of mortality. One of the most easily derailed, alas.

Plain old loneliness should not be overlooked, and is very much a legitimate reason. Meeting people who have the time and the ability to acknowledge our existence and understand us is no small feat.

There is the search for values, their exposition and living examples. Always among the best reasons, when handled with enough seriousness and wisdom - which unfortunately is not at all a given.

 

[Revoltingest]

At one point religion and spirituality were a void to me - I was uninterested in the topics. But in the background I had the question "is this all there is" there in the background. Then at one point the question became something I felt I had to explore. Over perhaps a year, off and on, I read various books and visited a couple of centers until I found something that had the ring of truth.

So from one perspective, my answer to your question is typical and mundane.

If you don't have it, reading books won't deliver.
I suggest standing too close to a defectively shielded microwave oven or MRI machine.
Scientists Figured Out How to Make People "Feel" an Otherworldly Presence | Smart News | Smithsonian

 

[omega2xx]

I go through this cycle. Suddenly I feel strong spiritual inclination, I try to find a religion or spirituality that will satisfy said inclination, I find no evidence then finally I give up and eventually it will start all over again. When I've tried to find correlation with any particular events like massive stress, new environment ect there is no noticeable connection.

I am very curious as to why I've so often sought out the spiritual when just about everyone else I knew either made up their minds or just further explored their own path. No answer whether positive or negative seems to satisfy.

There is a whole extra annoying element as well. Pretty much every time you try to talk to someone or well I've tried to talk to someone they treat it in the most childish terms. They'll speak down to you like you're in baby's first religion course. Like you've never read anything on religion and you clearly need to be addressed like a child.

I should point out this whole cycle doesn't just have an effect on my spiritual life. The same sort of cycle will come in hobbies and interest in general. I'll get a sudden intense interest in something and focus on almost nothing but that then in a few weeks or a couple months It will switch to something completely different. Some people say that is just life but the sheer intensity of the change make me think there is something more going on there.

So what is it that attracts people to the spiritual to begin with?

God.

Jn 1:9 - Every society eve found has had a believe in a higher power of some kind.

If you take a group of at least 100 people and ask them to write down any 2, 1 digit numbers. the ones most written will be 3 and 7.

3 reminds us of the Trinity and 7 is he most used number in the Bible, and it symbolizes spiritual completion. Those who belive in God are spiritually complete.

A bit of trivia. I have notices that when a basketball player is going to shoot foul shots, if he bounces the ball more than once, it is usually 3 times.

If a line in a song is repeated, it is usually repeated twice, making it sung 3 times.

I find that more than coincidental.