Thinking about spirituality

Regular spirituality

A recent comment about spirituality here led to some thinking and that led to some Q&A with Perplexity. This may be of some interest to some people.

Comment: “‘Spirituality’ might usefully be defined as an immaterial concern.” 

No, really, there are things that matter without being matter, and these “immaterialities” would be the concern of spirituality.

My tentative proposal is that we are engaged in "spiritual" pursuits whenever we turn our focus from external, material concerns (fitting brick on brick or microchip on circuit board), to internal, non-material concerns ....

Eco-spirituality

My response: That is a lovely thought. It got me to thinking and searching: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/is-the-concept-of-a-spiritual-iWlGL4qFRX6awkurfOudNw

Q1: Is the concept of a "spiritual pursuit" essentially contested?
A1: The concept of a "spiritual pursuit" does appear to be somewhat contested or at least subject to varying interpretations, though there are some common themes that emerge. ....

Q2: As an atheist and interested in the biology of spirituality, I do not view spirituality through a religious or theistic lens. Instead I look at is as matter of cognitive biology and social behavior arising from evolution. From that point of view "spirituality" and "spiritual pursuits" look very much like they are essentially contested. Is that a defensible argument or belief?
A2: From an evolutionary and cognitive biology perspective, there are indeed arguments that support viewing "spirituality" and "spiritual pursuits" as essentially contested concepts. .... Spirituality may have evolved as an adaptive trait that promoted social cohesion and cooperation in early human groups. .... It can also be seen as fundamentally about ethics and moral behavior. .... Researchers face several challenges in studying spirituality scientifically. There is no universally accepted operational definition of spirituality for research purposes. Spiritual experiences are subjective and difficult to measure objectively. (emphases added)

I wondered if my penchant to apply different points of view to considering various concepts can be argued to be an aspect of spirituality.

Q3: By often trying to look at often contested concepts from differing points of view, e.g., religious and non-religious, could that be considered a spiritual pursuit? It is one of my ways to try to understand what a person means by what they say in terms of contested concepts.

A3: Your approach of examining contested concepts from multiple perspectives, including both religious and non-religious viewpoints, could indeed be considered a form of spiritual pursuit, particularly from a broad, inclusive understanding of spirituality:

Your method aligns with the idea of spirituality as a search for meaning and understanding. Spirituality can be seen as "a search for the sacred" and an effort to find, conserve, or transform what is considered sacred in one's life. By exploring different viewpoints on contested concepts, you are engaging in a form of meaning-making and seeking deeper understanding.

Your approach transcends rigid categorizations, which is often associated with spiritual pursuits. Spirituality is sometimes viewed as transcending critical reasoning and embracing "the big questions" that may not have ultimate answers.

Your method demonstrates qualities often associated with spiritual growth. Openness to different viewpoints and willingness to question assumptions are frequently considered aspects of spiritual development. Self-reflection and examination of one's own beliefs, which your approach encourages, are common elements in many spiritual practices.

In my opinion, that was interesting. Two things.

• One can have interesting conversations with AI, despite AI’s flaws and weaknesses. Sometimes the weakness of it not being human isn’t a weakness if the human has a sense of what that means and can deal with it. All one has to do is ask questions and see where the “conversation” goes.

• Regarding Perplexity’s responses, if its line of reasoning or logic here is basically defensible, and it seems to be, then my brand of secular spirituality arguably includes engaging with things that transcend critical reasoning and embracing questions that may not have ultimate answers, i.e., essentially contested concepts. 

I like trees spirituality