One aspect of 'Being spiritual' is goal-directed, with aims such as: simultaneously improve one's wisdom and willpower, achieve a closer connection to Deity/the universe, and remove illusions or false ideas at the sensory, feeling and thinking aspects of a person. The 'Plato's cave' analogy in book VII of The Republic is one of the most well known descriptions of the spiritual development process, and thus, an excellent aid in under ...

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Spirituality, Spirituality - The spiritual and the religious, Spirituality - Directed spirituality, Spirituality - Spirituality and personal well-being, Spirituality - The Spiritual and Science, Spirituality - Spiritual traditions and communities

Read more here: » Spirituality: Encyclopedia II - Spirituality - Directed spirituality

Cardinal Directions, Cardinal Points

North, East, South, and West. Symbolized by the circle in magic (which connects the points), the four elements, and the watchtowers.

(See also: Cardinal Directions, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Self-directed Evolution That all evolution is caused by, and consists in the self-expression of the svabhava (essential characteristics) combined with the will of the monad dwelling within the form; in contradistinction to the doctrine that external circumstances are the determining evolutionary factor. The expression applies to every evolving entity, from the life-atom upwards, but has a special significance when applied to man, because he is endowed with the power to blend his personal consciousness with that of the monad within-above; so that what in the animal or unawakened person is an unconscious process becomes in the awakened person a process in which his mind and will acquiesce:

"no purely spiritual Buddhi (divine Soul) can have an independent (conscious) existence before the spark which issued from the pure Essence of the Universal Sixth principle -- or the OVERSOUL -- has (a) passed through every elemental form of the phenomenal world of that Manvantara, and (b) acquired individuality, first by natural impulse, and then by self-induced and self-devised efforts (checked by its Karma), thus ascending through all the degrees of intelligence, from the lowest to the highest Manas, from mineral and plant, up to the holiest archangel (Dhyani-Buddha)" (SD 1:17).

The sooner the individual realizes that he should take himself in hand, and govern or control his life by the highest within him, instead of being the slave of impulses arising from his lower nature, the more quickly will he reach the higher phases of his evolutionary progress, which humanity as a whole may take eons to attain through the slow procedures of the cosmic drive.

The phrase does not mean that each person should follow the bent of his own personal inclinations, but that he should follow the path of duty, which is the path of evolution, as revealed to him by intuition and purity of aspiration. He should become the master of his destiny, spiritually willing his future through self-devised training and efforts upwards.

(See also: Self-directed Evolution, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Spirituality is, in a narrow sense, a concern with matters of the spirit, however that may be defined; but it is also a wide term with many available readings. It may include belief in supernatural powers, as in religion, but the emphasis is on personal experience. It may be an expression for life perceived as higher, more complex or more integrated with one's worldview, as contrasted with the merely sensual. Spirituality - The spiritual and the religious. An important distinction needs to be made between s ...

Including:

• Spirituality - The spiritual and the religious
• Spirituality - Directed spirituality
• Spirituality - Spirituality and personal well-being
• Spirituality - The Spiritual and Science
• Spirituality - Spiritual traditions and communities

Read more here: » Spirituality: Encyclopedia - Spirituality

In 1999, Bennie LeBeau of the Eastern Shoshone tribe began to experience a torrent of dreams and visions. The visions directed him to set in motion the plans for a massive Medicine Wheel Ceremony. The ceremony is set to take place at High Noon on Saturday, May 8, 2004 at more than 20 sacred sites in the American West, and at many other sacred sites elsewhere around the world, including Australia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and the Middle East.

Read more here: » Native American Spirituality: Native American Medicine Wheel Ceremony on May 8th 2004

Feng Shui is the chinese Art of creating harmonious environments that support our wellbeing on all levels. Sleeping is something we all do approximately 1/3 of our lives and it is therefore a very important factor for our overall health. This article gives you hands-on Feng Shui ideas on how to improve your bedroom.

Read more here: » Feng Shui: Feng Shui in the bedroom

One day a devotee asked his spiritual teacher what to do in a situation he was facing. His teacher gave him very specific directions. The ardent devotee paused for a moment and then said softly, "But Swamiji, I can't do that as it would go against my conscience." The teacher smiled and replied, "Good. Follow your conscience."

On hearing this story we were struck with wonder. We began to ask, "What is this conscience that holds so much power within us? What might be possible if we were to follow our conscience at work?"

See also: Spirituality At Work, Work As A Spiritual Practice, Spiritual Based Leadership)

Science and Spirituality: New Physics Points To Cosmic Spirit

'God is dead' proclaimed a cover story in Time magazine in the 1960s, and held science responsible for it. Case closed? Far from it. By the 1990s, people were talking about things like 'can spirituality promote health?' The pendulum is now swinging in the other direction. Ironically enough, it is the same science that once killed off the notion of God that is now strengthening humankind's belief in a 'supreme power'. Latest revelations in cosmology and quantum physics are fostering this paradigm shift.

Read more here: » Science and Spirituality: New Physics Points To Cosmic Spirit

Muslim Quotes: Not Touched by Time

God, the supreme being, is neither circumscribed by space, nor touched by time; he cannot be found in a particular direction, and his essence cannot change. The secret conversation is thus entirely spiritual; it is a direct encounter between God and the soul, abstracted from all material constraints.

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(See also: Islam Archives, Muslim Quotes, Inspirational Quotes, Love Quotes, Friendship Quotes, Life Quotes)

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India needs rejuvenation. This rejuvenation will come only with the revival of our great Indian ideals. India needs shakti. For this, extensive re-building needs to be initiated for the country to acquire physical, mental and spiritual strength.

For creating this stupendous energy, India needs a new spiritual awakening. A new direction. The inspiration for such an awakening could come from a prophet of peace, for instance, someone like Guru Nanak, who proclaimed: "Love the saints of every faith, Put away the pride! The essence of religion is Humility, service, and sympathy.  Not fine clothes, Not the yogi'sgarb and ashes, Not the blowing of horn, Not the shaven head, Not long prayers...".

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Pilgrims are flocking to the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer on the occasion of the annual Urs. Popularly known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, the dargah symbolises a touching synthesis of the hopes and prayers of various faiths and communities.

Both Hindus and Muslims remember Moinuddin Chishti as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, revering him for his simple teachings and eclectic philosophy. The Khwaja believed that no spiritual exercise, penitence, prayer, or vigil had greater value than bringing succour to distressed hearts and helping the needy. He directed all his efforts towards alleviation of human misery.

(See also: Chishti Shrine, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Meditation is the natural process of withdrawing attention from environmental, physical, and mental processes and consciously directing it inward to a chosen focus of attention. But not many people know how to practice meditation for personal benefit and spiritual growth.

The beneficial side-effects of regular meditation practice include stress reduction, strengthening of the body's immune system, more orderly thinking, improvement in powers of concentration, and a slowing of the biological ageing process. For these reasons, meditation practice is recommended by an increasing number of doctors as a harmless way for patient-clients to be more responsible for their own total well-being.

(See also: Effects of Meditation, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. is an American author, mystic, spiritual teacher, and psychiatrist in Sedona, Arizona. He is a proponent of using applied kinesiology to calibrate the consciousness level of ideas, things, and people. Hawkins directs the non-profit Institute for Advanced Spiritual Research and operates Veritas Publishing to publish his work. David R. Hawkins - Background. His promoters claim he is unique in that he achieved a very advanced state of spiritual awareness and his scientific and cli ...

Including:

• David R. Hawkins - Background
• David R. Hawkins - Early life and professional development
• David R. Hawkins - Professional life
• David R. Hawkins - Spiritual teaching
• David R. Hawkins - Calibration
• David R. Hawkins - Quotes
• David R. Hawkins - Books

Read more here: » David R. Hawkins: Encyclopedia - David R. Hawkins

Breathwork usually refers to a type of Buddhist meditation in which one directs one's attention to one's breath. Sustained practice of breathwork is thought to result in spiritual and/or psychological benefits. It can also refer to Holotropic Breathwork, a technique for attaining alternate states of consciousness developed by transpersonal psychologist Stanislav Grof. See also. Rebirthing-Breathwork ...

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According to followers of Mokichi Okada, Johrei is a method of channeling divine light into the body of a patient through the palm of the administrator. To do this, the administrator holds his/her hand about a foot away from the area to which the spiritual power is purported to be directed. See also. Reiki New Age ...

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Even before the rise of modern science, Thomas Aquinas and the Scholastics asserted the applicability of reason to the divine. They could thus be regarded as forerunners of Rudolf Steiner, who at the beginning of the twentieth century began to apply scientific methods of systematic investigation to his own spiritual experiences. Slightly later, Husserl attempted to include physical, psychological and spiritual phenomena in his phenomenological philosophy. Husserl emphasized that all our experience originates in the psychological realm; thus, ...

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Spiritual science, Spiritual science - Historical Foundations, Spiritual science - Present-Day Work, Spiritual science - Future Directions, Spiritual science - Publishers of literature on spiritual science

Read more here: » Spiritual science: Encyclopedia II - Spiritual science - Historical Foundations

Bernardo Bertolucci directed his first film at the age of 21 (La commare secca, 1962) which was shortly followed by his acclaimed Prima della rivoluzione (Before the Revolution, 1964). The boom of Italian cinema that gave Bertolucci his start slowed in the 1970s, as the Italian film industry felt the effects of global economic recession. ...

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Bernardo Bertolucci, Bernardo Bertolucci - Born in Parma Italy, Bernardo Bertolucci - Directed his First Film at age 21, Bernardo Bertolucci - A Period of Collaboration with Co-Producers, Bernardo Bertolucci - Advocate of Marxism, Bernardo Bertolucci - Evaluation of Bertolucci's films, Bernardo Bertolucci - Spiritualism Certainty and Self-Doubt, Bernardo Bertolucci - Profit-motive explains Some Shocking Scenes, Bernardo Bertolucci - Filmography

Read more here: » Bernardo Bertolucci: Encyclopedia II - Bernardo Bertolucci - Directed his First Film at age 21

cardinal directions

Astrology: East, South, West, North

(See also: Cardinal directions, Body Mind and Soul)

Bertolucci also has a talent for putting the human soul under the microscope. Psychoanalysis is as central to his films as it is to Woody Allen's, and Marlon Brando claimed that Bertolucci's sharing of psychoanalytical confidences with the star on the set of Last Tango in Paris helped elicit the performance that many consider Brando's best. Bertolucci himself is also known for the number of psychologists who have followed him everywhere, even interpreting his dreams, as a subject of dissertations and research on the creative artist. His interest in unders ...

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Bernardo Bertolucci, Bernardo Bertolucci - Born in Parma Italy, Bernardo Bertolucci - Directed his First Film at age 21, Bernardo Bertolucci - A Period of Collaboration with Co-Producers, Bernardo Bertolucci - Advocate of Marxism, Bernardo Bertolucci - Evaluation of Bertolucci's films, Bernardo Bertolucci - Spiritualism Certainty and Self-Doubt, Bernardo Bertolucci - Profit-motive explains Some Shocking Scenes, Bernardo Bertolucci - Filmography

Read more here: » Bernardo Bertolucci: Encyclopedia II - Bernardo Bertolucci - Spiritualism Certainty and Self-Doubt

Modern Spiritualism first appeared in the 1840s in the Burned-Over District of upstate New York where earlier religious movements such as Millerism (Seventh Day Adventists) and Mormonism had emerged during the Second Great Awakening. It was an environment in which many people felt that direct communication with God or angels was possible, and in which many people felt uncomfortable with Calvinist notions that God would behave harshly--for example, that God would condemn unbaptized infant ...

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Spiritualism, Spiritualism - Origins, Spiritualism - Characteristic Beliefs, Spiritualism - Spiritualist Church, Spiritualism - Spiritism, Spiritualism - Critics, Spiritualism - Exposed frauds

Read more here: » Spiritualism: Encyclopedia II - Spiritualism - Origins