Metaphysical Mayhem: The 4 Kinds of Dualism
In spiritual circles, it is common to use the words “dualist” and “non-dual.” Often the actual meaning implied is quite vague because these terms have multiple reference points. Unfortunately, under the popularity of extreme relativism, when someone says you are being a “dualist” it is often an indication of nothing more than perhaps having suggested that some things/beliefs/experiences are better or worse than others, which they clearly... Read More
Spirituality, Science & Psychology: The Problem of Evil
It is undeniable: we live in a world in which man’s inhumanity to man is self-evident. Evil really does exist, in the sense that there are ongoing atrocities being committed every day. How we think about this fact is central to our spiritual worldview. The problem of the existence of evil has always presented a challenge to religious metaphysics, and I would argue it delivers the necessary and fatal crack in the edifice of religious belief that allows us to break through... Read More
Devil In The Details: 3 Keys To Thinking More Clearly About Spirituality
I confess, I can’t help it. The central questions of human existence fascinate me. They have led me down the roads of yoga, meditation, literature, poetry, psychology, philosophy and science. One of the key areas of focus for me is how to reconcile the meaningful experiences of spirituality with a worldview informed by science and psychology. More often than not what we think of as “spiritual” includes claims and beliefs that directly contradict or dismiss scientific... Read More
The Inadequacy of Faith: Real World Politics and Transcendental Philosophy
This article is in response to the recent criticisms of yoga and activism organization Off the Mat, Into the World for its attempts at a non-partisan political campaign embodied by YogaVotes, an offshoot aimed at getting more yogis registered to vote—but especially by the members’ presence offering yoga and massage at both the RNC and DNC last month. Full disclosure: I am friends and colleagues with most of the major players and have no bone to pick. But I do think... Read More
Reality, Trauma & Grounded Spirituality
INSTINCTIVE ALCHEMY We are sophisticated animals. Our nervous systems have evolved in response to a brutal world, one in which we fought one another for dominance, hunted and killed prey and fled from predators who wanted to eat our flesh. Today, in the presence of stressful enough stimuli, we all react from these instincts. Adrenalin and cortisol stream through our veins, heart rate accelerates, blood rushes form the core of the body to the muscles that will enable fight or flight,... Read More
The Jewel of Reality: Spirituality 2.0
There comes a point at which living in reality is the spiritual prerogative. Actually, this has been the gradual process of human progress in general. The “Enlightenment” era or Age of Reason in the 18th century was a radical shift away from monarchy, religious tyranny, and their roots in irrational superstition. No, God did not decree that your rich royal family should rule over the peasants in perpetuity. No, you do not get to legislate from the pulpit and rule your country... Read More
Can Science Be Spiritual?
Until my first year of college, I had never given much thought to the relationship between science and spirituality. I, like many of you I would guess, had accepted the paradigm I had been given by my foremothers and forefathers without much skepticism—science and spirituality existed on opposite ends of a continuum, and if there was any relationship between them it was one of discord and disagreement. Science, I had been told, was devoted to logic and empiricism; while spirituality... Read More
Yoga and The Invisible Brain
I love teaching and practicing yoga. The combination of breath, embodied awareness, and mental focus provide rich opportunities for psychological insight, emotional healing, self-development and connection with community. I love spirituality. But I may have a different definition of this word than most people. My sense is that the word usually conveys some kind of supernatural belief. Yet when I use it I mean a combination of things that basically add up to an interest in what... Read More
