Asceticism Main article: Asceticism A term derived from the Greek verb ἀσκέω, meaning “to practise strenuously,” “to exercise.” Athletes were therefore said to go through ascetic training, and to be ascetics. In this usage the twofold application—to the mode of living and the results attained—which marks the later theological implication...
Asceticism Rigorous abstention from any form of self-indulgence which is based on the belief that renunciation of the desires of the flesh and self-mortification can bring man to a high spiritual state. Asceticism never occupied an important place in the Jewish religion. Judaism did not believe that the freedom of man’s soul could be...
Religion and Coping with Trauma One of the most common ways that people cope with trauma is through the comfort found in religious or spiritual practices. Psychologists of religion have performed multiple studies to measure the positive and negative effects of this coping style. Leading researchers have split religious coping...
Religion and Health Scholarly studies have investigated the effects of religion on health. The World Health Organization (WHO) discerns four dimensions of health, namely physical, social, mental, and spiritual health. Having a religious belief may have both positive and negative impacts on health and morbidity. Religion and spirituality Main articles: Religion, Spirituality, Faith, Belief, Faith...
Psychology of Religion Strictly speaking, psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to the diverse contents of religious traditions as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals. The extraordinary range of methods and frameworks can be helpfully summed up regarding the classic distinction...
4 Ways to Take Your Yoga Routine to the Next Level There is nothing quite like the study and practice of yoga to help you get fit, stay centered, and grow as a human being. Yoga has long been one of the top forms of exercise all around the world,...
Rumi Quotes Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, also known as Mevlânâ – Mawlānā (مولانا, “our master”), and more popularly simply as Rumi was a 13th-century poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rumi‘s influenceRumi Quotes transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turks, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central Asian Muslims, and the...
Bible Verses and Quotes: Christian Advice This category lists gems of advice found in the Bible. Reflect on these passages and quotations in your quest for purpose in life. “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then...
Bible Verses and Quotes: Christian Wisdom This category lists gems of wisdom found in the Bible. Reflect on these passages and quotations in your quest for greater spiritual knowledge. “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and...
Bible Verses and Quotes: Divine Justice The Bible talks a lot about God’s justice and how the righteous triumph over the wicked. This category is filled with selected passages that shed light on this important issue. “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster...
Bible Verses and Quotes: Inspiration We all could use a few uplifting words in these trying times. This category features quotations that lift up the spirit and warm the soul. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the...
Bible Verses and Quotes: Key Passages This category serves as a reference for some of the Bible‘s most important passages. Many will know these by heart, but those new to the faith will find this page useful. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same...
Keys to Christian Living You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out, the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love… The test of a man then is not, ‘How have...
Religious Views On The Self Religious views on the self vary widely. The self is a complex and core subject in many forms of spirituality. In Western psychology, the concept of self comes from Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Carl Rogers where the self is the inner critic. Some Eastern philosophies reject the self as...
What Is Nondualism? In spirituality, nondualism, also called non-duality, means “not two” or “one undivided without a second”.[1][2] Nondualism primarily refers to a mature state of consciousness, in which the dichotomy of I-other is “transcended”, and awareness is described as “centerless” and “without dichotomies”. Although this state of consciousness may seem to...
What Spiritual Naturalism? Spiritual naturalism, or naturalistic spirituality combines mundane and spiritual ways of looking at the world.[1] Spiritual naturalism may have first been proposed by Joris-Karl Huysmans in 1895 in his book En Route – “In ‘En Route’ Huysmans started upon the creation of what he called ‘Spiritual Naturalism,’ that is, realism applied to the story...
What Is Perennial Philosophy? The Perennial philosophy, also referred to as perennialism and perennial wisdom, is a perspective in spirituality that views all of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, metaphysical truth or origin from which all esoteric and exoteric knowledge and doctrine has grown. Perennialism has its roots in the...
Who Is Plato? Plato (Plátōn, 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was an Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece, founder of the Platonist school of thought, and the Academy, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He is widely considered the pivotal figure in...
Understanding Feelings Feelings tell us much about how we are currently relating to the world and other people. By learning from our feelings we can know ourselves better and can govern our emotions with sensitivity and understanding. Feelings and emotions are very important in the interactions between the mind of...
Higher Consciousness Higher consciousness is the consciousness of a higher Self, transcendental reality, or God. It is “the part of the human being that is capable of transcending animal instincts”.[1] The concept was significantly developed in German Idealism, and is a central notion in contemporary popular spirituality. However, it has ancient roots, dating back...
