What do you mean by Spirituality?

Ooh, a thread on the new board already. Yay, thanks for kickstarting this thing.

As others have pointed out, anyone who answers this question can only do so in a way that is fundamentally personal and so I will also attempt to answer with than in mind. But I think I'll answer in a kind of round-about way because "spirituality" defies many of the linear communication methods we have become accustomed to in our ordinary discourse. (in other words, expect me to be long winded )

There is, if I am open to it at the time, a very scientific method to my spirituality but this scientific method is quite a different phenomena to the scientism of the mainstream because this spiritual science is fundamentally subjective. When I do a "spiritual" exercise (eg. ritual, prayer, meditation or other technique) and I attain an altered state of consciousness, I know that if someone else were to do the same exercise then their experience would be different. For most people in the more rationalist wider world, this simple fact disproves the sheer existence of spirituality. If I can't "reproduce something to someone in a scientifically controlled environment, then that thing doesn't exist right?" well that is the common belief about spirituality. But on the other hand, I know full well I have experienced something in this instance and it is a thing I can explore further and deeper into... Hence the fundamental subjectiveness of spirituality.

With that in mind, I feel spirituality is my field for attempting to consciously connect to either the very core of my being, or the greater mass of human consciousness, or various historic archetypes known throughout time by various god and goddess names perhaps. When such an attempt is made, and the correct procedure followed, and the inner judge not blocking the free flow, well something happens - and it doesn't matter two toots if the thing I'm approaching exists in an objective sense, it only matters if the desired outcome is produced.

With that in mind, and as an attempt to a greater understanding of the world around me, I have dabbled with many different spiritual, ritual and magical traditions, including various paganisms, witchcraft, occultism, divination methods, sorcery methods, prayer, yoga and tantra traditions both with groups (including covens) and on my own and have had some really remarkable adventures along the way, and have experienced some really amazing things.

Now whilst the subjectivity of the experience of these rituals is not completely shareable, many of the techniques are - and I would love to see more of these techniques discussed and shared and experimented with - perhaps with this board as a focus. I've written a book about the overlap between spirituality and personal/poltical/liberational ideas (which I won't detail here but will send you a link if you memo me) and am currently putting together my next book - about the crossover between BDSM and spirituality.

So I probably haven't answered the opening question in any definitive way, but such a question defies answering definitively anyway.

Thanks for reading this far :-d ... feedback welcome and encouraged!

xxx

FaerieCatcher

On a hypothetical level, if I say "Gordon Brown is a Grade A Chunk of Dick Cheese" and BG responds by saying "No, I'm not"... then variously, the headlines could read:

Faerie Menace calls Brown 'Dick Cheese'

- well, a bit boring. but how about:

Gordon Brown denies being 'Dick Cheese'

- when someone denies something, that doesn't mean it's not true and the media use these techniques to make pretty major accusations. How about "Max Mosley denies Nazi allegations". This allows the media to throw the accusation in, whilst pretending it isn't.

Taking that a step further:

Gordon Brown is "Dick Cheese"

- the use of quotation marks in a headline allow a strong message to be delivered whilst allowing the reporter to hide behind those quotes.

Faerie Menace attacks Gordon Brown

- well, it's true in this case. It was an attack. But just using that word 'attack' can make the article that much more compelling to read.

Gordon Brown under attack

- similarly.

And from leftfield:

FaerieMenace gives Gordon Brown a "Grade A"

- well I did! But the media in this instance has really twisted my words to deceive the public into believe I'm a fan of someone I just attacked!

Oh whoa.

Hmmm, how about something closer to home.

Compare:

Faerie Menace enjoys using pain, power exchange and role-play to take faeries on magical journeys deep into the heart of their sacred sexuality.

Compare with

Faerie Menace gets his sexual kicks torturing young, sexy women!!

Of course, both headlines tell the same story, but one is so much more packed with emotion and vitriol.

I'm becoming more and more on the look-out at the way the media uses headlines to sway public opinion. Perhaps I should do a media studies course? Does anyone know of any good books about this topic?

Hugs to all from the FaerieMenace