An Analytical Approach to Spiritual Science

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Spirituality is what consumer capitalism does to religion. Consumer capitalism is driven by choice. You choose the things that you consume — the bands you like, the books you read, the clothes you wear — and these become part of your identity construction. Huge parts of our social interactions center on these things and advertising has told millennials, from birth, that these are things that matter, that will give you fulfillment and satisfaction.

This is quite different from agricultural or industrial capitalism, where someone's primary identity was as a producer. The millennial approach to spirituality seems to be about choosing and consuming different "religious products" — meditation, or prayer, or yoga, or a belief in heaven — rather than belonging to an organized congregation. I believe this decline in religious affiliation is directly related to the influence of consumer capitalism. The abundance of choice available to many Americans today has led to what psychologists call "analysis paralysis" — being afraid to make a choice because there are so many options.

How has this impacted millennial spirituality? Millennials, especially middle- and upper-class millennials, have so many options, as it has become easier to move around and interact with the rest of the world. A peasant living in 14th-century France would not have faced the same conundrum about whether or how to be a Catholic. A millennial today can access information about Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and various pagan beliefs with just a few clicks, or just by talking to people they encounter.

This is both liberating and paralyzing. Having so many options creates a lot of anxiety about which religious beliefs, careers or relationships millennials should choose. Spirituality allows millennials to avoid choosing one religion and instead combine elements from many. There are many criticisms of the millennial generation — that they're entitled, lazy or materialistic. You've studied them — and taught them — for years.

How would you characterize millennials? In many ways, I see this turn toward spirituality as a rebellion against the materialism they have been surrounded by. The millennials I see have a lot of economic anxiety, which is very understandable after the recession. They wonder if they will be able to have the same lifestyle their parents had. They are worried about student loan debt and about getting a job in the current economy.

They want to be financially comfortable, but I think most of them only see this as a means to an end. They also want to be a part of something larger — a spiritual belief, perhaps, or a movement to improve the environment, or social justice. I don't see millennial college students today as shallow or selfish. I see a deep amount of understandable anxiety and a lot of care for the larger world and life's big questions.

It is hard to say for certain, but I do think that many of the things driving this shift — such as consumerism or scientific critiques of traditional religion — are not going away anytime soon. Researchers find millennials are by far the least religious generation. In what may be the largest study ever conducted on changes in Americans' religious involvement, researchers led by San Diego State University psychology professor Jean M. Twenge found that millennials are the least religious Research reveals that most individuals with cancer have religious and spiritual beliefs, or derive comfort from religious and spiritual experiences.

Why millennials are leaving religion but embracing spirituality

But what impact does this have on patients' health? Recent analyses of all Individuals who blame karma for their poor health have more pain and worse physical and mental health, according to a new study from University of Missouri researchers.

About Suresh Emre

Targeted interventions to counteract negative spiritual New research from University of Copenhagen shows that Danes are not abandoning their communal Protestant religion in favor of individualized spirituality such as meditation and mindfulness; the support for Christian faith A new study explores the news habits of Millennials and identifies four distinct groups of news consumers. The study, a deeper analysis of a survey conducted earlier in by the Media Insight Project, finds that as it Kaleidocycles are found where science, math, and art meet.

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Why millennials are leaving religion but embracing spirituality

In their paper published Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Researchers find millennials are by far the least religious generation May 27, In what may be the largest study ever conducted on changes in Americans' religious involvement, researchers led by San Diego State University psychology professor Jean M. Sensational structures with potential applications December 17, Kaleidocycles are found where science, math, and art meet.

Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank. In my opinion, being a "millennial" and friends with them as well, the popular opinion held by most is that we want to believe what we believe, not be told what to believe. For instance, I believe in God, of some type, but I believe that God cannot be defined in human terms and to do so is like a form of delusion. I have attended Church while growing up, but even at the age of 5 or 6, I believe what I wanted to believe, not what I was told.

Church is mostly a Social institution, with a religious theme. Why can't I take the parts of Christianity that I like and agree with, but leave the dogma behind. Being human is not a sin, I will not feel guilty for being a human animal. I don't think a God would create something with a certain nature and then say that the nature is wrong. If it feels good, do it. Whether its masturbating or giving to the poor. Just my 2 cents.

An orthodox agnostic here. The major world religions and many smaller religions, are at base, sexual regulation societies and they are slow to adapt to the quickening pace of information and the requisite ever greater need for wisdom.

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But there is more than "feeling good" in the moment as a barometer for our actions. There are longer satisfactions and fulfillments that can be achieved and these are largely the result of making choices of awareness that are harmonic with God's grace. God's grace which you all have is that deep down beneath all the bullshit in silent moments, you know- that you love people. If we can act from there, then we will do ok. Thanks for the article! Here are several verses in the Christian Bible that deal with sex: If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, This is fine as long as scientists maintain their agnostic stance.

But, when they deny the existence of God then they are taking a metaphysical position. Those so-called scientists, by declaring the non-existence of God in serious publications, are practicing pseudoscience. When you pretend that you are making a scientific statement you are practicing pseudoscience. A statement denying the existence of God can neither be verified nor falsified.

Such statements do not belong in science. Spiritual philosophy has no problem with the methodology of science which is analysis. Spiritual philosophy leaves the discovery of natural laws to the scientists and accepts the scientific explanations but spiritual philosopher is not satisfied with the intellectual understanding. The spiritual practice is about experiencing the Reality and spiritual philosophy is about the methodology leading to that experience. The methodology of synthesis may lead to that experience.

In the process of forming a synthesis, the spiritual philosopher discovers the concepts that are actually relevant in science. Scientists of this age may or may not recognize the relevance of these concepts but the future scientists will appreciate the concepts of spiritual philosophy. I am sure of that.

We all agree that pseudoscience is bad but it is not always easy to distinguish between science and pseudoscience. Metaphysics does not pretend to be science. Spiritual philosophy does not pretend either. If you have a metaphysical proposal hypothesis and if you state that it is metaphysics then you are not practicing pseudoscience.

You are not pretending that it is science. I have many metaphysical positions but I always clearly state that they are metaphysics. I am a volunteer for the Renaissance Universal movement.

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