Exploring The Various Meanings Of Spirituality

The phrase “worldview” is a mental framework of all people and groups to interpret the nature of reality and the world we live in. It is philosophical, metaphysical or an ideological reality of the world we live in. The worldview is also used in understanding the law governing relationships among human beings, nature and the purpose of human life. They are attitudes and ideas about the world we live in and a thorough understanding of the systems of all the beliefs which hope will provide all the answers to the range of questions within ourselves as human beings. In most cases, worldviews are as a result of our human life experiences, and they subsequently shape as individuals in the approach we have to live. This paper

Every human being has a worldview whether they are aware of it or not. Although the notion of a worldview might appear basic in nature, the word itself simply meaning how one views the world around them, worldviews are much more complex and far reaching. A worldviews development occurs over the course of a lifetime, shaped by the complex and unique experiences of an individual and the sum of family traditions, religious beliefs and cultural histories. It is an all-encompassing interpretation of reality that plays a central and defining role in our attitudes and concepts about life. While worldviews are formed based on the answers to fundamental questions about human existence, they simultaneously shape

This paper is written to share my personal spiritual journey. I will discuss the influence my family has had during my upbringing on my religious and spiritual practices. I will additionally share how my spirituality has changed and evolved over time as I married and now have a family of my own. This paper will describe how spirituality has determined and motivated my personality and the adult I have become. This will help me to expound on how my personal spiritual beliefs will establish a respectful, collaborative, and caring relationships with my future clients.

Another, aspect, spirituality is not as much a prearranged system, it is a quest and a prolongation of one’s development.

Spirituality does not have one definite definition, it varies depending on who is searching for the meaning. The meaning of spirituality can change within one person, the more they search for answers and find their beliefs. To this writer, spirituality reaches beyond ourselves, it is the connection between ourselves and something greater.

Spirituality is defined in several ways as it pertains to different worldviews. Today we will look at the worldview as it relates to Pluralism, Scientism and Postmodernism.

A worldview defines a person, their perception of the world, religion, moral beliefs, and the meaning of why one lives. Many worldviews are different but in America, today’s society has a deist approach. The woman interviewed for this paper believes in a higher being, but that being is not the ultimate highest power, humans, if living their best possible life will be glorified and blessed in the afterlife because life on Earth has no apparent reason. To determine the exact or closest worldview to these beliefs the origin, meaning, morality, destiny, and identity have to be questioned and compared.

Spirituality is defined by the Merriam-Webster (2015) dictionary as “the quality or state of being concerned with religion or religious matters.” That is the simple definition of it from a dictionary. In depth, spirituality is defined as a person’s beliefs, attitudes, values and connection

“Spirituality is derived from the Latin word spiritus, spirit, the essential part of the person which controls the mind and the mind controls the body. Thus the spirit is the vital life force which motivate people and influence ones life, health behavior and relationships” (Baldacchino & Draper, 2001). She also stated that spirituality is the mainstream of life which unifies all aspects of the human being. Spirituality applies to both believers and non believers, including the presence of diverse cultural beliefs (Baldacchino & Draper, 2001). Culliford stated that : “In times of emotional stress, physical illness, loss, bereavement and death human beings tend to find comfort, peace, inspiration, reverence and meaning by focusing on their spirituality whether they believe in God or not” (Culliford, 2002). In a study conducted by Tuck and Thingajana the meaning of spirituality was voiced by person living with HIV disease and healthy adults. The definitions voiced by the HIV patients were that “Spirituality is relating and believing in God, who is always present. It is perceived as being guided or helped or being inspired or giving unto. Spirituality includes the process of journeying, discovering and centering and is outwardly expressed” (Tuck & Thinganjana, 2007). The definitions of Spirituality expressed by the healthy individuals were that:

The term worldview has a different meaning depending on the person and context in which it used. A person’s worldview can be influenced and even slightly changed based on his or her personal experiences and interactions with other people. For instance, an individual who has constant negative experiences might have a more pessimistic worldview than someone who has experienced more positive experiences. God made humans, and no two people are the same and for a good reason. People react and feel emotions various ways. For example, when I was in the military people thought I wanted to be thanked for my service, however when people thank me I feel a way that couldn't easily be defined. The purpose of this statement is to say that people

What is spirituality? Everyone has it however not all understand what it is exactly. Individuals can experience and express spiritually differently. It can be confused with religion or ghosts (Lepherd, 2015). For many years, there have been many definitions and descriptions of spirituality; it is described as the search of the meaning of life, alleviation of suffering, or creating inner peace in an individual. Which explains how spirituality is made useful for meditation and practicing yoga. Each person’s spirituality is different from others because according to his article, ‘Spirituality: Everyone has it, but what is it,’ Laurence Lepherd (2015) explains, “People have [different levels] of depth or intensity of spirituality, from [person to person].”

What is spirituality? And is it only related to religion? It is hard to answer these questions as there are a lot of definitions of spirituality and what is it related to. For some people, spirituality has no meaning outside the circle of the religion. On the other hand, some people say that spirituality can exist inside the religion and also outside the religion. People should stop relating spirituality to only religion. Instead, people should know the true meaning of spirituality outside the circle of the religion as it will open doors for knowledge and have a butter understanding and better life. In the United States, religion is frequently equated with spirituality or a personal relationship with God

Every human is a spiritual being (Hardy 1979, Benjamin and Looby 1998, Marra 2000, Timothy 2006), but not all human being are religious. Oldnall (1996) claims that every person has spiritual needs- the search for meaning, purpose, connection and transcendence within life (Butts 1999, Emmons 2000, Piedmont 2001, Tanyi 2002, Schulz 2005) - regardless of

Upon writing this essay, I’ve never truly considered myself spiritual. So I did what every college student does and called out to the massive data base god named Google. There I proceeded to type my fingers into the keyboard and the click on the first thing that popped up about spirituality. A simple definition had appeared on my screen that read: “In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all. - University of Minnesota.”

In contrary to the secular or capitalist worldview stands the religious or spiritual worldview. It gives tribute and attention to both the spiritual as well as the material aspects of human wellbeing. In fact, the spiritual worldview does not necessarily reject logical reasoning in human improvement, individual freedom or self-interest (Chapra, 1995). This worldview, however, highlights that moral values and good governance are required as restraining factors for freedom and self-interest in the journey of a reaching a civilization where well-being in ensured to all people and to achieve social harmony and family integrity.