As no one reads my blog anymore, this is pretty much for me.
I grew up a Catholic and I went from believing it definitely to being more questioning to being agnostic to being a complete disbeliever. Certain experiences (like a near death one) have opened my eyes to the idea of spirit, specifically the "great beyond" as it were.
Combination of views and philosophies:
As I've grown, as my senses have been blown wide open and I've largely separated from the social distractions that come from organized religions, I've studied different views and I've become a combination of humanism and ancient tenets and philosophies.
Roman Stoicism:
All intelligent people eventually "figure out" religion, meaning realize a lot of stuff in religious stories is made up to prove points and build a common mythology. Nothing wrong with that at all but, if we're searching for spiritual truth, more aesthetically pleasing than helpful. So, a seeker of truth turns to more thoughtful, intellectual concepts in searching for truth and that means studying other "religious" ideas and classical philosophy. I love the ideas of ancient philosophers the most because they lived in times where there were fewer mental and emotional distractions, therefore their insights are a bit more clear headed. I love the later Germans and Brits but there's SO much for them to consider that they become SO complicated! Beautifully tough to learn but very cluttered! So I love the ideas of Parmenides and Heraclitus, especially because they're simple, eternal and at the root of perception. "No man steps in the same river twice" is a perfect concept for evolution. Parmenides' view that life and time are eternal and present and that we essentially never go anywhere is a perfect concept of the timeless nature of soul and spirit. In terms of looking at society, I really like Roman Stoicism, maybe because I love old Roman history and because it's a more masculine view I can connect with. That all things happen for a reason, even the horrible things, that we can't comprehend is a great thought process for letting go, for trusting in life and the processes of life. Without such concepts, we try to control everything and we can't get through a day without being overwhelmed by the horrors of the world, especially in today's social media climate. Which leads me to the next idea I've come to embrace.
Taoism - "The Way"
Roman Stoicism is a great way to learn to let go of trying to change what cannot be changed in the physical world. Taoism is then a great direction on a new direction to go in, namely getting in touch with the rhythms of the universe and ourselves, the metaphysical, the eternal, the spirit beyond the world. It eliminates the distractions of the physical and allows for clear contemplation of the ideas of God and the universe, which then leads to the question of why we're on Earth and where we go when we're done. Also if there's any purpose we have, if there's anything we need to do on this planet and why we're here. I find that being in touch with the natural order of the universe, not the disorder of the physical world, purifies my thought and thus my spirit to a certain extent. If I ponder what is good, I ponder what is good and bad in me, what I need to work on, bad traits I need to eliminate, etc. It's spiritual work, not material work, which can carry all sorts of poisons with it. Even evil men have jobs, as they say! It's learning to go with the flow of the eternal and NOT the flow of society. I used to go with the flow of society and I lost a lot of ground doing so. In trying to navigate the world, I became a mouthpiece for the current, as we see so many people do, especially in the media. "What's happening now?! Because whatever is happening now is good! I need the latest device to be cool, etc!" You become lost, easily willing to not rock the boat in order to get along. After a time, you look at yourself and you just feel weak. You have no purpose. You live and fight for nothing. Maybe you have nice surroundings and a nice job because you get along but, take those away, and what do you have? Just an empty shell that needs the illusions and distractions of the physical world to be able to function mentally and emotionally. That emptiness leads to such pain, which is why people seek faith and spiritually in the first place. I'm proof positive that material pursuits and success, no matter what the cost, is ultimately a dead end, and no addiction or pleasure in the world can heal the disconnect from what is truly universal. Spirit is depth and soul and happiness. Being at one with the universe is peace.
Neo-Platonism:
That said, being one with the eternal, the Nous, is one of the top ideas of Neo-Platonism which I've come to embrace. For me, we no doubt become one with the Nous, the universal concept of what is considered God, when we die as we no longer have a physical body to stop us. I kind of see The Way as God coming to us. I see Neo-Platonism as us going to God. The former is finding peace in the physical world by conceiving oneness with God. The latter is actually being in his arms, which I feel is a very loving thing. We become good when we're associated with good, when we're connected with good. The physical grounds us in pain and the progressive corruption of human desires. The spirit, the soul within, is free from such things. Merge our souls in eternal love, goodness and happiness and we have a place we will never leave. We will have arrived.
