Are you both Spiritually Curious AND Spiritually Skeptical?
Hello Friends,
How do you identify… spiritually speaking?
religious?
spiritual but not religious?
just spiritual?
not spiritual or religious at all? (you might even call yourself a “skeptic”)
All of these are great, but what I learned over the years as I found my own spirituality, is how beneficial some form of spiritual connection really is.
The countless benefits of spiritual connection
There are countless benefits including finding solace around fears surrounding death, finding meaning in life especially in challenging times, finding joy and connection, increasing gratitude/wonder/awe, reducing loneliness, feeling connected to all that is, and so much more. So whether spirituality finds you, or you find it for whatever reason you’re inspired to, it will help. A lot.
In fact, one of my new favorite humans, Dr. Lisa Miller, has proven just that – that “we are naturally spiritual beings” and being spiritual has a major impact on mental health – making them far less likely to experience depression and addiction. She was recently interviewed on WBUR’s Enlighten Me with Rachel Martin. The interview is 15 minutes long and I highly suggest listening to it! Early on in her career, Dr. Miller had an experience that led her to realize that “a mental health system minus spirituality makes no sense” and so she began studying it scientifically and her findings are staggering. She discovered that someone who self-identifies that their personal spirituality is highly important to them is 80% less likely to experience addiction and 82% less likely to take their own life than someone who doesn’t really connect with the idea of spirituality!!
Three cheers for the skeptic!
What I really love about how Dr. Miller talks about her work is that she understands the skepticism. There are so many people who are skeptical of spirituality and even more so, religion. It is a healthy skepticism, especially with how much harm has been done in the name of religion and spirituality. And, with so many scientific advancements over the years, many of the claims of religions have been disproven. Which in my mind is great. But it doesn’t mean that we aren’t a part of something greater here. Lisa Miller specifically addresses the skeptic in this interview. She says: “three cheers for the skeptic. Here is science. Published, peer-reviewed science for skeptical audiences to begin to explore, and to be curious about our own spiritual nature… At the inner table of human knowing, we all have an empiricist, a logician, an intuitive, a mystic, and a skeptic.” She encourages people to not let the skeptic call the shots on everything and make sure everyone has a seat at the table.
I first learned about Dr. Lisa Miller in May of 2022, just before I was ordained and graduated from seminary. While I was painting silk scarves, I listened to a podcast she was on, and throughout listening, I was gasping, cheering, talking out loud and rewinding to listen to parts again and again. Since reading “Dying to be Me” in 2011 (my favorite spiritual book), I had not had an experience where someone else so accurately expressed what I believed and felt to be true. I agreed with and was encouraged that someone was doing this incredible work. That podcast is longer, but WELL WORTH the listen: "The Awakened Brain: The Neuroscience of Spirituality" with Lisa Miller, PhD on The Rich Roll Podcast. Dr. Lisa Miller is a Tenured Professor at the Columbia University Teacher’s College and Founder of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute and author of The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality & Our Quest for an Inspired Life and The Spiritual Child; The New Science of Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving.
Moments like these when I can feel the tides of spiritual connection rising are so inspiring for me. I am cooking up some ways for people to explore spiritual connection and to live more connected, and I look forward to sharing those with you soon. In the meantime, if you want to chat about or get some insights/counseling around your own spiritual connection or journey, I’m here for it. You can sign up for an Intuitive Support Session anytime!
Rev. Dev