The Spiritual Atheist - Finding Spirituality Without Worship

I was diagnosed with major clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder two years ago. These are rather common ailments and common treatments are all very effective, but like many others I decided to do some research. After scouring dozens of self-help books, I've found one piece of advice from them all to be rather consistent: be spiritual. At first, I scoffed at this idea. I don't believe in a god. I'm an atheist. Spiritualism and atheism just didn't seem to fit together. I kept on reading, though, and I discovered that perhaps even an atheist like myself could benefit from getting in touch with my spiritual side.

Now, let's get things straight - being spiritual does not mean being religious. Religion can be a component, yes, but that's not all there is to it. Spirituality does have connotations of belief in a higher power, but just because you don't believe in any gods doesn't mean you can't have faith in something larger than yourself.

To get in touch with my spiritual side, I decided to experiment a little. I started with yoga. It's spiritual and it's exercise, so what could be better? Unfortunately, yoga just wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't like it. Next I tried meditation, which I did like. I found that inside myself there is a sort of "soul". Sure, I don't believe that it's anything other than synapses and neurons and neurotransmitters, but it's there. It's just more abstract than I might have thought.

And therein lies the key to becoming a spiritual atheist: realizing that there are things so abstract that they go beyond our comprehension. This complication to life and to nature is our higher power. You don't need to go worshiping trees to appreciate this, however; pick up any science text book and you'll find numerous abstract theories, concepts, and natural occurrences that are difficult to truly wrap your mind around.

How can I express this sort of spirituality, then? There are many ways, really. Nature walks can bring us closer to the natural universe. Meditation can bring us closer to ourselves and our thoughts. Reading can bring us closer to the vast array of knowledge collected by humanity. Showing compassion towards others brings us closer to each other and strengthens our complex human bonds.

Many atheists and religious folks alike might still believe the idea of a spiritual atheist to be flat-out ridiculous, but I find myself to be living proof that one doesn't need a god to realize that there's something greater than ourselves out there. You don't need a church to bring yourself closer to it. You don't need holy scriptures, prophets, or pilgrimages. For some of us, a simple walk through the woods or a fifteen minute meditation session is all we need. Knowledge of the complexity of our universe alone could be enough.

Though the path I took was a difficult one, being mentally ill and all, but it's not one I regret. I am grateful that through the tribulations of depression and anxiety I have discovered a side of myself I would have thought to be non-existent. I am a stronger, more complete person because of it.

I'm a spiritual atheist.