Our spirit level
RECENT census statistics show that Australia is becoming a more secular society.
Even so, 70 per cent of people continue to identify themselves as having a religious affiliation, of whom 52 per cent identify themselves as being Christian.
On the face of it, this might suggest that spiritual issues are not so important to about a third of the population.
However, it is being increasingly recognised that spirituality does not just relate to religion. Many non-religious people are interested in a spiritual dimension in life when it is defined more broadly.
Spirituality can be appreciated more generally as relating to our sense of life meaning and purpose. It also relates to a deeper sense of connection and unity with others or the world around us. It further involves attempting to make sense of the world in a way that goes beyond the material.
As a non-religious person I am nonetheless intrigued by a spiritual, and especially a mystical, dimension to life. I was initially sceptical about anything to do with such notions, thinking they related only to superstition.
Spirituality, and especially mysticism, is little acknowledged in the mainstream psychology field. But hints of a mystical dimension abound when you’re open to notic- ing it. It might be reflected in synchronicity, a particularly uncanny and meaningful timing of events that connects our inner and outer worlds.
An especially intriguing example of this phenomenon came up in the recently released film, Whiteley, now showing in Geelong at the Pivotonian cinema.
Brett Whiteley (pictured), the renowned Australian artist, had an epiphany at 13 that pointed to his destiny as a painter.
He was sitting in the school church service when he picked up a book someone left behind in the pew. It happened to be filled with van Gogh paintings.
The young Whiteley was transfixed by the paintings, later saying, “It was wonder … every page was just amazing. It was the first I had heard … of van Gogh. I had never believed anything like that could exist. I almost felt that I had done it, or part of me had. There was some connectedness of soul. I understood it. It was right.”
From that point Whiteley saw the world differently, in vivid colours and seething with energy.
It apparently lifted him out of his pervasive sense of boredom and loneliness at school. He described having “this very, very powerful sense that my destiny was to completely give myself to painting … I knew immediately that there was meaning to existence”. His conviction was reinforced by seeing two words in a landscape section of the book, “security” and “rebellion”.
Remarkably he recalled a dream from when he was five years old in which he was in his mother’s womb, and he had to choose between these same two words that were written on a wall.
Whiteley’s epiphany bears all the hallmarks of spirituality described earlier. His example might be particularly dramatic. But I believe that we can benefit from allowing for especially uncanny coincidences to have symbolic meaning in our lives, potentially helpfully pointing us in a worthwhile direction, consistent with our life purpose. I think it can be a way of receiving information from the universe at a soul level.
In my experience, exploring such notions can help develop our deep intuition that complements our rationality.
It does not mean ignoring our logical and rational thoughts, but being open to an additional way of experiencing things.
It involves combining our left hemisphere rational brain functioning with our right hemisphere holistic functioning.
When our intuition is consistent with the conclusions that we make from our past experience and rational thinking, I think we have an even more powerful way of guiding us in our lives.
In my view, anything that adds to our sense of personal meaning, connection and making sense of life can be a psychological bonus.
Many of those who are religious will have experienced the benefits of having a “guardian angel”. I think we can also learn much from the spirituality of Aboriginal culture, expressed in the Dreaming.
We seem to barely acknowledge the closeness of the connection between mind and body. We are some way off acknowledging the close connection between mind,
body and soul.