Is spirituality growing?

[spiritual memes]

I'm slightly depressed by how unconscious the world is. Pretty much everyone I know are either materialist skeptics or believe in the religion they were born with. most of them believe spirituality is a waste of time. When I go on the internet the amount of unconsciousness i see skyrockets. 

Will this always be the case?

Is spirituality and consciousness work growing or declining? Will we soon reach a point where spirituality is taken seriously by the mainstream?

Edited February 11, 2023 by spiritual memes

[Thought Art]

Focus on your own spiritual development for now. There are plenty of spiritually interested people you just need to find those groups around you. 
 

But, the highest wisdom will be rare throughout your life. Use your life if you want to be a part of the change towards more balance and wisdom. 

[Ulax]

@spiritual memes Yo dude,

I feel rather the same way i'd say. I imagine that the world will become increasingly conscious with time. 
There will be some set of factors that leads one towards spirituality and self actualisation i imagine. Although it may seem random, it is, to my mind, inevitable and a part of human evolution. 

In the same way one may look at the rise of democracy as this thing one must be thankful for and is incredibly haphazard in whether it works or not. The same may be said of spirituality imo. I say one may look at it and see it that way because it is not really that way. If you learn about political science you will see that there a variety of interconnected factors that cause a democracy to arise, cause it to fail and cause it to be stable. It is simply our ignorance of the cause and effect relationships which causes us worry and confusion.

So, with spirituality the arising of it will in the same way be simply the result of cause and effect relationships that we are too in ignorance of. For example, i imagine that it will be to do with factors such as the growth of the middle class, and a booming economy that leads to less economic anxiety and greater ability to turn one's attention higher up the hierarchy of needs. 

It is perhaps unfortunate that we live in the epoch that we do. the time that we do. for evolution has not arrived at a point where teh spiritual is the mundane, in the sense that it may be talked out as an everyday activity by the masses. Things like IFS, which perhaps seem to so obviously the answer to many of life's important questions is still such a recent discovery.

So, to answer more directly your questions, i see consciousness as growing, i see that there will be a point at which it is taken seriously by the mainstream. But we live in relatively unconscious times. 

I perhaps cope best with my yearnings for a more conscious society in the following way. By recognising that my level of consciousness, and even awareness and ability to embrace spirituality keenly as an answer to some of life's questions is a privilege. A goddamn privilege. I say goddamn in emphasis, not in judgment. The toils and troubles of countless cause & effect relationships and countless people have given rise to this knowledge that i have, that we have. Unconsciousness builds consciousness. Every house that is built. Every road that is paved. it is all part of the road to higher consciousness and to spirituality.

and further in recognising my privilege i understand that it is a gift, and a gift i can work to bestow upon others as i can. Right now i cannot go out and do anything but preach ideas and practices i haven't really integrated or mastered, and would be simply preaching.  However, one day i wish to cultivate a mastery of both a spiritual practice and the ability to spread the fruits of that practice in community. And surrender myself to simply be a part of the evolution of mankind towards higher consciousness.

[Breakingthewall]

spirituality cannot be mainstream. Something very deep in humanity would have to change, perhaps genetic. There is a fundamental requirement for spirituality: total integrity. In my opinion this is something innate. a mark of character. most are not like that. I always thought that falsehood was an evolutionary advantage, and it probably is.

[spiritual memes]

@Ulax Damn what a detailed answer! I agree that my level of consciousness is a privilege that I take for granted. It sometimes feels like a curse because its so much harder to fit in with such an unconscious society whose values and beliefs are so different to mine. 

41 minutes ago, Ulax said:

and further in recognising my privilege i understand that it is a gift, and a gift i can work to bestow upon others as i can. Right now i cannot go out and do anything but preach ideas and practices i haven't really integrated or mastered, and would be simply preaching. 

This bit really hit close to home because I recognize myself preaching things I haven't really integrated and then being frustrated that I can't get it across to other people.

[spiritual memes]

9 minutes ago, Breakingthewall said:

There is a fundamental requirement for spirituality: total integrity. In my opinion this is something innate.

I disagree with this bit. I think integrity is developed over time based on environment and lifestyle.

[Ulax]

@spiritual memes Thank you my man

I find it easy to take for granted as well. Although in a sense i don't even like teh idea of taking for granted because then im taking for granted the fact that my survival depends on my taking it for granted. BUt then i get into a chain of trying to compassionate by not judging, which in turn judges my judges and so on earth and so forth hahaha.

Perhaps it is a curse. I was at a psychosynthesis workshop some years ago now. It was run by a seemingly very conscious psychosynthesis therapist who seemingly old and wise. I remember him remarking with a smile and a slight sly that sometimes he wishes wasn't conscious, and some other people seemed to agree with him. And there agreement seemed to me more a one of relating to another than conforming to another.

And ye i get you re the preaching thing, i do the same. not as much anymore. well maybe i do cos i preach to my therapist about things should be all the time hahaha.

Perhaps you may see fruitfulness in moving to a more conscious location one day. I had the blessing once of having a much more conscious friend than me who was also quite grounded in his beliefs, such that he didn't really hide his beliefs too much. To have a friend like that in person was quite eye opening and in aspects a wonderful experience of how it can be to relate in a different, more conscious way. Or even just visiting a conscious place. like seeking out some stage green type events, like a local psychedelic society,

[Inliytened1]

4 hours ago, spiritual memes said:

I'm slightly depressed by how unconscious the world is. Pretty much everyone I know are either materialist skeptics or believe in the religion they were born with. most of them believe spirituality is a waste of time. When I go on the internet the amount of unconsciousness i see skyrockets. 

Will this always be the case?

Is spirituality and consciousness work growing or declining? Will we soon reach a point where spirituality is taken seriously by the mainstream?

No...it's just that science has consumed our culture.  It will be hundreds of years before we have a society of enlightened beings who understand that reality is made of mind and not matter.  We are hundreds of years away from idealism - maybe a thousand years.

[Ulax]

5 hours ago, spiritual memes said:

@Ulax Damn what a detailed answer! I agree that my level of consciousness is a privilege that I take for granted. It sometimes feels like a curse because its so much harder to fit in with such an unconscious society whose values and beliefs are so different to mine. 

This bit really hit close to home because I recognize myself preaching things I haven't really integrated and then being frustrated that I can't get it across to other people.

@spiritual memes Hey me again.

Also, if you meant that other people don't really understand IFS or are reluctant to it, then i'd offer the following opinion. Each part has its role that its acting out. And the psyche works like a system in terms of the dynamics between all the different parts, and when the system experiences something new it is susceptible to change. For example, if you see an old friend you'd rather avoid in the supermarket, then the system will change and different parts will take control of the system, and make sure their roles are fulfilled, i.e. making sure their exiled part doesn't feel panicked or something. To my mind, the same exact thing happens when you tell someone about IFS. You telling them about it represents a new input to their psychic system, and different parts will likely arise to fulfil their roles. So, its not just about telling people about IFS, its about their system being open to hearing about IFS in the particular context you are in and with all the ways that you actually behave when you tell them about iFS.

My mistake if that wasn't what you were saying. But if it wasn't at least i got a chance to geek out about IFS lol.

[Rahra]

Many, in different degrees and forms, are Conscious and Awoke to God.

A lot of them are religious.

God awakens whoever He Wills, whenever, wherever.

If God had Willed it, everyone would know of Him, but God is the most Intelligent, and God knows very well what He’s doing.

In the end, Truth always prevails, falsehood does not.

[jimwell]

15 hours ago, spiritual memes said:

Is spirituality and consciousness work growing or declining? Will we soon reach a point where spirituality is taken seriously by the mainstream?

It is growing but at a very painfully slow rate. UBI and AI can and will probably be mainstream in 20 to 40 years (UBI or sth similar will come late) but not spirituality. 

 

15 hours ago, spiritual memes said:

I'm slightly depressed by how unconscious the world is. Pretty much everyone I know are either materialist skeptics or believe in the religion they were born with. most of them believe spirituality is a waste of time. When I go on the internet the amount of unconsciousness i see skyrockets

One of the manifestations of significant personal and spiritual growth is being comfortable with being spiritual and solitary in a greedy, materialistic, pretentious world. 

[spiritual memes]

@Ulax Haha I was actually talking about stuff like nonduality and consciousness work rather than IFS. People are actually really receptive to IFS because its more of a psychological thing rather than spiritual.

[spiritual memes]

16 hours ago, Inliytened1 said:

No...it's just that science has consumed our culture.  It will be hundreds of years before we have a society of enlightened beings who understand that reality is made of mind and not matter.  We are hundreds of years away from idealism - maybe a thousand years.

Damn 100 years? I can't wait that long

[gettoefl]

if your spirituality doesn't include understanding the unspiritual, something is wrong

 

one, compassion grace mercy need to be visible fruits of your path

two, know that everyone is exactly where they are meant to be and doing precisely what they need to do ... with no need for you to butt in

three, get humble and childlike and charitable and start getting on your hands and knees for the weakest and the lowest, then things will make more sense

four, develop your listening and empathy muscles, intentional presence is all people are seeking from you

five, learn to speak your truth in one sentence, nobody needs a degree to know the truth, come off your high horse and out of your ivory tower

six, learn what love means and if you haven't loved your neighbor today, your spirituality is a complete waste

 

if you do you well, then you will see spirituality growing leaps and bounds everywhere

indeed the more conscious you get the more you see everything is perfect

Edited February 12, 2023 by gettoefl