Personal Deepening, Universal Meaning

     During the process of human maturation, we each progressively approach the core or essence of who or what we are - as in peeling away an onion, layer by layer. We  sequentially "put away childish things" as we become increasingly aware of the disconnect between how we are now, and a sense of what might be possible - an ideal that creates longing, which in turn energizes more peeling.
     Our ideal is to live a meaningful, undivided life, in full harmony with the universe - with all that is. Each onion layer is a barrier, an outgrown friction between how we now are and an unfathomable ultimate. Life certainly takes away layers periodically, often unexpectedly.
     Spiritual practices are designed to do this intentionally and a bit more predictably. For various reasons, "religion" & "spirituality" elicit strong negative emotional reactions, particularly among intelligent, educated people. One major barrier to "religion" has been the apparent necessity to leave one's intellect at the door before entering a "place of worship" - frustrating the deep wholesome desire for an UNdivided life. Another, somewhat-related barrier to "spirituality" is that descriptions of spiritual experiences are incomprehensible without first personally experiencing them. Because these traditional ways of navigating liminality are being rejected, a large portion of our educated population is perpetually adrift in reductionist materialism, pessimism, cynicism, depression & anxiety.
     What we urgently need is a systematic intentional effective approach to ensuring human maturation that is suitable for intelligent, educated people from any ethnic, cultural or religious background. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD is one such evidence-based, secular approach. Having facilitated twenty of these 8-week MBSR courses, primarily for health-care professionals from all ethnic, cultural & religious backgrounds, I can attest to the fact that participants greatly value & appreciate this way of deepening, of living more meaningful, more congruent, more deeply satisfying lives. It's incredibly encouraging to witness the fact that diverse people can & do see eye-to-eye at a deep, meaningful level.

     See: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/11/446-gratitude-service-responsibility.html

Steve McCurry   http://stevemccurry.com/