Spirituality is about believing in something bigger than yourself and searching for the meaning of life. It is also about a sense of connectedness and community. Spirituality is often a way to find comfort during difficult times. It can also be a source of strength in the face of mental illness.
People from many different religions and traditions practice spirituality. For example, Hindus believe that their soul or “true self” is one with the universe. Buddhists aim to achieve liberation or enlightenment. Christians and Muslims believe in God or Jesus.
Some practices, like prayer or meditation, are considered spiritual. Other ways to be spiritual are through service or a connection to nature. Many religious and spiritual beliefs include some form of karma, which is the principle that your actions and intentions have a direct impact on your future happiness or suffering.
Other aspects of spirituality include taking the ordinary and making it holy. Goddess religions invest nature and the body with spiritual meaning and value. Native Americans look for signs of spirit when they walk in the woods or cook a meal. The 13th century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart taught that the presence of God can be found in every moment of everyday life.
Some people have spiritual experiences without having religious or spiritual beliefs or practices. These experiences can be very powerful and life changing. Examples of these experiences can be the loss of ego boundaries that happens during meditation, or the feeling of unity experienced by Mother Teresa of Calcutta. These experiences are often explained by the phenomenological philosophy of Husserl and the existentialists who followed him.