Spirituality Versus Religion

The following is the essay I wrote for my AP Psychology class that accurately expresses my views:

If you were to sit down right here right now, and start talking about what created the universe and the meaning of such, would it be an easy task? Unless you’ve actually thought out your own theories before, it probably wouldn’t be. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, which is why psychology is such a diverse topic; it is essentially opinions based on empirical, factual evidence. The freedom lies within the interpretation. My opinion and interpretation of the creation and interaction of the universe is reflected in the following paradigms: All energy can be neither created nor destroyed; Everything in the universe is made up of energy, including the perceived god; The universe is based upon interactive energy; Spirituality works hand in hand with energy, differing from the concept of religion. I want to state in this essay my own thoughts and feelings associated with spirituality and religion, and I will support my opinions with other moderately and well known psychologists who take the same stance.

At the very base of all life and earth, the Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. Essentially, all energy circulates throughout the universe as one, changing only in appearance. However, it is difficult to imagine the concept of nothing ever being created or destroyed. Fires destroy forests and homes, trees are planted and grow, and babies are made. All of this matter seemingly comes from or disappears to nowhere. When we consider the universe, we know only one thing: it exists. But how does it exist? How did it come to be? The big bang theory presents the idea of “matter that concentrated” (Sadananda) to come together and create everything. Questions have been asked about the creation of our existence for thousands of years, and although science has improved the quality of these answers, no one will ever be for sure. This is why people turn to religion, so they don’t have to be left and wanting more in the dark. Since science is unable to accurately figure it out, people turn to a more supernatural level where “all religions proclaim that universe is a creation and that there is a creator, that we call God, who is in heaven” (Sadananda). The creation of the universe and the law of conservation of energy can be incredibly difficult concepts for some religions. For example, Christians believe that “God” created the earth in 6 days and created the human on that 6th day. This leaves absolutely no room for the scientific fact of evolution. In my opinion, the bible is hardly a credible source when you’re trying to find a literal translation of our world. However, should those who don’t believe in evolution believe in the law of conservation of energy, the two theories could possibly be combined. If humans were created on that 6th day, they looked much different than they do now, but their energies shifted and transformed into what we see today. The concept of shifting and transforming energy is often difficult for a closed mind to understand. When there is a phenomenon that humans can’t understand, such as the creation of the universe or the world, they turn to religion so their little minds can have comfortable closure with themselves, and won’t go crazy over the fact that they don’t have a firm grasp upon the knowledge they desire. This is, in my opinion, the general purpose of religion.

Everything in the universe is made up of energy, including any perceived god. The earth and her inhabitants are made up of cells which are made up of atoms which are made up of energy. At the core of everything in the universe is energy. It is also very interesting to note that many religions’ perception of god is essentially the same perception scientists have towards energy. It cannot be created nor destroyed and it is the basis of creation of all things. “In other words, all the energy that ever existed, that was present at the beginning, still exists” (Rall). To put it in Christian terms, “all energy is God, and there is no such thing as someone being separated from god. God cannot be separated from his own body” (Rall). So now, we have taken the paradigm a step further. All energy can be neither created nor destroyed and this energy makes up everything in the universe, including “god”. To some, this energy may be god him or herself, but to me this energy is pure and raw, connecting and flowing through everyone and everything in the universe. I firmly believe the words god and energy can be used interchangeably, where “energy” is substituted anywhere the word “god” appears. For example, energy created the universe instead of god created the universe. The former sounds more logical to me anyway. The past two paragraphs have almost been a part of the introduction, providing the base facts on which I will express my upcoming opinions on god, religion, and spirituality.

The universe is based on interactive energy. The flow of our energy intertwines and interacts with the flow of all other energy in the universe. Instead of everyone and everything having their own separate energies, the universe is one big, connected energy. My energy is the same as the energy that makes up the grass in India. “A cell, or molecule, or atom on one side of the world, say in the United States, can communicate with any other cell, molecule or atom on the other side of the world, say in China, because they are able to signal each other with oscillating frequencies, and this communication happens non-locally and virtually instantaneously” (Rall). This is further explaining the concept of all energy being connected and on the same frequency, no matter where it is. So, since all of our energy is connected, all of our thoughts, actions and emotions are connected as well. “The whole universe consists of energy, but it is the intelligent, organized pattern and interaction of this energy… everything that occurs is caused by some disturbance in the oscillating frequencies somewhere in the world or universe, and it is caused by somebody or something… causes changes in the frequencies which regulate matter and energy, and change happens” (Rall). When you focus and organize your own thoughts and energy, you can push them into the universe and receive the energy back that your thoughts created. This is where the law of attraction and karma come into play. The thoughts you hold in mind are the actions that will appear in your life, and what you put out into the universe will graciously return to you.

Pausing here for a moment, we look back to organize our thoughts. All energy is neither created nor destroyed, this energy makes up everything in the universe, and this energy is also one and is connected with everything. So essentially, we are all the same and we are all one. We live within the same energy and interact within the same energy. Our thoughts and actions directly affect everyone else in this world, as we are all on the same energetic frequency. The energy we are is what we perceive as god, leading to the conclusion that each and every one of us is the same; we are all “god” (for lack of a better word). When we think, we are meditating; we are always meditating. When we think and act, we can change our reality, since being “god”, we are the makers of our own reality. In my opinion, there is no point in praying strictly to god. Since we are all the same energy as this perceived god, why not meditate on your own being and your own reality? This is a new religion; it’s not even a religion at all. This is the concept of spirituality.

Spirituality works hand in hand with energy, differing from the concept of religion. “Spirituality is an inherent component of being human, and is subjective, intangible, and multidimensional” (Tanyi). At one point or another, everyone in the span of their life is bound to question where they came from, why they are here, and what the power beyond their current line of visibility is. To be honest, religion can do absolutely nothing to satisfy these questions. Spirituality is about finding yourself and meditating on the oneness of the single energy our universe actually is. It is highly subjective as well, as every person experiences their thoughts and actions extremely differently. Being as subjective as it is, everyone will come to a different conclusion. A lot of times, especially in our Christian American society, the conclusion of religion will be mistaken as a conclusion of spirituality. In my opinion, finding Jesus is not similar in the least bit to finding yourself and experiencing the world around us at a higher, connected level. “Spirituality and religion are often used interchangeably, but the two concepts are different” (Tanyi). This concept was mentioned previously and this quote is simply reinforcing the fact that spirituality is a much different way of thinking and believing than what religion has to say. “Spirituality involves humans' search for meaning in life, while religion involves an organized entity with rituals and practices about a higher power or God” (Tanyi). Here is where the differentiation is revealed. All world religions, no matter which one it is, are organized and have rituals and practices. When looking at the paradigm associated with this section, and comparing it to the definition of spirituality, it is not difficult to see how spirituality is related to energy, and how religion really is not at all. Spirituality strives for understanding of the self and the universe, and to do that you must understand that basis of your self and universe, which is energy. This goes back to the paradigm of “Everything is made up of energy, including god.” I believe it’s somewhat difficult to grasp the idea of everything being made of the same energy. To put it into perspective, it’s like the universe is a rather large ocean, but in lieu of water, waves of energy are crashing over each other. Religion, on the other hand, is more like a puppet, with the supreme being holding all others on a string. In this view, everything is connected only to god and not to each other unless the god wills them to do so. As I see it, the difference between spirituality and religion could possibly come down to free will. Spirituality is finding yourself freely, whereas (in my opinion) religion was created by a group of people who believed themselves better than everyone else who wanted to control all of humanity in a way other than law. This belief of mine corresponds with a personal paradigm that god does not exist. The last thing I want to restrict my spiritual growth and discovery is someone coming along telling me I have to believe in god because he is the supreme ruler, and if I sin I will end up in hell. Although these are my personal opinions, I believe everyone should have the freedom to believe what they wish and to each his own.

Thoreau?

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." -Henry David Thoreau

Why is it that you look around school and the streets and any building to see everyone dressed and acting the same (with a few exceptions)? There is a steady beat of the drum that most people follow and that is conformity to the natural laws of society. However, there is a separate drum, with an entrancing twitch that lures you into nonconformity if you aren't careful. Because in this society, nonconformity is seen as dangerous. In my mind, it is seen as partial freedom. I have a difficult time grasping the concept of freedom and free; freedom is an illusion (Skinner). This represents the individual who has broken free from the ropes which has bound his hands and feet and left behind scars on his neck and chest. This is the individual who has stepped off the chalky white line he or she follows to their "ultimate destiny."

I have heard the enchanting drum before and I am waiting until it beats again close to my ear so I can make the move for good off of my line.


Who is Thoreau? Of course I know who he was. But who is he? We study him, learn of Walden and the transcendental concepts. Everything he wrote and studied has been refined to fit the needs of the modern world, but what if his raw thought were to be exposed? There is more to these divine lovers of nature than we could have any possible idea.

Thoreau is cliche. He is overread and overanalyzed by the english teachers. He wanted simplicity, "keep your accounts on your thumbnail." He never would have wanted his views of life and experience to cause such a stress in any one's life. Not that studying philosophy is stressful in the least bit, but (again it comes back to the english teachers...) picking apart every word for a hidden meaning that, with Thoreau at least, could very possibly not be there, is almost a waste of time and insightful literature.

It is already happening now. What will become of our fellow transcendentalists when nature is no more? When the industrialized world consumes every last inch of the earth, where will our connection to the natural world be? It is already tainted and will become more and more poisoned until all natural beauty is sucked away from the planet. That day will surely be a shame for each who was living in it. The sad part is, I do not doubt that it will happen.