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I'm an agnostic atheist. Most here are.
I tend to have similar interests with lots of people who label themselves witches. Most of them are agnostic. A couple are atheist. It's definitely possible to be an agnostic atheist witch and gratz - you are one!
I consider myself a very spiritual person. You won't find many atheists here who use terms like spiritual or mystical but I dip my toes in the shallow end of the woo woo pool. I prefer natural oils (like tea tree), herbs, and products provided the research shows they work. I went to school for massage therapy. I enjoy meditation, self-hypnosis, and lucid dreaming. I love astronomy. There was even a time when I entertained the idea of reincarnation and spirits, but that has diminished as my scientific understanding has grown. I have a deep reverence for the cosmos and my place in it. That hasn't diminished. In fact, quite the opposite.
I can't be as kind about the deep end of the woo woo pool. Homeopathy is quackery. "Energy therapy" like Reiki provides no benefits that couldn't be achieved through simple deep breathing relaxation techniques. Prayer, past-life regression, and astral travel are delusional, along with beliefs in ouija, dowsing, and conjuring spirits.
If you are a truth seeker and love science, I recommend testing your various beliefs in the supernatural. For example, if you can communicate with a spirit, ask it several questions which require specific answers (like full dates) you'd have absolutely no way of knowing yourself. Then verify the answers with someone who would know. I suggested this to a cousin who believed he'd been communicating with our grandfather for years through automatic writing and Ouija. The results spoke for themselves. If you manage to pass your own tests numerous times and still believe you possess demonstrable powers, I recommend contacting James Randi to collect your million dollars as we all eat crow and cheer you on.
I've had some experiences I can't explain but I'm comfortable leaving it at that instead of inventing answers. The mind plays tricks on all of us, and the way we process those experiences depends greatly on our beliefs. In my opinion, if you no longer feel a child pushing on your car seat, it's because you no longer believe it is there. It's the same reason people who don't believe in demons never get possessed and Hindus never feel the power of Jesus.
Good luck on your search for answers and I hope you stick around. Welcome to TA!
There is no shallow or deep end to the woo woo pool. Something is either nonsense or it is not.
To clarify what I meant, I frequently rub elbows with what many skeptics refer to as the new age "woo woo" crowd and enjoy what others have called "woo woo crap" like meditation. We can argue semantics if you like, but that never ends well. I've seen the use of words like "spiritual" on this website result in very active threads and strong criticisms because it's a term some atheists throw in the pool of woo which I've just been informed has no shallow end.
I don't like to entertain the idea of spiritualism as it tends to view humans and humanity as something 'special' in the universe, something which a higher power cares enough about that it would present itself to us and/or treat us differently than anything else. It can be easily resolved by Just asking yourself the question: "What would happen to the universe if humans went extinct tomorrow?". My answer is, not a damned thing. It was here before us and will be here long after were gone. There is nothing special about us; the universe does not react any different to our presence than towards anything else that exists; there are no deities aiding us.
On the subject of woo woo, there are some things, such as homeopathy, we can easily discount as based purely on belief and does not hold any scientific merit. Other woo woo, such as acupuncture, I don't fully discount yet, though I doubt the traditional explanations as to why it potentially works will be correct and any effect is probably limited.
There's a difference between spiritualism and spiritual. Some atheists don't like the term spiritual because of confusion between the two or differences in personal definitions. I use it on occasion because I've yet to find a better word and because well... here, have some Sagan.
Who would I be to disagree with Sagan? :)
His description I agree with, but I find that the word spiritual has been hijacked to mean something else.
I agree. Perhaps we can take it back.
That was a great thread. Looks like the poster deleted his profile. *sniff*
Started by maruli marulaki in Ethics & Morals May 14, 2020. 0 Replies 1 Like
Started by Andrew Guthrie in Religion and the Religious, Atheism and Atheists. Last reply by 34u0tmz9oc778 Apr 16, 2020. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Started by D L in Small Talk. Last reply by 34u0tmz9oc778 Apr 21, 2020. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Started by rudrappa agadi in Pseudoscience, The Paranormal, and Conspiracy Theories. Last reply by 34u0tmz9oc778 Apr 9, 2020. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Started by D L in Small Talk. Last reply by D L Aug 8, 2020. 6 Replies 1 Like
Posted by James C Rocks on November 12, 2020 at 10:49am 5 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by ETRON on September 6, 2019 at 12:44pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
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