Well, it’s a few days after Halloween, so I’ve been watching and re-watching the Ghostbusters movies for the year. All of this “paranormal activity” has put me a bit in the mood of talking about one of my academic fields: transpersonal sociology. Now, I’ve talked about it before here and here. However, I was thinking Read More …
There have been a couple of recent new developments here at Spirituality Step-by-Step! First, I have recently updated the Videos page to include some new videos on spiritual experiences and new interview videos. Check them out! Also, please leave comments on my Youtube channel to let me know what subjects you would like to see in Read More …
Here is the fifth and final installment in my series on the metaphysical foundation for mystical experiences. In this series, I am investigating some of the inherent issues and biases in the current methods of the social scientific study of religion (i.e., the field of “religious studies”). Do you think that mystical experiences are rare aberrations which diverge Read More …
Here is the fourth installment in my series on the metaphysical foundation for mystical experiences. In this series, I am investigating some of the inherent issues and biases in the current methods of the social scientific study of religion (i.e., the field of “religious studies”). Do you think that mystical experiences are rare aberrations which diverge from “normal” Read More …
Here is the third installment in my series on the metaphysical foundation for mystical experiences. In this series, I am investigating some of the inherent issues and biases in the current methods of the social scientific study of religion (i.e., the field of “religious studies”). Do you think that mystical experiences are rare aberrations which diverge from “normal” life? Read More …
Here is the second installment in my series on the metaphysical foundation for mystical experiences. In this series, I am investigating some of the inherent issues and biases in the current methods of the social scientific study of religion (i.e., the field of “religious studies”). Do you think that mystical experiences are rare aberrations which diverge from Read More …
We hear a lot about spectrums (spectra?) these days? There is the gender spectrum, the sexuality spectrum, the color spectrum (which looked like this when I was a kid). My son and I both have intimate, personal experience with the autism spectrum (please pray for my poor wife). It seems that there is a spectrum Read More …
Currently, I am teaching a university course on the mystical experience, and one of the major issues that we confront is: What does a mystical experience look like? There are many answers to this question, but I would like to offer two pictures today: one from Buddhism and one from Christianity. Let’s begin with Buddhism. Read More …
There are times in centering prayer when I sense, whether in reality or only in the eye of my imagination, that the distinct separateness of all things is breached, and I am one with all things, radiating out from where I physically sit. This feeling does not destroy the uniqueness of anything, even myself; rather, Read More …
Now, I’m not talking about Batman, so I’ll give you a second to get over your disappointment… Okay, I want to write a bit today about the dark night of the soul. If you want the whole story, then check out The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross (or Juan Read More …
