The engineering of spirituality

There are those among us who will attest to spirituality in some guise or another. With intention, I leave the definition of spirituality uninterpreted, so that the reader may do so.

There are industries and ideologies built upon what others might call pseudo-science (on a good day). Members of such groups might consider themselves having a higher knowledge, or being more awakened than their fellow beings. Alternative communities seeking truth, and some getting stuck in the brambles. Key words may include quantum mechanics, energy, mindfulness, frequencies, wavelength, etc.

Perhaps wrongly, I believe all experience spirituality in some sense - whether a rush of wondrous euphoria on an afternoon walk, a psychedelic experience, a sense of selflessness (in the sense of "the self") while engaged deeply in activity. Some seek it, others are occasionally greeted by it; an inkling of some "higher self", or a realisation of their insignificance within the vastness science has shone its candle upon.

As I've attempted above, trying to place words upon humankinds’ deepest experiences will always fall short, and it comes across as wishy-wash. If there is some higher experience each of us can reliably attain (which there may not be), it need not be commercialised in any sense; not through advertising, affiliate marketing, or overpriced retreats.

And yet I find it hard to imagine any other way. If, for arguments sake, there was some kind of method to achieve higher states which objectively improves the individual - the productivity community would be onto it, marketing companies would be onto it, industries would be built upon it. The ultimate nootropic or habit.

Is it in our nature to extract value from all that is useful, or is it socio-economic factors at play? I say this half-jokingly: "“is nothing sacred"?! Perhaps it's okay though; maybe the economy is the most useful species-wide distribution network? Or maybe these "alternative industries" I speak of are simply the snake oil derivatives of things which actually work, but require long-term dedication. I don't know.

This is simply an expression of disappointment that these industries exist, and that I see little species-wide pursuit for the betterment of the individual. I think we can all agree while looking upon ourselves and across the political spectrum at our polarised reflections, we are lacking the ability to wield the power we have attained technologically and socially.

I like to think the answer lies in scientific breakthroughs, and yet these often remain behind closed door in the labs of universities, corporations, and institutions (rightly so in some cases). I don't think we can wait and hope for a breakthrough to save us from ourselves, but rather take an inventory of all objective and repeatable methods for individual betterment, and distribute them without friction or ulterior motive.

Intentionally, I say nothing on the benefits of meditation (for which I am a big supporter).