Almost Awakened

The Tree of Contemplative Practices illustrates some of the many contemplative practices used in education and secular organizations. In this Episode Britt & Bill walk us through this graphic discussing its meaning and usefulness. On the Tree of Contemplative Practices, the roots symbolize the two intentions that are the foundation of all contemplative practices: cultivating awareness and developing a stronger connection to God, the Divine, or inner wisdom. The roots of the tree encompass and transcend differences in the religious traditions from which many of the practices originated, and allow room for the inclusion of new practices that are being created in secular contexts. The branches represent the different groupings of practices. For example, Stillness Practices focus on quieting the mind and body in order to develop calmness and focus. Generative Practices come in many different forms (i.e. prayers, visualizations, chanting) but share the common intent of generating thoughts and feelings of devotion and compassion, rather than calming and quieting the mind. Please note that these classifications are not definitive. For example, mantra repetition could be considered a Stillness Practice rather than a Generative one.

RESOURCES:

Britt Hartley also offers various courses to assist you in spiritual development which are available for purchase here – https://www.nononsensespirituality.com/projects-8

Contemplation Tree – https://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree

On Being’s Contemplative Tree – https://onbeing.org/blog/the-tree-of-contemplative-practices/

Another discussion on the tree – https://maiaduerr.com/tree-of-contemplative-practices/

Bill and Britt Discuss the four Attachment styles. What are the Attachment Styles. What leads to someone displaying said style. What is healthy and unhealthy about each. And what can be done if anything to move towards a secure attachment style.

RESOURCES:

https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/four-attachment-styles/#:~:text=There%20are%20four%20adult%20attachment,Secure

https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/secure-attachment/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starting-with-the-basics-attachment-theory/id1488275879?i=1000548791151&fbclid=IwAR3k7n25dN_ij1X41qlByqH7gU_2HsYlOhtv_wlK5qLkGAsik2CAQcIABCs

Religious Humanism seeks to heal the world through religion done better. It uses the cultural technology of religion to foster individual and collective thriving, and aims this uniquely motivating force at the urgent problems that confront us today. We sit down with Humanist Chaplain Jared Anderson to discuss Religious Humanism is and how its approach plays out in the world.

RESOURCES:

Jared’s 4 Meditation Points as a mystic – Integrity, Expedience, Life, Elegance

6 words to live by: Compassionate, Curious, Acceptance, Clear, Gentle, Firm

Jared’s Youtube Channel “The Life Devoted” – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ0MypZizDzeWcPCDRWXfvw

Jared’s website: http://religioushumanism.org/

Engaging Gospel Doctrine Podcast: https://engaginggospeldoctrine.org/

Britt & Bill tackle Spiritual Bypassing on todays episode. Spiritual bypassing describes a tendency to use spiritual explanations to avoid complex psychological issues. Rather than working through hard emotions or confronting unresolved issues, people would simply dismiss them with spiritual explanations.

RESOURCES:

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-spiritual-bypassing-5081640#:~:text=Spiritual%20bypassing%20is%20a%20way,Avoiding%20feelings%20of%20anger

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201901/what-is-spiritual-bypassing

We pick up from last week’s episode and continue the conversation here in Part 2. Where does morality come from and how best might we humans nudge to a more effective way to create and perpetuate a healthier morality.

RESOURCES:
Sam Harris – TED Talk “Science can answer moral questions” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj9oB4zpHww
Sam Harris — The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU0FeV3wj44
How Morality Has the Objectivity that Matters—Without God Ronald A. Lindsay – https://secularhumanism.org/2014/07/cont-how-morality-has-the-objectivity-that-matterswithout-god/
The Moral Argument – Good Without God – youtube.com/watch?v=OxiAikEk2vU

In this Episode Britt and Bill tackle a question that often comes up. If you leave religion how will you know right from wrong and how will you maintain a healthy morality rather than a laissez-faire attitude where anything goes?

RESOURCES:

Sam Harris – TED Talk “Science can answer moral questions” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj9oB4zpHww

Sam Harris — The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU0FeV3wj44

How Morality Has the Objectivity that Matters—Without God Ronald A. Lindsay – https://secularhumanism.org/2014/07/cont-how-morality-has-the-objectivity-that-matterswithout-god/

The Moral Argument – Good Without God – youtube.com/watch?v=OxiAikEk2vU

We sit down with Mike Bahr who deconstructed his religious system later in life. We discuss what all is involved in deconstruction. The letting go of beliefs, the re-evaluating the existence of God, and the loss of community. But we also talk about how for most this feels like growth and involves feeling happier and more content with life.

Britt and Bill pick up off last week’s conversation where they discussed the benefits of a religious narrative and religious community when one is faced with tragedy and trauma and attempt in this conversation to help us understand how we got there. How did God come to be? Which Gods had more holding power? What functions did these adaptations have for helping groups of humans collaborate and perpetuate?

RESOURCES:

Hidden Brain Podcast – Creating God – https://www.npr.org/2018/07/16/628792048/creating-god

Oldest Cave Drawings – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_las_Manos

The Sorcerer Cave Drawing – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sorcerer_(cave_art)

God: A Human History – Reza Aslan https://www.amazon.com/God-Human-History-Random-House/dp/0525624333

Sapiens Yuval Hariri https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari/dp/0062316095

Civilized to Death – Christopher Ryan – https://www.amazon.com/Civilized-Death-What-Lost-Modernity/dp/1451659105

Britt comes back to update us on her life and to expound with Bill on the idea of how Religion helps us to deal with trauma. And How one receives such support outside a religious paradigm. They hope to help you see value in the mechanisms religions bring to the table and to help us all figure out how to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bad things are going to happen to each of us and if we are going to create a better world we need to consider how these systems were built in order to help humans survive and to have needs met.