Belonging

Posted on June 20, 2005
Filed Under Journal, Society, Spirituality, Consciousness |

Within many of us – each on different levels – we feel a deep need to belong to something; to be a part of something bigger than us. We often have different ways of responding to this need in order to fulfil it. In part “conformity”:http://www.thethoughts.co.uk/thoughts/conformity.htm plays a large part in this issue; by conforming we feel we are a part of something larger than ourselves. However, whilst conforming may fill a physical aspect of our desire to belong, conformity is ultimately superficial – and thus the need to belong remains.

If we truly wish to nourish this deep desire then we need to start looking for answers other than the purely physical. This though can often be a difficult thing to comprehend and achieve. If we are to look “beyond the physical” just what is it we would be looking at? Our physical senses confirm for us that which exists around us; how then do we confirm the existence of the “non-physical”?

In order to perceive the non-physical we need only look at where this desire to belong originates. The mind contains many feelings – and though the brain is physical, the _mind_ is something different. It cannot be entirely defined by words, nor can it be described by any physical representation. The mind is as non-physcical as the thoughts it contains. The mind is something that goes beyond the ken of the physical realms. It is also here where the desire to belong originates. Therefore a physical solution to the need cannot satiate it.

We often remain unaware of this non-physical aspect of ourselves, or else we divert our attentions away from it. Instead we prefer to concentrate on the external physical aspects of our lives.

This “purely physical perspective”:http://www.thethoughts.co.uk/thoughts/massconsciousness.htm which is prevalent within the modern western world, tips the balance between the physical and the non-physical aspects of our existence beyond that which is healthy. It attempts to fill life with purely physical beliefs and sensations, thus resulting in a belief where we conclude that physicality contains the goals for a beneficial and fulfilling life.

Of course, a life based purely on physical requirements does not leave us entirely fulfilled. Many of us define ourselves by the way we may attach ourselves to organisations, groups or institutions. Others may define themselves by their possesions or physical achievements. However these ideas are all founded upon definitions based with the physical; therefore we can still be left confused, angry, or at a loss as to what we “want” from life.

Indeed it is true to say that these physical aspects can form a large part of our sense of self. For example our jobs form a part of our day to day life; they are a major part of what we do in life. However a job does not define us as a person. A job (being a physical form) cannot be something which can define us – we are of a nature that contains both non-physical and physical. Therefore we can only truly belong to something that is also similar in nature.

There is in life a balance that exists; a balance between the realm of the physical and the realm of the non-physical. This though should not be mistaken for New Age mysticism – which most often is merely a _physical_ form of a spiritual mysticism. Such ideology often tempts us to the belief that spirituality is the entire solution to our life; however pure “spirituality”:http://www.thethoughts.co.uk/thoughts/unity.htm can tip the balance in the opposite direction, leading one to ignore the physical aspects of life.

These then are the opposing ends of our existence. The physical – defined as that which exists external to our “self”. And the spiritual – defined as that which is pure “self”. Within either aspect our sense of belonging is often sought.

However, if we are to follow one aspect or the other, it will lead us to polarising our views, making them absolutes – an indication of the human intellects inability to distinguish between the relative and absolute. Thus a perspective of life based purely on physical (or purely on spiritual) beliefs creates a mental prison which we then encapsulate our own mind within.

Examples of these constructed prisons are numerous, as shown above – one such example would be a belief that self-definition is found within “job”. Other people however may construct a prison of a different nature. Religion then, is another example; a set of beliefs both etheric and spiritual which have been founded into concrete physical beliefs which one may live their life accordingly.

A distinction between Spirituality and Religion must be made at this point, as it is a distinction where some find confusion. In its pure form Religion is a physical representation of that which is spiritual or of a non-physical nature. Under this definition Religion is an institution to which an individual becomes a member.

Spirituality on the other hand, is that which exists separate from the physical, we can feel it within ourselves in many areas – it concerns itself both with the inner mind as well as parallels between “self” and the universe.

Of course “spirituality” cannot be merely constrained to words or actions, to do so would conform it to “physicality”:http://www.thethoughts.co.uk/thoughts/physicalism.htm.

So; in order to bring life to our inner need of belonging, we must walk the road that accommodates _both_ the physical and spiritual. We must step away and remove our pure attachment to the physical and bring our physical understandings of what we have learnt in life into balance with that which we must learn of the mind.

There are higher ideals to which a person is a part of. These are not physical ideals, or moral concepts, or ambiguous beliefs of righteousness. We belong to our inner self, we belong to family and friendship, we belong to the universe, ultimately we belong to _self_.

When we open our mind to possibilities beyond the five sense reality, we can begin to perceive the true nature of this constant need to belong. Therefore if we awaken our understanding and awareness…we will open the possibilities allowing us to begin to find a true sense of self.

Marcus - 2005