Home
>
Spirituality
>
Insulting Spirit or Exposing the Me

Insulting Spirit or Exposing the Me

While it isn't my intention to insult anyone (Alright, for the purposes of this article it IS my intention to insult any 'one', and I'll explain that later) I would like to offer a few suggestions for your reading enjoyment and/or disdain.

For what it's worth, I have examined and explored the Worlds authentic Spiritual Traditions for well over a decade, and have provided hundreds of workshops on Spirituality to thousands of participants. Recently I have surveyed much of western Canada on the topic of 'Spirituality', and what I have found is this: there is very little that actually addresses the nature of authentic Spirituality.

What is usually called Spirituality is actually self-esteem building, identity strengthening, various approaches that attempt to solidify, heal or grow the 'me', as well as entertaining New-Age fluff. And while some of these efforts are at times absolutely essential (and I can't say that strongly enough) they have little or nothing to do with Spirituality. Freud called Religion the "opiate of the masses". In discussions I hear many adamantly assert "I am NOT Religious, I am Spiritual". The Spirituality these people are speaking of is at best the same kind of opiate Religion offers: comfort and consolation through belief systems (again, absolutely essential). Make no mistake about it; anyone is free to call anything by any name they choose. You can call the earth flat, you can call asleep awake, and you can call the 'me' Spiritual, but the false ('me') does not become the Real (Spirit), no matter what you call it or how much you believe in it.

In my explorations and experiences, Spirituality has seldom been a 'feel good' endeavor. I would define Spirituality as 'the movement towards Reality', which often means away from comfort and consolation. This means disillusionment via the abandonment of unnecessary beliefs. What are unnecessary beliefs? All beliefs are unnecessary. Should I say that again? All beliefs are unnecessary. All. Do you need to believe you exist? Do you need to believe in your current experience? Do you need to believe you are alive? Do you need to believe in this moment? Do you really need to believe in anything at all? If so, why? Security? Comfort? Programming? Belief is what separates us from directly experiencing Reality here now. Belief is what we create to comfort us from the enormity of Reality and our fear of the Mystery that is Life. Beliefs are based on hand-me-down dogmas and un-examined stories and myths. Reality is what is left over when beliefs are seen through. Reality is not available to 'me'. Why? Because the separate 'me' IS unreal, ie an illusion. Upon close inspection and sustained scrutiny, no 'me' is ever found. But what am 'I' then, if not a 'me'?

What I AM, is 'AM-ness' or pure BEING.
BEING is PRIOR to the 'me' or 'mine' thought.
BEING is IMPERSONAL, not 'mine'.
BEING is KNOWING, direct, unmediated, and immediate.
BEING is the SPACIOUSNESS experience arises within.
BEING is EVER-PRESENT, always here and now.
BEING is HEALING, because it is REAL and TRUE.
BEING is SPIRITUAL i.e. BEYOND the 'me'.

But what I really AM is often obscured by what the mind and body produce as their natural function, which is combinations and patterns of thoughts, emotions, sensations, and interpretations. These combinations are called 'experiences', and seemly produce an 'experiencer', some 'one' that experiences, called 'me'. Seemingly.

Consider this: Before you can be anything, first you must BE. You must simply BE. BEING is primary and is the underlying aliveness of existence that is ever-present. BEING is recognized as an ever-present Fullness in the center of the chest radiating outward through the body and beyond. BEING is not dependent upon outward circumstances and cannot be contained. Therefor, BEING is also unconditional Freedom. I AM that Fullness. I AM that Freedom. I AM that BEING. And so are you. This understanding is the place of genuine healing, because it allows us to be with our experience AS IT IS, however it is, without resorting to dramatic stories and fearful interpretations that cause us to recoil and pull away from the immediacy of our present life experience.

Now, if you have been insulted by the harshness of these words I apologize for my polemics. My point is this: the feeling of insult is a result of becoming temporarily lost in the limited and limiting story of a 'me', produced by the mind and felt in the body. The 'me' was exposed, and BEING was lost in favor of the story of 'me'. That story is not what you are, but does produce the illusion of a 'me' to which it belongs. If there's a story there must be a storyteller, right? Wrong! Authentic Spirituality is not about improving the storyteller or the story, but recognizing that the storyteller and the story are both part of the same illusion. That may not feel good or safe, but if it's all about 'feeling good' and safety, then maybe Spirituality can wait until Reality becomes the most attractive force in your Life. Until then there are plenty of worthy endeavors to explore, and of course you can call them Spirituality if you like. But when you are ready, you will be drawn to the realm of authentic Spirituality, and it will be seen and known that there is no one to heal although healing may happen; no one that grows although growth may occur; and the 'me' is but a playfully insulting belief that happens to no one at all. And that's just the beginning. Believe it ? or not?

May these words remind you of what you truly are, helping you to live and express your deepest truths.

Aaron McNaught is an Educator, Consultant, Author, Psychiatric Nurse and Certified Hypno-Therapist, specializing in 'De-hypnosis' & Waking Up, as it relates to healing, growth, and beyond. He lives in Red Deer Alberta Canada

housekeepers near Glenview ...

In The News:

Lyft rolled out safety upgrades with a new Safety Hub, driver blocking capability and a favorite driver option to give riders more control over their experience.

New research shows Americans increasingly trust AI for wellness guidance over social media, with 63% finding artificial intelligence reliable for health.

Luxury fashion brand Dior experienced a January 2025 data breach affecting customer personal information, and notifications were sent months after the discovery.

The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.