What is the purpose of life? It is to find meaning. [Viktor Frank]
The title is not a misprint. Everyone, including atheists, should be spiritual. It doesn't matter whether we agree or not because we are all spiritual to some extent. The alternative to spirituality is hedonism. In reality, we seek both. But the proportion matters.
The way that I mean spirituality has nothing to do with New Age spirituality, mysticism, religion, spirits, ghosts, God, or souls!
Spiritual means when we use our imagination to transcend the here and now and worldly (materialism, praise, etc.) things.
To be sure, this post is about the study of happiness. Happiness is about getting what we want. Although happiness and experiencing meaningful things are distinct, meaning-making ultimately contributes to our overall happiness. We do many meaningful things, such as embracing atheism, forming meaningful relationships with others, and pursuing our long-term life goals. These all contribute to happiness. That said, the kind of happiness that fulfills our immediate needs and wants, such as food or getting praise from others, is fleeting. This is where spirituality comes into the picture. Spirituality is about deriving meaning from life in a certain way—in a way that transcends our immediate needs and wants. An example of a spiritual activity is recognizing our deep connection to nature or that we all originated from the plains of Africa, which gives us meaning and satisfaction.
Above, when I say the alternative to spirituality is hedonism, this means that if we are not spiritual—deriving meaning from things that transcend our immediate needs and wants—then we are only making ourselves happy by gratification. I would argue that this is indeed a shallow life. Atheists, however, do not have the luxury of having religion. They must seek their meaning out of life.
At Its Core, Spirituality Isn't About God
'Spiritual' is used often without most people taking the time to ask what it means. I have heard many, in an attempt to not appear one-dimensional, claim that they are spiritual but not religious. Presumably, this means they ponder the more profound questions but don't follow strict rules. If we are materialists and do not believe in the soul or the spirit, we are free to throw out any references to the immaterial. Religion has a limited view of spirituality because it requires a belief in God. Here is a Catholic's view:
Spirituality is about living the mystery of Christ, becoming like Him, and being filled with grace and the Holy Spirit. It applies the Gospel to Christian Life. A spiritual person will attempt to make every action and interior thought align with the Gospel.
This definition is problematic for materialists who do not believe in the divinity of Christ. Astute observers, however, have noted that a certain familiarity exists in all forms of spirituality, which is present in every culture. Spirituality is anything that transcends the ordinary and brings meaning to our lives. This is more inclusive. Atheists, like everyone else, have a yearning for things beyond themselves. This is important because happiness, in itself, is not enough to live a genuinely satisfying life. Although we can conclude this for ourselves, we need some evidence to support our claim. We can turn to researchers who shed new light on old concepts.
Meaning Can Help with Happiness
Transcendence is the highest and most inclusive or holistic level of consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to others in general, to other species, to nature, and the cosmos. [Abraham Maslow]
The definition of spirituality encompasses two key aspects: transcendence and meaning. When we say something is transcendent, we mean that it transcends worldly things like status attainment, materialism, and the self. When we transcend everyday awareness, we are not in a judgmental or adversarial state of mind but rather see others for what we have in common with them. Transcendence means recognizing that we are a smaller part of a greater whole, such as part of a community or the human race. It gives us that sense of awe and oneness when contemplating our relationship to nature or recognizing that we all ultimately came from, say, stardust.
Whatever we do to be spiritual, it must be meaningful to us. Meaning is derived from doing, thinking, or belonging to things greater than ourselves and often reflects our identity and values (i). Values refer to the principles by which we should behave. If we think about it, values mainly serve our interests. For meaning to transcend the self, then we need virtues. Virtues are values that serve humanity. The virtues that are found in all cultures include gratitude, humility, forgiveness, hope, wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. If we follow these virtues, we experience meaningful life events by connecting with and helping others.
Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed, or even selfish life in which things go well, needs and desires are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided. [Roy Baumeister]
Notice how the ego is absent from virtue. The ego seeks to advance, satisfy its needs and desires, and garner praise. Happiness can fuel the ego because it is about getting what we want. When researchers study happiness, it is typically broken down into the presence of positive feelings, the absence of negative emotions, and overall life satisfaction. Short-term happiness is often in conflict with meaning-making. For example, suffering hinders happiness, but we reflect afterward and make meaning out of it. We learn from suffering, can assist others with our experience, and it becomes part of "our story." In the long run, meaning can bring us happiness and satisfaction.
Acquiring Truth Is a Spiritual Pursuit
According to Maslow, self-transcendence brings the individual what he termed "peak experiences," in which they transcend their concerns and view the world from a higher perspective. These experiences often evoke strong positive emotions, such as joy, peace, and a well-developed sense of awareness (Messerly, 2017).
Hopefully, we are considering what we do that goes beyond our careers and satisfies our needs and wants. I am satisfied with doing what I enjoy for its own sake, which is pursuing truth and knowledge. This may seem like a selfish activity, but it is not entirely. Thinking and feeling, which is what we do when we acquire, share, and reflect upon truth, are verbs. Although our society believes that we must produce to be of any use, there are numerous benefits to oneself and others when we acquire truth and knowledge (ii).
If we read about the human condition, for example, then we will gain knowledge that can serve a purpose. When we understand how human nature works, we can develop realistic expectations towards others and ourselves. We can show acceptance and understanding instead of fear and judgment. Part of engaging in meaningful activities is to connect with others, which is only possible if we show empathy. We further connect with others when we share our knowledge, which can inspire and enlighten us.
But does the pursuit of truth and knowledge qualify as being spiritual? I certainly transcend the here and now and become deeply satisfied, even moved, when I gain insight. Whenever I gain insight, I ensure it aligns seamlessly with my existing knowledge and understanding. If it does not, then it is ad hoc. I may have to adjust my framework to get a good fit, but when it does, eureka! I recall periods when radical insights led to shifts in how I viewed myself, others, and the universe. Over time, I have refined those ideas, constantly vigilant for a more accurate model to make sense of the world. For me, these insights often occurred after misfortune.
For many, suffering can entail failure, rejection, or depression. I have obtained satisfactory answers for why these things have happened to me and why they happen to us in general. When we understand how things work, this allows us to accept suffering more easily or to mitigate it. When we suffer, we create meaning from it. We do this by understanding how it ensues, making it purposeful, and then weaving a narrative out of it. For example, depression is the body retreating from a failure to get what we want. It occurs when attempts to advance or be sufficiently valued are thwarted; our endeavors become a "failed struggle." The body withdraws until we get on a more fruitful path. This explanation is meaningful, and it gives purpose to our suffering.
Are We Missing Something Without God?
Yes, I think we are. I believe God, amongst other things, helps us to cope when we are powerless and to face death. I, however, explained earlier that truth and knowledge are virtuous to me. As far as I can tell, a personal God is a human creation who acts as a sort of father-like attachment figure. Until there is evidence or sound reasoning for his existence, I cannot compromise my virtues (iii). I struggle to believe in something that is likely untrue. As Bertrand Russell said, "Either something is true or it isn't. If we cannot tell if something is true, then we should suspend judgment. If it is true, then we should believe it." Psychologists have long known that we function best when we approach life realistically. For some, God is still needed to help them cope with life's challenges.
My Grandfather became an atheist when he asked why would a benevolent God allow his daughter to suffer from a terminal disease. But in his last days, he became religious, especially after my grandmother died. If we can imagine aging to the point where people who we love and miss disappear, where we would do anything to hear their voices one last time, knowing that they exist in heaven must be comforting. I do not know how I will cope when loved ones perish or when I find myself alone in assisted living with strangers. In these events, I don't fault people for seeking support from God, who is supposedly looking out for their best interests.
There is no place, however, for the atheist to go, no refuge for when life is nearing the end. When we belong to a religion, we share values that bind us in a significant way. We can admire religion for creating a sense of belonging while catering to the sick and paying tributes to the dead. On the other hand, religion claims to provide the why, while science provides the how (v). It aims to give meaning and answers to the questions of why we are here and what happens after death. Their answers turn out to be unsatisfying and wrong. There is no evidence for an afterlife, and the why question is poorly construed. We have no ultimate cosmic purpose.
Thus, it is our responsibility to create meaning out of life. If we are going to make meaning, then why not pursue activities that society holds in high regard? This will not only increase our happiness, but if we act virtuous, we can focus on maximizing the flourishing of everyone. We need only ask ourselves how we want to be remembered: as smug and self-centered or as altruistic and purposeful. Since atheists do not have an extensive network of non-believers—no central "church"—it is dire for them to be spiritual.
Addendum & Notes
Here's an example of creating meaning out of death. If we reflect on the fact that the people we love and the meaning we've made will cease to exist one day, this can bring suffering. Tyson has given meaning to death by assigning it a purpose. Its purpose is to instill gratitude for life, create a sense of urgency for moral behavior, and lead to a satisfying life.
It is the knowledge that I'm going to die that creates the focus that I bring to being alive, the urgency of accomplishment, and the need to express love now, not later. If we live forever, why ever even get out of bed in the morning? Cause you always have tomorrow. That's not the kind of life I want to lead. [Neil deGrasse Tyson]
i). Researchers view meaning as two separate parts—a motivational part or purposeful and a cognitive part, which allows us to make sense of what we do and integrate it into the past, present, and future.
Years of research on the psychology of wellbeing have demonstrated that often human beings are happiest when they are engaged in meaningful pursuits and virtuous activities." Indeed, when we are deeply involved in an activity that alignswith our best selves, we often report the highest levels of life satisfaction. [Todd Kashdan]
Meaningful pursuits are undertaken for a purpose, such as to pursue our long-term goals. These goals are best chosen to reflect what society considers noble, thereby assisting it in becoming a source of pride. We can still derive meaning from activities that hold value for us, which often occurs when we engage in them for their own sake rather than for the outcome. But it can also be about derived meaning in which we make something purposeful. I gave an example of how we, by understanding how things work, say experiencing depression, give it a purpose and no longer make it feel like we suffered for no reason at all. Tyson derived meaning from the above as well.
ii). Be warned, though, since when we acquire knowledge, there is a risk of us becoming smug, as in we know something that others don't. We must approach gaining knowledge with humility because the job is never done.
iii) My bookshelf and Kindle are filled with dozens upon dozens of theist and atheist arguments for or against God. If we view the evidence neutrally and suspend our own biases, it isn't easy to come to any conclusion other than non-existence. Over seventy percent of philosophers are atheists. I am inclined to think that they are familiar with the stock arguments all too well. Seventy percent is a huge number, considering the population purports atheism to be around 10%. A proportion of seventy percent of a sub-population of people who devote themselves to truth and knowledge all concluding that God doesn't exist is quite telling.
iv) I have other personal reasons for not liking the idea of a God. For example, bringing God into the universe as an explanation seems to make a mockery out of truth and knowledge. Belief in God also trivializes, as well as makes it inexplicable, why there is unnecessary suffering amongst many people (even animals) across the globe. I am not talking about suffering from failure, rejection, or depression. If these issues are not pervasive and grave, then they are tolerable, and we grow from them. On the other hand, many people get inflicted with diseases that cut their lives short, and they never get to recover and weave meaning out of their experiences.
v) Theology and science have traditionally been regarded as distinct spheres of knowledge, each addressing its questions. They have their epistemology—how we know what we know—and constitute different metaphysics—what is the ultimate nature of the cosmos. The problem is that they overlap, and the claims made by theology can be tested through the scientific method. Prayer, for example, is about God changing the course of affairs in the universe. This represents a valid domain for science. Repeatedly, however, prayer has yielded statistically insignificant results, indicating that any observed effect in the prayer group compared to the control group was due to chance and did not represent a genuine effect.