Clarification re. new Meditation thingie please

I don't remember an actual request, but I do remember making a comment myself about meditation and saying that some people would put that under (or on) the religion and spirituality forum. I've no objection to that but my comment came from something soop and I were talking about while she was in hospital this week. We were describing how we meditate. Since we are both atheists, it would hardly come under religion. I don't know what spirituality means. I can't speak for soop on that one though.

Anyway, that was all it was, I think.

I might out it on a philosophy forum if there was one, or Other Subjects, but I think meditatioin often is associated in people's minds with spirituality.

This is a genuine request for information, as I don't want to start a fight! It seems to me that meditation would fit well under spirituality, as it involves the mental rather than the physical and also, as far as I know (which is a very short distance) involves adding new dimensions to one's thinking. However, I say this as a churchgoer, and wonder if an atheist sees it differently. [ducks under the nearest parapet]

Fine by me, yourage I'm not bothered where it goes. I just don't do spirituality so I personally might put it somewhere else. I'm not sure there is any hard and fast information about it.

I regard my mind and how it works as part of my physical body. Thinking and meditating are still amazing though.

I was going to ask for a Philosophy forum - I thought that was what you had done, petallus last night. There was a bit of discussion about whether Meditation should go under Philosophy or Religion and Spirituality...

I view meditation as internal, nothing to do with an external spirit or deity, so it doesn't need to be in a religion and spirituality forum. I don't do it often nowadays, but at one time it helped me to face up to some difficult situations.

Ana will ask for Philosophy Forum forthwith.

Sorry petallus, I wasn't being critical! I couldn't open up the 'contact us' link (although Bags pointed out that I could have simply e-mailed from my own account), and you said you had asked, so I just assumed it was for a Philosophy forum.

I do not think Meditation goes under the heading of Spiritual , it is more an internal thing.

I think it was me who got confused. Have now asked HQ the correct question

Thanks, Bags. Sounds as if Spirituality is not the best choice of forum title for at least some atheists.

Why does it matter what a topic/thread is called - we can all post anywhere we like and our title will probably make it clear what our post is about?
And, of course, not all atheists think alike about everything - the only thing we might have in common is that we don't believe in any god. Neither are we all ready to jump on anybody who wants to start a discussion. I have posted elsewhere what great pleasure I have derived from long, informative discussions with a Christian member. I find it fascinating to learn how other people develop their own religion/philosophy/stance for living and I would hope some of them might be interested in the process that made me an atheist.

Nonu That is my point, mediation is quite essentially an internal thing as in my definition of spirituality.

I don't see what is wrong with using the spirituality and religion thread. I would suggest that religion and spirituality are two different words and define two different things.

To me Religion denotes a specific belief system. To me Spirituality is much more vague concept and sums up an individuals ideas about how to think about life how to behave and how to manage our own thoughts and feelings.

In my mind this is exactly what meditation does whether you do it on a religious basis or not. It is the same manner of relaxation and concentration which affects brain function in the same manner. If you can achieve a good quiet mental state I expect the feelings it generates in the brain of calm and contentment are the same whether you are a secular or religious meditator.

What/who you choose to attribute this feeling to is up to you.

So any secular meditators who seem to want to run mile from any religious practices, should realise that secular mediation owes a a lot to practices developed by religions such as Buddhism and Christian traditions.
But don't let that stop you it's very good for you.

Nellie, two minds, one thought