Practical Spirituality: Key Questions

September 30, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

Seekers go through two stages in their spiritual journey: exploring and applying. During the exploration phase, they engage in various activities like reading quotes from multiple sources, attending in-depth retreats, finding resonant teachers, reading books and scriptures, making connections between teachings and ideas, and more. The practical application phase, however, is all about putting what they have learned into action; it’s about doing. Asking the Right Question Can Make All the Difference Throughout life, you can find yourself either practicing... Read more

Conscious Spiritual Homeostasis

September 14, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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Can we apply the same principles the body uses for homeostasis to spiritual living? In this article, I’ll outline why I started asking that question, explain briefly the principles of physical homeostasis, and tell you why I think the answer is yes, all while illustrating how we are naturally inclined toward spiritual homeostasis. Asking the Question I am currently enrolled in a massage therapy course at Austin Community College. It’s funny to think that at fifty years old, I am... Read more

Can Nonduality Be Life-Affirming?

September 3, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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The philosophy of non-duality has enamored me since I was in my early twenties. The idea of everything being interconnected at the deepest level is enthralling, and the prospect of merging with that oneness experientially has been the North Star of my spiritual practice for decades. Recently, though, I have begun to doubt the practical nature of this philosophy. As my teacher, Yogi Shanti Desai, said two weeks ago, while we were working together on his latest book, “When one... Read more

Two Reasons Why Some People Fear Interfaith Relations

August 18, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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The Parliament of the World´s Religions is wrapping up in Chicago today. I have admired this event from afar since I was in my early twenties, after reading a speech given by Swami Vivekananda at the inaugural event in 1893. Since then, I have believed that the human race should aspire to improve relations between people of different beliefs. However, some people still fear interfaith relations. Discovering Fear of Interfaith From 2016 to 2017, I attended seminary and was ordained... Read more

The Easiest Way to Give Meaning to Emotional Pain?

August 15, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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Life is hard. We all experience physical, mental and emotional pain from time to time. There are many ways to give meaning to pain. Some say it shakes us and wakes us, while others say every experience is a learning opportunity. In this article, I’d like to offer an alternative view through an anecdote about what I see as possibly the easiest way to give meaning to pain. Meeting Family and Friends in Iceland In July this year, I visited... Read more

Why the Spiritual-But-Not-Religious Movement Will Ultimately Fail

August 10, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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My prediction is that the spiritual-but-not-religious movement will ultimately fail. It pains me to say this, but after years of contemplation, I can’t come to any other conclusion. There are three primary reasons behind my prediction, but before I go into detail, allow me to explain why I was a part of this movement for most of my adult life. Going Beyond Tradition I was first introduced to the spiritual-but-not-religious movement under the New Age umbrella in my late teens.... Read more

Interspirituality is Best Understood at 30.000 Feet but Can Only Be Practiced on the Ground

August 7, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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The deeper you dig into something, the more differences you see. Details unveil diversity. That is why interspirituality is best understood from 30.000 feet and why I’ve been engaged in big-picture thinking for most of my adult life. Whether New Age, theosophy, integral philosophy or yoga, I always gravitated toward unification theories, looking for similarities instead of getting bogged down by details. Recently, though, I’ve realized that details are necessary since an interspiritual approach can only be practiced on the... Read more

Life is Now and Life is Long

August 3, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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Ram Dass, the author of Be Here Now, made a surprising confession a few years before his passing. He had been so focused on living in the present moment that he had neglected to plan for the future. When he fell ill, he had to ask his followers and well-wishers for assistance. While embarrassing, the admission proved to be a valuable teaching moment. It underscored a paradox that we all struggle with, namely that life is now and life is... Read more

The Spiritual Act of Fatherhood

June 17, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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Rather than being mere sperm donors, men can transform fatherhood into a spiritual act when they embrace their roles as supporters and caregivers. Taming the Wild Historian Will Durant began one of his books by saying that the story of civilization is the story of the domestication of man. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when I first read that. The truth of his statement pierced my armor. “Of course,” I thought to myself. “All forms of spirituality are... Read more

Spirituality for Broken People

June 14, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

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I was broken when I first ventured outside the realm of traditional religion. Family circumstances and bullying had caused me to misuse alcohol and mess up most relationships with lovers and friends. My initial extra-religious spiritual encounters were in my late teens and early twenties. At that time, I wasn’t ready to change my behavior or admit that anything in me had broken, but spirituality offered me a new avenue to de-stress and elevate feelings of love and compassion. The... Read more