Spiritual practices such as fasting, prayer, psychedelics, and spiritual openings can now be thoroughly analyzed through the scientific method. For instance, sports can now be dissected through science by evaluating the telepathy that many people think is present between teammates. Since becoming an experienced athlete includes years of long-term commitment, it mimics the same patterns that go along with religious discipline. Many athletes claim that during a game they reach a higher level of consciousness that they’ve never experienced before.
Key Takeaways:
- Fasting, whether done for religious or spiritual reasons or for health, can bring about a distinct sort of mental and spiritual clarity.
- Sports have become almost like a kind of spirituality in the modern world, with both athletes and fans recalling intense focus, altered consciousness and a sense of connection.
- The use of psychedelics, like many traditional rites, can produce a profound kind of “death-like” experience.
“At the same time, spiritual practices are being investigated scientifically as never before.”