Philip Goldberg Explains “Spiritual But Not Religious”

Phil Goldberg

This brilliant commentary on the growing numbers of people who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious” was written for Huffington Post by Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda, which explores how India’s spiritual wisdom seeped into America’s cultural bloodstream.

SPIRITUAL BUT NOT RELIGIOUS:
MISUNDERSTOOD AND HERE TO STAY

A great deal has been written about that ever-expanding group of Americans who check “none” when asked about their religious affiliations. The segment of nones who call themselves “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) now constitute at least 20 percent of the population, and 30 percent of those under 30 years of age. I have interviewed hundreds of this important cohort for my books, and I find that the media commentary about them is riddled by misconceptions.

One problem concerns why people disconnect from the religious tradition of their birth. The most prevalent explanation is the one favored by scholars Robert Putnam and David Campbell, authors of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. They attribute disaffiliation mainly to the perceived link between religion and conservative politics—a turnoff to liberal-minded youth in particular.

I don’t buy it. There is no doubt that the judgmental moralizing of right-wing preachers has alienated a great many Christians, but that doesn’t explain SBNR. Believers who disdain fundamentalism have plenty of left-leaning denominations and apolitical congregations to turn to. I see it as more of a spiritual issue than a political one. The “S” in SBNR means something. In varying degrees, SBNRs are serious about their spiritual development, and they wish to pursue it wherever it leads them. The search itself is

Turn Off Your Phones!

in church today, the minister offered a nice analogy. He said that if you ask a friend to call you but you’re always on the phone with others, your friend won’t be able to reach you.

So it is with God. If your five “sense telephones” are ceaselessly relaying information and perceptions about

World Premiere of the “Through God’s Eyes” Video Trailer!

I am pleased to present the brand-new video trailer for Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World.

As I mention in the video, I’d be happy to send you a free c

The Secret to a Balanced Life

In a talk at the Self-Realization Fellowship World Convocation entitled Bringing Our Lives Into Balance, Brother Achalananda blended faith and logic to articulate a compelling prescription for finding balance in our daily lives:

The more complex our lives become, the more we need to realize that there is only one reliable point of balance—and that is

A Day in the Spiritual Life

Staying centered, balanced and attuned to divine will is an ongoing quest that demands daily discipline. Enlightenment is not a cumulative goal; it is as fragile as a snowflake because one careless act can melt it away.

As far as the Buddha Nature is concerned, there is no difference between sinner and sage . . . One enlightened thought and one is a Buddha, one foolish thought and one is again an ordinary person.
Hui Neng

With the hope that it may inspire you and give you some ideas on how you can better practice the presence of God, here is what my daily spiritual practice looks like:

FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

HERE’S WHAT I DO: I start each morning by practicing the presence as soon as I wake up. Lying in bed, I recite:

I encase Divine Mother in my bosom.
I am radiant health, I em eternal youth, I am inexhaustible energy.

HERE’S WHY I DO IT: The first affirmation, which helps me instantly connect to Divine Source, is from the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi.

Please note that I use the word “God” throughout for the sake of consistency and convenience, fully recognizing that there are probably as many interpretations of God as there are people reading this post. Many people view God as the source of all existence, many others as existence itself. Whether you view God as a being, a universal intelligence, a force, or any other type of form or formless entity, I trust that you will substitute the name, term, or reference for “God” that you are most comfortable with each time you come across the word.

I phrase the next affirmations as I do because a powerful way to begin an affirmation is with the words, “I

Praise Brings Peace

Calmly and joyously welcoming whatever life brings to you requires a major shift in understanding, perception, and attitude.

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.
Lao Tzu

Try this exercise: Think of the most difficult situation you have ever had to contend with. From the depths of your being, thank God for

The Beautiful Terror of Uncertainty

Anita Moorjani

Anita Moorjani‘s account of her near-death experience (NDE) is one of the most profound stories I have ever encountered—not just because of her astonishing experience beyond this world but because her body healed itself of her end-stage cancer (Hodgkin’s Lymphoma) within days of her return to this life. Click here to watch a forty-six-minute video interview with Anita in which she shares the story of her NDE.

I’m currently reading and enjoying Anita’s book, Dying to Be Me. Here are two paragraphs from page 137 that contain a whole lotta wisdom.

Since my NDE, I’ve learned that strongly held ideologies actually work against me. Needing to operate out of concrete beliefs limits my experiences because it keeps me within the realm of only what I know—and my knowledge is limited. And if I restrict myself to

So That Is What’s Possible

In the 12/27/13 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King ends his review of the book, The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer, with this:

The Interestings addresses one of fiction’s great themes: how we make peace with our own shortcomings and make the best of ordinary lives.

It’s a great theme in real life as well: How do people rearrange and rebuild their lives when dreams die hard?

Like most people, I’ve seen countless friends and acquaintances aim for careers and stardom in creative fields like acting, singing, painting and writing, only to end up frustrated and disillusioned. The cold, hard truth is that most of

Spitting Into the Wind

Pure intentions and honorable actions do not always offer protection from hurtful accusations from those you had been close to. More than one instance comes to mind in which I acted with complete integrity and selfless service only to have wildly untrue accusations flung in my face. Sadly, I have seen the same unfortunate fate befall people I love.

When I am unfairly attacked, my first instinct is to defend my integrity by explaining why the accuser’s perceptions are so horribly off target. Up until recently, I believed that explaining my position with clarity and precision would always be helpful and productive.

I was wrong. Time and time again, I have learned that trying to reason with an unreasonable, irrational or psychologically damaged person is like

The Doorway of Discontentment

Dan Millman

In his essay for Inspire Me Today, author Dan Millman shared a profound experience that continues to help him maintain his perspective during difficult times. It’s a beautiful lesson worth sharing.

Click here to read an excerpt from the  story Dan told me for my book, Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything.

YOUR DISCONTENT IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD AWAKENING

In our day-to-day lives, most of our attention tends to focus on the realities of the conventional world: our relationships, perhaps raising children, going to school or work, addressing issues in the areas of health and finances.

At the same time, we each experience, from time to time or even persistently, that whispered voice of our heart or higher self, reminding us and calling us to look beyond the conventional world to a higher or transcendent reality.

Sometimes we experience a sudden wake-up call—a loss or change that forces us to consider what life is really about and what’s truly important. It shakes

A Wonderful Night at Kathryn Harwig’s Intuitive Forum

It was a full house for my book reading at Kathryn Harwig’s Intuitive Forum tonight!

Kathryn Harwig

I was pleased and privileged to speak tonight at Kathryn Harwig‘s monthly Intuitive Forum gathering in Maple Grove, Minnesota. I had interviewed Kathryn, a respected author and healer, for my book, Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, and had sought her wise counsel while writing my new book, Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World.

Tonight I told stories from my books and read excerpts from Through God’s Eyes with the able assistance of Lori Anne Yang, a good friend and the founder of

The Sweet and the Bitter

In the book, The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence, a kitchen worker in a seventeenth-century Paris monastery, wrote of the peace that comes from viewing everything in life as a gift from God.

God knoweth best what is needful for us, and all that He does is for our good. If we knew how much He loves us, we should always be ready to receive equally and with indifference from His hand the sweet and the bitter. All would please that came from Him.

Indeed, all it takes is a shift of

My Radio Interviews for “Through God’s Eyes”

Here are some radio interviews I did for my book, Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World. I hope you enjoy them!

Here is an enjoyable interview I did with Michele Meiche for her Awakenings Radio Show. We discussed how to choose love as a way of life, why surrender is the cornerstone of a spiritual life, and how to align your will with Divine Will.

Here is our thirty-seven-minute interview from January 18, 2017:

Dennis Raimondi on the air with “Speaking Freely”

I had a great time talking to Dennis Raimondi of Speaking Freely. I had gotten to know Dennis, whose radio show originates from KRUU-FM in Fairfield, Iowa, during his frequent trips to Encinitas, California, where I live. Dennis enjoyed my book, Through God’s Eyes, and suggested I come on his show. It was a real pleasure being a guest on Dennis’ “Religion and Spirituality” series.




Here is our twenty-eight-minute interview from October 24, 2014:

Spiwe Pierce

I very much enjoyed this two-part interview on The Spiwe Show on July 13 and July 20, 2014. Spiwe and I had met some years ago as members of Self-Realization Fellowship and it was great reconnecting with her.









Here is our thirty-six-minute interview from July 13:

Here is our thirty-nine-minute interview from July 20:

I had a wonderful time talking to Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian about spirituality and healing on her show, The Yoga Hour, on February 27, 2014. Click on the audio player below to hear our 58-minute interview.

It was a joy talking to Julie Geigle for her Lifeclass Book Club. Here are the seven interviews we did, from January 7 through February 11, 2014. The videos average about thirty minutes each.

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (1 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (2 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (3 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (4 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (5 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (6 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (7 OF 7)

I had a great time talking about intuition and spiritual principles with Lindsay Marino on her show, Intuitive Guidance with Lindsay Marino, on December 9, 2013. Click on the audio player below to hear our 39-minute interview.

My interview with Greg Voisen of Inside Personal Growth on May 10, 2013, was a stimulating Q&A session. Click on the audio player below to hear our 37-minute interview.

My interview with Paul Streitz, author of Blue-Collar Buddha, aired on Holly’s Advice for B2C on January 15, 2013. Click on the audio player below to hear our 48-minute interview.

It was a pleasure talking to Kathy Kirk on her radio show, A New View of Life, on November 6, 2012. Click on the audio player below to hear our 45-minute

Download a Free 44-Page PDF of “Through God’s Eyes” Excerpts!

To read excerpts from my book, Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World, download this free 44-page PDF sampler. It includes:

• an overview of the book
• the complete table of contents
• the Foreword by Caroline Myss
• my Introduction
• chapter excerpts
• a sample end

Videos of My Book Readings for “Through God’s Eyes”

I am pleased to present this video of my book reading for Through God’s Eyes at the Hopkins Health and Wellness Center in

Skimming and Skipping Across the Surface of Our Days

Lori Anne Yang

I love the analogy my friend, Lori Anne Yang, expresses so beautifully in this brief post from her blog, Mammaste. it is a good visual and visceral reminder to make the most of every moment you have been blessed with.

SKIMMING AND SKIPPING ACORSS THE SURFACE OF OUR DAYS

Many mornings it feels like I put on my water skis, pick up the tow rope behind the speed boat that is my mind, the motor revs and