Güneş Hanım, the heroine of this story 😽

Phenomenological Reduction of the Religious or Spiritual

We've all heard stories of individuals who, after distancing themselves from spiritual or religious practices, suddenly become deeply devout. People who, for various reasons, become disillusioned with the spiritual traditions of their culture may suppress their innate need for spirituality. This prolonged suppression often leads to a sudden and profound transformation in their lives—a rapid return to spirituality that happens much faster than their initial departure.

From an ExperienceCraft perspective, this phenomenon reflects a prolonged deprivation of love, making the world seem dry and harsh. Individuals who perceive their values as burdens may, after a period of personal lawlessness, surrender to even more rigid value systems. This can be seen as a turbulence born out of a lack of love.

Beyond our empathy for these individuals, what people often label as spirituality is, through the eyes of an experience crafter, the experience of love that all religions, beliefs, and cultures strive to systematize.

• Love as a Safe Space: A realm where we lower our defenses, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable.

• Universal Warmth: The comfort a mammal feels returning home after a challenging hunt.

• Seeking Solace: A child bullied at school looking for a parent's embrace; an adult wronged at work reaching out to a partner.

• Communal Confession: The act of sharing burdens within the safe confines of a community or place of worship.

Love is as essential to us as water, air, and nourishment. It's the glue that holds our integrity together.

Approaching Spirituality with Secular Filters

As experience crafters, we can approach spirituality through secular lenses, creating profound experiences rooted in universal human emotions. By extracting the essence of spiritual practices—love, connection, expression—we can craft experiences that resonate deeply without the need for religious context.

• Worship as an Act of Love: Seen as expressions of love towards oneself and others.

• Mantras and Hymns: Melodic avenues for expressing various states of love, including joy, sorrow, and even anger.

• Circles and Communities: Spaces where experiential games unfold, serving as the "third place" beyond home and work where people gather to connect.

The Experience: Mantra and Hymn in Secular Spiritualism

Growing up, I was familiar with hymns due to my cultural background, but mantras were something I only encountered indirectly until I began practicing yoga. Secularizing religious practices—removing them from their traditional religious contexts—has been incredibly liberating for me. Engaging in these practices respectfully, without mockery or disrespect, opens up new realms of experience.

Discovering New Avenues for Self-Expression:

• Beyond Cultural Boundaries: Approaching the practices themselves allows for personal expression unhindered by cultural constraints.

• Experience Crafting: This exploration becomes a new avenue for creating and sharing experiences.

Let me share my secularly spiritual experience through the first principles of the ExperienceCraft: Flow, Journey and Transformation.

Flow: Connecting Through Play

My love language with my cat, much like how one might interact with a child, often involves physical affection—touching, hugging, petting. However, I've realized that I often neglect another crucial aspect: play. Animals, like humans, crave play as a form of connection and expression of love.

• Observing Loneliness: After feeding and briefly petting my cat, Güneş, she retreated to the enclosed balcony to watch birds—a favorite pastime but also a sign of seeking engagement.

• Recognizing the Need for Interaction: Noticing this, I decided to follow him rather than leaving him alone.

Journey: From Routine to Connection

Instead of merely tending to his basic needs, I engaged with Güneş on a deeper level.

• Eye Contact and Engagement: She maintained eye contact, signaling openness to interaction.

• Playful Wrestling: We began a gentle tussle, a game we both enjoy despite the occasional scratch.

• Rediscovering Joy: We played hide-and-seek and other games, and I was reminded of how much I had neglected this form of connection.

As we played, I felt his vibrant energy and the pure joy emanating from him. Her wholehearted immersion in play was infectious, lifting my spirits and drawing me fully into the moment.

Transformation: Embracing Secular Spirituality

In the midst of this joyful interaction, a profound sense of gratitude and warmth washed over me.

• A Spontaneous Hymn: I began to sing, "We are all made of love" not in any structured way but as a natural expression of my feelings.

• Melodic Affirmation: The song was both a mantra and a hymn, an affirmation of the love and connection I felt.

• A Moment Beyond the Mundane: The surroundings—the furniture, the home—felt warm and embracing. Time seemed to stand still as we existed in a space untouched by worldly concerns.

It was a Sunday, a day traditionally associated with rest and reflection. The timing felt significant, highlighting how spirituality can naturally emerge when we feel safe, connected, and unburdened.

Conclusion: Crafting Experiences of Love and Connection

This journey taught me that spirituality doesn't have to be confined within religious or new-age structures. By approaching spiritual practices with respect and secular intent, we can craft experiences that resonate on a profound level.

• Creating Personal Rituals: Simple acts like singing, playing, and fully engaging in the moment become rituals of love and connection.

• Experience Crafting: These moments are the essence of ExperienceCraft—crafting experiences that foster deep emotional engagement and personal transformation.

• Universal Accessibility: Such experiences are accessible to anyone, regardless of their beliefs, allowing for a shared human connection through love.

Embracing secular spirituality through everyday experiences can open doors to profound connections and personal growth. By crafting and participating in these moments, we acknowledge and nurture the universal threads of love that bind us all.