Redefining Spirituality in Your Life with Autonomy

Do you really know what spirituality is? I never asked myself this question, but I discovered that I didn’t know what it truly was.

I used to confuse spirituality with religion and distanced myself from it because I wanted to move away from religion when it no longer made sense in my life. But one has nothing to do with the other.

Spirituality goes far beyond religion and is essential to our lives.

A Trending Spiritual Transition: From Christianity to Critical Reflection

Before diving into the redefinition of spirituality, I want to share my journey with it. I was raised with the moral teachings of Christianity. My grandmother, who raised me for much of my life, was deeply Catholic, and it was Catholicism that shaped my spiritual foundation.

I went through first communion, confirmation, and even explored Protestantism. Until I was about 16, I was very loyal to the Bible and frequently attended church. Everything I knew as spirituality was based on what my family told me about God and Jesus and what I learned in church.

But everything changed during my teenage years when I began to develop critical thinking and question religion. Gradually, I realized that many of the teachings I learned didn’t make any practical sense in my life, nor did they help me.

In fact, many young people of my generation, upon developing critical thinking, started distancing themselves from Christianity and any religion for similar reasons.

The fact is, most interpretations of the Bible can’t be applied literally to modern life, which is what many people try to do. Of course, there are more progressive branches of Christianity. But this religion, like others, is rooted in ancient doctrines.

In the past, these doctrines served to provide a moral framework for society. However, these teachings continued through time without much revision or adaptation to contemporary issues.

I don’t want to make any judgment on whether religions are good or bad, but rather question the fact that many religions tend to be outdated, deterministic, and conservative.

This clearly hasn’t worked well in an era where information has no boundaries, and technology and science have advanced significantly. Several recent studies and research indicate that adherence to formal religion has decreased in various parts of the world, especially in Western countries.

What is Spirituality?

Spirituality is a dimension of life that involves seeking a deeper meaning, beyond the material world. As I mentioned earlier, it goes beyond formal religious practices and refers to self-awareness and understanding of our reality.

Moreover, spirituality allows us to find a sense of belonging, purpose, and transcendence, which can be cultivated through various practices. However, it can be achieved without the need for intermediaries and detached from doctrines. In other words, exactly what I want to bring here: spirituality with autonomy.

When I understood this, it clicked. I had always sought answers about the universe and my purpose. Religion didn’t provide coherent answers, and although science is my primary logical base, it divides into its own theories, leaving us more confused with each new discovery.

Only when I got to know myself deeply, from the inside out, did I finally find the answers and the peace of mind I had sought throughout my life.

Today, I understand spirituality as self-awareness and the most important dimension of life. Clarity, balance, healing, happiness, love, understanding, and much more are possible when you connect with true spirituality.

Beyond that, spirituality fuels my motivation to seek more knowledge, help others, and share what I’ve learned. And if you’re a logical person like me, you need relevant explanations to comprehend and allow yourself to connect with spirituality.

So, let’s go!

The Answer to Everything

Yes, I believe that spirituality is the answer to everything. But it’s not up to me or anyone else to implant this understanding in your mind. I, along with many other spiritualists, am merely a guide or support for you to do this internal work and reach this understanding.

Let me share my version of my understanding of reality through spirituality.

It all began in 2020, when I discovered astrology and became fascinated by this study. It allowed me to know myself, identify my difficulties, and recognize my strengths. Through astrology, I learned that I have control over my destiny.

Day by day, I became more certain that it could explain almost everything about reality. After a year of study, I definitively affirmed that it works and makes sense. But I didn’t initially think of astrology as spirituality.

In 2023, after having achieved most of my dreams and goals, I faced challenges that shook my balance and tested my self-awareness.

I felt lost and realized something was still missing in my life. I was thirsty for answers. I wanted to understand why things were happening, where I came from, where I was going, how I could improve, and what my purpose was.

I navigated through different religions and sought knowledge in various ways. I was feeling a strong call from my spirituality. I needed to fill this void within me, and I knew I would find it.

Soon after my relentless search for answers, I met someone who changed the way I understood spirituality—my mentor, Gisele Almeida.

Almost everything I will share here I learned from her. She has a neutral and logical way of explaining spirituality and guiding us to a higher level of consciousness, with a focus on autonomy.

Before I go further, I must also emphasize an important stage in my journey. Before meeting Gisele, I became obsessed with near-death experiences.

A series I watched on Netflix, Surviving Death, also opened my mind to this topic. As I delved into these investigations, it became clear to me that consciousness is not tied to the body and that existence goes far beyond this earthly experience.

Who Are We, Where Do We Come From, Where Are We Going?

You know the Big Bang Theory we learned about in school? It’s the most accepted scientific theory to explain the creation of the universe. True spirituality simply confirms what this theory explains.

Before the universe existed, it was a singularity, which, in order to know itself (this is why spirituality begins with self-awareness), divided and multiplied. Through duality (positive and negative polarities) and the diversity of experiences, it can explore its maximum creative potential.

Now, imagine the creation of a new being that begins with a single cell, the zygote, which starts dividing into genetically identical cells, which continue to divide and multiply, and so on.

Now, imagine this scenario to understand the division of the singularity that was the Universe, but happening very quickly, which characterizes an explosion.

Beyond what science explains, spirituality adds that everything in the Universe is conscious. The Big Bang was the conscious decision of the singularity to become multiple in order to know itself.

It’s no coincidence that I used the example of cellular division to explain the creation of the Universe. The micro reflects the macro, and this can be seen and confirmed in many ways. The discovery of quantum also attests to this, as it reveals the smallest particle on a subatomic scale that exists in everything—from the tiniest microbe to the largest galaxy. Everything is energy, and it’s all made of the same substance.

Just as the cells of your body originated from the same singular cell and each one fulfills its function while following the command of your consciousness, this is how the entire Universe functions.

We can even metaphorically say, for example, that galaxies are like parts of the Universe’s body (in this case, we can consider it as some refer to as the Source, or even God). Systems, such as the solar system, would be comparable to systems in our body, like the digestive system. The planets, then, would be like organs, and we would be the cells.

Each one fulfills its function, just as each of us fulfills ours. We are different, but we come from the same source and are made of the same material. There is no competition. Everything is complementary and essential. We are all here fulfilling a purpose.

Another bit of knowledge we take from school science to understand spirituality is energy. We are made of energy. Fact. And energy doesn’t die. It always transforms. So, by now, it’s logical that we don’t die, right?

We live an eternal experience, learning, experimenting, and bringing knowledge back to the whole. In other words, to the Universe as a greater consciousness.

Remember the body? We bring knowledge to the whole just as, by analogy, our tongue experiences food and sends the information to the brain through electrical signals, which is interpreted by you (the greater consciousness) as a specific flavor.

Spirituality and Science

We have to agree that, although it gives us many answers about reality and how things work, science doesn’t have all the answers. To be honest, science has very few answers. Only 5% of the Universe is known. Scientists don’t even know where to begin explaining the remaining 95%, which is made up of dark energy.

But science is getting closer and closer to spirituality. Similar concepts are now sparking the interest of researchers and scholars. Quantum theory was a major step forward in this area.

We know that everything is energy, vibration, and frequency. What we perceive as solid is actually many quantum particles (energy) vibrating at such a fast rate that we can’t perceive them. Vibrations are the manifestation of this energy in motion, and frequency is a measure of the nature of that movement.

An atom is made up of a nucleus, which contains protons (with a positive charge) and neutrons (with no charge), surrounded by electrons (with a negative charge).

The subatomic structure, with positive and negative charges, also reflects a central theme in spirituality—duality or polarity. It governs everything we know, like good and evil, feminine and masculine, day and night, etc. It is this duality that generates the energy of movement.

We can also understand that we shape our reality through our consciousness using the concepts of quantum physics.

Superposition states that the observer plays a crucial role in determining the state of a quantum particle, indicating that possibilities are endless until they are realized. Thoughts and imagination are already real, regardless of whether you see them or not.

Everything is interconnected, and communication doesn’t need a medium—it is direct. This is what quantum entanglement suggests: two particles can be linked in such a way that the state of one instantly affects the state of the other, regardless of distance.

Quantum theory also dismisses space-time as a universal property, leading to the understanding that only the state of “being” exists, everywhere, at all times. Our linear perception of time is attributed to our consciousness in this earthly state.

There’s no doubt that quantum physics is very close to explaining reality as spirituality already indicates. I asked Chat GPT to calculate the probability of reality being more like a quantum computer compared to a classical computer. Here’s the answer:

Pretty crazy, right? But as complex as it is, I wanted to give this more detailed explanation before diving into the practical understanding of spirituality. That way, it’s easier to grasp the logic of everything.

Practicing Spirituality with Autonomy

If we understand that we are part of the whole that simply is, we realize we have the power of the Universe within us. We can shape our reality. It all depends on us. And if the micro reflects the macro, then self-knowledge is the gateway to all the knowledge in the world!

I get excited talking about this. When this understanding formed in my mind, I just wanted to shout to everyone about the power they have within themselves. But it’s not that easy. I realized there’s a lot of knowledge that needs to be shared for this conclusion to be as clear to others as it is to me. So, one step at a time. Let’s start with self-knowledge.

There are many ways and tools for self-discovery. I used Astrology, but you might achieve it through psychotherapy, and others might through meditation, holistic therapies, mentorships, and so on.

Self-knowledge is expanding consciousness. If the goal of evolution is to have a higher consciousness, it starts from within. With self-awareness, that is, more consciousness, it’s possible to find balance and step out of polarization (one moment everything is fine, the next everything is bad). That is spiritual evolution.

When you seek evolution in the beginning, you may create different movements, and challenges arise to help you develop your potential. You step out of a frequency of repetition and into a higher frequency that brings new things, outside your comfort zone.

Imagine that the universe is a giant quantum computer calculating infinite probabilities of you existing. When you don’t know your essence or follow your mission, you act randomly, letting the universe calculate probabilities for you based on your frequency. This may lead you to experience more negative polarity.

When you know yourself and seek the middle path, that is, balance, you manifest your reality the way you prefer, avoiding randomness. But you must put the knowledge into action. Each one of us builds the whole, the micro influences the macro. If one person changes their frequency, the collective frequency changes.

Now tell me if all this doesn’t make sense.

Conclusion

The more you navigate spirituality, the clearer it becomes that absolutely everything can be understood, and everything has a logical explanation.

Even understanding religion becomes easier. Christianity, like other religions, philosophies, and mythologies, explains many of the concepts we’ve discussed here, but in an allegorical way and without the factor of autonomy.

The idea that you need a place, a ritual, or a mediator to connect with spirituality and the divine doesn’t fit within true spirituality. It can be achieved this way, but autonomy is the most efficient and elevated path.

To reframe and summarize, in true spirituality:

• The practice is autonomous, without the need for a place, specific ritual, or intermediary.
• Everyone is essential and plays their role within the whole. Diversity allows you to choose what works best for you.
• The micro reflects the macro. By knowing yourself, you understand others and the world.
• Prayer is the same as meditation, which, in turn, is entering connection with the whole, the state of “is.”
• Reality is malleable. There are probabilities, but you co-create it with your thoughts and actions.
• What you think becomes an attainable probability.
• Everything is energy, including your consciousness and thoughts. Frequency is what differentiates one thing from another.
• Your frequency and actions influence the collective.
• God is the whole, the Universe, the state of “is.” You are part of it and have God within you. Thus, you also have the power of co-creation and transformation, both of yourself and the environment.
• Life is an eternal experience in which we seek evolution through knowledge.
• Duality is part of life, but it is possible to seek balance for a lighter life.
• Science is increasingly becoming an ally.

I tried to make the understanding of spirituality simple, but the truth is it’s quite complex, and in this dimension (a topic for another post), we don’t have a high enough consciousness to fully comprehend it.

This post is meant for you to understand the basis of spirituality and to empower yourself with self-knowledge and the autonomy to co-create your reality.

I plan to write more posts with detailed insights on multidimensionality, evolution, and other topics. Follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss out: https://www.instagram.com/nayararibeiros/