This may have already been said, but many of the authors/gurus/teachers from the “Vedic” tradition emphatically state how true spiritual work should and even must be done scientifically.

The science as described involves primarily data gathered from direct observation of one’s own experience, rather than studying the external physical world.

This goes very contrary to the statistically driven science most people are familiar with, even though certain hypotheses, experiments and results can be observed in larger groups.

However, if the scientific method is applied rigorously to matters of the spirit it will yield great dividends.

I came to “spirituality” by means of almost rabid skepticism, and extreme distrust towards anything not “based in reality”, or measurable with instruments, slowly exploring and asking questions about the nature of reality.

This extreme skepticism is so important, as belief or faith is the enemy of knowing. I believe the western mind (one with developed rational thinking), when applied to areas on the frontiers of consciousness and reality is an extremely potent tool.

One can marry the logic and reason with intuition, emotion and introspection and go very far into the unknown, bringing back wisdom to enrich one’s own life, and the lives those one shares this knowledge with.

I believe that as a species we’re in the verge of discovering a whole new layer to what it means to be human conscious beings.

I’m not really sure if there is a point to this comment. Perhaps I am just excited to see spiritual inquiry happening in the mainstream, with structure and discipline.

I am sick of strict materialism, and just as sick of the ungrounded beliefs, taken in faith by people involved in the so-called “new age movement.”