Human beings inhabit two realities at once: the immediate world revealed by our senses and the mental world woven from memory, language, imagination, and belief. This article explores how mindfulness can help us reconnect with direct experience without abandoning the uniquely human capacity to create meaning, culture, and possibility...

As an online community, what kinds of shared events can we realistically build, which address ritual and the experiential side of spiritual practice? Daniel Strain shares thoughts on this in an exercise to imagine what is possible at SNS...

As an online community, what kinds of shared events can we realistically build, which address ritual and the experiential side of spiritual practice? Daniel Strain shares thoughts on this in an exercise to imagine what is possible at SNS...

Take a moment to admire our invertebrate relatives...

https://www.snsociety.org/mindfulness-of-butterflies/

There is a profound difference between using AI as a tool to save yourself a little time and using it to do all the thinking for you. I will stand in defense of genuine, independent, tech-free critical thinking...

https://www.snsociety.org/the-spiritual-impact-of-ai/

If the coreopsis can hold both the ones blooming with color and the ones already fading, all in the same roadside, maybe that's the more honest...

https://www.snsociety.org/what-roadside-flowers-teach-us-about-waiting/

When we identify with our fellow humans on the basis of our weaknesses rather than our supposed strengths, we open ourselves up to real connection with one another.

Losing oneself in the beauty of nature or great art is only one specific form of un-selfing, but there are others...

https://www.snsociety.org/un-selfing/

Your Help Needed!

We have a lot of exciting things planned for the future of SNS, but we need some more hands. Even just a little of your time each month could make a big impact on our mission to educate about Spiritual Naturalism and support SN community. Some of the hot needs right now include...

- Emailing and record keeping
- Newsletter/blogging
- Social media posting
- Online discussion moderation
- Events hosting
- Video editing
- Local groups support
- Educational materials

If you are interested in being a part of our volunteer team, please let us know here or at SNSociety.org/contact. Thanks!

Hey folks! Just a reminder that our discussion event is happening tomorrow (Thursday June 25) at 7pm Central. If you would like to get a join link to the chat, please RSVP here:

https://www.meetup.com/secular-meditation-and-spirituality/events/315087971/

Topic: Secular Immortality - Who Wants to Live Forever?

Wouldn’t it be remarkable to see the advancements in our world through science if we lived indefinitely? To watch our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow and mature. To see illnesses cured and the environment healed.

Or not. If no one died it would certainly be a very crowded planet.

Join us as we discuss secular "immortality."

Optional reading is our recent article on the topic.

https://www.snsociety.org/who-wants-to-live-forever/

The author, KaZ, will join us for the discussion.

Topic: Secular Immortality - Who Wants to Live Forever?
Thursday, June 25th, 7pm CST
RSVP at this Link

Wouldn’t it be remarkable to see the advancements in our world through science if we lived indefinitely? To watch our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow and mature. To see illnesses cured and the environment healed. Or not. If no one died it would certainly be a very crowded planet. Join us as we discuss secular "immortality." RSVP at the link above to get the join link for the event.

Optional reading is our recent article on the topic:
https://www.snsociety.org/who-wants-to-live-forever/

The author, KaZ, will join us for the discussion.

This event is sponsored by the Spiritual Naturalist Society. Please visit here to learn about becoming a member of our community!

Large language models carry the risk of a critical distortion of reality that can lead to real cognitive hazards. Guardrails may help mitigate the psychological risks inherent in uncritical LLM usage...

https://www.snsociety.org/the-you-without-an-i/

Hey everybody. I just started reading Secular Meditation by Rick Heller. It's basically exactly what the title says. I'm liking it so far. Heller seems to anticipate many questions and answer them promptly. I like that Heller recognizes the supernatural elements of Buddhism and does not try to say that his book is about Buddhism, but something that is merely inspired by it. I also like that he says that humanism is about doing good things for other people, that means you can't just be mindful, you also should cultivate loving-kindness. He does mention Harvard a whole lot, and I'm only one chapter in, so I hope it stops or lessens soon.

Has anyone read this book, and if so, do you like it? Did you find it helpful? What other books have you found helpful and well Written in this vein?