Many people believe that spirituality and rationality cannot coexist. It’s often assumed that being spiritual means abandoning reason, and being rational means rejecting anything spiritual. But my experience has shown me that this belief is built on a misunderstanding of both concepts.
I was born with an acute awareness that this world is, at its core, illusionary. From an early age, I sensed that the so-called “facts” people cling to were not as solid as they seemed. They were assumptions, interpretations, constructs that required belief, whether in religion or science. For me, rationality was never about blindly trusting what could be measured or proven by someone else. Rationality, at its purest, meant cutting away anything that couldn’t stand on its own, without belief.
The Search for the Undeniable
The only undeniable truth I found as a child was this: I exist. Everything else – names, measurements, theories, stories – depended on interpretation. Even the most widely accepted facts required faith: faith in a teacher, a scientist, or a religious leader. But my rational mind couldn’t settle for belief. I needed something unshakable.
This longing for an undeniable truth became my compass. It brought me to existence itself, the one thing no one could argue with. I didn’t need anyone else to prove it to me. It was there, self-evident, unchanging, and foundational.
Rationality as a Path to Spirituality
For me, being rational means being uncompromisingly sharp, cutting away anything that requires faith or external validation. And yet, this strict rationality didn’t make me less spiritual – it made me deeply spiritual. In fact, I would argue that true spirituality is a form of ultimate rationality.
What do I mean by this? To me, spirituality is not about beliefs, rituals, or systems of thought. It is about being so clear, so rational, that you see through the illusions of the world. You recognize that everything, names, forms, concepts, is part of a shifting, dreamlike reality. The only constant is the awareness that observes it all.
This perspective might redefine what we think of as “spiritual.” The word itself carries so much weight, so many assumptions. People associate it with faith, practices, or mystical experiences. But for me, spirituality is simply the clarity of seeing things as they are. It is the ultimate rationality.
The Limits of Belief
Both science and religion rely on belief. Science asks you to trust in the measurable, in theories that others have proven. Religion asks you to trust in the unmeasurable, in divine truths. But either way, belief is required.
Rationality, in its truest sense, doesn’t allow for belief. It demands truth, something undeniable and self-evident. It’s not about trusting someone else’s conclusions, no matter how authoritative they seem. It’s about returning to the foundation of your own experience.
This is why I’ve never been a believer, not in religion, not in science. I’ve only ever been interested in the truth, and truth, by its nature, is free from opinion or debate. It stands on its own.
Redefining Spirituality
If we think of spirituality as belief, it will always be at odds with rationality. But if we redefine spirituality as the process of seeking truth, as the direct experience of existence itself, then it becomes the highest form of rationality.
Rationality and spirituality are not opposites. They are deeply interconnected. When rationality is taken to its sharpest point, it cuts through the illusions of the world. It reveals the underlying reality, the unshakable foundation that is always present. And that, to me, is the essence of spirituality.
So perhaps it’s time we let go of the divide between the rational and the spiritual. Perhaps the two are not enemies, but allies, two paths leading to the same undeniable truth.