Spirituality is often associated with religion and presumes the existence of an incorporeal soul, supernatural phenomenon such as life-after-death, and one or more supreme beings. However, spirituality can also extend to a wider meaning that excludes all forms of supernaturalism. In this sense, spirituality is concerned with understanding one's relationship with nature and the universe and in the deeper meaning of life and one's life purposes. In this view, a spiritual person is simply one who strives to find meaning in life and works to live in harmonious accord with the Cosmos.
In the Demon-Haunted World, Dr. Carl Sagan writes: "Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light-years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual."
Having such a spiritual attitude is a state-of-mind, and it defines the way in which one approaches any and all subjects. When we look deeply into the starry night sky and see the universe in all is splendor, we cannot help but experience a sense of profound awe. While some may be hesitant to call this sense of awe "spiritual", there is no harm in considering it such if we remove it from any specific religious connotation. Our awe, reverence, and wonderment toward nature is truly a spiritual experience--not spiritual in that it originates from a god or supernatural phenomenon, but spiritual in a deeply emotional and intellectual way.
As peculiar as it may sound, even the most hardcore atheist can lead a spiritually enlightened life if he strives toward excellence of character, cultivates his intellectual qualities, and devotes himself to understanding the universe through science. This is the meaning of "Enlightened Spirituality". The philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment shared this view of spirituality, as do many scientists today.
If we are to consider religious spirituality with regards to the philosophy of Enlightened Reason, we must look to those religions whose tenets and precepts are not in conflict with science. This excludes most "reveled religions" such a Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as they profess that their tenets, being divinely inspired or having be dictated by a supreme deity, are infallibly true. However, such religions as Deism, Humanism, Buddhism, and to some extent Taoism, offer spiritual truths that are not incompatible with science, focusing primarily on human ethics and well-being, improving our conduct toward others, living a happy and rewarding life, and holding reverence toward nature.
Apollonian spirituality is another such religion, conceived explicitly with the goal of achieving harmony between science and spirituality. Rather than requiring a strict adherence to prophetic revelations, rigid dogma, or supernatural causation as most religions do, Apollonianism emphasizes science and reason as the keys to intellectual enlightenment. Apollonianism also advances the idea that the Cosmos is such a marvelous, awe-inspiring place that it can be held as equating to a pantheistic definition of God, with all sentient beings comprising the "mind of the universe". To learn more about Apollonian spirituality, please visit Apollonica.org.