Source: Introduction to the conference Human values across cultures and religions, Delia Mamon, Geneva, April 6, 2008.
This definition aims to go beyond the religious/non-religious divide. To illustrate it better, we could add that spirituality is both..:
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a deepening of our inner self (who we are, what our values are)
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a horizontal , heartfelt commitment to human beings
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and a vertical aspiration towards the transcendent.
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Two other definitions complement this one:
Spirituality is simply the life of the mind and consciousness. (…). It’s simply a natural human function, like sexuality or affectivity… Spirituality concerns our values, and the meaning we attribute to being alive in this world.
Source: The website of Jean-Dominique Michel, Swiss sociologist and therapist.
Spirituality is about waking up (…) Be aware, attentive, of what you say, what you do, what you think, how you act. Be aware of where you come from, be aware of your motives.
Source: The undiscovered self, article by Anthony de Mello, Jesuit priest and therapist, who has given numerous seminars and written on the quest for spirituality, regardless of religion.
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The definition of spirituality has evolved over time. The definitions currently found in dictionaries refer to two distinct, underdeveloped notions: one to describe the activity of the spirit, the other to describe that which relates to the religious spirit.