Positively Non-Religious

[The idea for this was sparked by Noelle’s recent post.]

The concept of a soul is one that still crosses my mind every now and then.  I think there’s some wisdom in the idea, but the religious version of the soul lumps together a lot of different things.  In order to figure out the truth of the matter — and what “soul” means to those of us who don’t believe in the supernatural — it’s necessary to deconstruct the concept, breaking it down into its core components.

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Fact:  being religious is associated with improved psychological well-being (that is, being happier and enjoying better mental health).

That’s bad news for us non-religious folks, right?  Not necessarily.

Research has revealed that a significant portion of the improved well-being religious people experience is due to feeling that their lives are meaningful.  Without religion, though, there are still many things we can do to cultivate meaning in our own lives.  While the lack of belief in any higher power(s) keeps us from believing that there’s an overall meaning of life, we can still have a sense of meaning within our lives.  In doing so, we’ll be able to enjoy some of the improved well-being that religious people get from their religion.

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