Could This Be Considered A Type of Spirituality/Religion?

[asianboy]

I would like to quote from someone:

Before I have even begun elementary school, I have always been doing a certain thing.
Back then, I was afraid of monsters in the dark. Because of that, I would always perform some rituals before I would go to sleep. I believe that this ritual would protect me from evil creatures, and that, if I fail to do them properly, I would be haunted by them. Now, this is certainly normal, for every child are afraid of irrational things when they were little. For now, my actions are excusable.


In elementary school, I have never sunk to average or to anything lower than average. I was the student of the month several times, and had received several awards. This is not extremely excellent or anything; I’m just telling you about this to prove to you that I did not dropped below average. However, I do have some setbacks. If you can, imagine a person that sings silently during the learning session. Yes, I was that annoying person. Before I continue, I would like to point out that, during that time, my dad was already in the 50’s. This explains my autistic nature (many academic articles have stated that, the older ones get before having children, the more likely those children would have autism). It was also this time that a problem relevant to the story had reached a new level. Instead of monsters, my new worries were that bad things would generally happen to me if I did not observe the rituals. I appeased this anxiety, of course, by doing these inconvenient rituals.

Then came middle school. Although I was doing quite well, it was during this time that I have one of the most negative experiences in my life. My silent singing during class became more frequent. The second factor of my negative experience was my lack of enthusiasm for education. In elementary school, this did not hinder my learning; but, in middle school, it has become much harder if you do not have the motivation to learn. As such, although I did not fail, the not-so-good grades began to accumulate.
This all changed when I when I have reached my most major Turning Point, which was during my 7th grade. It was during this time that I have met two of my most inspirational teachers. It was also during this time that I have pick up a good mathematics book. I became amazed at its rigorous methods of proving mathematical concepts. Soon, afterwards, mathematics became my favorite subject. Because of my realization of the logic that you could only have achieved with an education, and because of my teachers’ inspiration, I became very motivated to be educated. But there is a problem; my feelings that bad things would happen if I did not do the rituals are still there with maximum effect. It was then that I have conceived of an idea that there might be a ritual that would end all the rituals. Perhaps I could fool my sensory definitively in a certain way that would eliminate my anxiety. Indeed, the success of this idea is very possible. This idea is what I would call the “Ritual That Ends All Unnecessary Ritual” ritual, which shall be called the “End All” ritual for the entire essay. Yet, I cannot do it right away, for I have to reverse the trend that I have started in 6th grade. Furthermore, my extremely superstitious self tells me that this ritual would have to be very hard and that I cannot use my full intellectual potential while doing the “End All” ritual. Basically, I don’t want to commit what is practically suicide.
But I also cannot just never do these rituals again. It’s either I continue doing these rituals, or start doing the “End All” ritual.
I solve this problem by promising myself that I would start this “End All” ritual in 3 years (maximum preparing time that my superstitious self would allow). In the time between 7th grade and 3 years later, I would only have to do short rituals, and are “allowed” to use my full intellectual potential.

As such, the time between 7th grade and 9th grade was the most zenith period in my life. During that period, my grades never really dropped below A’s. The lowest that I had received were B’s. At the end of Middle School, I have also received another Perfect Attendance Award. During 9th grade, I had many friend-girl (not girlfriends). Some of these relationships were flirtatious in nature. Now, I am not one of those creepy people who pretended that the other people like them, even when the reality is clearly the opposite. I try to keep my observation has bias-free as possible. Otherwise, I would have not been able to admit to you my embarrassing problems. Furthermore, there is no advantage to making things up. To not have girlfriends because you didn’t have the chance is one thing; to have the chance but did not use it is extremely horrendous. I am not making things up about 9th grade. I really was a popular “dude” back then, and positive things were happening to me.


And so it seems like it would continue to be that way. But then, the deadline has arrived. I have to decide: should I do the “End All” ritual or ignore it, continue with my good trend, but have to suffer anxiety and extreme bad feelings. I decided that my good trend could not be damaged anytime soon and that I would end the ritual very quickly. I know that this would take a long time, but I feel that, if I try hard enough, I could finish it before I even finish 10th grade. And so, I embark in this “journey”. That journey did not end until 3 ½ years later.

When I reached 10th grade, I was filled with so many expectations. I have signed up for AP Biology and was expecting to pass. AP Biology, when compared to other AP courses, is really easy. Then, right at the beginning of the semester, my teacher dropped me off from class. It wasn’t because I was failing (it’s too early to even decide that), but there was a reason. My teacher was an intelligent and a wise man. If you are not as sophisticated and efficient as a Professional (in any fields), then he would not consider you as a good student. In the beginning of the semester, we have to sign the emergency cards. To not fill them out or to never have the time to do so simply means that you are a lazy person. Even while I was doing the “End-All” ritual, I still would have no problem filling out these forms. However, I forgot to do it, and so, along with several of the other students (I wasn’t the only one), I got kicked out of the class.

There were so many things that I wanted to do while in high school. I wanted to take a lot of AP classes; I wanted to start clubs (either The Engineering Club or The Chinese Chess Club); I wanted to hang out with my friends when the school; I wanted to have a successful high school life. All of these things I cannot do, for I have not finished the “End All” ritual.

There are a couple of things that I have seen in the letter:
1. A supernatural concept
2. The person believes that he can gain strength through something non-empirical
3. Rituals
4. Deep faiths despite knowing the irrationality of the belief

Was that person essentially having a religious experience?

[Morkonan]

..Was that person essentially having a religious experience?

To them, it may have been.

The clincher is the formalized observance through ritual. But, the problem there is identifying whether it was the ritual itself that was being observed or the ritual for some higher purpose?

If it was the ritual itself then, it's more akin to spirituality and not "religion." If there was some higher purpose, some other belief that was greater than just the act of the ritual itself, then it could be "religious" to them.

[asianboy]

To them, it may have been.

The clincher is the formalized observance through ritual. But, the problem there is identifying whether it was the ritual itself that was being observed or the ritual for some higher purpose?

If it was the ritual itself then, it's more akin to spirituality and not "religion." If there was some higher purpose, some other belief that was greater than just the act of the ritual itself, then it could be "religious" to them.

Then, it's a religion then, since there is a higher purpose involved. Thank you Morkonan, that was helpful.

[Morkonan]

Then, it's a religion then, since there is a higher purpose involved. Thank you Morkonan, that was helpful.

If you are presenting it as a random person, it may be so. That's the way I answered it. But, we both also know it is not a random person - It is you.

There are other factors that come into play. As others have said and I communicated to you in another thread, compulsive behavior is known to be associated with Asperbergers.

I was not trying to justify your compulsion as a religion. I was trying to simply answer a hypothetical question disconnected from what I knew about you. Admittedly, I answered poorly and failed to take into account certain things.

That was my mistake. I should have considered the implications of my answer more thoroughly.

This is not religion because, quite simply, you have a condition which can, at times, be associated with compulsions for repetitive behavior. "Rituals" are highly structured and highly repetitive. The rituals you perform are most likely compulsions resulting from your disorder and NOT religion. These rituals are pursued by you because of your compulsion to do so due to a disorder, not because of any religious significance.

Disregard my first post as it was my mistake for not doing as I should have and treating the OP using the knowledge I already had of the situation.

[S.L.I.G]

Then, it's a religion then, since there is a higher purpose involved. Thank you Morkonan, that was helpful.

Yeah dude...if the "higher purpose" is to satiate compulsions based off anxiety, thats not a higher purpose, its just the effects of OCD. If this story was about yourself, or you have similar experiences to that, well then you should look into getting help. AFAIK OCD cant actually be stopped, but it likely can be managed to some degree, cut back, so that it doesn't become worse and all-encompassing.

[S.L.I.G]

This isnt faith. The individual is suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder.

[Arch-hereticK]

This isnt faith. The individual is suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder.

Now you see how some atheists see religious people.

[S.L.I.G]

Now you see how some atheists see religious people.

No, I don't. The person described felt severe anxiety unless he completed long complex arbitrary rituals he knew to be irrational. That is the psychiatric definition of OCD.

Religion is a tenet of theological beliefs, often organized with certain dogmatic principles, moral structures, and yes- rituals. But only the most truly fearful religious person- who isnt even aware of his own religious theology- follows any ritualistic processes out of fear, and literally zero despite knowing the fear to be irrational, engage in it.

[Arch-hereticK]

No, I don't. The person described felt severe anxiety unless he completed long complex arbitrary rituals he knew to be irrational. That is the psychiatric definition of OCD.

Religion is a tenet of theological beliefs, often organized with certain dogmatic principles, moral structures, and yes- rituals. But only the most truly fearful religious person- who isnt even aware of his own religious theology- follows any ritualistic processes out of fear, and literally zero despite knowing the fear to be irrational, engage in it.

I said now you know how some atheists see religious people. I don't know what you thought I said.

[S.L.I.G]

I said now you know how some atheists see religious people. I don't know what you thought I said.

And I said I didn't, and showed how the two things can not be compared, therefore the thought process is faulty- and seeing how my thought processes never are faulty [as they are led by logic and evidence, not bigotry and ignorance], I could never possibly understand.

[Bovril]

This person is dealing with clinical anxiety. Religion deals with existential anxiety.

[Helm]

Only if thousands/millions of other people do the exact same thing, otherwise it's a mental illness.

[Bovril]

Only if thousands/millions of other people do the exact same thing, otherwise it's a mental illness.

Thousands/millions of mentally ill people do the exact same things. For example, self harming, which also is often associated with rituals. Anorexia also has rituals, communities (alost always online), a belief system of sorts, etc. Equally a diagnosis of mental illness demands that the behaviours be limmiting/distressing on a clinical level. This is hardly an intrinsic feature of religion.

Or perhaps you were just being facetious?

[Helm]

Thousands/millions of mentally ill people do the exact same things. For example, self harming, which also is often associated with rituals. Anorexia also has rituals, communities (alost always online), a belief system of sorts, etc. Equally a diagnosis of mental illness demands that the behaviours be limmiting/distressing on a clinical level.

Exactly, though more along the lines of an imaginary friend society than a self harm club.

[Copperknickers II]

This is not religion, Asianboy. You have already confessed to suspect you have Asperger's, OCD behaviour is associated with that. It is an intersting issue though, whether the actions and supersitions of pagan religions is related to obsessive compulsive behaviour. Perhaps a small amount of OCD is not a disorder, but a natural reaction to something that we have evolved?

[Leeham991]

It's the base of a religion but it's very primitive. Religions moved on to threats, discrimination, dogmas, hate and paying money to a clergyman almost 2000 years ago. This sounds more like a simple 2000BC religion.