The need to be alone

[Vinayaka]

In my religion, it's a given that time is allowed for a person to be alone with himself/herself, and his/her thoughts. Solitary walking pilgrimages, a time of the day called sadhana, quiet corners, meditation places, all come to mind. Since it's part of the faith that religion is essentially between you and God, there are plenty of opportunities for this. There is so much to figure out in those times.

On a personal note, I've always loved that aspect, and although I can enjoy a social festival, in many ways, I can't wait until I get back alone.

I also think it's a need in a reflective faith.

What opportunities for this does your faith provide? Is it meeting your needs in this regard?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Most definitely. I spend time alone briefly with my family (in spirit) mornings and evenings and just sit in their presence. If it weren't snowing and slush I usually go out run or nature walk. I'm an "active-alone" person, I guess you can say. RF aside, if I were to use the experience of god, I'm always in that experience. Just being thank you is enough.

I live alone so physically, I'm always alone. Spiritually, it does take time but when I'm in the zone, that's pretty much my sweet spot. I guess everyone has their own way to be alone in that context. As for whether to refer to it as a faith-thing, religion-thing, or spiritual-thing, seems like an RF-thing but in person we do what we do. Regardless what we believe or don't.

 

[SomeRandom]

Well I’m an anti social geeky loner type anyway. So yeah I agree lol

 

[Sunstone]

Traditionally, one of the ways to group religions is according to the nature of the value they place on the importance of community in their religions. There seems to be some kind of division between Eastern religions and Western religions with Middle Eastern religions mostly in the Western camp. It can be put better than that, but I don't have the time to.

Curiously, it sometimes seems the more individualistic the society on the whole, the more communal the religion, and vice versa.

 

[metis]

What opportunities for this does your faith provide? Is it meeting your needs in this regard?

Fortunately, the Catholic service [aka "mass"] is slow enough with time built in for meditation and contemplation, so one can use contemplative meditation quite a bit. Also, the Rosary is a type of meditation, and a great many Catholics use it. Also, monks and nuns heavily use contemplative meditation.

When Gandhi visited a Catholic church in Paris, he commented on how serene it was versus the hustle & bustle out in the streets. The monk Thomas Merton studied meditation techniques with Buddhist monks in s.e. Asia, which he talks about in his book "Seven Story Mountain".

Personally, I use meditation during mass, plus I like to use walking meditation when I do my daily 2-3 mile walk 6 days per week.

 

[Vinayaka]

Curiously, it sometimes seems the more individualistic the society on the whole, the more communal the religion, and vice versa.

Darn. You're making me reflect again. I'm not sure, as my exposure to various cultures is limited. Certainly true for India and Sri Lanka, which have individualised religion, but weddings that number in the 1000s, and the religious ceremony is only a small part of it, whereas the socializing is huge.

Not sure what you mean by 'individualised' in the west. Western faiths are indeed more social, from what I've seen.

 

[Vinayaka]

Fortunately, the Catholic service [aka "mass"] is slow enough with time built in for meditation and contemplation, so one can use contemplative meditation quite a bit. Also, the Rosary is a type of meditation, and a great many Catholics use it. Also, monks and nuns heavily use contemplative meditation.

When Gandhi visited a Catholic church in Paris, he commented on how serene it was versus the hustle & bustle out in the streets. The monk Thomas Merton studied meditation techniques with Buddhist monks in s.e. Asia, which he talks about in his book "Seven Story Mountain".

Personally, I use meditation during mass, plus I like to use walking meditation when I do my daily 2-3 mile walk 6 days per week.

Catholic churches used to remain open, and some still do, I'm sure, for anyone to enter and pray, alone. Definitely providing for that aspect. Perhaps any tradition with a monastic component is more aware of it.

 

[Regiomontanus]

In my religion, it's a given that time is allowed for a person to be alone with himself/herself, and his/her thoughts. Solitary walking pilgrimages, a time of the day called sadhana, quiet corners, meditation places, all come to mind. Since it's part of the faith that religion is essentially between you and God, there are plenty of opportunities for this. There is so much to figure out in those times.

On a personal note, I've always loved that aspect, and although I can enjoy a social festival, in many ways, I can't wait until I get back alone.

I also think it's a need in a reflective faith.

What opportunities for this does your faith provide? Is it meeting your needs in this regard?

1 Kings 19:11-13

Silence is very important to me, both in prayer and meditation in general. IMHO I think the mental health of most people would benefit greatly from incorporating more silence and 'alone time' (especially in nature!) in their daily lives.

Some interesting thoughts on the topic:

The Practice of Silence for Lay People

 

[Regiomontanus]

Fortunately, the Catholic service [aka "mass"] is slow enough with time built in for meditation and contemplation, so one can use contemplative meditation quite a bit. Also, the Rosary is a type of meditation, and a great many Catholics use it. Also, monks and nuns heavily use contemplative meditation.

When Gandhi visited a Catholic church in Paris, he commented on how serene it was versus the hustle & bustle out in the streets. The monk Thomas Merton studied meditation techniques with Buddhist monks in s.e. Asia, which he talks about in his book "Seven Story Mountain".

Personally, I use meditation during mass, plus I like to use walking meditation when I do my daily 2-3 mile walk 6 days per week.

Have you ever attended an Eastern Orthodox service? What struck me about it, being familiar with the RC mass, is the constant chanting.

 

[Jainarayan]

Have you ever attended an Eastern Orthodox service? What struck me about it, being familiar with the RC mass, is the constant chanting.

True. The only thing spoken and not chanted is the priest’s sermon. I was a reader for a time, chanting epistle and other readings. It was an experience. Only the priest, bishop, archbishop, etc. chanted the gospel.

 

[Secret Chief]

A defining feature of Soto Zen is meditation (zazen and kinhin), which of course can be practised alone or with others.

 

[Jainarayan]

In my religion, it's a given that time is allowed for a person to be alone with himself/herself, and his/her thoughts. Solitary walking pilgrimages, a time of the day called sadhana, quiet corners, meditation places, all come to mind. Since it's part of the faith that religion is essentially between you and God, there are plenty of opportunities for this. There is so much to figure out in those times.

On a personal note, I've always loved that aspect, and although I can enjoy a social festival, in many ways, I can't wait until I get back alone.

I also think it's a need in a reflective faith.

What opportunities for this does your faith provide? Is it meeting your needs in this regard?

This pretty much says it for me. When I’m at temple I prefer to be in a corner by myself. Even during any kind of puja, when people jostle for a good spot I prefer to hang back alone, as long as I can have even a brief darshan.

In my “athletic days” (I was really a legend in my own mind), I preferred to run or bike or weightlift alone. I had better concentration.

 

[loverofhumanity]

In my religion, it's a given that time is allowed for a person to be alone with himself/herself, and his/her thoughts. Solitary walking pilgrimages, a time of the day called sadhana, quiet corners, meditation places, all come to mind. Since it's part of the faith that religion is essentially between you and God, there are plenty of opportunities for this. There is so much to figure out in those times.

On a personal note, I've always loved that aspect, and although I can enjoy a social festival, in many ways, I can't wait until I get back alone.

I also think it's a need in a reflective faith.

What opportunities for this does your faith provide? Is it meeting your needs in this regard?

I find this most difficult almost impossible for myself. I often crave to be in a forest or desert or someplace I can be entirely alone with God but I’ve just not been able. When I mean all alone, I mean like in a desert a good distance from the nearest person or civilisation.

 

[Vinayaka]

I find this most difficult almost impossible for myself. I often crave to be in a forest or desert or someplace I can be entirely alone with God but I’ve just not been able. When I mean all alone, I mean like in a desert a good distance from the nearest person or civilisation.

I think you misunderstood the OP. One can be alone amidst people. I didn't mean being some hermit in a forest or on a deserted island. My time alone is in my home mandir, or shrine room. I don't think many people are in the position to withdraw to some forest.

Then again, some folks are afraid to be alone, afraid of what they might discover about themselves.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I think you misunderstood the OP. One can be alone amidst people. I didn't mean being some hermit in a forest or on a deserted island. My time alone is in my home mandir, or shrine room. I don't think many people are in the position to withdraw to some forest.

Then again, some folks are afraid to be alone, afraid of what they might discover about themselves.

Yes I know what you mean, but I find it difficult at home because of distractions. I’m only talking about a few hours not living like an ascetic.

 

[Vinayaka]

Yes I know what you mean, but I find it difficult at home because of distractions. I’m only talking about a few hours not living like an ascetic.

You must have one busy house, or susceptible to distractions.

 

[74x12]

In my religion, it's a given that time is allowed for a person to be alone with himself/herself, and his/her thoughts. Solitary walking pilgrimages, a time of the day called sadhana, quiet corners, meditation places, all come to mind. Since it's part of the faith that religion is essentially between you and God, there are plenty of opportunities for this. There is so much to figure out in those times.

On a personal note, I've always loved that aspect, and although I can enjoy a social festival, in many ways, I can't wait until I get back alone.

I also think it's a need in a reflective faith.

What opportunities for this does your faith provide? Is it meeting your needs in this regard?

It's up to us personally. That's what I think. In middle ages and in early Christianity many people became hermits. They felt they could pray better alone and others were probably inspired by the philosophy of hedonism (not what modern people think of that word by the way) to embrace a monastic life. Monasteries likely having their origin in pre-Christian hedonist communes.

 

[Quintessence]

Solitary practice is more or less baked in to the contemporary Pagan movement by necessity - when you are part of a small minority the opportunities to connect socially with others of like mind are limited. Practices are often highly personal given the disorganized, non-dogmatic, non-creedal nature of the movement. The infrastructure of organized religions is generally lacking, so Pagans set up household shrines where they are often the only person worshiping at. Some traditions place particular emphasis on finding a "patron god" which is a way of describing an intensely personal relationship with a particular deity. Practice of meditation for various reasons - a very solitary activity - is commonplace. So too are things like divination and spellcraft, both practices that the individual usually does alone, though it can also be done in groups.

Not sure if anyone has done a study of this, but it wouldn't surprise me if contemporary Pagans lean introvert. You'd almost have to in order to find satisfaction in these religions as one's way of life because the resources that organized religions offer just aren't there. There are some pockets of organization, yes, but for the most part contemporary Paganism is an amorphous mess of individual traditions full of a bunch of solitary loners.