Transcendent experiences

Spirituality can’t be reduced to what’s happening in the brain

I find myself in the heart of a vast sea of mourners. Everyone is dressed in black, yet this is no funeral of despair – it is a procession of devotion. Under the scorching sun of Iraq, we walk together, step by step, toward the shrine of a leader who was martyred more than 1,300 years ago. Around me, grief takes many forms. In one corner, someone whispers prayers; in another, people rhythmically beat their chests. Nearby, a few people break down in tears as they hear the story of Imam Hussain’s martyrdom. Along the way, strangers offer free food and drinks, not as charity, but as gifts they plead with you to accept. To serve a pilgrim is, for them, a divine honour. ….[READ]