Abstract
In our own biology, in our very own body, we have been given the seeds of spirituality. I argue that life events and other experiences that activate particular biological mechanisms in our bodies have a spiritual meaning in themselves. Their spiritual dimension should not be understood as an epiphenomenon: it is fundamental and inescapably intertwined with its biological extent. The scope of self-transcendent experiences considered ranges from flow to mystical experiences. The biological mechanisms that seem to be involved focus on oxytocin cascades, which are an integral part of the regulation of social behaviour across mammal species. Oxytocin has been linked to feelings of love and connectedness as well as to faith. Interestingly, the moment where its concentration is at its highest is during childbirth. This article explores the different varieties of transcendent experience in relation to their biological support processes and the life events they accompany. It stresses the dangers of reducing biology to commodified processes that disregard the importance of their spiritual component. Showing respect to our physical experiences means acknowledging our own transcendence. If we fail doing so, we risk losing one of the most precious gifts we have received: the transcendent within.
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Lumbreras, S. (2020). The Transcendent Within: How Our Own Biology Leads to Spirituality. In: Fuller, M., Evers, D., Runehov, A., Sæther, KW., Michollet, B. (eds) Issues in Science and Theology: Nature – and Beyond. Issues in Science and Religion: Publications of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31182-7_15
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