I have often heard the question from many individuals and gurus: “Are you spiritual or not spiritual?” I always laugh so hard inside — of course, if you do it openly, you might hurt them. It is not surprising that individuals are asking this question; they are trying to find an answer. More surprising is that so-called gurus or learned people are answering it either with a yes or a no. Many times, I have heard statements like, “If you want to be spiritual, then do… or don’t…,” or, “If you are doing this, then you are not spiritual.” The mere thought that spirituality comes in black and white — that it is a destination, a label — is laughable. But I am not denying that the question is valid. It is necessary to clarify why there is no such thing as “being spiritual.” It is not either/or. It is not mutually exclusive to “your” way of life. In the end, it should not be optional. Without further ado, let’s try to understand what spirituality is. Let’s be objective in understanding its real meaning. So, if we ask a question, it should be directed to ourselves.

There is a difference between the meaning of the word Spiritual and Adhyatma (आध्यात्म). Adhyatma literally means the study of the inner self. Spiritual, on the other hand, originates from the Latin word spiritus, meaning breath or soul. From this point onward, when I use the word Spiritual, I refer to Adhyatma as understood in Eastern philosophy. The reason is simple: the idea of Adhyatma is not dependent on complex concepts like “soul” or “afterlife.” It carries a straightforward and universal meaning that everyone can relate to — the exploration and understanding of one’s own self.

Spirituality is a direction, not a destination. It is NOT like saying, “Are you a human or not?” — yes, you are a human. Being human is biological — beyond your control. You are born that way and you are going to stay that way whether you want it or not. You will have senses, organs, and you will feel physical pain.

Being spiritual is a choice to opt for a mindset that questions external assumptions and marries that with the self, to carve out a life. The mindset tries to understand internal assumptions out of curiosity, to understand their origin. The choice of being spiritual cannot be made without curiosity. It’s the same difference between a person who studies engineering to get societal recognition versus a person who studies it to gain knowledge. The latter person, as a side effect, eventually finds themselves serving society, gaining recognition, and making a good economic life. But even if they don’t, it does not pressurize them because it was not the reason they started on this life anyway. Grigori Perelman, a top mathematician, declined a $1 million award for solving a critical mathematics problem — saying, “I don’t want to be on display like an animal in a zoo.” I neither support nor reject his philosophy. But it can clearly be seen that he was driven by curiosity, not by external factors. This spirit of internal pursuit is not limited to mathematics; it applies to anyone seeking truth in any field. Similarly, if you are embarking on a journey to find answers, or to find questions, or both, it could be in any field of interest. The very reason to do it is curiosity — it is a spiritual experience.

Such experiences come from knowing the self. You must clear out external noise to focus on your internal self. In a world where everything is virtually connected and information is overloaded, it becomes extremely important to focus on the self and not lose it. Curiosity is that tool which gives you strength to question everything external and internal — objectively. With that, you start to see things that other people are missing.

This need for inner clarity becomes even more critical when we realize how much of our life runs on autopilot. An average person makes ~35,000 decisions every day. 70–100 of them are conscious; everything else is routine. For example, brushing your teeth is a subconscious decision that does not take any energy. But did you know that modern toothpaste is not more than 200 years old? We do it every day thinking that we do not have any other choice. Being spiritual means that you are free. You are free to question subconscious and conscious decisions of your day. You continuously add new decisions or refine old ones each day. It is practically impossible for your mind to question everything at once and fix it or continue with it. This is why it is a journey. It is a practice that makes you independent, free, and an objective thinker. Most importantly, it makes you completely accountable for your own life. It raises so many questions that you are naturally driven to find answers. It means you gain knowledge.

This is the placebo effect in action. However, spirituality is the opposite — it does not operate on blind belief. It is driven by curiosity, by the urge to question and know for oneself, not by accepting something simply because it feels good or comforting. Being spiritual is a mindset. And once this shift happens internally, its effects are not confined to you alone. When you have it, you start discovering that it not only improves your life choices and your level of contentment but also that of your loved ones. It makes you free. You exactly know why you are doing what you are doing.

I do not think that one can ever say that they are spiritual or they are not. You can have that mindset for one week and then not have it. It is a practice that you need to adhere to for a lifetime. It’s like — Am I a gym-goer? — my answer would depend on whether I am doing that in the present or not. I might leave it in my 50s — who knows? Spiritual thinking is more important in today’s era because it helps you cut down noise, see things as they are, and make yourself more aware of your decisions.

What recent life choices did you make spiritually? Feel free to comment below.