Dr. Jay Forrest

God is often imagined as male, but this reflects cultural habit more than metaphysical necessity. If the divine has no body, no biology, and no sex, then gendered language is symbolic at best. It tells us more about human projection than about ultimate reality.

Distinguishing sex from gender clarifies the issue. Sex refers to biological traits; gender refers to roles and identities shaped by culture. Many traditions already use gender fluidly—wisdom as feminine, ultimate reality as beyond all attributes—without implying literal embodiment. Gender language functions as metaphor, not ontology.

From this perspective, non-binary identities are not deviations but reminders that human identity exceeds rigid classification. They expose the limits of binary thinking and open a more accurate account of personhood.

Philosophically and contemplatively, the ultimate—whether called the One, the Good, Brahman, or emptiness—is beyond all dualities. Male and female are polarities within manifestation, not properties of the source.

To affirm the non-binary is therefore to align more closely with a non-dual understanding of reality. It recognizes that what is most fundamental cannot be confined to either/or categories, and neither, fully, can we.

Mindfulness begins with a simple insight: the mind, like muddy water, clears when left undisturbed. When we constantly stir it with worry, memory, and analysis, clarity is lost. Stillness allows settling.

At its core, mindfulness is the cultivation of awareness. As Jon Kabat-Zinn describes, it is paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, without judgment. In practice, this can be as simple as noticing the sensation of the breath or the feeling of the foot touching the ground.

Most of the time, however, we are not present. We drift into past regrets or future anxieties, living on mental autopilot. The Buddha’s instruction offers a direct remedy: “Just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.” Attend only to this breath.

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts. Thoughts arise naturally. The task is to observe them without involvement, like clouds passing through the sky. Return gently to the breath whenever attention wanders.

With practice, this becomes a way of living. Open to what is, relax your resistance, and observe without grasping or rejecting. Begin with a few breaths, extend to daily sitting, and carry this awareness into every moment. Presence does not add time to life, but it deepens it.

I agree with John Hick: there is no one religion whose adherents stand out as morally and spiritually superior to the rest of the human race. All traditions have their saints, their politicians, and their sinners.

The best of each religion or philosophy is, ultimately, the mystic—one who directly experiences Ultimate Reality. Only they access something humanity as a whole needs. They know the goal, the path, and many of the pitfalls.

Once you realize that all religions have their strengths and limitations, you begin to loosen your attachment. You can learn from all while clinging to none. There is not one path to the mountaintop, but many. You become open to truth wherever it appears.

There is great freedom in being unattached to any single religion or philosophy. You retain the capacity to remain a beginner, continually learning at the feet of truth. You begin to approach others’ beliefs with an eye toward understanding rather than a disposition to disprove. This openness expands the mind and heart, allowing you to see through illusion—not only theirs, but your own.

Most mystics are hermits, or at least semi-hermits. A hermit is an individual who intentionally withdraws from ordinary social life in order to cultivate silence, solitude, and simplicity, with the aim of deepening their spiritual life.

This withdrawal may be physical, living in remote or sparsely populated places. But it can also be social, living quietly within society while deliberately limiting interaction. This is the case for most modern hermits.

A hermit may have a spouse or partner, provided the relationship supports rather than obstructs the contemplative aspiration. What defines a hermit is not geography or marital status, but the deliberate orientation toward solitude as a primary mode of life.

Most of the world’s religions have their hermits. These hermits tend to be—or eventually become—mystics. Spend enough time alone, and you begin to encounter Ultimate Reality. You cannot spend much time with people and much time with reality; eventually, you have to choose.

They say it takes more wisdom to receive advice than to give it. This is because we usually do not want advice; what we really want is someone to agree with what we have already decided.

This is especially true in spiritual matters. Spiritual experiences take the shape of the container they are poured into. A Christian interprets a mystical experience in Christian terms; a Muslim interprets a mystical experience in Islamic terms.

It is important to recognize that experiences are never worldview-neutral. They are always interpreted within the intellectual and philosophical framework of the person having them. This is inevitable and unavoidable.

It takes a degree of independence to think outside the social construct we are born into. That is why I write to mystics rather than the general public. You need that independence to think objectively about beliefs that others hold as sacred.

This matters because mystics encounter the same reality but name it differently. By learning across traditions, we begin to see what our own framework obscures, thereby deepening our understanding of Ultimate Reality. In this way, the journey into the spiritual depths becomes less confined by any single lens.

I think one of the most misunderstood words is “spiritual” and “spirituality.” Ask someone to define the words, and they will be at a loss. We have a vague, foggy notion, but no clear concept.

Most people think that spirituality has something to do with heightened emotions or mystical insights. But this is not true. In order to understand spirituality, we must first understand the word spirit.

The word spirit is derived from the Greek word for breath. It is something unseen but can be felt. It’s not visual, but it’s real. In the religious world, it is thought to be the immortal soul, but that is not quite right.

The spirit is consciousness. It is that invisible thing that makes life what it is. It is that awareness of ourselves and the world around us. It is when we lose this consciousness that we die: it is consciousness that leaves.

Now, if spirit refers to consciousness, then spirituality refers to the cultivation of consciousness. It is about the deepening and expanding awareness of reality. That is what spirituality is about.

So when I say that I’m spiritual but not religious, it means that I’m about cultivating an awareness of Ultimate Reality outside the confines of church, mosque, or synagogue. I belong to God, not to any religion.