While I love this website, it's probably not great for me because I browse it all night when I should be sleeping Alright friends, here is my story. I'm a 20 year old college student, and by all accounts I'm your average 20 year old blonde...I love pink, love to shop, love my friends, working out, etc. Superficially I'm what one would expect me to be (perhaps I am simply living up to what others expect of me) Here's how I'm different from all of my peers and friends. I am intensely curious about virtually everything on this website. I can't discuss any of these topics with my boyfriend, friends, or family... because they look at me like I have 3 heads. Even when I try to talk about 2012, I'm almost scoffed at. SO imagine my relief when I found this site! For the past few months I've just been reading posts. I feel so out of the loop...its like everything is just out of reach to me. I understand it... but at the same time, I'm also wondering what in the world some of you are talking about. I wish there were an "above top secret for dummies."

I'm mainly seeking spirtuality. I was raised Catholic, but as I've grown, I've realized that I really do not care for Catholicism, or Christianity, for that matter. I find them much too judgemental for how I want to be as a person... I want to accept and love everyone. So I'm sort of seeking answers in that sense. I am not really sure what my request is. I guess I just want HELP because I feel so naive when it comes to the world!! There's so much that I don't know that i REALLY want to know. I'm frustrated, lol. Any reccomendations?

First let me say, Welcome to ATS!

There are ALOT of threads dealing with spirituality on this site.
If you are looking for something specific just do a search of the site.

I have found through much wandering and wondering that no other person can truely guide me through the process of spiritual growth, it is only in self-contemplation that I gain insight into who I am and where I need to be spiritually.

For me, prayer (asking questions) and meditation (listening for answers) is the key to the growth of the spirit.

Although we are worlds apart by age (I'm 50) and probably by experience, I understand where you're coming from. So much of even what I see around me just doesn't match the 'accepted' explanations and definitions of 'reality.'

And, like you, I have no one to talk to about it. My husband occasionally indulges me by listening to me or reading some article or picture I've found, but he doesn't 'buy' any of it, and doesn't really care. "What difference does it make," he asks. "I will still have to go to work tomorrow, we will still have to pay our house payment, buy groceries, etc. It doesn't matter.'" On one level I have to agree with him; no matter what I learn or find it isn't likely to change my daily life significantly. But I still want to KNOW.

Of course, I don't believe everything. I don't believe that Bush is a shape-shifting reptilian alien, in spite of the youtube videos that 'prove' otherwise (my apologies to any of you reading this who do believe it, I just can't fit it my box right now). I don't believe that I am part of a 'Matrix' world and that nothing is really real, it's all in my head.

But I do believe that something not human that we don't understand visits us in 'UFOs', that not all crop circles are created by pranking humans, and that there are some really weird things going on in places like the 'Skinwalker Ranch' and the Bermuda Triangle.

In the end I read everything I can find that seems interesting and try to put pieces together myself so that I may see a glimpse of the 'big picture.' I can't use all of the pieces, some of them just don't fit for me, but I use all the ones that I can fit to try and get a better picture of reality.

I enjoy talking to other people, discussing ideas and theories and getting other viewpoints, but sadly there is no one in my real life I can do that with, so I do it here on the internet. I like debate and discussion and even enjoy being challenged, but I don't like being ridiculed or attacked. If you're interested I'd be happy to discuss anything I've learned, or you've learned, or are curious about, with you.

In the meantime, I suggest one course of action: take one thing that is of interest to you and start learning all you can about that one thing. (Like, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.) When you feel that you've learned as much as you really wanted to know about that topic (for now), pick another one and go after it. If you try to learn about everything all at once you'll just get overwhelmed and frustrated and give up. At least, that's my experience.

I think I'm about as new to ATS as you are, but anyway, Welcome!
Heike

first of all, thank you so much for taking the time to reply!!! sorry i couldn't get back to you sooner--i work at the cheesecake factory and they love to schedule double's all weekend long for me i appreciate all of your kinds words; it's wonderful to be able to relate to people about this crazy world! i am definitely going to take your suggestion with one topic at a time; the one issue is that every topic gets me interested in another, and i will inevitably click a link on a different topic, and so on and so on ah. such is life though, lol. have a good monday

why thank you!!! i'm excited to finally be a member. Now I just have some catching up to do I suppose.

I'm right there with you. I go out during the day with my friends, act normal, then come on this site all night long. I'm a 19 year old typical college student new to this site also. Ironically, I came here because of a thread I read about religion. Places like ATS really help us find a common group of open-minded people who talk about things that truthfully are more important than Britney Spears' new underwear pics or who won American Idol.

sounds simple enough, lol i guess since its summer break now would be the best time to attempt it. I really don't actually know what meditating entails though. More simply, how do I go about meditating. Haha, I know that sounds so dumb. I feel like I've been out of touch with my spirtual side for so many years now...I feel like the last time I felt a spirtual connection was in like 2nd grade. I'm craving it.

I'm fairly new to the site (in terms of being a registered member) and would like to also welcome you. I usually recommend this site to my friends and other people out here in the real world whenever they have some questions about paranormal phenomena. I hope you are able to find your release/answers here when surrounded by those who are overly skeptic. Welcome

well thank you very much!! welcome to ATS as well. I think i'm getting rather addicted.

I try to tell my friends about ATS, but it seems they are rather close-minded and look at me like I'm stupid whenever I bring anything of this nature up, lol. I did find a coworker who is completely into this stuff, and I was SO excited to have someone to talk to about it...and I just found out he's moving. ugh. At least we all have each other around here, haha