Welcome Note 

Who am I?

Why am I here?

How, then, should I live?

Though they are often obscured in the rush of daily life, these are among the deepest and most essential questions for many people.

So much so that the late religious leader and advocate for interfaith dialogue Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said every reflective human being will ask these questions at some stage in their lives.

The writer Hermann Hesse — who grappled with a tension between the spiritual and material throughout his life — expressed it another way in one of his novels,

“[A]ll of us come in at the same door. But each of us … strives toward [their] own destiny.”

The search for answers to life’s biggest questions isn’t the exclusive domain of religion or literature, though. It can encompass the wisdom of philosophy, the insight of psychology, the rigour of science, the beauty of art, and so much more.

There are many paths for discovery, reflecting the diversity of humanity itself.

With this in mind, this site seeks to explore deeper questions of life in two ways.

First, through a selection of my own writing, which reflects my personal search for meaning, truth and freedom, informed especially by spiritual inquiry, meditation and, more recently, depth psychology. I’ve also compiled a list of books and other resources which have guided me at different moments on this journey.

And second, by sharing insightful contributions from a range of people who’ve reflected on these topics in their own ways. Some have a philosophical or scientific perspective; others a spiritual or religious one. All have learnt something in going a little deeper.

Of course, none of this is meant to be the final word. We’re all human, after all, and the experience of life seems to change, or at least challenge, even our deepest certainties.

For my own part, my experience with spiritual inquiry suggests to me there may be an absolute truth, which has been called Consciousness, Oneness, God, the Self, and Ultimate Reality, among many other names. My experience of the world and day-to-day life, however, is much more in line with what the painter Frida Kahlo once said,

“Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.”

With this in mind, I hope this site will appeal to readers who are searching for deeper truths, are open to diverse perspectives, and value learning and authenticity.

I hope too that it might gently remind us to connect more fully with others, and to set our collective compass on what is truest and most beautiful in humanity.

If you’d like to share your own reflections, or provide any feedback on this site, I’d love to hear from you at soulfulthoughts.blog@gmail.com. And if you’d like to subscribe to receive new posts, please add your email address.

Thank you for your curiosity and thoughtfulness.