Spirituality | ADHD Information
I have always had this abnormal (whoops using that word again - ducking from Rosina he he) obsession with spiritually, which includes my catholicism as a child, spiritism investigations in early adult life, curiosity with witchcraft and full circle now back to my catholicism.
I believe in all these fabulous things that I could prattle on with for an hour. I am asking my fellow ADHD'ers if you guys have always been obsessed with the unknown (due I think to our incredible sense of psychic abilities, because we are 10 steps ahead of ourselves) AAgrh that just gave me another philosphy. Perhaps we are "between time dwellers" - stuck between now and the future - that is why the world perceives us as going reaallly fast.
See what I mean - the mind of me.
Rae7038202.0582407407I've always been interested in spirituality because I have always been looking for a solution to whatever the hell was wrong with me-I know it was always ADD now. My fragmented mind was always searching for wholeness. I've actually had some deep spiritual experiences during my search that relieved my ADD, but the relief was only temporary.
I was raised in a christian family but did check out spiritualism, white witchcraft, esp, about everything but voodoo. I had some very bad experiences with some of them which brought me right back to christianity and the One who created everything in the first place. I have had the hardest time with patience when He says wait. Still, I know I am where I am supposed to be and He never disappoints me, just tries my patience.I was raised Roman Catholic. I have a real problem with that religion. I consider myself an agnostic. I believe there are good and bad forces in nature but what drives them is beyond me. I want to believe there is a God/Jesus but I just don't know. I teach my kids christianity but I sometimes feel like a real hypocrit. I am not really into spirituality of any kind.
I, too, have run the gamut of witchcraft, christianity, etc. I even tried Astral Projection once and it scared the crap out of me cuz I think it was working!
Then I started having these awful awful nightmares that I was possessed. To the point I was afraid to go to sleep at night. Definitely a recurring dream. Not the same circumstances in each dream, but the end result was the same.
Went back to christianity and haven't looked back since! 
I believe in God and I also believe in Satan (especially after those dreams). When I pray, my prayers are usually answered. Not always, but most of the time. In fact, I credit my ADHD diagnosis to a prayer I said to God. I asked him to help me do better at work because I knew I was really falling down on the job but couldn't help it. Long story short, within 2 weeks I was diagnosed. And did that ever explain an awful lot about everything that's happened in my life!! I wish I would have prayed for that a lot sooner in my life (I'm 45). 
kimo38202.6419444444Yes Thank God for our Guardian Angels. I dont believe I would be here today considering all the bad situations I have got myself into in the past, if there was not a God, with a good sense of humour, out there picking me up by my shirt and putting me back on the road again.
Just to add my 2 cents............I used to lump Christianity in with the other "spiritisms" mentioned ; and considered it as an "unknown" as well. But from my own experience I have found that it is absolutely in the catagory of "known". Over the past years; the Bible has CONVINCED me beyond any of my own doubt that it is in fact true. (and yes; I am fanatical about it) I tried real hard to deny it's truth; but when you are convinced to believe; you can't UNCONVINCE yourself.
(Kinda like trying to UNRING a bell)
I have always known God and I feel that my relationship with him is good. I don't pray as often as I like but I think He knows the gratitude I have. When I pulled my car off the road at midnight to stare up at the Nothern Lights, the intense joy and amazement I felt... I knew He was with me. (I'd never seen them before, I couldn't figure out what they were at first!) It was so overwhelming that I cried. I blame Him alot and holler at him when things don't go my way. Then I understand later that it dodn't happen for a reason. And I am thankful. "Some of God's greatist gifts are his unanswered prayers".
I love the concept of the Native American religion, I lived in Shoshone territory and got to know their beliefs. I think that this too (so-called peganism) is a form of christanity. How better than to parise God's creation than to worship every individual aspect of it with a presiding "Great Spirit"? I have been interested in other religions but have never looked too far into them.
Kimo -I have a dream where I had seen what I believe was Satan. I saw many aspects him in that dream and feel I have a greater understanding of the face of Evil.
Has anyone ever read the Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis? Very interesting. It kind of pertains to christianity from the prespective of Hell. It really makes you think!
I so agree Andorra - people are always saying how can I send my children to a catholic school - religion is just "@$%&".
My reply - it helped me - if I hadnt had it I dont know what I would have had to fall back on when people let me down -I pity those kids who have no spiritual teaching.
No one has to stay in the faith they are raised - often they dont - but spirituality does (PROVEN) enhance peoples lives.
[QUOTE=Andorra]Hi - This is directed towards Gettingagrip :do continue to teach your children the basic ideas of Christianity. It doesn't matter what your choice as an adult is,when the time comes for them to decide their choice they need to have information to base it on.
I once worked with a young man whose parents decided religion should be his choice. So there he was at 18 with no background information at all. He was heading off to university, dating & had a full schedule without studying about religion. He got some answers from me, but the scope of information he lacked was overwhelming. [/QUOTE]
kids who are taught the basic ideas about christianity still grow up to lack a vast amount of imformation. especially being raised in most middle class style once or twice a week go to church and you're "saved" religions.
i'm not so much discounting god or GOD or GODS or any of that. but the kind of church i grew up in isn't for me.
there's a lot more too it than that, but that's the gist of it. and i can't really concentrate long enough to get into it without rambling.
Hi - This is directed towards Gettingagrip :
do continue to teach your children the basic ideas of Christianity. It doesn't matter what your choice as an adult is,when the time comes for them to decide their choice they need to have information to base it on.
I once worked with a young man whose parents decided religion should be his choice. So there he was at 18 with no background information at all. He was heading off to university, dating & had a full schedule without studying about religion. He got some answers from me, but the scope of information he lacked was overwhelming.
Spirituality is a constant in my life - I didn't learn I had ADD until late in life - so knew I danced to a different tune without knowing why... I believe in personal relationship with Spirit. It amazes me that others are content with religious explanations of the great mysteries... when I see the wonders of Nature - from the incredible beauty in a butterfly, fish, tree, flower, sunrise... to the delicacy of a spider web, feather, dragonfly wing, or snowflake, to the formidable power of a storm, the ocean, wind, lightning, a volcano or a river... to experience not only awe but also gratitude - and joy in being part of something so wonderous... All the rules and moralities, and restrictions that define the different religions just don't resonate for me. (Or at least not as the Be-all - End-all answers they're supposed to be) How could Spirit - so bounteous, creative, imaginative and obviously a great lover of diversity - fit the confines of theological descriptions?
Yes I bet ADD does add to the equation because our brains allow us to be less linear than others. I call it "Holographic Perception" - we just seem to get a lot more of the essence than what a lot of "normal" people do... and maybe miss some of the more prescribed rythmns that others live their lives in cadence to... But I'll take a walk along the coast or through the woods any day over a cocktail party or an awards dinner!
I love the story from one of the ADD books about India's doctors saying their culture had a different "label" for ADDers - they called them Enlightened Souls!
Just as a thought:
Many people have the opinion that religions are rules, moral precepts, etc. For many people, that is all they see and as deep as they go. Many people do just go to church on Sunday and "do their time", then back to business as usual.
But for those willing to explore, think, feel, and understand - religion is much deeper than that. If all one does is scratch the surface, it can seem pretty shallow. This is true with most world religions. But I think it is especially true with Christianity. The true teachings of Christ were not at all about rules. In fact, he himself summed up all the laws and rules in the world into only two: Love God, and Love Your Neighbor.
So a truly deep understanding of religion reveals that it is not at all about rules and restrictions. It is actually about freedom.
Not all churches and not all ministers understand this. So although you may have had a bad experience once, do not discount religion based on that. Just because someone has a bad teacher or a lousy class does not mean all education is worthless and stupid.
Just a thought!