Characteristics. Modern spirituality centers on the "deepest values and meanings by which people live". It often embraces the idea of an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality. It envisions an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being.

1. The Word: Kavod (Ancient Hebrew)

What it means: "The awareness of the importance of things. Kavod originally was a business term, referring to weights and measures. Over time the word began to take on a more figurative meaning, referring to the importance and significance of something."

When—and how—to use it: "Kavod is what happens when you're exchanging the usual 'How are yous?' with a person you see regularly, only on this particular day she doesn't respond with her normal, 'Fine, and you?' but instead says, 'Not good'—and suddenly everything changes. Now the conversation is no longer brief and shallow like it has been for years, because now it weighs something, it is significant, it matters. She matters; you matter; the fact that she decided to be honest with you matters; the thing that is happening between you matters."

Why Bell believes we need it: "The word is often used in the scriptures to refer to that which happens when the monotony is pierced, the boredom hijacked, the despair overpowered by your sense that something else is going on, something that reminds you of your smallness, frailty, and impermanence. It's that gut-level awareness you're seized by that tells you, 'Pay attention, because this matters.'"

2. The Word: Grenzbegrifflich (German)

What it means: "Grenzbegrifflich describes that which is very real but is beyond analysis and description."

When—and how—to use it: When you confront "those things that you absolutely, positively know to be true but would be hard-pressed to produce evidence for if asked." Such as, "explaining how that particular song moves you or articulating why you fell in love with that person."

Why we need it: "'To believe that there's more going on here, that there may be a reality beyond what we can comprehend—that's something else. That's being open. There are other ways of knowing than only those of the intellect."

3. The Word: Ruach (Ancient Hebrew)

What it means: "An explosive, expansive, surprising, creative energy that surges through all things, holding everything all together and giving the universe its life and depth and fullness."

When—and how—to use it: When we want to "talk about those moments, when an object or gesture or word or event is what it is, but is also more, at the same time, something more." For example: "It was a meal, but it was more than a meal; just as it was a conversation and yet more than a conversation."

Why we need it: "In our modern world, people understand spirit to mean something less real, less tangible, less substantive—something nonphysical, something that may or may not exist. But when the Hebrews spoke of the ruach, they weren't talking about something less real; they were talking about what happens when something becomes more real, right before your eyes...The challenge is for me and you to become more and more the kind of people who are aware of the divine presence, attuned to the ruach, present to the depths of each and every moment."

4. The Word: Splagchnon (Greek)

What it means: "The deep place within us where our desires reside. Splagchnon translates literally as bowel or intestines or guts or innards. It came to refer to the part of you from which you truly live, the seat of your being that drives you to move and act and touch and feel."

When—and how—to use it: "[When] we need to face and know and name and embrace all that is true about us, from our fears and addictions and doubts and guilt to our dreams and desires and hopes and longings."

Why we need it: "What happened in the Western world several hundred years ago is that the rational dimensions of our being gained a prominence over other ways of knowing. This had a powerful effect, leading many of us to discount the very real and reliable information our bodies are constantly absorbing from the world around us. This isn't just about listening and trusting our bodies, but also about the far more important responsibility we have to honor them as the gifts they are."

5. The Word: Echad (Hebrew)

What it means: "A unity made up of many parts."

When to use it: "We have an intuitive awareness that everything is ultimately connected to everything else. When you get a glimpse of what someone else has gone through or is currently in the throes of and you find yourself inextricably, mysteriously linked with that person because you have been reminded again of our common humanity."

Why we need it: "We live in a dis-integrated culture, in which headlines and opinions and images and sound bites pound us with their fragmented, frantic, isolated blips and squeaks, none of it bound together by any higher unity, coherence, or transcendent reference point. This fragmentation can easily shape us, convincing us that things aren't one. But everything has a singular, common source and is infinitely, endlessly, deeply connected. We are involved, all of us. And it all matters."

The Snake (Nag), The Serpent, Religion and Spiritual Awakening

Serpents are common symbols in many religions, belief systems and mystical traditions. Their meaning is translated variously as everything from the most evil to the most holy. The Serpent is either a deity or important symbol in Hindu, Ancient egyptian, Ancient Mesopotamian, Ancient Semitic, Ancient Hittite, Ancient Babylonian, Ancient Assyrian, Ancient Greek, Ancient Minoan, Ancient European, Ancient Iberian, Ancient Norse, Ancient African, Ancient Aztec, Ancient Peruvian, Hopi, Ancient Mound Builders, and many other religions, mystical traditions and cultures. How did a common symbol become widespread? It must have had a common origin or understanding.

In fact, there are numerous contemporary sects including Christian sects that either worship or treat the serpent as an important positive symbol.

      In some mystical traditions, the rising serpent is symbolic of rising kundalini energy. Rising kundalini energy is a Spiritual awakening that can bring forth healing, empowerment, knowledge and wisdom. The rising serpent has nothing to do with a reptile or animal. Rather, it is symbolic because the rising energy would appear as a serpent wrapped around and ascending a staff. Activated kundalini energy and the power that accompanies it does not make a person more ethical or moral. Rather, choices are always there and it is the responsibility of the individual to use all of their power of all kinds wisely and compassionately.

      It seems obvious that ancient priests and wise men must have had access to knowledge about Spiritual awakening, kundalini energy, what it means and how it works. Those who didn't have access to the information or were incapable of understanding it, may have been tempted to worship the symbols rather than the substance of this ancient knowledge. Thus, a distortion was introduced and serpent worship and serpent cults came into existence.

      The Christian Bible contains several references to serpents, or to creatures often interpreted as serpents, using different Hebrew terms. The most common term is "nahash". It is found at least 30 times in the Old Testament, and means "to make a hissing sound," as well as a "venomous reptile with deadly fangs." Another term is "tannin", which can also be translated "monster", "dragon", "sea serpent", or "crocodile" and can mean any large sea creature or reptile. It is sometimes translated as "serpent" and sometimes as "sea-monster" and, at other times, it is apparently ignored. "Saraph" is another term that is translated to mean "fiery serpents". The point here is that translating from one language to another and from one cultural context to another, especially across thousands of years of time and without loosing the meaning and intent of the original authors is very challenging.

The Symbolism of snakes and Serpents in Hinduism

The Snake Gods are adorned and celebrated in all the Hindu temples of the world. From many centuries the Snake Gods have been given prominence in the life of most of the Hindu people. The Female Snake God is called as Nagarani and the Male God as Nagarajan.and idols of both Gods are placed in all the major Hindu temples of India. In some villages of South India, they have been adorned in the live form and their shelter, termite nest, is also kept in many temples of the country. Pariticularly on Fridays they are given raw eggs and milk. The devotees of them put the raw eggs and the cup of milk nearby their shelter and if the snakes are really living there, they will come out in night times to drink the eggs and milk.

Lord Shiva , The Great God of Hinduism, is wearing the God Nagarajan on his neck and Lord Krishna has made the Snake God Adhisheshan as His bed in His home.

The Hindu people are believing that Snake Gods are associated with wealth and healthy life and they will act as great securities when the people meet difficulties in their life. It is also believed that Snake Gods are having separate world and Shri Nagarajan and Shri Nagarani are ruling that world. However The Snake Gods and other Holy Snakes are under the control of major Gods like Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna.  

Why do some Christians handle snakes?

In the Christian religion, snake handling is an extremely rare activity practiced by a very small number of Pentecostal churches - most in the southern, rural United States - on the basis on Mark 16:17-18: "And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;  they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover" (ESV).

It is important to note that the originality of the last 12 verses in the book of Mark are highly disputed, even by many Christians.

Yet, even those who advocate for the passage's inclusion into the Gospel, don't also argue that snake-handling is present-day application of the text for Christians, Pentecostal or not.

The practice of snake-handling

Practitioners believe snake handling is a demonstration of their faith in God. While advocates of snake handling come out of Pentecostal churches, no major Christian denomination, Pentecostal or otherwise, supports the practice.

One of the original leaders of snake handling in the United States, George Hensley, broke away from the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), because of his allegiance to the doctrine.

Most snake handlers are found in Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Some states such as Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, have made the activity illegal, punishable by fine, but it still occurs because practicing churches are mostly in rural settings.