To find out, take this test, which is adapted from a personality inventory devised by Washington University psychiatrist Robert Cloninger, author of Feeling Good: The Science of Well-Being
1. I often feel so connected to the people around me that it is like there is no separation between us. True False
2. I often do things to help protect animals and plants from extinction. True False
3. I am fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be scientifically explained. True False
4. Often I have unexpected flashes of insight or understanding while relaxing. True False
5. I sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems to be part of one living organism. True False
6. I seem to have a "sixth sense" that sometimes allows me to know what is going to happen. True False
7. Sometimes I have felt like I was part of something with no limits or boundaries in time and space. True False
8. I am often called "absent-minded" because I get so wrapped up in what I am doing that I lose track of everything else. True False
9. I often feel a strong sense of unity with all the things around me. True False
10. Even after thinking about something a long time, I have learned to trust my feelings more than my logical reasons. True False
11. I often feel a strong spiritual or emotional connection with all the people around me. True False
12. Often when I am concentrating on something, I lose awareness of the passage of time. True False
13. I have made real personal sacrifices in order to make the world a better place, like trying to prevent war, poverty and injustice. True False
14. I have had experiences that made my role in life so clear to me that I felt very happy and excited. True False
15. I believe that I have experienced extrasensory perception. True False
16. I have had moments of great joy in which I suddenly had a clear, deep feeling of oneness with all that exists. True False
17. Often when I look at an ordinary thing, something wonderful happens. I get the feeling that I am seeing it fresh for the first time. True False
18. I love the blooming of flowers in the spring as much as seeing an old friend again. True False
19. It often seems to other people like I am in another world because I am so completely unaware of things going on around me. True False
20. I believe that miracles happen. True False
SCORING: Give yourself one point for each TRUE answer and 0 points for each FALSE answer. 14 and above = highly spiritual, a real mystic; 12-13 = spiritually aware, easily lost in the moment; 8-11 = spiritually average; could develop more spiritual life if desired; 6-7 = a practical empiricist lacking self-transcendence; 1-5 = highly skeptical, resistant to developing spiritual awareness
Published in http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101041025/quiz.html
with permission from C. Robert Cloninger, Sansone family Center for Well-being, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.
And for Muslims:
10 and above = Sufi understanding of Islam
The rest = Mullah understanding of Islam
1. I often feel so connected to the people around me that it is like there is no separation between us. True False
2. I often do things to help protect animals and plants from extinction. True False
3. I am fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be scientifically explained. True False
4. Often I have unexpected flashes of insight or understanding while relaxing. True False
5. I sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems to be part of one living organism. True False
6. I seem to have a "sixth sense" that sometimes allows me to know what is going to happen. True False
7. Sometimes I have felt like I was part of something with no limits or boundaries in time and space. True False
8. I am often called "absent-minded" because I get so wrapped up in what I am doing that I lose track of everything else. True False
9. I often feel a strong sense of unity with all the things around me. True False
10. Even after thinking about something a long time, I have learned to trust my feelings more than my logical reasons. True False
11. I often feel a strong spiritual or emotional connection with all the people around me. True False
12. Often when I am concentrating on something, I lose awareness of the passage of time. True False
13. I have made real personal sacrifices in order to make the world a better place, like trying to prevent war, poverty and injustice. True False
14. I have had experiences that made my role in life so clear to me that I felt very happy and excited. True False
15. I believe that I have experienced extrasensory perception. True False
16. I have had moments of great joy in which I suddenly had a clear, deep feeling of oneness with all that exists. True False
17. Often when I look at an ordinary thing, something wonderful happens. I get the feeling that I am seeing it fresh for the first time. True False
18. I love the blooming of flowers in the spring as much as seeing an old friend again. True False
19. It often seems to other people like I am in another world because I am so completely unaware of things going on around me. True False
20. I believe that miracles happen. True False
SCORING: Give yourself one point for each TRUE answer and 0 points for each FALSE answer. 14 and above = highly spiritual, a real mystic; 12-13 = spiritually aware, easily lost in the moment; 8-11 = spiritually average; could develop more spiritual life if desired; 6-7 = a practical empiricist lacking self-transcendence; 1-5 = highly skeptical, resistant to developing spiritual awareness
Published in http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101041025/quiz.html
with permission from C. Robert Cloninger, Sansone family Center for Well-being, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.
And for Muslims:
10 and above = Sufi understanding of Islam
The rest = Mullah understanding of Islam