Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it?  How could an atheist claim any sort of spirituality, particularly one such as myself that rejects all supernatural concepts?  And yet, I experience feelings from time to time that I describe as "spiritual".  How is that possible?

Well first of all, the concept of atheism does not preclude spirituality.  There is a sect that call themselves Spiritual Atheists who ascribe to the belief that the universe itself is a conscious, living entity.  I do not know whether the universe is a living entity, and at present I can see no evidence for any greater consciousness in the world around me, so I guess I am not of that particular sect.

I have heard Buddhism described as a form of spritiual atheism, but I do not know enough about Buddhism to decide for myself whether that is accurate.  However, I am assuredly not Buddhist.  I don't believe in reincarnation, or in the Yeti.

No I am a plain, old, ordinary secular humanist.  But I have spiritual feelings from time to time.  To understand how that is possible, I first needed to understand exactly what was the feeling I referred to as spritual.  I usually experience such feelings (a) when I am out in the wilds or in some way close to nature, (b) when I do something selfless, or (c) when I witness a selfless or kind act.

I wracked my brain over it for a long time before I realized a few years ago that a spiritual feeling is ultimately a feeling of connection.  Connection to something vastly larger than oneself.  For a believer this connection is with the divine in some way.  But a nonbeliever can feel connected to nature, or humanity, or the universe, and experience the same sensation of connectedness.

When I am wandering the trails and have a close encounter with a bird or other animal, or when listening to the sound of the wind in the trees I often get that feeling of connection with the environment around me... just another part of a beautiful ecosystem with which I share common origins and DNA.

I also get that sense of connectedness to my fellow human beings when I perform or witness a kind act, or when I ponder my friends and family and how lucky I am to have them.

So in my mind, one can feel spiritual, without believing in spirits.  Weird, huh?