Watersprout - thanks for your comments. I totally agree with you that inner peace and tranquillity is of great value and that is often to be found by focussing on things other than material possessions and immediate concerns. I'm not sure why we ought to bring the supernatural into it though. When you say we are "spiritual beings trapped in a physical body" that is the bit I'm interested in. What do you mean by a spiritual being? What properties does this spirit stuff have?
I'm just about to have tea and buscuits as well by the way, I agree with you about the importance of tea and biscuits. For a truly "spiritual experience could I suggest a cup of tea with a bread roll filled with square (Lorne) sausage covered in brown sauce? Nirvana!
Mindseye - It would be a mistake to think that people who value science and reason don't get as much pleasure from art and culture. Of course there are many things that are not within the realm of sciecnce, but why do people imagine that its ok to make scientific statements about "spirits" and such like and pretend as if these should not be held up to scrutiny by science?
Your equation of spirit with life is interesting. As long as we don't think about it as if it was some external animating force or as something that goes on beyond physical death.