perfectbite

Can they even be marginally equated?

premjan

more or less similar, though wonder is less "elevated" a feeling (more mundane), I imagine.

Preno

Well, psychologically they might be similar but sense of the sacred is the root of mythos, mythological/religious thinking, whereas sense of wonder is the root of philosophy and science. Therefore, sense of wonder requires an explanation, and sense of the sacred prevents any explanations.

Thomas II

I once went to the Crazy Horse Saloon...It was wonder-full, but I would not say it was sacred...

newtype_alpha

I think the two are quite different, actually. A sense of wonder implies feelins of awe, admiration, reverence. A sense of sacredness invokes a sense of protectiveness and more active respect; constrast to something wonderous that doesn't usually need to be protected.

For example: many people consider their word of honor or family cohesion to be sacred bonds that a person has to abide by. At the same time, these same people may find themselves captivated by ancient shrines or ruins they sometimes visit during vacations or family outings; these things are still wonderous whether you abide by them or not. They only become sacred when certain imperatives are included that these things must be protected and preserved by whatever means are deemed neccesary.

perfectbite

Thank You. I am still ruminating but your replies are very valuable to me.

perfectbite

So far your replies to my question have confirmed that there is indeed more than a slight difference between a sense of wonder and a sense of the sacred but what of wonder and the spiritual? If a very deep sense of the spiritual can be identified with the sacred then could the spiritual be the common thread between wonder and the sacred?

Smoke Jaguar

Our sense of wonder is innate. All people have it to different degrees. What people believe is sacred is a cultural item. In the american southwest thunder and lightning are awesome and are often sacred. Awesome storms in the amazon basin are probably not sacred there. The jaguar is probably more awesome and more sacred.

In the same way, females are genetically disposed to seek out alpha males. But the culture they live in will tell them what an alpha male is.

newtype_alpha

The sense of the spiritual is usually more connected with feeling, some kind of deeper emotional reality. You could say that in relation, "wonder" is something that may lead to a "spiritual experience," while "sacred" is something that is seen has having spiritual value. So wonder is a source of spirituality, sacredness is the object of t.

Thomas II

The sacred is social,tied to the culture.
The spiritual is personal.
Maybe spiritualist religions?