---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not physical beings having a…"
description: "\"“We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.”\" — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96d/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-134_religion_we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spir_1150162.jpg"
---

#  We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience…

![“We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.” quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96d/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-134_religion_we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spir_1150162.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96d/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-134_religion_we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spir_1150162.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96d/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-134_religion_we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spir_1150162.jpg)

> ““We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.””

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human existence is fundamentally spiritual, using the physical world as a medium for spiritual experience, reversing the usual materialist view.

**In simple terms:** We are spiritual beings in physical bodies.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the spiritual dimension of everyday life.

Themes

spirituality materialism human existence

Mood

contemplative inquisitive

Type

philosophical thought‑provoking

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- spiritual practice
- educational curricula

Key Concepts

philosophy theology anthropology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does this perspective change your view of daily experiences?
- Can physical and spiritual aspects coexist harmoniously?

A Different Perspective

The view may conflict with strict materialist perspectives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-beings/) [Spiritual experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-experience/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/)

## Related quotes

> [“We’re far more than just physical beings having a spiritual experience. We’re spiritual beings having a temporary physical experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/we-re-far-more-than-just-physical-beings-having-a-spiritual/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [Remember, we are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/remember-we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are/)

[Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/)

> [“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Spiritual”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-l-weiss/we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are-4/)

[Brian L. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-l-weiss/)

> [“As Christian mystic Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-l-weiss/as-christian-mystic-pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-once-said-we-are-not/)

[Brian L. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-l-weiss/)

> [“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual beings having a human experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-but-spiritual/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“That death isn’t death. It’s not the end because we aren’t just our minds or our bodies. We’re far more than just physical beings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/that-death-isn-t-death-it-s-not-the-end-because-we-aren-t-just-our/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. —Teilhard de Chardin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-lipsenthal/we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are-5/)

[Lee Lipsenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-lipsenthal/)

> [We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience and Infinite love is the only truth;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are-2/)

[Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/)

> [“know that I’m not a human being having a spiritual experience. I’m a spiritual being having a human experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/know-that-i-m-not-a-human-being-having-a-spiritual-experience-i-m-a/)

[Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/)

> [“You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are are spiritual beings immersed in a spiritual experience”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/you-are-not-a-human-being-in-search-of-a-spiritual-experience-you-are-2/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [I am not a human being having a spiritual experience. I am a spiritual being having a human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-aziz/i-am-not-a-human-being-having-a-spiritual-experience-i-am-a-spiritual/)

Julie Aziz

> [“You are not a human being having a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being having a human experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-not-a-human-being-having-a-spiritual-experience-you-are-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." Teilhard de Chardin - French geologist, Jesuit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-jeffs/we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are-3/)

Angela Jeffs

> [Finally, if you still are growing, you reach the highest archetype, the archetype of the spirit. This is the time when you finally realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/finally-if-you-still-are-growing-you-reach-the-highest-archetype-the/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

## More by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

> [Long before the awakening of thought on earth, manifestations of cosmic energy must have been produced which have no parallel today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/long-before-the-awakening-of-thought-on-earth-manifestations-of/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [The longer I live, the more I feel that true repose consists in 'renouncing' one's own self, by which I mean making up one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/the-longer-i-live-the-more-i-feel-that-true-repose-consists-in/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [Today, something is happening to the whole structure of human consciousness. A fresh kind of life is starting. Driven by the forces of love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/today-something-is-happening-to-the-whole-structure-of-human/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [“We, mankind, contain the possibilities of the earth's immense future, and can realise more and more of them on condition that we increase our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/we-mankind-contain-the-possibilities-of-the-earth-s-immense-future/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [I think that man has a fundamental obligation to extract from himself and from the earth all that it can give; and this obligation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/i-think-that-man-has-a-fundamental-obligation-to-extract-from-himself/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [At the age when other children, I imagine, experience their first 'feeling' for a person, or for art, or for religion, I was affectionate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/at-the-age-when-other-children-i-imagine-experience-their-first/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [The most empowering relationships are those in which each partner lifts the other to a higher possession of their own being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/the-most-empowering-relationships-are-those-in-which-each-partner/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/we-are-not-human-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [“In the shadow of death may we not look back to the past, but seek in utter darkness the dawn of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/in-the-shadow-of-death-may-we-not-look-back-to-the-past-but-seek-in/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [The stars are laboratories in which the evolution of matter proceeds in the direction of large molecules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/the-stars-are-laboratories-in-which-the-evolution-of-matter-proceeds/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [It is not our heads or our bodies which we must bring together, but our hearts. . . . Humanity. . . is building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/it-is-not-our-heads-or-our-bodies-which-we-must-bring-together-but/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [Each elect soul ... possesses God directly and finds in that unique possession the fulfillment of his own individuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/each-elect-soul-possesses-god-directly-and-finds-in-that-unique/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [You have told me, O God, to believe in hell. But you have forbidden me to think...of any man as damned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/you-have-told-me-o-god-to-believe-in-hell-but-you-have-forbidden-me/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [In the final analysis, the questions of why bad things happen to good people transmutes itself into some very different questions, no longer asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/in-the-final-analysis-the-questions-of-why-bad-things-happen-to-good/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

> [When humans truly discover the power of love, it will prove more important than the harnessing of fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/when-humans-truly-discover-the-power-of-love-it-will-prove-more/)

[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

[Explore all 253 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)

## More Religion quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/)

[Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [The love religion is all that is written here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-love-religion-is-all-that-is-written-here/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Personal Style comes from within. It's when the woman, her individuality and spirit come through. She uses clothes to express who she is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/personal-style-comes-from-within-it-s-when-the-woman-her/)

[Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/)

> [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/)

[Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/)

> [No religion has mandated killing others as a requirement for its sustenance or promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-religion-has-mandated-killing-others-as-a-requirement-for-its/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Deepen your existing spiritual commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-buettner/deepen-your-existing-spiritual-commitment/)

[Dan Buettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-buettner/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/)

[Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/)

[Browse all 58,737 Religion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pierre Teilhard de Chardin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Religion"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96d/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-134_religion_we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spir_1150162.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96d/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-134_religion_we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spir_1150162.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96d/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin-134_religion_we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spir_1150162.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical…” — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Pierre Teilhard de Chardin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We are not physical beings having...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/we-are-not-physical-beings-having-a-spiritual-experience-we-are/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
