I’ve been an atheist since 1986, and I identified as a Buddhist for about 20 years during that time frame, though I never meditated regularly. For me, identifying as Buddhist was mostly an agreement with the tenets of impermanence and nonviolence (ahimsa, hence my middle name). I didn’t see being a Buddhist as being in conflict with being an atheist at all, as though some Buddhists worship god/desses from their local cultures, there is no Supreme Being and no soul (though not having a soul does conflict with the doctrine of reincarnation — which I also do not believe in, in any literal sense).

I eventually dropped the Buddhist label for various reasons. As with many religions, I see the historical practice of Buddhism as unacceptably patriarchal and centered on humans (the ultimate goal being to escape the cycle of death and rebirth). I’ve explored neo-pagan religions for more egalitarian and Earth-centered, life-affirming spirituality. But those practices have their own set of problems, and rituals in general really don’t resonate with me.

Ultimately, I just don’t consider myself a spiritual person. But I do understand the desire to transcend or at least quiet the mind through meditation or other means.