The latest Pew Religious Landscape survey says that “More than one-quarter of American adults (28 percent) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion — or no religion at all.” At the same time, bolstered by events like Oprah’s recent highly watched webinar, “Spirituality 101” with author and spiritual guru Eckhart Tolle, the appreciation of spirituality has come more to the forefront.

When participants were asked “what it primarily means to them to be spiritual,” United States respondents said it meant “believing there is a purpose to life” (41 percent) and “believing in God” (33 percent).

According to some, surveys like the Pew and Search Institute are indicating that this quest for meaning to life appears to be at the root of many young folks’ desire for spirituality. But at the same time they apparently don’t want all the baggage of organized religion.

“The number of people who self-identify using the long-popular phrase ‘spiritual but not religious’ is still growing. In 1998, 9 percent of American adults told the General Social Survey they were spiritual but not religious. By 2008, it had risen to 14 percent. Among those ages 18 to 39, the increase was even more dramatic, and 18 percent now say they are spiritual but not religious.”