I think what everyone's pointing at from different perspectives is that spirituality is somehow related to being fully human, stepping out and above the day to day, but also seeing the grander sense of things IN the day to day as well. As Blake (I think...) put it, "seeing a universe in a grain of sand, eternity in an hour".

It is possible to separate spirituality from religion, but probably not the other way around. Religion is partly an attempt to codify spiritual experience and insight, and universalise it. I recognise your description of a "disconnected" state (the glib reply would be to say "that's just being stoned", but I do know such states can come over you under the wierdest of conditions and prompted by some strange stimuli).

As for Gawain's comments about children etc, it's probably one of the profoundest things he's said in these boards, so is well worth reflecting upon

And of course don't forget, Lao Tsu came back to the town and went drinking with the butchers.