Why is it?
From what I have seen...people in the West are exposed largely to religions and myths (mainly Abrahamic religions). Secular spiritual philosophies have been largely ignored or considered as alien (eastern). It has mainly been a either or....Religion vs Science option.
I think it is important that children are also exposed to such matters as in the OP so that they can see that spirituality is not opposed to science and does not depend on the validity of religious mythology.