does it make sense to look for spiritual guidance,from a layman's perspective? I want to hear pro and counter arguments.?

It is everyday life that takes us to enlightenment. But it takes many lifetimes. You can speed up the process by practicing mindfulness.

“There are different levels of learning, and we must LEARN some of them in the flesh. We must feel the pain. When you're in physical state in the flesh, you can feel pain; you can hurt. In spirit form you do not feel pain; there is only happiness, a sense of well-being.”

"We all must LEARN certain attitudes while we're in physical state. CHARITY, HOPE, FAITH, LOVE - we must all know these things and know them well."

"Our task is to LEARN, to become god-like through knowledge. We know so little. By knowledge we approach God, and then we can rest. Then we come back to teach and help others."

Many Lives Many Masters - Dr Brian Weiss

"Simply because a soul has been incarnating on Earth since the Stone Age is no guarantee of high attainment. In my lectures I often remark about a client who took 4,000 years of past lives finally to conquer jealousy. I can report he is not a jealous person today, yet he has made little progress with fighting his own intolerance. It takes some students longer to get through certain lessons, just as in earthly classrooms. On the other hand, all highly advanced souls are old souls in terms of both knowledge and experience."

Destiny of Souls - Michael Newton

{Information received from the past-life regressions of thousands of people.}

“There is no good, no bad, no evil, no devil, no hell. There are only LESSONS to be learned. There is only energy, positive and negative. What we perceive as evil, is only human beings using the energy in a negative way.

Instead of taking responsibility, it is much easier to say “the devil made me do it” or “my parents didn’t understand me” etc. We all have bad things happen to us – instead of blaming others think of what you learnt from the situation. That was the purpose of the lesson/situation. If you refuse to learn anything from the situations you face, if you go through life blaming others for your misfortune, then you will continue to experience negative things until you finally come to understand what karma is trying to teach you.

Earth is only a school that you decide to attend. Each lifetime is a class with many lessons to be learned. You cannot go on to the next class until you have learned the lessons of this one. This as a school where you cannot skip a grade but you can certainly have to repeat a grade until you get it right – no matter how many lifetimes it takes. If you didn’t get it right this time around, then you will be presented with the SAME problems and lessons until you get it. What goes around comes around. We do not get out of the paying back of our debts just because we died. That would be too easy. The slate is not wiped clean until the debt is repaid.”

The Convoluted Universe – Dolores Cannon

Actually you believe that by isolating yourself your accomplishing something, your not. You will find distractions are of the mind and only the training of the mind can allow one to focus hence meditation. To do so while attending to everyday life is an accomplishment.

Spiritual experience has been shown to be linked to neurological characteristics specifically associated with epilepsy. - University of Missouri

Spirituality can be found in everyday life, and some folks do this all the time.

If a monastery helps you, then that's what you should do, but that doesn't mean it will be essential for others.

Besides, there are several types of monastery. Picking the right one for you can be a real challenge. Some are very lose, while others have rules forbidding any talking at all, except for a few minutes on special feast days and the like.

There are people who find spirituality in sexual intercourse.

NO, you want spiritual guidance about spiritual guidance (!)-- that is the meaning of your question.

delusions are the same for everyone

Many books discuss this need that all those seeking a spiritual path need a monastery which can be in their own home. Meditational prayer is a monastery but whatever and however you find peace in a frenetic world must be put in place, kept in place. Whether for spiritual enlightenment or your sanity. For those interested, there is info online showing how you might set up your own monastery in your home. For us, most of our home is our monastery. We must diligently clean it of negativity which can collect or rushes in.

if a priest is a lay man he is serving God without priestcraft

to steal from Gods tithing is a priestcraft for ones own benefit and gain. sometimes its a filthy lucre and a scam.

God NEVER commanded that we lock ourselves away from society, but were to be in the world doing as God commanded. You cannot find the truth in yourself, but in the word of God.

god doesn't exist.