I met a friend yesterday who used to be part of a spiritual movement which he had introduced me to last year when it felt like my world was unraveling. I went for a couple of meetings and also visited the house block where some of them lived together. At the time, I was desperate for a way out of the pits and their message--which was that we all have an eternal awareness or intelligence that remains intact irrespective of what's happening or not happening in our lives (the data)--was somewhat appealing. If only I could look past all my data. Going to the meetings gave me some succor and company during those dark dreary times, although I couldn't look past the fact that I was the only non-white, and apart from my friend, the only non-Brit in the group.
My friend told me he had left the group because the level of devotion and blind faith that the founding leader had started demanding had become unacceptable for him. He had also discovered some unethical, if not outright illegal, financial practices. In short, it had become like a cult. He was worried about some of his friends still in the group,who were so devoted to it and the leader that if for some reason they had to leave, they would go to pieces. That got me thinking. At what point, do strong beliefs become unhealthy?
All cults and many causes demand boundless faith and unflinching devotion. When does strong faith become too much faith? This could be religious faith but also faith in a political cause, such as communism. I guess one marker could be when it starts to affect your relationships with people who don't share your faith. Of course, newfound faith or awareness might lead you to shed some relationships that you realize are not serving you, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I am talking about relationships that you have decided to maintain. If you find yourself cramming your beliefs down other people's throats and they react with displeasure, that is a sure sign that you are taking it too far. Your insights and beliefs might seem infallibly rational and logical, but they are just that--beliefs. You have to accept that you cannot really step into someone else's shoes to see how they perceive your beliefs. So the least you can do is show some understanding and empathy towards those that don't think like you.
As for the question of how would deep believers react if they lost faith for some reason, I think its a moot point. I am not sure it is possible to dial down your emotions to do with something you feel strong about. When it comes to some causes and beliefs, you are either all in or all out. It falls to each person to introspect whether their faith is serving them or not and to let it go if its not. And let go without judging the faith, those who still have the faith, and yourself for having been swayed by the faith once upon a time. Life is difficult and we all bank on an edifice of beliefs--implicit or explicit--to tide us through. Many things in life could make the roof come crashing down on our heads and loss of faith is just one of them. That doesn't mean we can or should do something about it.
That said, I see the wisdom of not giving oneself completely to someone or something. But this realization came to me after I had let go of some beliefs that were holding me back. That journey was a deeply personal one and the outcome was not the result of logical reasoning. Here is something I wrote on the topic. Don't give yourself fully to anything or anyone. Keep an inch for yourself. So when people leave or projects end or beliefs collapse, you have something to come back to. Even if your lover stays or you discover your life's mission. Don't submerge yourself in either. Allow the possibility that there is more to you than your faith.
My friend told me he had left the group because the level of devotion and blind faith that the founding leader had started demanding had become unacceptable for him. He had also discovered some unethical, if not outright illegal, financial practices. In short, it had become like a cult. He was worried about some of his friends still in the group,who were so devoted to it and the leader that if for some reason they had to leave, they would go to pieces. That got me thinking. At what point, do strong beliefs become unhealthy?
All cults and many causes demand boundless faith and unflinching devotion. When does strong faith become too much faith? This could be religious faith but also faith in a political cause, such as communism. I guess one marker could be when it starts to affect your relationships with people who don't share your faith. Of course, newfound faith or awareness might lead you to shed some relationships that you realize are not serving you, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I am talking about relationships that you have decided to maintain. If you find yourself cramming your beliefs down other people's throats and they react with displeasure, that is a sure sign that you are taking it too far. Your insights and beliefs might seem infallibly rational and logical, but they are just that--beliefs. You have to accept that you cannot really step into someone else's shoes to see how they perceive your beliefs. So the least you can do is show some understanding and empathy towards those that don't think like you.
As for the question of how would deep believers react if they lost faith for some reason, I think its a moot point. I am not sure it is possible to dial down your emotions to do with something you feel strong about. When it comes to some causes and beliefs, you are either all in or all out. It falls to each person to introspect whether their faith is serving them or not and to let it go if its not. And let go without judging the faith, those who still have the faith, and yourself for having been swayed by the faith once upon a time. Life is difficult and we all bank on an edifice of beliefs--implicit or explicit--to tide us through. Many things in life could make the roof come crashing down on our heads and loss of faith is just one of them. That doesn't mean we can or should do something about it.
That said, I see the wisdom of not giving oneself completely to someone or something. But this realization came to me after I had let go of some beliefs that were holding me back. That journey was a deeply personal one and the outcome was not the result of logical reasoning. Here is something I wrote on the topic. Don't give yourself fully to anything or anyone. Keep an inch for yourself. So when people leave or projects end or beliefs collapse, you have something to come back to. Even if your lover stays or you discover your life's mission. Don't submerge yourself in either. Allow the possibility that there is more to you than your faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment