Are depressed people more realistic?

[Whateverist]

I can't help but wonder if Sam isn't simply wrong. I wonder if perhaps Sam's fascination with meditation and Vipassana isn't akin to Newton's obsession with alchemy. A bit of woo that has found a warm, comfy spot in his soul and refuses to be evicted. But I think, perhaps, people suggest that because Sam Harris says it, and he's really smart on other things (including neuroscience), we should listen to him on this. That's little more than the argument from authority rearing its ugly head. As Michael Shermer says, "Smart people believe weird things because they are better at rationalizing their beliefs that they hold for nonsmart reasons." (Or Feynman, "I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy.")

I'd likely be one of the first to suggest that spirituality has a useful place in anyone's life (even beyond the fact that I'm deeply religious), but only spirituality properly understood and kept in its bounds. What

As a Taoist and Hindu, I should be clear about my biases. I really dislike Buddhists and Buddhism, and think it's all a crock of shit. But for reasons stated, because Buddhism is different and unfamiliar to westerners, it seems to get an automatic pass.

I'm suspicious of anyone who says they are 'spiritual'. I suspect that usually means the person wants to escape parts of their animal or human nature .. which I don't think is desirable or even possible, although deluding oneself is very easy to do.

Now you say you are religious and I don't have the same response to that. If I might pry I'd like to ask if your religion is your birthright or chosen by you (or both I suppose). Also I wonder if you can elaborate on what you consider the safe way to properly understand and keep ones religion in bound?