RE: Left brain believes (theist), right brain disbelieves (atheist)
January 11, 2015 at 12:59 pm
I have a similar issue - I have schizotypal personality disorder (not at all like schizophrenia). One of the main characteristics is 'magical thinking' -
There was a point in my twenties when I was seriously abusing psychedelics, and was utterly convinced that ultraterrestrials were teaching me to alter probabilities in order to influence human destiny (a la John Lilly's ECCO). I got over it, but I did experience some very odd things then. Some of my friends, who were not into drugs, flat believed me. That was decades ago, I got over it.
But by nature I'm deeply rational. Probably more so than is healthy. I did three years of a hard science phd before dropping out and had no problems with it. Love science. However, I also understand that rationality can be a crutch. I don't have explanations for everything - no one does. Things I can't explain happen all the time. Trying to rationalize them in order to make yourself more comfortable is just delusional. That particular realization can to me in a vision - the Mayan god Dreaming Jaguar (whom I don't at all believe in) explained it to me.
My best advice comes from Lewis Carroll, "I try to believe two impossible things each day before breakfast". Cognitive dissonance is like a fine wine for a complex mind. Appreciate it.
Quote:Odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is inconsistent with subcultural norms (e.g., superstitiousness, belief in clairvoyance, telepathy, or “sixth sense”; in children and adolescents, bizarre fantasies or preoccupations)
There was a point in my twenties when I was seriously abusing psychedelics, and was utterly convinced that ultraterrestrials were teaching me to alter probabilities in order to influence human destiny (a la John Lilly's ECCO). I got over it, but I did experience some very odd things then. Some of my friends, who were not into drugs, flat believed me. That was decades ago, I got over it.
But by nature I'm deeply rational. Probably more so than is healthy. I did three years of a hard science phd before dropping out and had no problems with it. Love science. However, I also understand that rationality can be a crutch. I don't have explanations for everything - no one does. Things I can't explain happen all the time. Trying to rationalize them in order to make yourself more comfortable is just delusional. That particular realization can to me in a vision - the Mayan god Dreaming Jaguar (whom I don't at all believe in) explained it to me.
My best advice comes from Lewis Carroll, "I try to believe two impossible things each day before breakfast". Cognitive dissonance is like a fine wine for a complex mind. Appreciate it.
My book, a setting for fantasy role playing games based on Bantu mythology: Ubantu
