Day 371
In the past few months, I have reflected a lot on religious belief and faith and its place in leading a meaningful life. Since I was very young, I've often had sudden moments of blank incomprehension: "Why are we here? What does it all mean? Where do we go after we die?" Questions many people ask themselves and answer according to their religious beliefs.
Unfortunately, the answers my Catholic upbringing gave never satisfied me entirely. I would ask
myself: "Why would Catholics be right? Why would everyone else be wrong? If a guy would walk the streets today claiming he is the son of God, would I believe it?"
I believe faith and happiness are intrinsically linked - although, some people I know seem content living withe the belief that life ends when you die, that there is nothing more nothing less - so I have always envied people who were able to adhere to a religion with profound conviction. I was never able to.
Earlier this year, one of my colleagues spoke to me about a guy named Edgar Cayce. He lived at the beginning of the 20th century in the U.S. He was called the Virginia Prophet. I read a lot about his life and work. He was born in a family of farmers but quickly developed the ability to go into a trance and have access to an incredible amount of information, first about people's ailments, prescribing remedies, and then about many other issues, including past civilizations, reincarnation, etc. It was as though he had access to a universal knowledge. Ok, I know, I' m sounding like a real cult victim adhering to some crazy esoteric beliefs!!!!!! But reading about this guy helped me form my own set of beliefs. It actually crystallized ideas that had slowly began to form in my mind. Namely the conviction that the soul lives on...
Maybe faith is not essential for everyone's happiness. Maybe some people are able to live in the present moment without questioning themselves about the past, the future or the meaning of life. But it was important for me...
What about you? Do you believe faith is important in order to achieve happiness?
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