Opinions, Perceptions, Worldviews and Inconvenient Truths...
Because I spend a lot of time interacting with people in the so-called "healing" professions, it automatically follows that I come across lots of what you might call latter-day snake oil salesmen who make bizarre claims for physical and mental healing that make no sense whatsoever.
Is this related to my rant about slimy marketing from this morning?
No, not exactly... although a little bit, in a peripheral sense.
Quackery... or?
In general, those who are skeptics of "alternative healing" are quick to dismiss such things as "quackery" because... well, because why?
Leaves and sky
Because they disagree with your particular worldview? Because it challenges what you believe is true about the way things work... and maybe what's being presented pokes at the foundations of what you feel is real?
Comedian George Burns lived to 100 and pretty much smoked till the day he died... which would be a serious challenge to the notion that "smoking will kill you at a younger age than a non-smoker." Yeah, well, he outlived 99.9% of everyone... so there's that.
Why are our egos so threatened by things we disagree with?
Is it because we might have to change our minds?
And we're afraid of looking foolish, somehow? Fearful that people will point at us, look smug and say "You were WRONG!"
But getting back to "quackery," what if "faith healing" or "energy work" or "prayer" or any number of other things actually work?
In many cases, it tweaks our realities, to be sure. "Something" happens. We can't see it; we can't feel it; Science can't measure it... and yet? Some dude was ineffectually treated for a cancer five different ways... then went to a faith healer, and now the cancer is in remission.
The suddenly healthy person isn't just healed, something changes within them.
The 180-degree Turn
Consider this: how many long time smokers have you met who then quit... and then become these militant anti-smoking crusaders?
They don't just "change their perspective," and go about living life with their new lifestyle... they now have to make a huge public point about changing direction.
Leaves in the evening sun
Same with food habits... sure, there are people who "quietly" go about adopting a plant-based diet — great — but why are so former steak eaters compelled to become "Militant Vegans?"
Spirituality; Politics... people "find God" and they are not content with just that; they become crusading "Born Again Crhistians," people who were quiet liberals don't just wake up one day and realize that maybe Donald Trump isn't evil incarnate after all... suddenly they turn into placard waving and gun toting right wing extremists. Why?
It seems out-of-balance, to me.
Shouldn't we just try to find a little balance, and perhaps apply some wisdom from both sides of the before/after equations? I think so, because I happen to believe there actually are "valid bits" on both sides of most debates, and getting caught up in the duality of extremism does nobody any favors.
I think what we really need more of is MINDFULNESS and CONSCIOUSNESS and respect for different possibilities... not extremes.
But then again... maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
What do YOU think? Have you had any "unusual" experiences that rocked your fundamental beliefs about "what's true?" How did you handle that? Was it easy, or did you resist? Did you change "quietly" or did you suddenly become "spokes model" for the opposite side? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
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Created at 180718 00:02 PDT
That's an interesting question to ponder @denmarkguy and, having done so I don't think I have.
Either my changes in belief must have been gradual or I didn't care enough to take the opposing view.
The older I get the more I know I don't know, so maybe that helps and I've always been able to see both sides of most arguments.
Maybe my strong beliefs just haven't changed much. 😊
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My ‘lifetime’ beliefs are challenged every single day. I quietly absorb the changes mostly because I can’t justify my history or changes. I know both more than before and less. What once was pure white or black has changed. I choose not to debate gray issues.
latter-day snake oil salesmen --- isn't that big pharma, or medicine these days in general? Seems they have a magic pill for everything.
Having received an unimaginable healing and having to deal with the guilt feelings, and sense of unworthiness has taught me the best lesson in life. "It's a gift" one can choose to accept it and be gracious or not. Today I choose to simply be grateful, and go about my life full of wonder and amazement, politely saying thank you for the gift.