Weight of the world

“I tell you solemnly, that I have many times tried to become an insect. But I was not equal even to that. I swear, gentlemen, that to be too conscious is an illness – a real thorough-going illness.”

~Fyodor Dostoevsky , Notes from the Underground

For the people who contemplate the convoluted complexities of life, there is a tendency to struggle with an existential anxiety and depression, sometimes to a disabling degree. It feels overwhelming to know how everything works, or think one does, leading to all kinds of paranoia and insecurities, including a sense of inevitability or hopelessness to change anything – the feeling that the dead weight of the world is upon one’s shoulders. And there is no cure for this, no medicine to transform the deep thinking soul into the simple-minded outlook of a task oriented human being, as Dostoevsky so elegantly pointed out with his insect metaphor.

Finding God

“The reason modern people can’t see God is that they won’t look low enough.”
~ Carl Jung

Our tendency is to conceptualize God as existing in some other place or dimension, not within the here and now. Our languages have exaggerated this perspective with opposing words, such as the mundane versus the sacred, earth versus heaven, science versus God, secular versus spiritual, probability versus faith, good or bad luck versus fate/karma, etc. Religion itself has given us the impression – intentionally or otherwise – of God being above or outside of us, rather than being an integral part of everything and everyone in the here and now.

Imagine a world where we recognize God within the food we eat, the dream we had last night, the stranger’s smile, the clap of thunder, the deer crossing the street, the silly stuff we share with a loved one, the blessing of waking up for another day of life, and a million other things we too often take for granted. Imagine seeing God in all of that!

Energy

Energy is inherently neutral, not being anything in particular, other than a universal force that can create, change, destroy, process, maintain, love, hurt, defend, dream, or anything else that is a verb. The same bit of energy can be used for either the sacred or the mundane. How and where it is expended, and what it transforms, are what determine its current personality and nature. New agers call it kundalini, Freudians call it libido, writers call it creativity, doctors call it life, electricians call it electricity, and so on.

Seeking the bad

Our brain is wired to notice the bad or potentially bad, as this is critical to our survival, both individually and collectively. The more shades of negativity or uncertainty we perceive, the more ability we have to protect ourselves and resolve situations before they evolve into disasters.

Compared to the bad, perceiving the good has less survival value, and so we make fewer distinctions regarding the good, assigning fewer words to it.

Humanity is obsessed with the bad.

A poor fit

Some roles fit us perfectly, like a tailor-made glove, but others are like a poor fitting pair of jeans, either too tight or loose. We never get comfortable wearing them, and embarrass ourselves trying.

Know your place in this world. Wear what fits, and leave the masquerade behind you.