How to Reconcile Beliefs and Souls?

[TB]

Oh, thank you everyone for your kind and thoughtful replies. I didn't know there were new ones until just now, so I'm sorry for having said nothing.

 

If you consider what would happen if everybody believed in the supernatural you may come to realize why you can't just have an easy answer to whether God exists or an afterlife exists.

 

I tried thinking about that, though I'm not sure I get what I was supposed to realize.

 

I would suggest working on NOT insisting on finding the "One True Magikal Answer".

 

Yeah... Trying to find it, or even wanting to, isn't pleasant. I just wish it didn't feel like some primal need.

 

You're not alone.

 

Thanks for all your thoughts and recommendations.

 

internal conflict is necessary for growth

 

I certainly have a lot of internal conflict... If I didn't, I probably would post on this site a lot more regularly. Even trying to compose this message creates a ton of anxiety for me, but I feel obligated to reply with at least something. Noticing replies also causes me anxiety, but I also appreciate it. I just wish I could maintain social interaction better... I really need it. It's like being severely dehydrated but also allergic to water. I temporarily enter a place where I post a lot, but then I just become exhausted and avoidant... Ah well...

 

We improve not from running from the darkness, but when we move towards that which is uncomfortable

 

Yeah that's an important thing to know. Though you have to be really careful with how that's done. In my case, exposing myself to things that make me uncomfortable in the past would just make me worse... I'm very easily overwhelmed. Trying to train myself to have the qualities that make exposure to discomfort actually healing instead of damaging, and making some progress, but boy is it slow.

 

Hey ghost. I know of one sure fire way to love yourself. Choose to do it.  thats it, the whole thing. You make a choice to love yourself every time the question comes up. You have made a choice to love your tulpa, same with yourself. Just as arbitrary, you deserve all the love you can give to yourself, you do not need to earn it, or be worthy of it or be good in anybody's eyes, or live up to what the bible tells you to do, you are completely, one-hundred percent entitled to love. Give it to yourself, and if some voice in your head, even if you think it is your voice, tells you otherwise, reject it out of hand. If something about you, doesn't work for you, so what. change it or not, you are all you really have, so choose to love. Yourself (and others too, if you want). 

My best to you, Dr. Bob

 

Thanks... I manage it sometimes, though it depends on my mental state at the time. I at least actively hate myself a lot less than I use to. Just have to repair a lot of unconscious damage now from when it was really bad for a long time.

[solarchariot]

I certainly have a lot of internal conflict... If I didn't, I probably would post on this site a lot more regularly. Even trying to compose this message creates a ton of anxiety for me, but I feel obligated to reply with at least something. Noticing replies also causes me anxiety, but I also appreciate it. I just wish I could maintain social interaction better... I really need it. It's like being severely dehydrated but also allergic to water. I temporarily enter a place where I post a lot, but then I just become exhausted and avoidant... Ah well...

 

 

Yeah that's an important thing to know. Though you have to be really careful with how that's done. In my case, exposing myself to things that make me uncomfortable in the past would just make me worse... I'm very easily overwhelmed. Trying to train myself to have the qualities that make exposure to discomfort actually healing instead of damaging, and making some progress, but boy is it slow.

 

 

Well, don't ever feel obligated to respond. Respond if you feel like it. It's kind of a practice. small steps. build muscles. choose environments safely. Like this place feels pretty safe. You can ask question and sit on responses for a good moment.

 

as to exposing yourself to things or situations that are uncomfortable, well, i am not advocating for that 100 percent. There are some situations and or circumstances which I would never recommend that. (There is a thing called 're-enactment,' for example, where people who have experienced certain crimes put themselves in harms way to find a solution out of the initial problem, and that's a formula for being re-victimized. I am definitely not advocating a person be in harms way.) Metaphorically, working out inner shadow work can be imitated safely with a trained professional, usually more expensive than your typical counselor, definitely more expensive than CBT. Probably not good to be in a situation where you can be overwhelmed, because none of us do well when we're overwhelmed... that's too close to fight or flight. We do things in small measures, in small ways, and we gain strength over time.

 

You sound very thoughtful. I almost imagine what you describe as anxiety, and or being easily overwhelmed, is your super power to keep you safe. That's what it's there for. Ideally, the goal is to fine tune your super power to allow you the discernment to navigate environments where it's not needed, but to turn it 'full' on to get you of situations before they become situations. I would never ask you to ignore your superpower, or even common sense. I also imagine, you don't give yourself enough credit for having either. :)  You're okay!