No, I'm not referring to this site (though part of my experience here has led me to this question).

We all have a natural curiosity ingrained in us that makes us wonder about what may lie beyond current understanding. But some people posses a serious fanaticism with UMs that they cling to as though their lives depend on it. What is it that causes this intense need to believe?

Can this fanaticism be explained as either a substitute for, or an extension of, religious belief?

People who are convinced that we are being visited by aliens almost always describe them as being superior to humans. These aliens are considered to have evolved centuries before humankind, and to posses incredibly advanced technology. It almost sounds as though they are describing angelic beings. And since aliens and angels are not considered to be infallible, they could easily be substituted for one another.

Like the god(s) in any religion, no one can prove that aliens are here, yet some people accept their alleged presence in blind faith. Doesn't this sound like a religious faith?

Ghosts are almost always tied in with a religious faith. Interestingly, when someone is describing a frightening experience with a ghost, someone always suggests that it may not be a ghost, but rather, a demon. Demons do not exist anywhere outside of religion.

There's even the rare occasion when cryptids became intertwined with religion. There have been instances where some loon claimed that a cryptid was actually a demon summoned by a mysterious ritual.

Is it possible that a fanatical obsession with the unknown is actually a substitute for lack of religious faith?

Or, does religion drive some people to become blindly obsessed with unexplained mysteries, and push them to reject logical explanations?

Hi there Thesource

You make some good questions, here is how I see them.



Yes its is natural for human beings to want to know the unknowable, but if you think about that, its that very thing that has caused us to progress and understand things, which has benefited human kind, and sometimes hindered it. Where would science and technology be if humanity never had a desire to look into the dark, or see what is around the next corner?

I think most humans need to believe in something because belief in things is what gives us all hope. Whether that be a belief in science, or belief in the after life, both of them are based on hope, science hopes to cure this, hopes to make man/woman do this and that, religion hopes they will live on in paradise after death, and there enemies will burn in hell, or they hope they will meet with there friends and loved ones. If humans did not believe in these things, there would be no hope, and life would be pretty unbearable, we should be thankful for belief even if it is based on blind faith.



Well I believe that maybe much of religion comes from experiences with other worldly beings, such as aliens, going on historic evidence. Its more than possible that the ancients where influenced by such things, although many would debate that. Angels and flying humanoids seem to go hand in hand, its easy to think that more primitive man and even modern man would see strange intelligent people far more advanced then them and assume they are gods or demons, based on there superiority to us.



Many people especially in the more modern religions tend to demonize what they do not understand, or if it scares them then it must be evil, and will take a more irrational stance on things. If you look though people do not just do it with the paranormal, they do it with each other, one culture demonizes another because they do not quite understand what they are all about, and are to ignorant to find out, but rather just label them as strange and scary, and fear will always lead to demonization of someone or something because some people prefer not to learn, because they are afraid of what they might find, its better to stay ignorant.

I will personally except a logical explanation if it makes sense, but there are many strange things that happen in this world that are yet to have logical explanations, which is what fuels some peoples interest in unexplained mysteries including me, humans love a great mystery, some do not.

All the best
Faeden

Source Great questions, I think the level of a persons awareness or conciousness has a large factor in choosing a religion and what it means to them . To me there are as many reasons as there are people, I think you go through stages or maybe stay at the same stage your whole life, I don't want to come off as if a higher awareness is somehow better I don't mean that Is a big tree better than a litltle tree no just different and I think the fulfilling of religous potential or whatever your in to is the same feeling no matter what the level, I think religion as its currently constructed and expressed is not benefiting mankind at all its become this boogie man in the closet horror novel, Thanks for listening Namaste Sheri

I dunno. I have been around the planet Earth a fairly long while, and I am a pretty good observer. When I was in the military I noticed something . . . a whole lot of people there liked: Not having to figure out what to wear each day; not having to decide what to eat for lunch and dinner; not having to make decisions as to what was right and wrong, including how to do things right and wrong. IOW, they were quite satisfied having guidelines for about everything, and having someone much higher up deciding things for them. In a lot of ways, (when the guns aren't shooting) it is a relatively easy life . . . for those who like it like that. I think that a good many religious people are similarly inclined.

Larry does make a very good point....Some people, alot of people it seems like prefer to just have things one way and to not question that. Especially since the changing would just mean more questions and uncertainty and that isn't something that people want to deal with so they fight for the normalcy that they are used to at all costs, even if that normalcy includes something like worshiping an invisible all knowing infallible god.....

Personally I like change and questions and questioning what i already know etc. perhaps that's why i can't believe in organized religion, my questions upset the religious folk

far better to say that all people prefer stability over instability.

all people enjoy novelty, it is just a question of what the limits are for where enjoyment ends and stress begins. most of this comes from conditioning. from a systems perspective, the most fragile system is a stable equalized system. people that are firmly entrenched in habit and not exposed to novelty are the most fragile when novelty is introduced (hence it takes much less for the novelty to be a critical stressor for them).

people are habitual. in larrys example, if people are given the opportunity to habituate to having to do less (more planned and decided for them), they will. survival is partly about minimizing risk and maximizing effeciency.

Thank you for your replies everyone. All of you brought up some very good points.

The question is, when does a belief in something become detrimental to an individual? I'm not referring to people who are mentally unstable, but to someone who is basically well adjusted (yup, I realize how subjective that term is) who starts to substitute reality with elements of their own belief?

Here is an example based on an actual reported incident. Say Mr.XYZ has a fascination with vampire lore. In the beginning it's simply a curiosity in the ancient legends. As time goes on, Mr.XYZ begins to accumulate a large amount of literature on the subject, and eventually starts to wonder if, in fact, vampires may actually exist. Eventually, he reaches a point where he carries a small crucifix and a small container of holy water with him at all times, and starts to hang garlic around all the windows of his house. He's considered an excellent employee at his job, and has an active social life with many friends. And yet, he's become convinced that someday he may be the victim of a vampire attack.

Though Mr.XYZ comes across as being extremely irrational, couldn't this be considered an example of religious faith? To this man, a vampire is the personification of pure evil, and if he fails in carrying out his ritual of always having a cross with him and hanging garlic in his house, he will be condemned to a hellish existence as the undead.

I realize how extreme that example was, but consider this; how many people really do live in fear of vampires or ghosts, or being abducted by aliens, or becoming victims of some secret government plot? It's all based on faith since there is no proof for any of these examples.

On the other hand, consider how important it is for people who subscribe to any religion to maintain their rituals (whatever they may be) in order to not be judged and condemned in one form or another.

One is considered mainstream (belief in a God or Gods) and the other is completely fringe, yet aren't they examples of the same process in the human mind?

And if this is the case, how can one be considered a viable example to live by, yet the other be thought of as simply a mental aberration?

Wow source interesting question I would say that it would become a problem when normal everyday interactions become all about the vamps....For example Mr. XYZ can't have a conversations with someone without bringing up that they should be careful going out tonight because the vamps will be out, and tries to push a garlic clove on them for their own protection. It is a problem at that point because it's not just his belief but would feel inclined to save others from the vamps as well even when they themselves don't believe in them. You see because it is his own belief and unless others ask he shouldn't be trying to impose this onto others. I personally wouldn't want a co-worker or some random person on the street hollering at me about vampires Is this more what you were looking for? not sure if it makes much sense