Unlikely Change in Beliefs

[AlienDan]

Has anyone else gone through this or had extreme changes in beliefs? Years ago I used to be crazy about anything paranormal; UFOs, aliens, crop circles, metaphysics, psychic abilities, conspiracy theories, etc. I completely believed 90% of it! I've read stacks of books, watched movies, owned toys, liked anything related.

TLDR of the points bellow:

Then in the last couple years I began finding out more methods of hoaxing, learning psychology, photography, cinematography, magic (illusion), alternative explanations, a lack of proof... Started RE-researching and analyzing things with a more skeptical and knowledgeable view, coming to the conclusion that almost everything paranormal I believed is a hoax or explainable.

• Once thinking 90% of UFO sightings where unexplainable, now thinking knowing 90% are hoaxes or explainable. Photography and video editing knowledge sure helped. But seeing "thefakinghoaxer" on youtube, and replicating his stuff with realism did it for me.
  

• Alien contact? This was proof for me! - Oh wait, they're just stories that could be lies or delusion, and I've found many of them to be debunked.
  

• Ancient aliens? 1 year ago I was convinced we where made by the anunaki and aliens have been here... well who knows now. Theres many explanations and lack of proof.
  

• Crop circles? "Made by aliens!" some research later "Made by energy!" more research "50% real" research... made several myself, met circlemakers and started doing scientific experiments, disproving what I thought was evidence of a supernatural phenomena. Now I'm 99% sure all of them are man made, and theres easy ways to tell.
  

• Psychic abilities and spirituality. This ones is till there a little. I know most of psychics are frauds, and know many of their techniques. But I still wonder if there is a mind matter connection, if extremely subtle, and a spiritual realm. But I'm not longer sure, cant prove nor disprove. Agnostic.
  

As you can see, Total polar reversal in belief. But how? I thought humans where biased and if their strong belief system was chalanged, many things happen to protect and influence it. I did the very opposite, qustioning, doing things that would destroy it. For example Instead of searching "proof of my ___ belief", I started searching "my ___ belief debunked".

All the things that I believed in, I thought I had proof of many of them! But maybe proof is merely a degree and it wasnt hot enough. There are so many people who will completely deny any evidence that challanges there beliefs. But I was completely open to it all. And real open-mindedness, not the "i believe in a conspiracy, so that make me open minded". Haha, that's actually being closed minded. Even now, I still question everything but the most provable. But one mans proof is not anothers.

I guess I'm just feeling confused right now. I don't understand what I just went through. My belief is lack of belief? My bias is trying to be unbiased? I try to make an effort to not be biased or assume. I have opinions and thoughts on things but they are just thoughts... posibilities. If someone makes a claim without good evidence, I love to chalange it. Now all I care about is the truth, no matter how boring or challanging it is. The truth will set you free..._{or will it, can't be biased now! lol!}

Thoughts? What about you?

I found this video series quite good, even though it's about religion, it applies to anything. I wish more people understood how they think:

Edited November 11, 2012 by AlienDan

[Beany]

AlienDan, I think questioning things is an excellent life's strategy. That's how we learn & grown & mature, and discover more about the world we live in. The more I question, the more convinced I am of how little I know. I always thought I'd acquire some knowledge & wisdom when I got older, and all I've acquired is the wisdom that I know that I don't know. So the great thing about that is once we've dumped the beliefs that don't serve us we create a space for things that do serve us; not a lot of things, but a handful of simple but profound truths can fill a lot of space. And while I've seen demonstrations of "psychic" phenomena in my life and the lives of close friends and family, I think it's more of a demonstration of the natural world than anything spiritual, which for me is more exciting than the idea of any of it being spiritual in nature. Oh, I typed that last sentence, and then realized, maybe nature is spiritual. Anyway, I expect you'll have a wonderful journey, when we let go of old ideas & ways of thinking is when our minds are truly open to all the wonder and magic of life.

[Jinxdom]

Pretty much what happened to me except I only turned like 175 instead of the full 180 degrees. Knowing that 99% is bull crap but finding out there is still that 1% that makes you go wtf that isn't possible after you test all of the realistic possibilities and they don't hold up. It's that 1% that irks me.

[Bling]

You live and learn. Believing what makes you happy and content is most important, why live your life any other way?

[Bling]

I was in religion for years and then I saw it for what it was, and it was weird and scary to leave at first because I was brainwashed...but now I have peace and a greater understanding in what I believe.

[Rlyeh]

I used to be a creationist. Believed all the crap about radiometric dating, and fossils being inaccurate guesses invented by evolutionists.

Wasn't until I checked the sources of their claims did I see they were presenting only enough information to support their position.

[Beany]

For me, when I practice detachment, I realize how much of myself, my opinions, ideas, etc. I project onto the world. Up until about 5 minutes ago I believed there was one universal reality that existed, now I don't know that's true. I do believe there are some universal truths, but that's different from reality. It makes me wonder what I'm not seeing clearly because of my own projections.

[Bendy Demon]

I used to think that there was a possibility with souls/spirits and thought there was something to the whole crop circle thing. I used to think that psychic abilities were real and that maybe alines DI visit our world but then something happened, I read other books and did my own research instead of agreeing and going along with what my father told me and a whole new avenue was opened up to me.

[Beany]

I used to think that there was a possibility with souls/spirits and thought there was something to the whole crop circle thing. I used to think that psychic abilities were real and that maybe alines DI visit our world but then something happened, I read other books and did my own research instead of agreeing and going along with what my father told me and a whole new avenue was opened up to me.

Ryu, I'm interested to know what opened up for you. I might learn something. I do think there's a possibility of souls/spirits, along with a lot of other odd/strange things, but here I'm confronted with my "not knowing." In a small way, I'm envious of people who are so certain in their beliefs and the comfort that brings them. However, comfort has never been one of my goals.

[eight bits]

As you can see, Total polar reversal in belief. But how? I thought humans where biased and if their strong belief system was chalanged, many things happen to protect and influence it. I did the very opposite, ...

Enantiodromia, too, is a feature of human psychology.

[Bendy Demon]

Ryu, I'm interested to know what opened up for you. I might learn something. I do think there's a possibility of souls/spirits, along with a lot of other odd/strange things, but here I'm confronted with my "not knowing." In a small way, I'm envious of people who are so certain in their beliefs and the comfort that brings them. However, comfort has never been one of my goals.

I am not sure I understand what you mean by "what opened up for you?".

Nothing actually "opened" for me, I did the opening by questioning what I had been told, researching all aspects of a topic and realizing why I even accepted, often without question, the afore mentioned subjects.

I was never really "sure" of anything if all I did was nod and follow along with what others told me.

[freetoroam]

I have always wondered how the Romans and Greeks, who had gods depicting the elements of life, decided to stop believing in their gods to start believing in one? would you trust someone who had such a drastic change in their beliefs without actually proof to back it up?

There is no disputing the Sun, moon, layout of stars, water, fire etc etc etc.....so a god relating to them is logical. BUT WHY did these people decide to drop their gods?

[C235]

You believe what you read.

[Beany]

I am not sure I understand what you mean by "what opened up for you?".

Nothing actually "opened" for me, I did the opening by questioning what I had been told, researching all aspects of a topic and realizing why I even accepted, often without question, the afore mentioned subjects.

I was never really "sure" of anything if all I did was nod and follow along with what others told me.

Have you found this is an ongoing process for you?

[Bendy Demon]

Have you found this is an ongoing process for you?

What? Learning? Sort of. It can be hard if all you hear is one side of any topic and often just hearing another view is enough of an impetus to look into it further.

[linttrap]

I threw off a lot of beliefs just by asking myself: Why?

Mostly, it was about the rules in my head concerning what I should do, how things should be.

Examples: If you are having fun it can't be "work". That's the Puritan heritage of most Americans. Having fun means you aren't doing something productive and that is BAD.

Once you get those rules about "you" sorted out, you can start on the bigger issues. First the Social.

Why is it more polite, e.g. better, if I lie? To be nice you have to lie? If my best friend is dating a psychopath who is going to kill her, why wouldn't I tell her the truth?

Why are some words unusable, especially the more emotional ones? Golly gee just doesn't convey my emotions adequately. Holy **** does it justice.

Political....Religious...Spiritual....if you are rigorous they will all be scrutinized.

There is truth inside you, but most people lie to themselves about so many things, it takes a long time to get to the reality of your world....not the reality you have been taught. There are things that will stop you dead when you ask: Why? When you back away from that question in horror, that is the very one you should examine.

Is this the life I want to live? Is this the partner I want to spend the rest of my life with? Do I like my children? Where am I really having fun, feeling pleasure?

If you can't get past the most basic questions, you can never get to the larger ones: What will be the last thought I have just before I die?

Personally, I find this question to be the most challenging but also rewarding. My answer keeps changing, and I don't reject whatever the new answer is when it comes.

When the question: Why? doesn't get you where you want to go, try the question: So what?

If I quit my job I won't have an income!! So what? I need X amount of income to support my family. So what? Can you live on less money?

That will take you into dangerous territory---Why do I support a 23 year old who doesn't work? Why do my kids need hundred dollar blue jeans? What's really wrong with clothes from the thrift store?

Ad Nauseam. And you WILL get sick if you pursue this approach.

It never gets you to the answer to the question about Life. the Universe, and Everything (we already know that answer is 42) but at various points you get to rest and think you have made it.

Why?

[Ashotep]

I've seen a ghost so I absolutely believe they are real but I still don't believe everything that I read. People will lie and often do but there are some stories that are true.

[Beany]

What? Learning? Sort of. It can be hard if all you hear is one side of any topic and often just hearing another view is enough of an impetus to look into it further.

No, I was thinking about keeping an open mind, I think. For myself, I keep discovering beliefs I've held without even being aware of them. When I become aware, then I re-examine them to see if they serve or have any foundation in fact. I'm just wondering whether you go through a similar process.

[Bendy Demon]

There is a difference between keeping an open mind and being gullible; often the line between the two can be blurred.

However being open minded doesn't mean one must accept anything that comes along as being potentially valid but yes, I have learned to be more aware of what I "believed" especially if it was because a family member believed the same things.

[bLu3 de 3n3rgy]

Anyone who is invested in developing themselves should actively take interest in monitoring and identifying their societal programmed belief systems and breaking down the ones which don't serve them. Only the individual can be the judge of what they think serves them and what doesn't. And really if everyone did this, and focused on their own paths, instead of trying to convert, argue and berate everything which differs to their beliefs, then maybe just maybe the human race could evolve a little. What if the whole point of having beliefs and learning to monitor/process them, was so we can evolve our perceptions. Our perceptions and interpretations are shaped by our belief systems.

[White Unicorn]

I've seen a ghost so I absolutely believe they are real but I still don't believe everything that I read. People will lie and often do but there are some stories that are true.

I'm with you no matter what the subject is.

There's some amazing things out there that skeptics say no such thing and some believers believe about any garbage that comes their way then get all disillusioned and become die hard skeps even if a truth is thrown in their face by someone. It's sad in a way.

I try to be an living walking question mark. Analyze and don't take all things for face value but be open minded. Reflect on your beliefs, was it just an upbringing belief for a religion or what ever? If you aren't opened minded you won't experience some pretty amazing things that exist that you might just brush off. Personal experiences are the things that make you believe but even then you should analyze your own perceptions if you want to find the deeper meaning of all your experiences.

[Bendy Demon]

Anyone who is invested in developing themselves should actively take interest in monitoring and identifying their societal programmed belief systems and breaking down the ones which don't serve them.

This point can't be stressed enough. If we held the same beliefs all our lives, we simply don't grow, period.

I think the Buddha said it perfectly when he said this:

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

It's true when you take a step back and ponder it, how often do we, as a society, simply swallow what we are told because mommy, daddy, teacher or some other self-proclaimed authority "told us so".

Just because someone says something, no matter how many degrees he claims to have, doesn't mean it is true or valid.

[AwakenAscension]

It is important to find your OWN truths in life and not adapt another's for something to "latch onto". Your very own PERFECT religion and its own set of beliefs are already locked inside. Explore them. It is an adventure. The source of one's longing for "beliefs" comes from a deep need to find the true self. Do not replace or supplement that with someone else's.