[suingincentix]

How do you know what's real? How do you know it's not just you forcing yourself to believe in something because the alternative is too scary for you to contemplate?
One of things that holds me back when it comes to my spirituality is my knowledge that the only reason I started looking for a more spiritual viewpoint on life was because I was afraid. What keeps me back is me knowing that if faced with living in fear or living in safety, despite believing in something false just to reassure myself, I would definitely choose the latter.
How would I distinguish what's fake and just an extent of my hopes, and whats actually real?

[pMJWFoAWD]

Grey,

Have you made written down all your experiences? It's easy to think it's coincidental when you take it by itself. You start to realize there are no such thing as coincidences when you have a notebook full of synchronicities.

I think it has been turbulent couple of months for a lot of sensitive people. I think there is a change in vibration causing this. Laura can attest to my range of emotions during this time but what does not kill us can only make us stronger, right?

Glad to see you back on sb.

[HaremShaih]

Yes many of us have been up and down in these last few months. October started a whirlwind for me and for MG.

The post I put on guides and our imagination may just help you to understand that our imagination IS real. What we can dream, we can be, do, etc.

[mirvokrug]

I too have chosen to live without a safety net of doctrine or belief... a lot of others as well. The nature of groundlessness does change like everything else over time as you become more at home with it.
Remaining open is a much better option than resistance to all of the chatter in the spiritual marketplace. You can look without having to buy.

[CDCL7WKJ]

Hiya Greysfan. By all means, question. This is the beautiful thing about spirituality.. the ability to QUESTION, guilt-free : )
Not offending- it is just most religions hold the opposite motto, aka "The bible is infallible"
We learn the most in our lives by questioning and dissecting, by being open-minded to different things.
Say, whats that quote, "I never learned one thing from a man who didn't disagree with me"

In the end, this is all our own journey that we choose to go about in our own ways. We all deal with our lessons and finish this life regardless of how we choose to do so.

For example, I started out as the christian faith. I questioned the faith and then at one point in my life.. began to not believe anything. The type to see proof to believe : )
Because I questioned.
In fact, upon coming here- I only believed in a 6th sense. I didn't believe in angels. I didn't believe in spirit guides. I believed in energy and vibes, I believed in intuition.
A year or so before coming here (Around part of that phase where I didn't believe), I got down on my hands and knees during a low time, cried my eyes out.. (I only knew the Biblical God), I said, God, if you're here.. please talk to me. Say something. Show me SOMETHING. Show me some kind of proof you exist and that you're here.
I felt so alone in my situation and all I wanted was one little sign, that I didn't get. Or maybe I was so absorbed in my own doubt and pessimism that maybe, maybe, I missed that sign.

Regarding how spiritual I am now, that sounds awful, doesn't it? It was actually one of the best experiences of my life. The fact that I questioned the existence.
If I would have stayed in the Christian faith, upon coming here, I probably would have been too stubborn to believe in the new-age beliefs, despite the proof.
If I didn't go through that dark time- I would not have stumbled here for support.
If I did not come here for support, I would not have opened up or even acknowledged my gifts.

Everyones journey is different, it is OKAY to question.. it is okay to doubt.. even with spirituality, do not hold undying faith for it just because anyone tells you "This is the true belief", it is not. Nothing is a true belief. You have *your* own truth, your passion. I know what I believe is my own truth, I have had my confirmations, my miracles.. but that is my truth. Everything happens for a reason, and who knows, maybe this doubt and fear is part of one of your own lessons. This is your journey and you can experience it totally and fully. The main reason I steer away from organized religions now is because they say, "This is the truth, believe this and nothing else"

Have a mind of your own. Observe religions if you wish. Observe the logical side of things as I did. The choice is always yours- you are free to do as you wish, and by doing this, we learn more than we could ever learn.
I promise you- you will end up where you are meant to end up in life : ) Have faith in this. Enjoy the ride. Do not feel guilty.