Some of us believe on faith. Beliefs and opinions held in faith do not need to be proven, no evidence is required. Faith in some doctrine or dogma that is held as truth is very common. In some traditions, faith is required, even when the tenets of faith can be proved or disproved. People of faith may benefit from sacred texts and other revealed materials from their tradition.
Some of us rely on intuition to form our beliefs. We may go on hunches, gut reactions, or just have a funny feeling about something. Our "Spidey senses" may tingle, or we have some mystical foresight, possibly from dreams. Intuitive people may benefit from meditation practice and divination tools, allowing themselves to direct their attention to specific areas of their lives and feeling out their beliefs about the past, present and future.
Some of us believe because we are confident in something. Perhaps it is a family tradition to have certain superstitions, or the consensus of our Weltanshauung (the world view of people like us). Or perhaps we just have a personal conviction for our own reasons. Some of us have personal experiences that are not necessarily repeatable or verifiable, we call this UPG (unverified personal gnosis).
And then there are those of us who find belief in trusted sources of information. We may trust in scientific consensus, or sacred texts, the media, institutions and organizations like schools and churches, the media whether it's documentaries and news programs or entertainment, and some of us trust and share in the beliefs of celebrities such as scholars, prophets, authors, and other popular teachers. The key here is trust, and some of us only trust our own five senses and gain our beliefs from what we can see and touch ourselves.
Most of us have some combination of these sources of belief, and as you read through the different avenues of belief, I'm sure you find that your beliefs come from various sources. Make a note in your journal about the different beliefs you have; what are dreams? can we communicate with the spirits of the dead? did humans evolve or are we a special creation? Whatever it is you believe in, make sure to note what sort of belief it is, and whether you'd like to have trust, faith, intuition, or confidence in your beliefs. There are ways to strengthen our beliefs when they become weak and we begin to question them. Or perhaps you wish to shed some beliefs in favour of new ones, once you see them on paper. Give some thought to which beliefs are your core beliefs, the ones you cannot do without. You may find that what sits at the core of your belief system is very different from what you first came up with at the beginning of this blog entry.
If you're still not sure what you believe in, or you have more questions than answers, you're on the right path. This is a great time to explore the beliefs of other cultures, traditions, and religions to compare and contrast your beliefs with a world of others. This can strengthen your beliefs, clarify them, or open your eyes to beliefs that make sense to you in a new way.
Solidarity on your journey,
Jacki Moss