Believed Fantasies

We humans are bombarded with so much reality that the onslaught is much more than the body can withstand and we need to escape from it. We seek refuge in all sorts of things. Hobbies, over eating, pastimes and most of all fantasies are how we attempt to discharge accumulated tensions of daily life. We fantasise about invincibility, play violent video games, watch sports and do all sort of things to vent anxiety.

Fantasies are imaginary scenarios that we consciously or unconsciously play out in our heads. Fantasies are a form of escapism. Fantasies serve a psychological purpose but they are not reality.

God, religion, karma and freedom are the four most believed adult fantasies.

No matter how elevated a status you want to give to it, religion has been termed by many as a form of escapism. Remember Karl Marx and his accusations of Christians being escapists and that religion is the opium of the masses. There is a lot of truth in it though.

A significant majority of humanity involves itself in religious pursuits and rituals simply in order to have some time on daily or weekly basis away from the harsh realities of daily life. Going places in search for some sort of an experience, listening to someone’s soothing lectures that make them feel better, spending hours in temples are indeed a case that religion is just another exercise in casual escapism.

What is religion after all?

• If it is a moral code of conduct, then all we need to do is develop a value system.
• If it is hallowed belief, it is better served by purifying one’s inner self.
• If it is a belief in or a puzzle of supernatural power, it is better to understand the laws of nature.

Without fear, there is no faith. Without fear, there is no need for god. Thus, to give further credence to the concept of god, man created devil. The devil convinced us that there is a god, that there is a purpose to life and finally the devil played the biggest trick — he convinced us that the devil is in anything other than man’s mind itself.

Just give it a serious thought.

This reminds me of a famous quote of Swami Vivekananda.

“You will be nearer to heaven playing football than studying the Bhagavad-Gita.”

The sage said this to a young sickly looking boy who wanted to acquire spirituality by studying the Bhagavad-Gita. He was driving home the point that the boy would do better to improve his health first in order to assimilate the message of the scripture/s and translate it into his life.

Existence is reality. God is fiction.

We exist because we exist: it is not our doing. God and religion are our productions. That is why there are gods and gods and gods. Everyone creates his or her own god or accepts an old belief based on their needs, suffering and expectations.

Many gods but there is only one existence.

Our actions become our personal ‘ religion’. Inaction or acceptance of shared or communal experiences as the gospel truth is simply indulging in escapism.

God is one lie that has given rise to so many more lies. Religions, churches, temples and other religious entities keep on pouring lies upon lies in order to protect one lie. If you refuse to believe in god, soul and destiny, you will see that you are left with only yourself and the world. Then, you will see yourself and the world as they are and not through the prism of these beliefs.

God may be a great consolation but he is not a cure. God and religion are believed fantasies, which a vast majority of humanity believe to be true.

It is necessary that we face reality or we will be doomed, individually as well as a species. At the same time, it is unrealistic to pretend that we humans can ever be very realistic.

We need to confront reality by making intelligent guesses as to what is right and true. At the same time, we also need to understand that the opposite is not wrong or shameful but a fantasy. Fantasies are a normal part of our interior world. The better we are at distinguishing fantasy from reality, the more accomplished we become in indulging in fantasy for safe and efficient management of anxiety in our lives.

Originally published at https://sureshkapur.wordpress.com on December 14, 2020.