[Icare dixit]

How important is it for you, if at all? Does it help with your BP?

I'll answer my own questions when it's not 4 am.

[MusicLover82]

It helps me when I'm anxious. It's like I need that reassurance that everything is going to be okay, so I will call my friends who I consider to be wise for the words of faith that comfort me. If I'm feeling stable, I don't feel like I need to do anything spiritual, except maybe sometimes go to church, but that's more for the community/ social interaction.

[st0psign]

philosophy all the way

I tend to get hard core atheist when on the manic side, which is weird because I feel supernatural/religious things happening at this time also. I *think* I get this way to try and stay grounded. I've had experiences which some might conclude MUST be supernatural in nature. But, but, but...... It's very important for me to reject all things supernatural as they are not always pleasant and I think they are psychosis in my case.. I will give you an example. I prayed to my personal god for something I felt I needed. I got it, but at the expense of someone getting very hurt. So science, logic and reason must always be considered first, otherwise I'm praying for things and terrible things happen to people I love and they are my fault. Logically, they cannot be supernatural, this is important for me to remember. And I doubt that makes sense to anyone but me and probably doesn't even answer your question. I'm considering Mormonism or Buddhism. Buddhism is winning out as it seems more honest with my beliefs. My husband is the hard core philosopher and he always grounds me with his "teachings".

[cmorales]

I was quite agnostic in my youth (late-teens). I spent many years going back and forth on many of the big questions. During this time I was also unbelievably unstable. So, philosophy/religion didn't play too big of a role in my life or BP until I was about 23, when I admitted to myself that I am in fact an atheist and also came to Satanism.

Satanic philosophy just made so much sense and totally kicked me in the butt to get and maintain as much control over my life as humanly possible. Yes, I am sick, but the sickness isn't everything and it isn't the entirety of my personality. An old saying in Satanism is, "Indulgence not compulsion," an idea which helped me get my drinking under control... though I admit smoking is another story. But I contribute my failure to quit smoking more to the physical addiction which, as we all know, is only second to heroin.

Satanism reinforced the necessity of taking responsibility for my own actions, even -- or maybe especially -- during episodes: don't apologize and ask forgiveness for things you know you're going to do again; instead, show you're sorry by trying your best to not do whatever it was again.

Satanism is about loving life and enjoying it and accomplishing your dreams in the limited time we have here and, to me, this includes staying in treatment: keeping appointments, taking meds, etc. We can't accomplish a whole hell of a lot when we're constantly unstable... at least, I can't. Sure, we all slip up from time to time, but nobody is perfect.

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by Icare dixit

How important is it for you, if at all? Does it help with your BP?

I'll answer my own questions when it's not 4 am.

I have faith, but it's not traditional in any sense of the word. I believe in God, and energy in everything, and that there are reasons for what happens -- even if I don't understand those reasons.

[Icare dixit]

I believe in God, one god. But like some religions believe, there may be gods as part of God.

I believe God is the only cause of everything, always. God is represented in everything.

I believe our emotions, mood, intuition, anxiety are God guiding us.

I believe when we are manic, we are closest to God. God being the way and God being imperfectly reflected in everything, by necessity: God is formless, God is formlessness, yet God together with God's current form or representation is used by God's only method, only process God is involved in, life, to become one.

There are an infinite number of representations of God. Again, maybe one can speak of gods. In every individual, God, and any gods, are represented differently. Everyone has a different perspective on God and the perspective changes, changing perception, mood, the amount of reduction and abstraction, maybe transformation, and self-transcendence.

Complete self-transcendence would be God's perspective. Essentially being God. It probably isn't possible. It probably isn't desirable.

God can be seen as the Spirit and Substance, maybe Mind, its representations Truth and Beauty. God is just the best name for it. Maybe it's the first concept. It deserves a name more than anything. It's existence can probably not be disproven. That's why you can have unconditional faith.

God makes us struggle: God makes us live. We are just imperfect representations of God, in flux.

Reality is a derivative, a representation, of the mind, the mind is a derivative, a representation, of God.

[Icare dixit]

I think we, those with psychotic gifts and disorders, could be very good religious teachers.

But organised religion is easily corrupted. Religion can be good or bad: leading us to freedom or keeping us from attaining freedom. The word itself might've been used originally for the latter, even. But the meaning of words is, and should always be, in flux.

Changing the meaning of words can free us more than coming up with new ones, I believe. That's what makes science and philosophy often different from religion. That's why God exists: it encompasses everything. If God weren't to exist, nothing would exist.

The only way words and meaning are anchored, anything has a derived meaning, is meaningful, is by God. God is, in a way, the most basic of assumptions: that things are meaningful.

[Icare dixit]

As for the second question, more to the point, I think religion gives one something to hang on to when all meaning seems to disappear, when all words, concepts, (seem to) become devoid of meaning.

It may show us how we are all wrong, sinners if you like, and we should trust ourselves more, because God is "within" us. All debt we owe, we owe to God: no-one else. God may ward off anxiety, because there is always something we can trust to retain meaning, even if we don't feel or see it. It may be the lighthouse when we feel we might drown in a cold sea with dark, clouded skies above us.

philosophy, science, and art (all of which I find 'spiritual' in different ways)

Icare, I feel very similar to you. GOD is our conscience. Our higher form of self/being and an excellent guide when I listen to her.

I see religion as a very scary thing. People have and continue to kill each other over it. It allows people to see others as different and justifies killing. For as many religious people there are, there is a different religion because even if you go to the same church and read the same book, each person interprets things very differently. The only way we can all be on the same playing field and remain inclusive, is to drop religion and realize we just don't know. In a few hundred years in the future, this will probably be so. I was born too early, too late, or by mistake. Religion (not God, not spirituality) scares me. It's unchecked delusional behavior. I don't mean that to sound rude but realize it will so I apologize in advance. It's just how I feel.

[Icare dixit]

I see religion as certainty of uncertainty. You can only rely on God. God only knows (with certainty). It's humbling. Too many religious people share that perspective to outright discard religion.

No strong, "true", deep religion makes people more suggestible. They have no direction, because they keep changing direction. It allows for "false" religions to lead people to do or suffer terrible things.

Many that fight "religious" wars weren't/aren't very religious. They are opportunists or victims of their own lack of direction and faith. They seek religion but mistake it for fixed, easy answers to life's struggles.

Those that are truly religious, as I see it, don't assume too much and feel stronger facing uncertainty or adversity.

Edit:
Religious vacuums are dangerous. It allows rackets like ISIS or Scientology to fill it.

[fishin fool]

Philosophy, I am not religious.

iCare, I appreciate your last post but cannot agree with most of it. Reminds me of how many religious people tell me "that isn't a true Christian" when they do something heinous. True believers will and do awful things in the name of their religion. They are truly religious. In an effort to avoid saying anything more which might be construed as heretical, I will stop now. I don't need the witch hunters on my back again.

[gina_re]

Buddhist here.

[wiretwister]

a very old japanese master was asked , what is your religion , your theology , your philosophy .... he stated we have no religion, no theology, no philosophy .... we just dance ....

I have always loved that ...

[Nammu]

May the force be with you.

nature worshiper here

[Icare dixit]

Originally Posted by ElsaMars

iCare, I appreciate your last post but cannot agree with most of it. Reminds me of how many religious people tell me "that isn't a true Christian" when they do something heinous. True believers will and do awful things in the name of their religion. They are truly religious. In an effort to avoid saying anything more which might be construed as heretical, I will stop now. I don't need the witch hunters on my back again.

But it is generally true. At least with ISIS, many young men have had little exposure to religion. They get disillusioned and reject religion. Until someone tells them they are worth something, someone who relates to them and cares them, for life's injustices. They don't learn about religion. They are brainwashed.

Might work the same way with Scientology. Big in Los Angeles and New York. Not the US's most religious parts, I think. But lots of disillusioned people. Both "successful" and deprived.

It's about feeling cared for by others, not about religion.

[gina_re]

Everyone will have their own opinions and experiences.
Religion is one of those topics that I personally try not to have because people get very passionate and try and convince the other they are right.
Same with politics.
Let's agree to disagree.

[pirilin]

None of the above.

[Icare dixit]

Politics is a great example. The rule of law is another example. It is good in itself. But a better use of it is better, no better use of it is worse, abuse of it is worse still. Same with using language, acquiring knowledge. It will be used. Better do it right.

It is very important. Not using these things for good will mean it will be used for bad.

No right and wrong shouldn't mean nihilism. It just means that some things are more right or less wrong. No need to kill God because our knowledge of God is wrong. It'll always be wrong: some knowledge is less wrong and worth knowing, believing.

If you don't know better, you'll believe the worst.

It's all very important to get right. Most right.

[cmorales]

Originally Posted by wiretwister

a very old japanese master was asked , what is your religion , your theology , your philosophy .... he stated we have no religion, no theology, no philosophy .... we just dance ....

I have always loved that ...

This is wonderful!!

[gina_re]

Originally Posted by Icare dixit

No right and wrong shouldn't mean nihilism. It just means that some things are more right or less wrong. No need to kill God because our knowledge of God is wrong. It'll always be wrong: some knowledge is less wrong and worth knowing, believing.

I WILL not debate this, but there is no such thing as right and wrong just because people have a difference in opinion. The end.

[zepchic]

I am more spiritual. When i go to church it is usually a Unity church which is along the lines of new thought. I believe God is love, God exists in all things and beings. I believe in energy. I like buddhist thoughts too and some yoga philosophy. Mania to me is kundalini rising (energy travelling through the chakras from base to crown). I also believe that all the major things that happen to you in life are predetermined, like you have a starting point and a destination with some required stops along the way, but you get to determine your path.

Sometimes I think these beliefs can be bad for me, exacerbating mania and making me feel almost God like when I am on my 'right path' (the most direct route). The good things are increased yoga practice which can be calming and healthy. I also think the singing and community I get at church are good for me.