No I do not have a rational need to believe in higher beings and I want to know the truth as well, and in that I support using the scientific method to uncover the mysteries of the universe one at a time. That is what I mean by my "atheist principles". But from time to time, I feel that I am alone in this world and no one to vent my heart to. So I meditate on my feelings and pretend that there are other beings in a higher dimension that can hear my communication with them. This behavior is an irrational approach, because the healthy thing to do is to go confide in a friend or loved one. I feel the need to chastise myself. But I also can't stop doing this because I know how to meditate properly and each of these sessions just feels immensely real as if the higher being does exist and my mind feels like rapture.
I agree that its healthy to "go confide in a friend or loved one." But, at the same time, I don't think that that means it is wrong to go to take your troubles to a higher being. If you feel that it is real, whats to say that it isn't? What part of evolution would make it so that our minds would feel the need to believe in something bigger than us? I can't see anything in natural selection that would cause the ability to believe in a greater being to appear in the chemistry of the human mind. The more math and physics I take in college, the more it seems that there needs to be a greater being... logically and rationally it fits. Im not saying that you need to believe in the Christian God, or any god... but I also don't think that you need to be worried about feeling good when looking towards a higher being. Like you told me, “you are free to perform your leap of faith, but you will not be free from the consequences of doing that, which includes your unhappiness.” Your leap of faith is to believe that there isn’t anything out there, but if it makes you unhappy there’s nothing holding you back from going the other way. Hope this helped
unfortunately I have read neural science articles that do suggest that people's spiritual belief is manifested physically in the brain. Which suggests that it isn't real. And my mind is advising me to look at these experiences as just that, physically induced. But I will mention one more thing that I understand that this isn't a "if and only if" thing, meaning that spirituality, meditation, and praying can be physically observed by various imaging tools in the brain, but that doesn't mean that there you can say which event caused what.
I believe we all need irrationality in our life. For stability reasons. Some people just make their way without it, but I think they miss it. The others express it, in many different ways (Art).
There is no right or wrong when it comes to this sort of thing. Why limit yourself from doing certain things just for the sake of limiting yourself? As long as you aren't hurting yourself or others then do what makes you happy and make sure to enjoy yourself while you are doing it.
I am a lot like this, in that I am all about my science and I often (but try not to) find the notion of higher powers ridiculous and unfounded (because I really can't know). It may or may not help you to know my ideas about God. I would not name this feeling or belief if you will, "God" per se, but it's an easy word for these purposes. I look at the actions and words we submit to the world. Each thing we do or say creates a ripple affecting the actions and words of others. Everything makes a tiny difference and thus, we can't always control what happens to us, because those ripples are coming from everywhere and everything and also affect what we're sending back. I feel like all these "ripples" and the giant pond we make them in is my "God". Now, the reason why I must have this idea in my life is because of the unfairness of life or the hopes that I have for myself and my loved ones. I can just hope and send out the most positive actions and words that I can and leave the rest up to "God". It's a form of purging all that stress for me and, while not strictly scientific, doesn't interfere with my beliefs about a sentient higher power (or lack thereof) I hope that made some sense!
