Atheism and creativity.

[vaneramos]

A friend of mine reflected that he is no longer technically atheist. He is also a poet. This is interesting, and provoked a comment which I record here.

I had a similar epiphany a few years ago when I realized I had become an atheist. My reaction was similar to yours: "This is interesting and unexpected." It was a mystical experience. But I was a recovering evangelical Christian with emotional trauma. Cynicism certainly informed my rejection of Christianity, but I had no grievance against God. All the ideas shoring up my belief in a Creator just unraveled one day. I realized the God of the Bible was actually a reflection of human narcissism, must have been invented to establish paternalistic order, and could not have created something as beautiful and complicated nature. It came as a relief to be able to view the universe with a naturalist philosophy again (I had acquired religion at university). Still, I also mistrust the dogma of many atheists. But I believe most religion has to do with the fear of death, and it doesn't serve us well. Sometimes I have been mistaken for a Buddhist or Pagan. As a Christian I had some powerful mystical experiences. They continued for a while after I rejected orthodox religion, but dwindled. I believe they are still possible for me, but I need to reinvent the psychological structure. I'm not arguing. It seems interesting that our writing process leads us to pursue the a similar mystical experience. However, I think it may have something to do with surviving stress. I wrote my most powerful poetry when I was coming to terms with my sexuality, my marriage and church life were coming apart, my friends were rejecting me and I had nowhere to turn but to God. I held onto that mode of spirituality because I could not have survived without it. Things are different now. I am a lot happier, have lost some of the intense creative impulse that pulled me through the valley of the shadow of death. Writing requires more discipline, which is another kind of spiritual path.

Comments

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

For what it is worth--the older I get, the less I think mystical experiences have to do with the construction and paraphernalia of religions. Both Paganism and Buddhism are somewhat special cases since both have teachings or techniques that can be freely adapted by solitary practitioners... the technique of meditation practice, so far as I am aware, first surfaces in the text by Patanjali, Yoga sutra, and to my mind it's debatable just how theistic that text could really be considered to be.

Pagans and Buddhists are just as capable of organizing and erecting elaborate church/temple type structures and edifices--make no mistake about it; but this doesn't really pertain to your thoughts here.

I am glad to hear you feel you are in a happier place now. One of the things that does sustain me as I go onwards is the beauty of the natural world--and yes, the beauty that humans do sometimes manifest--in art, or simply in being themselves--for all the woes we seem to incur as a species.

An unnecessarily verbose response to your words, but I felt moved to write them...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, Shimmer. I've been getting busy in a good way.

When posting something to LiveJournal I frequently imagine a particular friend listening, as if I'm posting it to address them, and it's interesting how often your are that friend, or one of them. And it's interesting how frequently you respond.

I was unaware of Patanjali, so I'll look it up.