Reality Check

Today I am feeling pulled by thoughts to the past, to childhood places and people especially my Dad who passed away a little over a year ago. Where is he now I wonder? Sometimes I feel he is nearer to me than other times and I wonder if that's my imagination.

I am presently reading a book titled "Why we believe what we believe," by Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman. Its a fascinating read exploring the biological aspects of how beliefs are formed and the workings of the brain. When you realize how much our brain fills in the blanks for us and how much our beliefs depend on a general consensus from those around us combined with the emotional aspect of it feeling comfortable, you realize I could have a completely different set of beliefs if I'd grown up in another part of the world.

The author says when we encounter someone with a different set of beliefs we naturally want to convince the other that our beliefs are right because we have made our beliefs our truth. In reality there is no truth only best guesses. Even mathematics which is held up as a definable truth as in 2 + 2 = 4 can be proven to be inaccurate by a mathematician by the name of Kurt Godel. If there is no truth we must create it so we can feel comfortable in our world. We cant rely on our eyes or our ears  as our brain is selective and cant possibly process all the information it receives. So what does this all tell us? I haven't finished the book yet so I don't know where the author is taking this but for me it means I need to question my beliefs a little more and hold less rigidly to some while allowing other people theirs. It adds up to greater compassion and gentleness and understanding in my mind.

As to where my Dad is today, I have my theory's but I know he is in my mind, in memories now fuzzy or distorted and his presence in my life is palpably in my heart as the love that never dies.