Edwin Wegman

Clarity of Mind: Faith, Science and Mental Well-being Edwin Wegman

Ones sets of beliefs have remarkable influence throughout the mind; both in general attitudes and in governing how the mind apprehends and comprehends the outside world. It is important to know these beliefs for what they are in order to assess and, if necessary, counterbalance their pervasive effects. They can both blind and hypersensitize. They are only imperfectly encapsulated. Much of the history of philosophy is a concern with distinguishing beliefs from reality. What can we know and how do we know it?Belief precedes perception and forms a framework for it. Here belief has a meaning beyond religion. We perceive only what we expect to see. We are by no means the objective observers we think we are. We superimpose our preconceptions on the sensory data, in spite of the fact that the sensory data are sometimes at odds with our preconceptions. We surrender only slowly to the sensory input. Such preconceptions are very useful. We see objects more quickly and clearly if we know what we are looking for. The downside of this way of seeing results in the persistence of unnatural beliefs, or the supernatural. I have not seen elsewhere the concept that monotheism is the natural precursor of the idea that the universe is governed by law, which is the necessary philosophical foundation of science. It is intriguing that the chronology and geography of philosophical development suggest an even wider-than-acknowledged Mosaic influence. Prayer is futile insofar as it is a petition. The granting of prayers would be self-contradictory. Seeking a purpose in life is futile. There is compelling logic that none can be found. Drop universalist longings. Open your eyes and your heart to the satisfaction of the incremental.