Are Lonely People More Likely To Believe in God?

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_Sam Harris
_Emeritus
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Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:35 am

Post by _Sam Harris »

Some of my deepest spiritual experiences happened when I was in the midst of a group of people. But then again, I'm somewhat pantheistic in my thinking, and it's not too far-fetched for me to believe that God or the supernatural would use other human beings as conduits for communication.

I've also had my sole deepest spiritual experience when I was alone, at what (at the time) was the rock bottom of my life. I do not think I was hallucinating or imagining things, my prescription drugs were confiscated at that time.

I have to agree with the sentiment that there are those who, when lonely, feel abandoned by God. I know that feeling, and also the feeling of being abandoned by man. But eventually that fades, and you fall into a peacefulness of getting back to becoming self-aware. I think it's a cycle for me, at times I love being alone, at others (usually when I'm ill) I can't stand it. But my belief in God hasn't really wavered through this time.
Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances. -Ghandi
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