There's nothing wrong with a little woo woo
NextGEN Medium Vlog takes a look at a question from the r/spirituality. OP, u/oli_page, is on it with challenging the fear we feel talking about our spirituality and philosophies.
There's nothing wrong with being a little 'woo woo'
I've noticed a trend more and more as time goes on. Those harbouring ideas/beliefs outside the norm keep feeling the need to preface their statements with this: "I know this sounds a little woo woo, but..." Who are these anti-woo woo police anyway? And why do so many feel ashamed about vocalising their more spiritual-sounding thoughts? As a doctor by training, I was heavily grounded in the scientific method. And sadly, 'belief' plays little part in mainstream medicine today.
According to Western schools of thought, empiricism is king. It feels like we're only allowed to talk about that which we can see, feel, hear, touch or deduce by logic. But I'm sick of being afraid to come across as 'woo woo' for some of my 'unscientific' ideas. It even seems the term 'woo woo' itself has become derogatory. With so many unanswered mysteries in this universe - dark matter, consciousness and quantum mechanics to name a few - who are we to judge each other for ideas that seem odd at first glance? Remember, no one really has the faintest idea what this universe is and why we're here at all. As long as nobody gets hurt, I try and be open to all schools of thought on interpreting the self, others and the universe. The point isn't whether the ideas are inherently 'true'.
The point is how they benefit actual human beings. As a species, we see the world through various narratives. It's how we're wired to draw meaning from the chaos. Who am I to mock someone for the way they go about this? Remember, not believing in anything at all is in itself a belief. It's braver put faith in something you cannot perceive. In essence, we need to broaden our horizons and take ownership of our 'kookiness'. There's nothing wrong with being 'New Agey'. There's nothing wrong with being a spiritual person. There's nothing wrong with 'woo woo'. At some level, we're all a little woo woo. We all have beliefs we simply cannot verify through science - even if it's the very belief that we 'exist' in any sense at all (simulation theory anyone?)...
