Agnostic, although my dad is Catholic so I pray to Jesus and Mary too, I have a Buddhist worldview but I can reconcile it with liberal Christianity. I often have conversations with humans in my head as well as deities so the whole "figment of your imagination" argument doesn't really phase me.. I know it's all in my head, what your senses capture is all in your head too.. I spend most of the time in there. This reality kind of sucks as Buddha said, "life is pain."
When I tell myself I'm just connecting with a concept, I feel a little more detached but in practice it's a permeating perspective that shapes my entire purpose for being.
We can always do more research but I don't think I had pure choice regarding my beliefs. My temperament and upbringing are huge motivational factors, so despite the frustrations of relativity, I try to focus on universal values- compassion leads to happiness etc. Believing in rebirth will reinforce the cause and effect of ethical intentions but we needn't wait until an afterlife to reap what we sow, so even if I die and lapse into an eternal sleep, I would've had nothing to lose. All that matters now is trying to diminish the fear and suffering we have in this life. Research has shown a correlation between decreased stress and believing in a higher power as spiritual practices foster hope, meaning, comfort and peace when coping with challenges in life. I'm not sure what this higher power is, all I intuit is that the ultimate self-awareness is inseparable from something greater than ourselves, whether it be the interdependent goodness of humanity, naturalistic objectivity, God, etc. 0.o I'm still willing to hold some apparently contradictory ideas in my head and be inspired by whatever makes sense to me at the time.. Every perspective is a part of the puzzle, even if it's false, you can't get epiphanies without learning curves. I like to think there are various paths, all leading to the same mountain top. I like the idea of rebirth because it means my spirit can continue to learn. If my current beliefs are false, I want to grow out of them.
There's nothing wrong with accommodating your sense of security through a MINDSTATE. We all need something- religion is not the only crutch people use to get through their lives.
