The Suspension of Disbelief
There is something about trying out faith that is similar to the experience of going to the movies. The suspension of disbelief is a mental space required by movie going audiences in order to immerse themselves in the experience of a story. We sit down with our soda, our buttered popcorn, and peanut M&Ms (try putting the M&Ms in the popcorn container, it’s amazing) and we have to turn off that critical component of our brains that would usually be telling us, there are no dragons, this is insane or we haven’t figured out the technology to build that kind of robot or my BLEEP he could fly that helicopter through that building and not die. We have to let the story be the story, no matter how magical or dumb it is.
The same is true for trying out having faith. We have to suspend our thinking full of criticism, irritability, pain, or doubt. We have to turn off the chatter that says this is dumb or this will never work or God isn’t real or I will never get what I want and just let our brains try out believing a different story. If you haven’t noticed, I am not writing about a bearded, all-knowing wizard who will solve all our problems if we are well behaved and punish us when we aren’t. I’m not writing about finding the perfect meditation pillow and creating a space full of burning incense, meditation bells or bowls, and making sure we have a window facing west or east or north. There are no required prayers or prayer rugs in my methodology.
There can be in yours if it speaks to you, helps you connect, and heal, but I am much more about just the initial contact with Good (or God, if you feel wild enough). I am just about helping myself and others choose prayer and meditation first as a direct path to the Source, as a way to tune in rather than staying tuned out, as a way to pause and choose grace and positivity first, before defaulting to this will never work or I hate my life or whatever it is we tell ourselves when we’re in pain and need help. That is why the willingness to believe plays such a big role in recovery work. It is the first and most important step toward having faith, because we have to suspend our disbelief in Good or God. We have to be willing to believe things will work out, that we do deserve Good in our lives, that we are worthy of the best God has to offer.
And it’s really actually quite simple. It’s just about taking a deep breath and saying another prayer. We can pray and mediate as much or as many times throughout the day as we have to in order to get in touch and keep in touch. In fact, I recommend it. Why not? Why not keep saying prayers and keep envisioning a positive future, rather than allowing doubt and cynicism have our ear? Why not just get some popcorn and peanut M&Ms, say a prayer, and sit back to watch what God (or Good) has in store for us?