The more I become familiar with inquiry and the dynamics of the mind, the more it’s clear – and the more it strikes me – that beliefs are, quite literally, insanity.
When a thought is taken as true, there is insanity. The thought is believed. The world is filtered and experienced through the lens of the belief. It creates emotions – of reactive joy, sadness, grief, anger, desire and so on. And it fuels behavior and a life. And it’s all based on a misconception.
It’s very sobering to see this. I notice the symptoms of being caught up in a belief, I recognize it as insanity, it shakes me, and there is an invitation to sober up.