When I started to pursue my spiritual interests, I quickly discovered that “New Agers,” as they’re sometimes called (I never cared for that term), basically choose to live their lives more holistically. They’re also more tuned into their feelings and emotions. As a result, they are often subjected to taunts, insults, and a great deal of skepticism. This comes from the fact that many of the New Age modalities, such as meditation or aromatherapy, are not based in conventional science. In fact, even today, practices like reiki and even acupuncture are viewed by mainstream modern society as being based on pseudo-science.
I have gone through this so many times since I became more spiritually minded on the heels of my recovery a decade ago. I have been teased, questioned, and ridiculed by friends, former friends, ex-partners, and even family members over the years. And you know what, I can never just ignore it. It always hurts me. It always bothers me. I believe the reason it cuts so deeply is that my long-term recovery happened because of my overall spiritual quest. It has become a way of life for me. As a result, when I get made fun of for meditating or following my own intuition, for example, it feels like someone demeaning your existence. It hurts.
It all comes down to the fact that there will always be some level of skepticism. However, I have come to the realization that there will never not be skeptics out there. Anytime you’re dealing with a set of beliefs that can only be trusted in good faith, there will probably always be people who want to negate those convictions. Even the Bible speaks of people who don’t believe: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in you; but do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV). We will always have nonbelievers in the world. Nevertheless, I think there is something beautiful in relying solely on faith. Imagine our lives without faith! Think about how miserable it would be! I don’t believe that God meant for us to be prophets of doom. We were meant to have faith. And we base our beliefs on wisdom gained from our experiences. Yet, we remain steadfast in those beliefs thanks to our inner (and outer) faith.
Louis Grassi 