Open Mind    by Ren Withnell

I pride myself on being open-minded. I try to see every point of view, take on alternative opinions and make my own mind up about things.

Today I had a bit of a shock. Today someone told me to open my mind. There's a woman up at Rivi, my local biker spot, whom I've become friendly with over the last few months. She's the mystical type, you know, whitchcraft, spirituality and strange kinds of unearthly happenings. She's not a pretentious hippy chick or some spaced out pot-head. She simply has a different understanding of the world around her than the scientific world understands.

I do not believe in magic, the occult, star signs, witchcraft and wizardry. The only thing I do accept is that science cannot explain everything and does not know everything. Watching a program on TV last night the gf and myself dicussed how only recently our current understanding of the formation of our planet was decided upon. The program noted that this is our current understanding of how the world came to be what it is today and that future scientific discoveries may change this.

This brings into focus that science is not actually pure. We only believe rocks were formed in such a way from the interpretation of the evidence as we see it now. It is only a few hundred years ago we belived the contintents were stationary. We would have laughed at the thought of computers in the home only 30 years ago. We still mock the idea of telepathy or telekenisis, but in 10 years time someone may discover Diphelon Neuro-Psion Lambda Radiation Particles (DNPLRP!!) that our brain emits which causes these much ignored events.

I do not believe there is a god. For the same reasons I do not believe in DNPLRP, I have not seen any evidence. But I cannot prove there is no god in the same way I cannot prove this is no such thing as DNPLRP. And science changes it's conclusions in line with current discoveries in much the same way as religion changes its teachings in line with current social climates. Nor do I believe in the mystical or the magical, but I would like to open my mind to the possibility.

And while discussing the mystical forces with this lady, she said to understand them I would need to open my mind. It's only now I realise how closed minded I can still be. I always try to be scientific, logical and methodical with my thoughts. Whilst dicussing what caring means with the gf I found myself unable to accept there is no motive behind caring and managed to half-prove a reason to care. Are there still many things out there I do not understand? Or am I approaching this from the wrong angle, should I not try to understand them, but to simply "feel" them?

I know I was made with a brain wired to understand things in terms of cause and effect, action and re-action and how this makes that happen. This is why I'm quite handy with bike engines, computers and fixing things. But I want to explore this other area, this place of events with no reasons and effects with no cause. But I think I need help to stop thinking in my cold hard logic. I need help to truly open my mind.

About the Author

Just another guy trying to get his voice hear on the internet Lost Soul