Ways of Knowing

I am taking this course on Indigenous Philosophies, and it is getting under my skin.

I am seeing pictures in my head as I read the text.  I am reading work by Dei - 'Revisiting The Question' - and it began with images of Finland, and Eesti, then northern Ontario, lakes and trees, and sky, and the feelings of belonging that are here.

Then, moving into passages about belonging and connection, images of walking through a dark forest, and seeing sparks of light, and knowing they were people, and animals, connected with little strings of light. It was unreal.

This is not how I think. I think in straight lines, and angles, and took this course on purpose because I knew it would be hard for me.  I am having to look up concepts, and look up vocabulary, and I wanted something that would challenge me, and push me.  That is certainly happening.

A Very Personal ?Faith?

People pray to a god, invoke it's name when they need something, are facing a complicated problem, or are in distress.  They call upon it in moments of bliss, meditate on it in times of happiness, and relate it's power to their happiness.


For me, I believe in the ties I have with the people around me, with my friends and family.  I call on them, whether by actually calling, or by invoking them in mental conversation.  I choose who to call, or think of, depending on the circumstance.


Building something: My Uncle, VanaIsa, or Lee

Knitting/Crocheting: My cousin or Aunt M
Being Elegant: Granny, Aunt F

Baking: Granny, mom
Travel, Adventure: Mom, J, K, T, F

Motorcycling: K
Cooking or art: Mom, Granny, VanaIsa

Being kind through pain: VanaIsa
Being brave and fabulous: P, F,
Being silly and smart: Jos, Car, Lau
Being techie: J, K, Andy

Being authentic: B, K, L


I never ask WWJD,
I ask WW?D, and I fill it in appropriately depending on the circumstance.



Sometimes I talk to ghosts
Sometimes I talk to the dead grandparents, at the cemetary, or at the lake.


Estonians used to have a kind of ancestor worship. I guess this is kind of like that, only it's not all people who are dead.


*I do know that it's not real.*

I don't care.


It provides a kind of comfort, and that's the point, really. I do, however, think it is important to understand, and not lose sight of the fact that it is not, in fact, real.  These are people, yes, but in the moment that I am imagining them there, caring about me and helping me, it is myself doing whatever it is, not them.

It may be, in fact, due to their help and tutelage that I am able to do it, but it does not negate the reality that I am merely tricking my mind.


Should I ever lose sight of the fact that this is not real, I will have become delusional.


Religion/faith is, therefore, either:
people refusing to understand the things they take comfort in, and draw hope from
people engaged in singular or mass delusion
people lying to themselves and/or each other


I can respect people who admit that they believe things in order to be comforted, provided that they understand the inherent falsity of such an action. 


I think that people need to draw comfort from somewhere.  One has a life philosophy, of some kind, and within that, there is a need for sustaining faith in something, be it science, knowledge, language, relationships, nature, the inherent decency of humankind, cats, or one or more deities. 


I don't know why that understanding is so important to me.