TWIL (This Week I Learned)
This week I have continued to be obsessed a little with magic. Last week, after contemplating my week, I created a simplistic framework that there were three lenses to view reality through: magic, science, or faith.
Here were my working definitions of these three as lenses:
- Science: Confidence in what you can see and prove
- Faith: Confidence in hope and things unseen but known
- Magic: Confidence in deception and trickery
Now, this gets problematic because, as I have since realized, a lot of people don’t think of magic in this way. I was, quite literally, thinking of “smoke and mirrors”, “snake oil”, and Siegfried and Roy as examples of Magic. Now, I think the line blurs between faith and magic.
I will continue to play with the idea of faith/magic for the next few weeks. The magic of faith and “spontaneous” healing, the magic of creative flow, the magic of our words as blessings and curses, and the “magic” of deception.
This week I am thinking about faith or “spontaneous” healing. How slowly spontaneous healing often works. How faith healing is really a bit mundane. Boring but in that tedious, kind of challenging way. How both ideas are a bit terrifying, though I don’t know why.
We know that faith healing in the form of the placebo effect has at least a 30% chance of working. Consistently. Lots of replication.
And yet, getting to that place where you believe in that sugar pill cure is oddly challenging. One often needs a magician in a white coat, deceiving you into believing you are taking a real magic pill in order for the placebo to work at all.
I have come face to face with this so many times in my life I can’t think of one single story to share. I sometimes wonder if it’s the main point of my life (our lives?) — integrating faith/magic into our “real” lives in such a way that we stay grounded, level-headed, “sane”.
2. Quote
“When we read fantasy fiction, it is for the side of the old magic, always, that we root, for a time when the world, when life, had meaning in itself.”
Neel Burton, MD
3. Prompt
Faith/magic “spontaneous” healing is real. How does that make you feel? Is there anything you are suffering from that defies healing? Probably — And, well, ouch.
Even though people heal everyday, many of us suffer every day. And we don’t heal. We “do everything right” we go to amazing doctors, we eat well, we exercise, what have you.
And yet we still suffer — often silently, often alone, since suffering isn’t really the kind of party energy you want to bring to social gatherings, is it?
Depending on your level of suffering, I would like to suggest making use of a therapist/counselor/pastor/ trained neutral third party to help process the suffering — it’s real, it’s part of everyone’s life, and it hurts.
I’d also like to suggest a creative outlet for suffering. Painting/dancing/knitting/singing/writing. I honestly don’t think it matters. No, it never needs to go in a gallery. Yes, it’s scientifically proven to help :)
What does your suffering look like?
(And yes, absolutely, suffering can exist in a world where you are also grateful. Don’t forget gratitude — This is a both/and)
4. Quest
Consider making room for hope and things unseen this week. Notice the unseen — the tension in the room, the warmth or chilliness, the tingle of the sunset.
5. Level-UP / Go Deeper
If you’d like, observe how you (and others) have an effect on the unseen: the energy of the room changes when you enter, just a bit. When your breathing slows, that tempo changes. The effect of a smile (please, please, be thankful for other’s smiles, but never demand them from anyone). The effect of your words, others’ words, tone of voice, etc.
- POD Poem of the day — I have to leave this one. I love this:
MAGIC
by Shel Silverstein
Sandra's seen a leprechaun,
Eddie touched a troll,
Laurie danced with witches once,
Charlie found some goblins' gold.
Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known
I've had to make myself.
- Course (Journal to Your Heart — 52-week Journaling Course)
- Video (JP Sears — The Law of Attraction Delusion)
9. Hero: Gandalf —Protagonist, leader, hero
Why? He is a true “magician”. I love this quote about him from wikipedia: “As a wizard and the bearer of a Ring of Power, Gandalf has great power, but works mostly by encouraging and persuading.”
10. Take Care of Yourself This Week and Share if you know someone who might like this.
Wild and Precious Podcast, the audio partner to 10 Things, is available everywhere you download podcasts. Faith/Magic episode Thursday.