When I was a kid, I lived in a large two-story house with a staircase that led down from the upper floor into a large, open living room. Slipping out of my bedroom for a glass of milk in the middle of the night was a feat of bravery. I stared into the vacuous darkness of the foyer, having only the banister and the carpeted steps to guide me as I descended. Even with my eyes opened wide, there was little light to adjust to and the silhouettes of the couches, end tables, wall art and fake plants moved like blobs in my shaky vision. The entoptic phenomena within my eyes created a light show that filled the shadows and the world I crept into writhed with ghosts pressing at the seams of reality. I would try to remain poised, telling myself that none of it was real, but the first tiny little noise to reach my ears from any corner would shock me and all deliberate movement would give way to a skittering rush, my toes and fingers digging into the carpet, carrying me as fast as I would go back up the stairs and into the sanctuary of my bed.
Today, it is a much different story. Having shed the consideration of anything remotely supernatural, there is now nothing to fear. I know there are no ghosts, just as I know there is no god. I have embraced an evidence-based world view, thus I step into the world without fear of the things that cannot really hurt me and cannot be proved. As I look back on all of the crazy stories I've heard while growing up, I feel sorry for all of my fellow adults who still believe in similar ideas. Nudity is a grown-up's Bloody Mary. Psychics are just the same as wishing wells. God is your Permanent Record. As we've grown up, we've slowly learned that those things don't really work, so why do we replace them with more superstitions? There is nothing lurking in the dark.
Fear is control and the supernatural is a construction of nothing but fear. We are afraid of the unknown: fate, death, purpose, uncertainty, ignorance. The supernatural seeks to provide answers for the things we are frightened about. To let go of our fear, we must first be comfortable with the unknown and the unknowable. To realize that there are questions we may never be able to answer, that this lack of knowledge will never really matter, is true peace of mind. By moving beyond our fears, by accepting our nihilistic lack of purpose, we obtain freedom of thought. When there is no reason to worry, there is no reason to hold back. And any man, by comparison, who says you must serve to be free is surely mad.
So what of those who claim to have actually seen a ghost? My ex was one of those people. Growing up in a superstitious Chinese community, she told me stories of dark magic and haunted school buildings. When I stabbed my chopsticks into my rice to rest them, she rushed to pull them out and set them across the top of my bowl. "That is how you offer food to the dead," she explained. "You'll attract their attention if you do that." I asked her to explain why all of her supernatural experiences seemed to end when she left Asia and, naturally, grew up. She could not explain, but she maintained the fear of ghosts. Then, strangely, the experiences returned when she was most alone and vulnerable. She slept in our old, furniture-less apartment after I moved out and she surrounded herself with bowls of water to protect her from the aggressive female spirit that she sensed. I don't think I'll ever be able to convince her otherwise. She's felt the chill and is convinced. It is sad, though, that she'll continue to fear that which has no merit, and the rituals she performs will be but placebos to a phantom threat. It is even more sad that her supernatural beliefs provide nothing but fear and worry.
Then, there is religion. Its trick is to make people grateful for their fears, and then to provide an escape. Wouldn't it be nice to learn that there never was any reason to worry in the first place? There is no original sin. Likewise, there is no reward for acting out in anyone's name, or for casting aside your Earthly desires. I believe learning that there is nothing inherent in this life and realizing the fleeting reality of it all will make life better for everyone. Once you've realized that this is all we've got, it's a lot like getting out of debt. I believe the dark is lovely because it represents opportunity and adventure. There is no need to flood it with false idols who claim to be the light of the world, no. Leave it dark and let us illuminate only the parts we can make sense of. Step boldly down the stairs.
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