Can you let go of ALL your beliefs?

Question

what are beliefs, are they truly realizations or a mere conditioning?
what do you think will happen when you let go of all your beliefs?

Answer 1

Personally I am at a point in my life where I do not believe anything anymore or feel that I know anything at all for sure. It is a very scary and lonely place. I did not choose to get here, it was a combination of considerable sorrow and inquisitiveness, neither of my choosing. At this point I see humanity looking for answers for as long as we have had consciousness, and everything is a hypothesis. I am hoping that there is an inner guide/gut/intuitiveness that if listened to may serve to enlighten, however the mind is so noisy that the I can not hear itself.

Answer 2

I think if all beliefs were let go there would be such a feeling of relief and bliss it would amaze. Just pure knowing with no need to believe anything. I say this from the little glimpses I've had of beliefs dropping and a "not knowing" taking it's place.

Beliefs seem to be cultural. They are thought constructs based on ideas combined with certain emotions that are handed down to us. Most are based on superstition and wrong ideas about life. We're told this is true but how do we know for sure? An idea that is handed down for generations may be old but it being old doesn't make it true.

I really don't see how a belief can be a realization. From my experience when a belief is dropped a knowing occurs--this is a realization. The belief is dropped but it is not replaced by another one. A space is present--or rather, that space that was always there suddenly becomes clear. And the space isn't empty. It's full and it doesn't need to "know." Out of fear people want to be sure so even if they drop a belief they automatically replace it with another one. What if they let it be for a while?

For me, I find myself just shrugging my shoulders and more and more just saying "I don't know. I thought I knew a lot but I'm knowing less and less each day." n that, surprisingly, is a great n wonderful thing!!

Knowing can only be experienced directly; that is the only way to "know" it.

Great question, dreamer!

Answer 3

A lot of our collective beleif systems are a product of an archaic social conditioning, an informal law masquerading itself as wisdom. I can't say that my own beliefs are true realizations either, but that's only because i've been encouraged to take it on and yet punished whenever it's in conflict with the voice of the masses, ..what is a girl to do? Yet i hold on to some beleifs because i just wouldn't know how to function properly otherwise and in some cases i absolutely do have faith in it. So, no, i don't think i can let it all go...at least not yet.
Great question Dreamer!

Answer 4

It is impossible to let go of a belief unless there is a life altering experience which can enlighten a person in a way.
Our conditioning starts as children, we are fed a lot thru media and society. It is only the challenges that can shake up our stability a little and open other doors...college also helps.
I think discarding all beliefs would be dangerous for ppl...that would create a nihilistic person..but it depends what they would replace it with. For example, I think it would be healthy for someone in a cult to get rid of those beliefs.

Answer 5

I don't think it's possible to completely let go of your own beliefs....
It's like putting your entity in a box, and then covering it with stuff an more stuff and even more until it's completely filled.
Then you store that box.
Later, when going through things, you stumble upon it..so it's still there.
You can't get rid of it, but you can forget it for a while I guess...but it's aways going to be there, no matter how much you try to put it away.

Answer 6

Whether beliefs are realisations or conditioning, they disappear with your memory. For example,I have worked with people suffering from Dementia who have to be reminded that they are Christians every Sunday in order that they will go to church. What happens when you let go of all your beliefs? - nothing much, and that sums up most peoples beliefs.

Answer 7

Think about what believing in NOTHING means. It means not being sure that your experience from the past has any bearing on the future, or even that your experiences are truly your own. You can know nothing. You can predict nothing. You cannot even be sure of anything. Complete and total lawlessness.

I would never want to live in such a world of total madness. Far better to believe in SOMETHING, even if it's wrong.

Answer 8

Our beliefs are shaped by the morals and traditions that we grew up with. We can never really let go of them. We can modify some, or change them, but never truly let go of them. They are as much a part of us as eye colour or skin colour.They are deeply ingrained in us.

Answer 9

In the end of life, we're all totally alone. You can't take your family, friends, or any of your posessions with you after death, so beliefs are what people have to deal with this. I don't blame them. The infinite is a terrifying thing to contemplate.

Answer 10

I believed that I could, but then I let go of that belief too, so now I can't.