Hi Alex

Thank you for your considered response — an interesting read!

I’m not really sure if I’ve understood your point, but I’ll respond to what I think you’re saying.

The point about any quest for genuine metaphysical knowledge — meaning something we can see with our own eyes, not dependent on belief — is that it requires — if we are to see things clearly and impartially and objectively — the suspension of all types and forms of belief. In this light, it really makes no difference to anything to tell oneself ‘I exist’ or ‘I don’t exist’ — these are just bits of fluff floating around people’s minds, of a piece with ‘I have free will’ or ‘I don’t have free will’ — who cares? What do these words even mean?

Okay, so how does ‘belief’ work? It’s an artificial construction designed wholly and completely to make the individual belief-subscriber feel that they ‘see’ things correctly, even though they’re looking through a piece of highly coloured glass. What for? Why not just put the piece of glass to one side?

People are unable to put the glass to one side because the belief-glass generates all kinds of subliminal senses of clarity, accuracy, excitement, righteousness and all the rest of it, but at the end of the day it’s just one belief system like any other. Now of course — the belief itself— whatever it happens to be (and who cares) — may even be true and accurate! — but the subscriber doesn’t and can’t and won’t know that; they’re just playing an intellectual mind game with themselves.

Where does this leave us? With the fact that belief systems are a waste of mental energy because they are essentially delusional — meaning they are a mistaken source of knowledge, interfering with clarity of mental vision.

Now if you offer people a choice: clarity of independent thought, or belief — the chances are they’ll take belief. Why? Because dispensing with belief — all belief — requires a certain desire to go beyond the parameters of mere ideas and to see what — if anything — remains. Maybe there’s nothing out there. Or maybe there’s something? No belief required for this kind of approach — just have a look with your own eyes and see for yourself.