Living in a time of supernatural beliefs


Since Halloween is right around the corner, I've been thinking about people who have supernatural beliefs. As a history adventurer, and a time-traveler, I know that there was a time when just about every person in the world held supernatural beliefs as a way of coping with a complex world. Less people do nowadays, of course, but plenty still do.

Speaking for myself, as much as I enjoy the real world, I enjoy delving into the supernatural. That is, anything that goes beyond what's natural in the world, which is the simple definition of supernatural (above and beyond natural). I don't actually believe in the supernatural, but I enjoy it. People who actually do believe in the supernatural give me a bit of a creepy feeling, but I keep it to myself, and as long as they're not hurting anyone. I really don't see a problem with their having that belief system. It can be a very confusing, and frightening world, and if it helps them to cope, I defend their right to it.

Like most kids, I believed in the supernatural, including magic. I recall getting very annoyed when my mom would give me cold medicine and tell me to be patient because it was medicine, not magic. I wanted the magic! And why not? I was a sickly kid, who read a lot.

After a certain age (about 8 or 9 I guess) I was able to successfully divide the natural world from the supernatural. The supernatural remained a part of my life, and included the gods of Olympus (Hercules was my favorite!), and the older I got the more I learned. I developed the ability to listen patiently to people who wanted to talk about their supernatural beliefs, and to show respect. That didn't mean that I believed the same things that they did, I just found it fascinating, and I still do.

It would be a very boring world if all we ever thought about was dull reality. I absolutely love spending time in a world of imagination, where anything can happen. Reality is all well and good, but the supernatural is a lot more fun.

Happy Halloween!

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