About the Value of Beliefs By Connie Zareen We live in a time with all the cultures of the world are clashing together. All the world’s people started out as a few souls in Africa. In a mere fifty thousand years we have grown into almost 8 billion, covering every bit of the planet. To put the clash of cultures in perspective it is helpful to realize that only it is only in the last few centuries that the entire world has been known! That means that for 49,800 years we have been living in isolated pockets with hardly any communication between groups, and for about 200 years have we been coming together. Suddenly we are able to see the difference in beliefs that have grown through all the tribes. This means that cultures and beliefs have evolved independently in the many people’s of the world. There have been constant clashes, and many belief systems have blended together, but humanity as a whole is still largely divided by belief systems. This is how the evolution of consciousness occurs. Lots of different kinds of views evolve independently. When they come together, it is an opportunity for something new and wonderful to grow in the consciousness of man. Today’s world demands that people of conscience learn to step up and take a new perspective on belief. It is not a good or noble thing to simply throw beliefs away as useless “Myths” or “conditionings.” All beliefs exist because of psychic laws that needed to be fulfilled for a certain type of people. If we take the time to consider all the things that have come to us from the past, and really learn to understand them, we will evolve the psychic and conscious power needed to create a sustainable future. The heart of man is a beautiful thing that needs cultivated with things both seen and unseen. We have art and music and dance that is inspiring to the soul, and we also have a need for the humbleness of prayer. The human heart will always need tools for cultivating the depth of hope, and for comforting us in our moments of despair. We will always need to sing praise and remember our gratefulness for existence itself. For all these things we must continue to cultivate an understanding of where we come from, of the way all the people’s of the world have prayed, and of the psychic energies that must be known by anyone wishing to gain self mastery. To truly step out of our own beliefs in an honest and heartfelt way teachers are needed. The path must be lit by those who have gone before. Mastering the inner world can be an arduous journey at times, because when we lose the footing of our own beliefs, and start letting ideas from others come into our consciousness, we can become lost in world of no meaning. A truthful guide will push us on past the point of despair to where the sun shines again with a higher perspective. Those who take the time and effort to rise above unchallenged superstitions, and take on our own inertia and lack of true faith, will be available for bringing in new methods for living an authentic and hopeful life.