I have a question about doubt for the R&S community please?

Question

Many have talked of doubt as something that one must protect themselves from, as if when they doubt it is a negative thing always. Yet, over the past year I have had some periods of doubt. 2 major times that I remember. Both times instead of resisting it or hiding from it I embraced it. I did this in a type of leap of faith, trusting that what I came to would be for me right. The end result both times was not the loss one might expect but a coming back with a deeper understanding. I was added to rather than losing anything.
So this is my question, is doubt always a negative thing in your experience?
I do realize there are forms of doubt that work like denial, but is it possible that doubt could be a way of making space for the new understanding that is on it's way?
This has been my experience, please share yours with me.
Thank You & Blessings!

Answer 1

Lilith, those who CLAIM to have NO doubt are the most terrified people of all. It is they who have the deepest coubt but are in denial of it and afarid to face their doubts. Doubt is a GOOD thin, it is our mind's way of telling us to think deeply on the situation and consider ALL aspects (or at least as many as we can determine to exist) or the concept. Digest and meditate and after a while we will be able to make a more ratinal decision as to which path to follow. Your OWN experience in coming away from your doubts with a stronger tie to your beliefs is the most direct PROOF that YOU can have that doubt is indeed what led you to those beliefs. Doubt is nature's way of slapping us in the face and making us think things through as clearly as possible. Those who refuse to accept doubt in their lives are merely trying to escape the WORK of actually having to think for themselves and surrender that responsibility to others. When they do that they MUST accept the responsibility of failing to use the gift of weighing matters for themselves, which can mean the loss of their OWN identities within our society.



Brightest Blessings,

Raji the Green Witch

Answer 2

Hello. Doubt is has not always been a negative thing for me. Although I do experience a larger amount that I would expect most to because of some natural born-in pessimism. But I believe that doubt is a healthy and natural process of thought. It can protect us from danger by doubting a situation or allow us clarity of thought instead of "blind' obedience. I think that doubt could work as a way to make space for new ideas and understanding. Although consider your younger days, when we had little doubt and thought many things true that are considered now nonsense and fiction. Why didn't we doubt those things? Why do we do so with such ease as we age and progress? It is until the knowledge of a lie that doubt is borderline non-existent within a thought. Or until what we call common sense comes in, but what if the common sense is based upon that very lie in the first place? The fragile nature of doubt can be orchestrated by many things in our minds that both close and open intellectual doors to new thought and old ideas. But notice that people who are given an overabundance of doubt live their lives in frequent distrust and even paranoia. That is my experience with doubt, not the last parts just the knowledge. Once again an excellent question! Good bye.

Answer 3

Your statement doesn't say you embraced your doubt, it says you dismissed or ignored it. "I did this in a type of leap of faith, trusting that what I came to would be for me right." If you truly embraced your doubt, you would have worked with it until you were left with a world that was consistent with both the doubt and the doubted.



Doubt is cognitive dissonance in action. It's a defense mechanism against stupid ideas. If you just accept that there has to be a good answer out there somewhere, then you're doing something called double-think, where you find a way to hold two contradictory ideas in your head at the same time. This is distinctly unhealthy for you and for everyone around you.

Answer 4

Faith or doubt is part of what you are, there's no will power involved. If you think there is then I have news for you; you don't have more faith if you fool yourself into thinking you have faith. Spiritual meetings may get us emotionally charged up but does little to restore our faith. This is why we seldom accomplish much when we pray or meditate for something we think we need, we never believed it would work to start with, even if we think we do. All manifestations in life are from our deep self, it is best to know that self well enough to not seek faith from anyplace outside. Self is our gateway to the divine, when we move beyond right and wrong, opinions, agendas, even beyond our sense of self. When we transcend this ego perspective faith is just part of who we are and doubt has no home.

Answer 5

Sometimes doubt is just the beginning of critical thinking.



It is incumbent upon the doubter to gather the data into information that both proves as well as disproves the doubt. Then it becomes possible make a balanced assessment of the facts resulting from thorough examinations that leads to a viable conclusion.



In short, it is best to "Look before you Leap". While it is true that "he who hesitates is lost," it is also true that he who is lost should hesitates."

Answer 6

Yes, you are right. It has been my experience as well. Doubt is often a stepping stone towards progress in a genuine 'seeker'. Doubting signifies that we are to accept it on our own terms and experiences and not because of any authority - book or teacher. In fact in Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that questioning and repeated questioning is also a form of Service to the Lord! ( pariprashnena sevaya ). Doubt leads to deeper clarification and understanding.

Answer 7

Doubt is neither good nor bad.

Doubt is an opportunity to accept that you do not know.

Accepting that we do not know everything and being ok with that is the first step out of delusion.

If you don't yet value what is real doubt will seem bad to you.

If you value what is real doubt becomes your greatest blessing because it will cause you to really look at what is.

Answer 8

I've had the same experience, and yes I do think that it's to make room for a deeper understanding. Doubt leads to questions and a desire to find the answers. I've always come back stronger for it.

Answer 9

Doubt is a normal thing, it's allowing you to know you have a choice to change your mind and make the right decisions because you have freewill to do so. And yes doubt is like you have ascertain the situation and you are making a better choice because you understand it from another aspect.



Blessings to you!

Answer 10

Life’s doubts reveal two things:

1. Your character.

2. Your faith.

Answer 11

Doubt can be a pathway to clarity, and greater conscious awareness. Censoring the flow of energy, no matter where it takes you, is to censor the creator. The path of least resistance allows life in.

Answer 12

To me, doubt has gotten a bad rap. Some people equate doubt with loss of faith. But doubt can also lead to self discovery. Sadly, some people misread the wisdom which waits in the sidelines and go deeper into the sheep fold to nurture the old superstitions. Then they try to justify doing that with words that would please other sheep.

Answer 13

But, you overcame that doubt with a leap of faith.

Doubt is something you don't want to linger in your thoughts.

I think we all have doubt, it's natural. It's what we do with it, how we handle it, when it pops up that matters. Sometimes it is just so difficult to shake it off and remember that the power of God can handle any and all of our dilemmas. :D

Answer 14

I "doubt" that the correct answer will be given.



One should always "Remember", that.



*footnote - Does one-self, control the doubt or does the doubt, control one-self? That is the key!

Answer 15

Doubt is very important, Lilith, for it is to be critical with oneself or about things. Doubt is essential, it is essential to continually have those periods, or else one could never move forward in development or the actual proving of what we have or think we know within ourselves. To be critically-impartial with oneself, that is to doubt in periods from this perspective, is so very vital. It divides those who want to truly know from those who only want to validate their fixed position.

Answer 16

Not all doubts are denial. Good kind of doubt is often seed for or caused by skepticism. And, skepticism is virtue.



Always look for evidence and use good reasoning.

Answer 17

The one's without doubt, are the one's without mindfulness.

Answer 18

Doubt opens the door to thinking & researching

for yourself

Answer 19

I agree absolutely with your position, every situation in life is unique, and if I use my awareness to decide what to do at each individual situation instead of just having a subconscious rule that I act by, I begin to see a deeper sharper and richer meaning to every situation.

Answer 20

Doubt is good we must doubt, must question everything with our own experience, does it apply to our reality or not.

Answer 21

ofcourse doubt is not a good thing but maybe its a natural stepping stone- a natural hurdle that has to be overcome sooner or later

Answer 22

Doubt is a part of normal thinking.

Answer 23

I do believe we must walk in darkness to gain insight into our own relationship with our creator. Those periods of introspection help our souls to grow.

Answer 24

"Doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths."__MOLIÈRE