I'm Finding It Hard to Believe We're in Heaven or Hell: Agnostic

[DISCLAIMER]

In 2002, I was romantically involved with a woman who shared my appreciation for electronic dance music (EDM). During that year, Louie DeVito released his album Dance Factory which contained the DJ Sammy track “Heaven”, featuring Yanou and the vocals of Do.

From his album Heaven (2002), DJ Sammy’s song “Heaven” served as a cover to Bryan Adams’ song “Heaven” from the romantic drama film A Night in Heaven (1983), later released on Adams’ album Reckless (1984). Here, I thank you for humoring me by allowing an aside.

In the ‘80s, my family and I moved a lot. If memory serves, regarding two of the homes in which we lived, there was satellite dish access to MTV. That’s back when MTV actually played music videos. It was a subjectively wonderful reprieve from a childhood of relative poverty.

My older sister (to whom I was quite close in my elementary school years) and I would stay up late at night watching videos such as Adams’ “Cuts Like a Knife”, from his album Cuts Like a Knife (1983). To me, those times were like Heaven on Earth, about which one source states:

Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside.

According to the beliefs of some religions, heavenly beings can descend to Earth or incarnate and earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven without dying.

In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, I was taught the doctrine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who posit that the 144,000 members of the anointed will rule in Heaven and that ‘the other sheep’ or ‘the great crowd’ will live forever in Paradise on Earth. Thus, Heaven was ostensibly unattainable.

Even in childhood, I could use thinking which was rational (in accordance with both logic and reason) to the degree whereby I understood that 144,000 was a relatively low number compared to all fallible human beings that had ever lived, currently existed, and who were yet to be alive.

From the mid ‘90s to the mid ‘00s, I subscribed to the doctrine of the Churches of Christ, as I then maintained a different view of Heaven. Apparently, before my time in the Church, there was a view that only members of the Churches of Christ would be allowed in Heaven.

Yet, as one source accurately states, “I’ve heard this a lot from people outside of the [C]hurch, but have never actually heard it from anyone inside the [C]hurch. I think it’s an old thing that is going away.” I’ve never heard a member of the Churches of Christ endorse the elitist view.

At any rate, in 2002, the woman in whom I was intimately involved—living in sin, according to my Christian outlook on life—was open to learning about my religious views. For a brief time, the early stage of our romantic relationship was like Heaven on Earth.

However, prior to learning about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and how people distress and disturb themselves with beliefs about events—as these occurrences aren’t what cause unpleasant reactions—the latter portion of the relationship was like Hell on Earth.

For clarity, one source states, “In religion and folklore, [H]ell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death.” There was a time when I very much believed in Heaven and Hell as actual destinations. Now? Not so much. I’m mainly agnostic.

According to one source, agnostic is defined as “a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as a supreme being) is unknown and probably unknowable – broadly: one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or any gods.”

Does Heaven or Hell exist on some ethereal dimension? I don’t know. Could it be that Heaven and Hell may be experienced here on Earth? I don’t know. As stated by Do on DJ Sammy’s song, “I’m finding it hard to believe we’re in Heaven,” or Hell for that matter. I simply don’t know.

Consider Hitchens’s razor, proposed by the late Christopher Hitchens—what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. Now contemplate the Sagan’s standard, proposed by the late Carl Sagan— extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

The American Psychological Association succinctly defines agnosticism as “a skeptical position holding that the truth or falsity of certain metaphysical ideas or propositions cannot be known.” Thus, per the standard of Hitchens and Sagan, I simply don’t know about most matters in life.

This brings me to a major tool used in REBT, known as unconditional acceptance (UA), which relieves self-induced suffering. This is accomplished by using unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acceptance (UOA), and unconditional life-acceptance (ULA).

With my approach to REBT, I incorporate author Stephen Covey’s concepts regarding the circles of control, influence, and concern, as well as an area of no concern. UA maps onto the circle of control (USA), circle of influence (UOA), and circle of concern and area of no concern (ULA).

The circle of control encompasses only oneself, the circle of influence encapsulates elements which may be subject to one’s sway, the circle of concern engrosses most matters one can imagine, and the area of no concern relates to all content which isn’t yet imagined.

Regarding my circle of control and USA, I acknowledge that I’m merely a fallible human being who maintains imperfect knowledge. Concerning my circle of influence and UOA, I recognize that while other flawed people believe they know about Heaven or Hell, they merely have faith.

Relating to my circle of concern and ULA, I admit that in this imperfect life of impermanence and uncertainty most matters of truth (i.e., facts about real things) about reality (i.e., that which genuinely exists) are unknowable. Thus, the area of no concern isn’t even worth discussing.

Pertaining to my practice of REBT, I work with people who maintain some really wacky beliefs. As long as these perspectives don’t cause self-disturbance, then I usually overlook matters regarding Heaven, Hell, and so forth. Besides, what others believe doesn’t cause me to stumble.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, fair use

References:

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