I have often been told that I live in my own little world. I have had people tell me that I am out of touch with reality. If reality is defined by commonly held attitudes and beliefs, then they were right.

Everybody believes in a different view of the world, even if it’s only a subtle difference, and usually it’s not. This issue left me so concerned, you could say I was frightened by the wide gap between what people are willing to say is real, and their reactions to what they perceive to be happening in the world.

My own world is not little. I have deliberately included the thoughts and stories of world famous thinkers from across the world and human history. Notice, I didn’t say beliefs. I have found much of human thought noticeably repetitious and often primarily concerned with animal preoccupations that have for their modern forms the acquisition of status symbols, the politically correct way of baiting the opposite sex, and the establishing of a social pecking order by demonstrations of skill or ability in achieving elements of their culture’s agenda. These manifest almost universally, but not necessarily in that order.

The animal like sense for human fitness has given way to an institution ironically referred to as the science of medicine. It has shrouded it’s self in abstract notions of reason and ethical humanism. It is also accepted as the one legitimate authority on human mental and physical fitness. It is recently saying that there is a great deal of impact generated behind the placebo effect, and they have proven it has nothing to do with what people call belief.

I am different, and I spent a great deal of my life cursing that, as it seemed to be the justification of a great many hurts people saw fit to share with me. In my life, I have had to adopt some coping strategies and behaviors that people consider quite strange and have told me is unnecessary. A principle known as Occam’s razor states that one should not assume the presence or agency of more than is absolutely necessary to explain the experience being considered.

People have shared a lot of abstract theories on why I am the way I am. None actually included anything like my experience of my own life or my sense of well being. So I have stuck with my own, not out of any petty defiance but rather simple necessity. I have also watched the stories that other people live and insist are real life. They are full of all sorts of magical thinking. Ideas like, if you work hard enough you can earn the right to be respected as you are and be happy, or be a good citizen and you will be rewarded for it in the long run. In my observations, these are half truths and most people insist on playing with only half a deck of cards and say that it is being realistic.

So for myself, I fill out these stories with insights into my own life experience, and how the unfinished story plays out in other peoples lives. If placebos can heal even without you believing in them, and people can somehow survive this life by pretending like their success is a sure thing, I don’t feel at all misguided by choosing to live in a world explained by my own story. To feel at home in this life at all, I had to use countless elements of other people’s experience. So you might be surprised by how actually in touch with reality a fantasy life is. Good luck with yours as well.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~