Why Study Metaphysics?
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If life is going great, you're healthy, happy and content, you don't need it. If you have a
solid belief system that will support you through the bad times, you don't need it. If you have
good self-esteem and you unconditionally love yourself, you don't need it. If you find peace and
support in your religion and spirituality you don't need it. Most people begin to explore metaphysics when something about their lives is not working or not where they want it to be and nothing they have tried or can think of has worked. Metaphysics shows you options you have likely never considered before. It turns things upside down and gives you new perspectives about the Universe and about yourself. You'll see things totally differently. It's really thinking outside the box. Because the ideas are so new and different there is often resistence to accepting them or even letting them in for serious consideration. And indeed you should be cautious. They need to be savored slowly, rolled around in the mind like a candy in your mouth. New beliefs should be acquired slowly. Test and sample, try before you buy. And just take the ones that fit you, the ones that support you; let the others go. Maybe you'll look at them again, maybe not. Metaphysical ideas are time tested, they have been with us for thousands of years. Funny how we can not see them until we are ready, or in need. I had no idea there was a body of knowledge called metaphysics until I was 35. I've since learned that at that age your spiritual body comes to maturity and many people take a larger interest in spiritual things. At that time my focus was on career, home and family. Spiritually I was an agnostic, which meant to me I yearned for a connection to some higher force, but could find nothing that made any sense logically or gave me a feeling of connection in my exploration of mainstream religions. My first taste of metaphysics came in an adult ed class. I didn't believe any of it but I love to explore new ideas, they are mind candy to me, and I had never found so many exciting concepts in one place before. For several years in the late 1970's I read everything I could get my hands on because it fascinated me, but all the while I searched for the flaws I was sure were there. I expected that ultimately I would be disappointed. When Mary Cunningham began teaching her Paranormal course in Vernon, I was one of her first students. She introduced us to new ideas, other teachers and others traveling the same path. She opened our minds, gave us first hand experiences and I began to find hard evidence to support the ideas. One night we piled in cars and she took us to a house in Glastonbury where we literally squeezed into the room and sat at the feet of the legendary Don Hayes. I was in awe of this teacher and his knowledge. There were no bookstores offering classes, only scattered study groups and The Don was the metaphysician who kept the light burning by sharing his knowledge. Over the years I've gotten to know Don and he is, of course, as human as the rest of us, but his years of selfless service are an inspiring example of what one person can accomplish. As time went by and the evidence (not proof) piled up I began to build a belief system which gave me a new understanding of myself and the Universe. I came to understand that we are not meaningless, unimportant individuals without purpose, but are co-creators with God and I found that very empowering. It took ten years of books, classes, internal exploration and countless conversations to change in my mind's eye from a caterpillar into a butterfly, but it was worth it and the process was a wonderful trip. After ten years I felt ready to give something to others and the Universe gifted me with The Door Opener. One of the most important benefits of studying metaphysics is what you learn about who you are, why you are here, what happens after you leave and why bad things happen to people. These understandings become the belief system on which you rely when life turns sour - when you lose a loved one, are seriously injured, lose a job or break up a relationship. Your belief system helps you cope, heal, keep believing in yourself and move on. Why study metaphysics? To heal, to grow, to fulfill our potential. - Jon Roe |