Doubt has its place in spirituality. When we come across something new, we naturally try to integrate it into our lives and we definitely try to tell others. This is where doubt generally starts, and this is also happens to be where the journey begins.

“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.” — Buddha

The Experience

The experience has to be enough to change your life forever — to permanently alter your perspective about life. After you experience it, you are drawn towards implementation.

Implementing a new way of life is great. It feels great and it’s even healthy for you. Eventually, though, you find yourself facing a big wall: other people. Do you tell them what you believe in? It’s likely that you already have. How did they handle it?

It’s usually very difficult for people who’ve undergone an enlightening experience to talk to others about them. Hard skepticism is very common these days. They doubt you and it gets old after a while.

What do you do if nobody believes you? It’s not that you need for somebody to believe the same as you, but to have a mutual understanding and even a genuine interest is always wanted.

The waves of doubt

The most common root of doubt stems from when you try to tell somebody what you are thinking about and they shoot you down — sometimes harshly, sometimes softly. Either way, it hurts and it puts a real dent in what you believe.

How you handle this kind of reaction will set you up on a path. You should ask hard questions, as they ask you. See both sides and then analyze your experience. Does your experience still stand strong even when criticized? Then you know what to do. You move onwards.

Even if you’re hurt and you can’t find a way to “defend” your belief you shouldn’t let go of it completely. You should adapt your belief to what makes sense. The belief is the core, and what you add onto it is the foundation to defend against doubt.

What you learn from talking to people will help you understand what you believe even further. Look very carefully about what they are doubting, and see if they have a personal tie to it. If they do, then their doubt is meaningless. If, however, they’re experienced in both fields then you should listen to them.

A lot of people, however, are not experienced in both fields. Quick-to-doubt persons are that way because they have not sought out beyond what they think they know. This is why you should put your beliefs to all kinds of tests. From logical, to emotional, to spiritual and anyway you can.

Why? Isn’t that just doubting myself?

It’s not doubt if you’re trying to solidify your reasonings. No one truth will ever exist, but you can certainly build it up to be a great asset to your life. An example would be to believe that psychedelics can be used to help depression. Many doubt this, but by doing thorough research, through your own skepticism, you can find facts that help you in your cause.

The goal is to make your belief stronger and less dynamic, in the end. At the first stages of a belief it should be fluid, dynamic so that you can see all angles to the belief. Then you should look at it how you looked at it the first time you found it. What’s different? What do you think now?

Also, if you put yourself to these kinds of tests then you are seeing both sides of the fence. The doubter and the believer. This gives you much more authority to speak than the average, secluded mind.

How do I know I’m right?

You don’t know until you sit down and know. The truth is, a belief must survive doubt in order to go on. You will inevitably face doubt when pursuing a new idea. 80% of the people you meet will have criticism. Use this wisely.

People undoubtedly doubted the possibility of electricity, airplanes and the Internet. Yet we are here today, with all of those things. Great thinkers do not get praised during their time, that comes much later once the logic is finally seen.

Carry on as well as you can without completely deluding yourself. Never forget that all great things must go through great darkness in order to see the light. You must experience both sides, or you will have no solid experience. Intelligent minds, should, listen to people who have actually experienced, and not simply speculated.

Your experience is all that matters

The only person you’ll forever have is you. You know you better than anyone else ever will or could. You have the ability to do great things, and you should listen to yourself before you listen to doubt.

What does your self say to you when you think of seemingly asinine ideas? I bet it’s a “go for it” feeling. And that is what you should do. Go for it. The only thing you have to lose is to not do it (whatever “it” would entail for you) and to wonder what would happen if you did. That’s not a very nice place to be.

Put your own judgment first, and get corrected as you move on. Never halt. Be a adaptable and carry on. Don’t doubt yourself, just fix yourself.