Free thought is a philosophical point of view wherein it is felt one’s opinion should be formed and based on the basis of logic, reason, and research, not simply because secular or religious leaders, authority figures or traditions tell us to think or believe or behave a certain way. Free thinkers look to facts and scientific inquiry, and so at first look, it would appear that a free thinker would have nothing in common with a Metaphysician, but that is not the case.
A Metaphysician wants to find the answers to questions that human beings have asked since the beginning of time; i.e., who are we and why are we here? Metaphysics is concerned with being, how beings relate to each other, and where we fit in the bigger universal picture of life. To be a Metaphysician, one must also be a free thinker, and here’s why: a metaphysician must stretch beyond the boundaries of conventional thought and religious beliefs to investigate such matters as life after death, communication with Spirit, reincarnation and karma. While anyone who wishes to connect with their Higher Self or Guides can do so, one must be a bit of a free thinker to believe that such a thing is possible.
Free thinking and metaphysics both also share a connection with Humanism. Humanism, as a philosophy, emphasizes the importance of human beings collectively and individually, and the impact of ethics and morals on individuals and society are part of this line of thought. To entertain a Humanist point of view, one must be a free thinker in that the Humanist point of view is in many ways contrary to conventional dogma. A Metaphysician understands that the actions of one person affect us all collectively—we are in this world together and we are evolving together.
Metaphysicians know the universal truth that we are all connected on a soul level, and as one of us grows, we all grow. What follows this truth is the understanding that for human beings to truly evolve as a race of beings, to become all that we can be, to reach our goals, to fulfill our missions, to learn, to grow, TO BE, we must each follow our own path. We must allow ourselves to think freely, and we must free ourselves from thoughts and dogma that keep us from moving forward. In this way, we will positively affect each other individually and evolve as a species.
How does one get started becoming a free thinker? Author, speaker and philosopher Scott Berkun’s says that we should ask ourselves the following two questions: (1) Why do we believe what we believe? ; and (2) How we know what we know? Instead of blindly accepting information that is given to us in textbooks, on the internet, in a newscast, in books, from teachers and from our friends and family, it makes sense for us to explore the details and ferret out background information before we make up our minds; especially when it comes to controversial subjects and topics that will help us expedite our spiritual growth.
My first foray into the importance of free-thought came during my early twenties after joining the Baptist Church in order to attend the same church as my then husband’s family. In my mind there was one God, Creator, Source, so what did it matter what church anyone went to? Interestingly, during one of the first sermons, the Pastor preached about worshipping idols and said that anyone who did so would be going to Hell. My entire family was Catholic and they all had statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ in their homes (and many of them wore crosses and medallions around their necks), so after church was over that day, it seemed that a talk with the Pastor was in order. He assured me that yes, my family members would be going to Hell if they continued to have these statues in their homes and wore the medalions and crosses around their necks. That sermon was a huge wake up call because it caused me to spent a lot of time questioning the Pastor’s statement. It made no sense to me that wonderful people would be going to Hell for such a thing. It was clearly time to begin questioning what authority figures had to say rather than blindly believing them.
Freedom of thought is what will take us to the next level of evolution. Albert Einstein was a free thinker. You could be the next Albert Einstein and unlock great universal truths if you allow yourself freedom of thought.
Namaste.
