Existence and the Role of Belief in Shaping Ontological Reality

“In one aspect, yes, I believe in ghosts, but we create them. We haunt ourselves, and sometimes we do such a good job, we lose track of reality.” – Laurie Halse Anderson

Deliberation and reflection on existence are not just a philosopher’s job. Humans have in some way or another dealt with the various aspects of existence.

Human beings are capable of creating, co-creating, and getting swirled into constructed realities by consciously or unconsciously perpetuating notions of what it means to exist. It is as if, a reactive loop prohibits people from living life. Furthermore, people are entangled in a vicious chain reaction, ultimately boiling down to merely existing.

Each person has a unique perspective of the world. Speaking in terms of psychology, thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions seem to be among the major indicators of a person’s self. However, in recent years, there has been considerable limelight on some popular personalities like Dr. Joe Vitale, Dr. Bruce Lipton, and Dr. Joe Dispenza who have vouched for and highlighted the role of beliefs in shaping a person’s reality.

There are two elements in the concept of belief: a subject (the believer) and an object of belief (the proposition). Belief is a fundamental building block of behaviour. It is a foundational pillar embedded in the psyche. Do chronic negative beliefs prognosticate a dark future? Yes, very likely. Dr. Bruce Lipton, the author of the groundbreaking book titled “The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles” contends that beliefs have a significant impact on matter and physiology in such a way that after a point, “belief becomes biology.” This biological change translates into a change of perspective and betterment of the person. The person is then empowered to perceive reality in a novel way.

Reality can be represented in terms of ontology – the study of being, becoming and existing. Thinking about ontology refers to beliefs about the fundamental nature of reality. For example, many people who have a strong belief in a higher power or God have been healed of certain issues, because their belief in this higher power was so steadfast. This brings to the forefront what psychologists and therapists learn in theory when treating clients: faith, trust, and belief in the therapist. This is an important factor when a client seeks the services of a mental health professional. When a person truly believes in someone, the healing process is much more effective and augmented.

Dr. Christiane Northrup wrote, “A thought held long enough and repeated enough becomes a belief. The belief then becomes biology.” Nevertheless, precisely what this critical point of breakthrough comprises needs to be unearthed.

To sum up, the potential role of beliefs needs further attention and investigation, to accumulate a voluminous database of scientific evidence. This would aid in unpacking a more rigorous understanding of the underpinnings of the human psyche. We believe that then “the ghosts in the labyrinths of our psyche” would not let us lose track of ontological reality.

The above article is authored by Samhita K and Mihika Jain. Samhita K is a PhD Scholar in Psychology at the School of Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) and Mihika Jain is an undergraduate student pursuing BSc. Honours in Psychology at the School of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University).