Concepts inhibit to relate to reality? Concepts about God make their realization difficult if not impossible?

Humans are *conceptual beings*. That means that they give to every thing and all *names*, a name stands for a concept and that includes the one of 'God'. All names are stored and are connected with pictures or are connected with sensual impressions or emotions. If it is something like the concept 'God' that doesn't belong into ones daily life experiences then the concept is built from a belief. The name by itself doesn't give meaning only a superficial one and it depends on the individual how strong the name is connected and filled with conceptual beliefs. Out of this people get their security and their satisfaction, they usually don't seek for a deeper meaning. An example from another field: The established health system gives names to all symptoms that are showing up and with this name of the disease they have created a concept and they pretend and make people believe that they know what it is. With this they create dependency as the innocent patients see them as authorities. But mostly these 'health professionals' don't know the cause and they are treating just the symptoms - and the patients trust them without any doubt or question, they just 'believe' in the established health system.

The average person is satisfied by knowing the names and a vague concept about it. All names and concepts together give a picture of the whole and so the person builds ones world view out of it and feels as part of it and so it has its *meaning* and people feel secure innocently 'believing' in the usual concepts about our reality. Indeed the dependency from concepts and the strong identification, especially with religious beliefs functions like a straight jacket, that doesn't allow critical or independent thoughts or questions. The given frame gives meaning, security and satisfaction, but there is hardly a way to go beyond it. Doubts show only up when happenings doesn't fit together or when different world views clash against each other.

I had sometimes ask myself: How it is possible, that a totally materialistic behavior in daily life goes together with an adapted religious belief? There is no realization and so it must come to conflicts. It also comes to serious conflicts between people, up to the extreme that they kill each other when they defend their specific concept. (God is with us!) All wars happened because different belief systems or material interests were clashing against each other.

If a person has adapted a belief or a concept, then this is felt as part of ones 'property' and because the person is identified with ones property, this gives *meaning* to the person and their life. So it is easy to understand that the property must be defended and one will not like that this is touched or changed. Posting your question about 'God' and in 'Religion & Spirituality' will not cause a critical attitude, people will with very rare exceptions defend their beliefs.

Seeking for a deeper meaning only will happen when the established 'meaning' of a belief or concept has collapsed because of the discrepancy with reality of ones life and the person needs to get out of the void that shows up, then will adept an alternative concept, that not necessarily must be deeper.

When all concepts, be it the materialistic world view or religious concepts, fail to give real meaning to a person, then *real* seeking might happen that can't be satisfied by concepts but need direct experience of levels that go beyond the level of personality and established concepts. With this a change might start that is a total transformation as it gives new and different meaning to ones life and goes beyond names, beliefs and knowledge of any kind. Then *meaning* is fulfilled and *life* and *meaning* are falling together into *One*.

Conclusion: My clear answer is: Yes, the existing concepts make it difficult if not impossible to realize them, especially the concepts about 'God'. To break this 'wall' one needs to understand what creates it and this brings one back to oneself, so one will need to clear up ones personal background and find out about all the manipulations that has been done to oneself through the influences of all those concepts, due to the fact being born into this society... Indeed, one needs to break the walls, - by clearing up ones personal unconscious background, freeing oneself and so being open and ready for direct experiences - and that includes the experience of 'God'.

BeiYin

There is a depth to what is that the human mind simply cannot reach.

The mind creates concepts in order to separate reality (what is now) into manageable bits of information in order to function in the world.

Nothing is going wrong...the mind is just in process. Human beings have become identified with the mind which has caused a temporary delusion.

There is truth underneath and in between all of the concepts. Reality is always right here, right now. Humans awaken as they are ready to awaken in the right time for each. Whether that will be in time to save humanity from itself is yet to be seen, but is not a problem. Problems are of the ego identified mind.

With awakening comes the realization that nothing real is ever threatened.

You're questioning yourself in a circle here - welcome to the line of postmodernistic thinking.

Let me make sure I understand your point here - are you saying that religion conflicts with how humans live their life around them? That the religion does not fully benefit the life of the human and will never, no matter what they do?

Honestly, if that's your point, I must respectfully disagree. There are religious zealots, yes, but, most people in religions will readily admit that they can never meet up to the standards set by their religious codes - that's why they're part of that religion.

Let's use Christianity, for example - the person knows they are fundamentally flawed. They turn to God to fix these flaws and give them peace within themselves - acceptance of these flaws - to be happy. Christianity provides that person self-acceptance, flaws and all. With time, they begin to adhere to the rules the religion dictates - giving up sins and growing stronger in their faith. It starts with giving up self-destructive hobbies and taking up new ones.

Some may never fully part with their self-destructive ways before they pass away - but, they can still gain a sense of fulfillment because they were making the effort and asking God to help them overcome it.

But, why do you believe that "concepts" and "reality" are two different things? How do you prove reality to someone? What is reality but not concepts of your collective mind? How you perceive something will always be different than how another perceives something.

You might believe that religion stands in the way of happiness, but that does not stand true for someone else. We're always going to be in a "game" within ourselves without the option of a reset button.