Are we afraid of the dark or too much in love with the light??

What has the dark ever done for us(sorry I could not resist it)and what has the light ever provided for us. What is the difference between the two and why do we hold one in such high esteem. The light that we see around us is no doubt a great place for us to grow it make us aware of ourselves and each other, giving us confidence to share that which we hold dear our love. But what of the dark how can something that is just the opposite be so confusing so feared to the point of total rejection. We should know that we need it as it make are lives brighter for it gives us a perspective from which to view ourselves here right now. Light and dark cannot be separated for if we chose just to accept the light of that of which we are part of and push away the dark we must in turn push a part of ourselves in one direction away from the balance. We have freedom to chose and roam in whatever direction we chose and believe in whatever we chose but please do not forget the dark.

[Xiomara]

Darkness and Light...in union!
Remindes me of the story of Photogen and Nycteris.

We tend to rely on our sight so much to know what's going on. Sounds and unusual sense stimuli in the dark can be unknowns that cause alarm because we don't know what next. On unfamiliar ground you don't even know where you're treading; what might strike you or touch you.

Of course, people totally blind have a different perspective but for people used to having light, it's the unknowns that they fear.

...

I agree Lorelyen the more we move away from our feelings the more we will rely on are sight, are feelings are our sight within the dark.If we cannot learn to trust and believe in what’s around us we will struggle with what’s inside of us for the light and dark is also within us.

[Native spirit]

As children we are conditioned to sleep at night and be out in the light, we were told that as were our parents before us,i for one have never been afraid of the dark.i used to walk through cemeteries late at night as a short cut home I never feared it.but others do. as I was born seeing and hearing spirit,it never bothered me like it does others.you use your senses more in the dark.you listen more etc,
have you ever tried standing in your house in the dark no lights on you will find that you feel more and hear more your other senses become more prominent.

Namaste

[Tanemon]

nhrob, just wondering about your OP: is it physical darkness (versus light) that you're posting about, or spiritual darkness and light?


On a side note... About a week ago I was in a cave system with another guy who is very experienced in this cave. It has one entrance from outside, but inside there are various branchings and tunnels - some large in cross-section, some quite small (where you might or might not be able to squeeze through, crawling on your stomach). We got to a certain place, generally being able to walk and climb to arrive there, and the guy who was showing me around suggested we turn off our lights, which we did. It was total darkness there, and apparently people have come in there with extremely sensitive light-sensing instruments and no light can be detected at all. Definitely an interesting place. There'd been no signs of wild animals in the cave system, so we felt safe. Not scary.

Personally, I like to think of darkness as starting again anew, the unblemished, prepared soil that the tree will grow upon and light as the tree. Darkness tends to be associated with things that are unformed, uncertain, destruction (if there are weeds growing in a field, they must be plucked before trees are planted), contemplation/meditation and that which is hidden (like seeds in the ground). Light, on the other hand is order, spiritual illumination, creation, knowledge, action and that which is visible/comprehensible.

Using these definitions (and remember, different people use the same words to mean different things... I just find this definition less confusing and helpful at distinguishing good+evil from simple forces of nature, but more on that later) both light and darkness are necessary for a person, a society or a spiritual community to flourish. Yes, we fear the darkness, because that which is hidden requires us to let go, have faith, perhaps tear down thoughts or structures that we were comfortable with and begin again anew, whereas light is more certain and clear. However, by this definition, both are necessary. Without light, darkness is stagnant. without darkness, light is misguided and pathologic.

I hold in a separate category, the question of "good vs evil". Where one can define good as "promoting light where light is needed and darkness where darkness is needed" and evil as "promoting darkness where light is needed" and vice versa. In that sense, it is not necessarily true that "in order for good to exist, evil must exist as well", since good is simply the natural and the evil is simply "that which isn't in accord with nature". Just like the universe tends towards entropy and isn't NECESSARILY some cosmic struggle between entropy and anti-entropy, so can good exist without an equal proportion of evil.

I'll conclude with a final analogy: If one uses the darkness to rest and the light to act, this is good. If one uses the darkness to act and the light to rest, this is disordered.

Best Wishes,
-TaoSandwich

Originally Posted by TaoSandwich

Personally, I like to think of darkness as starting again anew, the unblemished, prepared soil that the tree will grow upon and light as the tree. Darkness tends to be associated with things that are unformed, uncertain, destruction (if there are weeds growing in a field, they must be plucked before trees are planted), contemplation/meditation and that which is hidden (like seeds in the ground). Light, on the other hand is order, spiritual illumination, creation, knowledge, action and that which is visible/comprehensible.

Using these definitions (and remember, different people use the same words to mean different things... I just find this definition less confusing and helpful at distinguishing good+evil from simple forces of nature, but more on that later) both light and darkness are necessary for a person, a society or a spiritual community to flourish. Yes, we fear the darkness, because that which is hidden requires us to let go, have faith, perhaps tear down thoughts or structures that we were comfortable with and begin again anew, whereas light is more certain and clear. However, by this definition, both are necessary. Without light, darkness is stagnant. without darkness, light is misguided and pathologic.

I hold in a separate category, the question of "good vs evil". Where one can define good as "promoting light where light is needed and darkness where darkness is needed" and evil as "promoting darkness where light is needed" and vice versa. In that sense, it is not necessarily true that "in order for good to exist, evil must exist as well", since good is simply the natural and the evil is simply "that which isn't in accord with nature". Just like the universe tends towards entropy and isn't NECESSARILY some cosmic struggle between entropy and anti-entropy, so can good exist without an equal proportion of evil.

I'll conclude with a final analogy: If one uses the darkness to rest and the light to act, this is good. If one uses the darkness to act and the light to rest, this is disordered.

Best Wishes,
-TaoSandwich

Thank you TaoSandwich for a beautiful post.

[quote=Tanemon]nhrob, just wondering about your OP: is it physical darkness (versus light) that you're posting about, or spiritual darkness and light?


Thank you Tanemon. I feel that both could be the same and were ever we stand the opposite will be, whether this is within or without(around us). Are spiritual darkness drawn towards are spiritual light and our physical light drawn towards our own darkness. I do not see anything that versus something, only that that sit beside something and which pulls or pushes in harmony so is one. This is the natural law and in us it is called cause and effect this is not versus but a learning process on are road of discovery.

I hope that I understood your question if not be disregard all of the above. :-)

[innerlight]

Originally Posted by Native spirit

have you ever tried standing in your house in the dark no lights on you will find that you feel more and hear more your other senses become more prominent.

Namaste

The eyes are powerful perceptors and are always fighting for control of your awareness. When you have your eyes open to your surroundings you are all over the place with your awareness trying to soak it all in... When you close your eyes, the rest of your senses have a chance to start to play catch up so to speak. It's why those that are blind or become blind, have stronger other senses. They are allowed to shine without the eyes.