Q&A: Distinguishing between genuine faith and faith that stems from psychological causes
Distinguishing between genuine faith and faith that stems from psychological causes
Question
Hello Rabbi,
How can one distinguish between a genuine feeling of connection to the Creator of the world and a false, illusory feeling that stems from the environment in which I grew up and from psychological conditioning? It seems like a closed circle that human consciousness cannot break out of. Millions of Christians feel that they are speaking with God and that there is a connection between them and God, but that is illusory. How do I know that my own feeling is not illusory? With all the psychology and science we have nowadays.
If you can spare some time and answer the question, I would be very grateful,
and if not, of course I’ll understand.
Thank you,
Idan
Answer
I have no external, objective criterion. It’s like asking how we know when our eyes are deceiving us, as in a mirage. The only tool we have is clear-headed self-reflection and an attempt to examine whether this is a perception/intuition or an illusion.