Should we let go of our feelings?

David Vaughn75 said:Evagrius Ponticus basically argued that knowing God isn't some emotional high. He claimed that visions, voices, and all those religious "feelings" are actually just distractions from true realization. When people mistake an emotional rush for actual spiritual truth, they end up totally losing the rhythm of their inner life.

What's your take on this?

If emotions are like a river—this wild current just tossing us around left and right without any say in the matter—does that mean we aren't even in control of ourselves?
Maybe the whole point is supposed to be surrendering to God and relying solely on Him... but is that union with God meant to be quiet contemplation, a state of Nirvana, total nothingness, or just a massive explosion of feeling?

David Vaughn75 said:Evagrius Ponticus basically argued that knowing God isn't some emotional high. He claimed that visions, voices, and all those religious "feelings" are actually just distractions from true realization. When people mistake an emotional rush for actual spiritual truth, they end up totally losing the rhythm of their inner life.

What's your take on this?

If emotions are like a river—this wild current just tossing us around left and right without any say in the matter—does that mean we aren't even in control of ourselves?
Maybe the whole point is supposed to be surrendering to God and relying solely on Him... but is that union with God meant to be quiet contemplation, a state of Nirvana, total nothingness, or just a massive explosion of feeling?

wearyowl29 said:Emotions are an essential part of who we are as spiritual beings. We can’t just brush them aside, but they definitely have a way of hijacking our entire existence if we let them run wild.

I’ve noticed how religions tend to play these emotional games—it’s a clever way for them to score points and spin their narratives to suit their own ends.
Anyone who lacks emotional self-control is basically walking around as easy prey for every predator out there.
Whether it's religious faith, patriotism, or even being a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, all of it demands an emotional investment. It makes me wonder if that’s why women, who might be more in touch with their feelings, often find themselves more open to religious teachings.

So, here’s what I’m chewing on: can you actually finish the journey of self-actualization as a human being if you completely ignore your emotions?
Is it even possible to experience transcendence or achieve true inner enrichment without any emotional depth at all?

Personally, I don't think so. For me, it’s all about finding that perfect balance.

Thomas Turner2 said:God is absolute love. He has no beginning and no end, while we, being such fleeting and transient beings, can only unite with Him once we shed the ego and all those attachments to this passing world. I have felt that state of oneness... a sense of endless love paired with compassion and clarity. Call it whatever you want—nirvana, zen... it doesn't matter. What matters is that there is a genuine knowledge of God in that state, knowing Him as He is and recognizing oneself as part of that Love. I didn't stay there long, just a day or maybe even just a few hours, before drifting back down to this mundane, everyday existence. But the memory remains... a lesson, a compass. The path toward Him, toward one's true self, is the path of love. It's a journey of the heart, not the intellect. Reason is merely a tool... a traveler's gadget.

David Vaughn75 said:So, what you're actually saying is that self-actualization and becoming one with God are just totally out of our hands—like, no matter how much we grind or how hard we try to force it with sheer willpower, it’s just fundamentally out of reach? Man, that's a heavy realization to drop on a Tuesday. It’s like trying to catch lightning in a bottle or forcing a touchdown when the clock is already hitting zero—you can give it everything you've got, sweat through your shirt, and scream at the heavens, but if the universe hasn't called the play, you're just standing there looking foolish. It makes you wonder if all that striving is just us running on a treadmill to nowhere.

Is emotion just some byproduct that happens once you finally merge with God, or was it actually a necessary prerequisite—like, a synchronized phenomenon that had to happen first for the union to even be possible? (And look, I’m not even gonna get into whether what you felt was "real" or not, let's just stick to the mechanics of it.)

David Vaughn75 said:Evagrius Ponticus basically argued that knowing God isn't some emotional high. He claimed that visions, voices, and all those religious "feelings" are actually just distractions from true realization. When people mistake an emotional rush for actual spiritual truth, they end up totally losing the rhythm of their inner life.

What's your take on this?

If emotions are like a river—this wild current just tossing us around left and right without any say in the matter—does that mean we aren't even in control of ourselves?
Maybe the whole point is supposed to be surrendering to God and relying solely on Him... but is that union with God meant to be quiet contemplation, a state of Nirvana, total nothingness, or just a massive explosion of feeling?

David Vaughn75 said:Evagrius Ponticus basically argued that knowing God isn't some emotional high. He claimed that visions, voices, and all those religious "feelings" are actually just distractions from true realization. When people mistake an emotional rush for actual spiritual truth, they end up totally losing the rhythm of their inner life.

What's your take on this?

If emotions are like a river—this wild current just tossing us around left and right without any say in the matter—does that mean we aren't even in control of ourselves?
Maybe the whole point is supposed to be surrendering to God and relying solely on Him... but is that union with God meant to be quiet contemplation, a state of Nirvana, total nothingness, or just a massive explosion of feeling?

Just because emotions act as this built-in mechanism for spontaneous action doesn't mean you’ve lost your autonomy or that you "don't depend on yourself." Look, those feelings belong to you. Period. At the end of the day, how you actually handle them—how you process that surge of adrenaline or that sudden wave of anger—is entirely on you. It's all about how you manage your own internal compass.

Look, the whole idea isn't about just surrendering yourself to God. That’s a misunderstanding. The real point is that emotions and logic are constantly at odds with each other, like two different drivers fighting over the steering wheel of a car. You can't drive straight if you're constantly swerving because of emotional stress. You need that clarity. Real insight—true realization—comes from leaning on your head, not your heart. It’s about using reason as your primary tool to actually make sense of things.

David Vaughn75 said:Evagrius Ponticus basically argued that knowing God isn't some emotional high. He claimed that visions, voices, and all those religious "feelings" are actually just distractions from true realization. When people mistake an emotional rush for actual spiritual truth, they end up totally losing the rhythm of their inner life.

What's your take on this?

If emotions are like a river—this wild current just tossing us around left and right without any say in the matter—does that mean we aren't even in control of ourselves?
Maybe the whole point is supposed to be surrendering to God and relying solely on Him... but is that union with God meant to be quiet contemplation, a state of Nirvana, total nothingness, or just a massive explosion of feeling?

James Miller2 said:I say that is false.

Faith makes a person more of a moral being than an emotional one.

Steven Stewart3 said:Oh, totally! That’s the deepest mystery right there—every single thought and emotion has to become absolutely numb. I remember reading where the wise Thomas Sankara suggested that even a simple glance can be worse than the biggest sin imaginable; honestly, it’s incredibly rare for anyone to truly grasp and accept that truth.

Let me give you a quick personal story: I once did about 6 or 7 hours of deep meditation. Man, I was wiped out, but at the exact same moment, I felt like my physical health—which, let's be real, hasn't been great lately—suddenly snapped back into perfect shape. So, after the session, I stood in front of the mirror, and because of that intense "heat" from the practice, I felt this sudden spark in my mind. It was like this little internal "Whoop! Yeah!" popped up (don't worry, it wasn't anything crazy, just those basic human desires like wanting a wife or kids... nothing out of the ordinary). But the second I let out that little "Woohoo!" inside my mind... boom. All that health and all the progress I’d made during the practice just drained straight out of me.
I'm telling you: you can't achieve anything without total surrender, and being truly surrendered means you have to trek through layers of hell first to strip away the ego's desires.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, morality is this massive, sprawling topic that people have been chewing on since the dawn of time—it’s practically all we do—but then you show up to one of those intense Catholic spiritual retreats and suddenly everything goes sideways. You see people just dropping into these deep trances or bouncing around like they’ve lost their minds, acting like kangaroos on caffeine. Honestly? It creeps me out. It's genuinely unsettling.

James Miller2 said:I say that is false.

Faith makes a person more of a moral being than an emotional one.

goldenjackal6 said:Look, true morality comes from actual understanding and empathy. Faith is basically the opposite of that—it doesn't make people better; it just makes them dogmatic. In the real world, that usually means they end up being less moral and way less tolerant because they're stuck clinging to the "morals" of a single ideology. It's such a narrow, small-minded way to look at the world.

James Miller2 said:Understanding what? A child cannot grasp the concept of morality without guidance. People need a compass in life. Without one, they are nothing.

A man without faith is a dangerous man. That is all I have to say regarding the rest of your comment.