Your post provided me with food for thought. In my own life, it was more about a lack of self-value. For years, I made a lot of dysfunctional decisions because I didn’t view myself as worthy of having anything better.

I too was an atheist for decades, angry at God and anyone who believed in a specific doctrine and tried to force it on others. I eventually realized that the anger was self directed and I had lost my connection to whatever it is that is much greater than ourselves, call it God, Goddess, Source, Universe, web of collective consciousness.

At age 40, I dove head first into the metaphysical world, which is what I believe you are describing. Most everyone is met was not godless but they did not believe in traditional religion either. I witnessed some metaphysical fundamentalism to be sure, I also found a group of people living life from a much more authentic place. Meditation, tapping into my intuitive knowing, teaching and becoming a life coach changed everything for me — my health, my mental and emotional state, my career, my family relationships, my life partner.

I found a way to slow down on venting and railing against what triggered me in order to move towards what nurtures me and to focus on how I can serve. It’s a continuous journey but every time I take one more step, I am happier, calmer and more grounded into who I really am.

We each follow a different path to healing. Just because any of the listed practices doesn’t resonate with you, doesn’t make them irrelevant for others. One of the reasons most people reject religion is because it often states, this is the one right way to be.

Atheism is also a religion in that way, because it states that everyone who believes in something greater is deluded and we know the truth.

There are many truths and we only find our own by listening, not criticizing…