Beliefs, superstitions, Science

Following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Question: What is the source of subjective opinion and beliefs?

Acharya Prashant: Your belief in your existence. Just as you strongly believe that you do exist, you equally strongly believe that the world of your opinions exists. You cannot have a staunch belief in your being, and an inquisitive and skeptical attitude about the world you live in.

I cannot say, “I definitely do exist, but I am not sure whether this chair exists.” Can I? If I do exist, then the world that I perceive must necessarily exist. Or can I say, “I exist but this chair may or may not exist”? Where am I then resting my butt on?

Are you getting it?

The more strongly are you identified with yourself, equally strong will be your identification with the world of your perceptions. In that sense, Science leads to a humongous strengthening of the ego.

Can you see why? Science says, “The world definitely does exist. There is no doubt that the world exists.” Science begins with the premise that — the world does exist, now let us investigate how it exists and what it is. And in saying that the world does exist, Science has quietly asserted that the perceiver of the world definitely exists.