One of the things I was accused of believing in was the Metaphysical. Much of my thought processes is more on the 'metaphorical' rather than the metaphysical.

The same person who viewed me as metaphysical mentioned a metaphor in the same criticism. Something about the Grand Canyon and how it reminded him he was small.

One of the metaphors I like from Eastern traditions is the concept of 'a wave in love with the sea'. The wave is not the ocean, but it is part of the ocean. One can see that in relationship to people of any religion or even Atheism. There is a sea of atheists that is growing. They have at their roots mainly Dawkins and Hitchens as far as the Neo Atheists.

Joseph Campbell's work was quite secular as a whole. He studied the world's religions and cultures and developed a dvd called 'the power of myth'. He explores the layers of similarities and differences in cultures and their mythology in his work.

He talks about stories from the various religions as reference points for social evolution.

To me often it seems that the baby in the bathwater with religion and metaphysics both are the stories and explorations of ethics. The stories are not necessarily literal.

When people say 'God' told them to do this or that for example, one could easily say that their 'instinct' said to do this or that. Consider for example Daniel in the Lion's Den in relationship to The Dog Whisperer. If Daniel is a real story, which frankly I suspect it may not be, there is still a metaphorical relevance to it.

If Noah's Ark did not happen, which scientifically based on not very much early though and then more deep exploration, I believe it did not, there is still a metaphor not unlike the famous quote from the Kevin Costner film field of dreams 'If you build it they will come.' CEO's build companies and infrastructure based on instinct a lot of time mixed with analysis. Obviously both must be included.

But for example if you look at the guy who developed 'Earth Ships' (in the documentary 'the Garbage Warrior') he was following an instinct that went against the social conventions of his community and had to fight through legal battles. They took his license from him. Then there were international disasters in communities that could use his work. Suddenly he got his license reinstated.

I believe in the inspirational and I believe in the metaphorical.

The film 'Kung Foo Panda' is another metaphor of the same sort. A person looking for their purpose in life. One doesn't need science for things like that and one cannot measure the inner world much with science.

The realm of myth and story is often the realm of the experiential component of being human. I don't have to believe in the literal Christ to believe in the metaphorical Christ. The principle of being crucified and resurrected is something one sees in many peoples' careers, like 'The Rock' for example who was much hated as a wrestler and then transformed and was much loved and is now much loved as a film star.

The concept of the phoenix is in Greek mythology (or is it Roman?), it is much like the death and resurrection metaphor from Christianity. The same concept is in Buddhism in a Tantric text 'One must rise by that by which one falls'. You see that repeatedly in life where someone fails because they are different in some way or other, but then that leads to a great success.

I have a friend I call "Biospiritual" who is very science based on not particularly into any religion, but then he tells me stories about nature as reference points. Scientists often reference something from nature to develop something for humans. People have referenced religions to develop things for humans.

Steven Covey's principles are Secular in essence, but have roots in Religious ideas. The Matrix is a film that spoke to a lot of people as did Star Wars because of the roots in metaphors and principles of different religions. But those principles are human principles rooted in generations of observations of the human condition.

You can see for example the simple principles of 'creation, sustaining and destruction' in the Mormon and ExMormon journey collectively and individually. The Mormon Church when through multiple processes of creating, sustaining for a time and then being destroyed in the area they were in, and then creating again. They went through 4 locations before coming to Utah.

Now there is this process of deconstructing that is happening among some with the science and history coming out about things in the LDS religion. Another 'destruction' phase. You see that with insects destroying something and then it being reborn and sustained in another form for a time. It happens in business, in communities, etc...

Hindus call this very simple principle Brahma (The Creator), Vishnu (The Sustainer) and Shiva (The Destroyer). They view those as 'Gods'. Yes one can say that they are not real Gods floating around in the sky somewhere. But they are facets of nature.

Consultants in businesses use these concepts. Some use them very consciously and even psychologically associate them with Hinduism. Community consultants use some of these basic principles as well.

The gnostic writings (Christian Mysticism) talk about creativity and the creative process and how one will self destruct. This has direct application to the exMormon experience in so many ways and is yet another part of Christianity that was suppressed for centuries.

They are just concepts. Much of it has nothing to do with any form of God and does not depend on a God. Ancient ideas have plenty to offer modern people and modern life. This is no different than ancient science views having something to offer the evolving modern science. So much of modern science is based in other cultures including the cultures around Islam and Hinduism and Christianity.

So do I believe in ancient stories and their relevance to today, I guess I do. Does that make me metaphysical? Not necessarily. Do I believe in some metaphysical things, I like the idea of them and I explore them to some degree, but I am more interested in a very practical view on things and so much of that is the metaphorical more than the metaphysical.