Hi, new here. I use to always have a weird interest in magic and started getting into wicca as a teenager. However, now I find myself losing my faith that magic is real and am now going athiest the 3rd generation in my family to do so as my grandfather was athiest and my father used to be atheist though he is kind of starting to beleive. Still it's been really hard coming to terms that magic isn't real and on top of that coming to terms that I indeed have ADHD and autism. It's to the point that I'm going through a bit of a creative block and I'm usually very creative and have a wild imagination. Hopefully being able to talk to my dad who is also rather creative will help some.
Going From Wiccan To 3rd Generation Athiest
- Thread starter BunnyJen90
- Start date
Hi BunnyJen, welcome!
I have a daughter who has ADD, Aspergers, and Social Anxiety, so I feel for you.
Looking back at organized religion, it's clear that it was a bunch of people all playing a pretendy fun-time game about how the things they pretended were real. I think the same way about wicca, although the pretending they do is a lot more fun and usually kinder and less damaging.
When I was younger I really wanted magic to be real. But every time it was put to a real test, there was just nothing there. I think it was watching the work of the JREF and other groups like it that finally put a cork in any belief in magic I may have had left. We so much want our thoughts to be able to change reality, we want there to be magic words to say, or a chant or ritual to do that will make the universe take notice and improve our lives. Alas, the universe doesn't care about us, it just does what it does, cold and impersonal. But on the other hand, we live in a world where I can unlock my car at the push of a button, and type to people on the other side of the world in real time!
I have a daughter who has ADD, Aspergers, and Social Anxiety, so I feel for you.
Looking back at organized religion, it's clear that it was a bunch of people all playing a pretendy fun-time game about how the things they pretended were real. I think the same way about wicca, although the pretending they do is a lot more fun and usually kinder and less damaging.
When I was younger I really wanted magic to be real. But every time it was put to a real test, there was just nothing there. I think it was watching the work of the JREF and other groups like it that finally put a cork in any belief in magic I may have had left. We so much want our thoughts to be able to change reality, we want there to be magic words to say, or a chant or ritual to do that will make the universe take notice and improve our lives. Alas, the universe doesn't care about us, it just does what it does, cold and impersonal. But on the other hand, we live in a world where I can unlock my car at the push of a button, and type to people on the other side of the world in real time!
Yeah I'm still unsure what to think about having ADHD and autism. I'm starting ADHD coaching and my coach says she works with people who are sucessful and have ADHD, but still sometimes I brush it off even though I have heard about people with ADHD being sucessful. It's just even if there are people with ADHD who are sucessful they still have ADHD. Good to hear I'm not the only one who wishes magic was real. I guess that's why you got you got stories about magic and stuff that have their fandoms. Still it's kind of hard coming to terms with the fact that magic isn't real. There is still part of me that wishes it was and that somehow I have magical powers instead of ADHD and autism. Anyway I spent some time with my parents today and told them how I'm starting to lose my faith and going through a creative block. My mom says to get outside more and go for a walk outside to clear my mind. My dad didn't have much advice though and says he doesn't usually have where his thoughts get blocked. He says he just has a hard time getting them out of his head instead. And perhaps in a way technology is kind of magical. My dad and I even got talking about super heroes since he knows I have a bizzare intrest in magic and super heroes and I started mentioning about how iron man doesn't really have any powers and is just really smart and inventive though I would kind of classify being a genius and having the ability to invent new technology kind of a super power. However, I don't feel I'm really all that smart even though I usually am rather creative and have a lot of ideas mostly because of the fact that I have ADHD and autism. However, my doctor says that ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence and I guess he would know since he is a doctor. But even if I am really smart does it even matter when I have ADHD and autism.
My chorus director has ADHD, and he's had an enormously successful life. He was a high school chorus director for many years, and is absolutely beloved by all his former students. My daughter who has ADHD does have trouble settling into schoolwork, but a combination of adderall and coffee helps enormously when she needs to focus on something that she's not that interested in. And she's working on a computer science degree, so right now she needs to focus a lot. But the reverse of that is that she has the ability to hyper-focus for hours when she's really super interested in something. When something really clicks for her, she can just tune out everything else to an amazing degree.
As for the autism, you have the challenge of functioning with a brain that's wired differently in a world full of neurotypical people. But on the other hand you have the advantage of having a brain that's wired differently, and so you can see things in a different and original way. Have you read any books by Temple Grandin? Her success at what she does stems entirely from her autism and the different perspectives it gives her.
As for the autism, you have the challenge of functioning with a brain that's wired differently in a world full of neurotypical people. But on the other hand you have the advantage of having a brain that's wired differently, and so you can see things in a different and original way. Have you read any books by Temple Grandin? Her success at what she does stems entirely from her autism and the different perspectives it gives her.
I have heard of people with ADHD and autism being successful but use to always brush it off because they still have ADHD or Autism or both despite how successful they are. Perhaps ADHD and autism is one of those things like height that doesnt matter when it comes to how successful you are. I use to hate being a little on the short side. I'm barely 5 foot tall when the average woman is about 5 foot 3 I think. Then I learned in history how there have been successful people of all heights. There have been successful short people as well as tall and average sized people. It then occurred to me that height doesn't really matter and I began to be comfortable with being a bit on the short side. Anyway I'm still not entirely sure about ADHD and autism not being such a bad thing but knowing there are people who are successful despite it makes me feel a little better. Perhaps I can someday soon become a successful comic book artist as geeky as that may sound.
Don’t worry about being short. My daughter is about five feet tall. She is extremely formidable and well-educated.
I'm not worried about being a bit short anymore. Like I said I eventually learned that height has nothing to do with how successful you are. Besides my dad is a little on the short side too so that's where I get my shortness from. In the meantime I'm having a hard time dealing with no longer believing in magic. Still wish I had magical powers instead. I use to be very day dreamy and always thinking about the future but since going atheist I've been more in the present moment. I'm not entirely sure but I think my brain isn't use to being so in the present moment yet. For some odd reason I felt a bit faint while working today and it's not like me to feel that way. I plan on calling the doctor though to figure out what could possibly be making me feel this way. Still it feels so weird to go from constantly day dreaming about the future to being so into the present moment. My mind has never been so in the present moment before. I still strongly wish magical powers like being able to foresee the future or move things with my mind was real and I want so badly to go back to believing in wicca again but no matter how much I wish I can't move things with my mind and there is no certain evidence that dreams can literally come true.
Nothing. But an atheist is an A-Theist, someone who doesn’t believe in any gods. So, the belief in magic or supernatural phenomenons or in pseudo-sciences is not incompatible with atheism.
Yeah, it kinda is incompatible. If the supernatural is probable, as it would have to be if magic and the supernatural is true, then gods are probable as well and you might as well be a theist or one of them 'spiritualists'. Surely, it is better to be skeptical of it all until there is a better demonstration of its existence. There is no more 'proof' of any other kind of supernaturalism than there is of gods.
Sounds more to me like agnosticism. Anyway as much as I would like to believe in magic no matter how much I try I just can't move things with my mind
Anyway I'm starting to get over my creative block but still having hard time coming terms with having adhd and autism. Wish I had magical powers instead of being so stupid.
No, you’re not stupid, but the world has been modeled for neurotypical people, and others have often been left behind. That’s the probable story behind what was called ”the village idiot”. I’m convinced that sometimes if not most of the time this ”village idiot” was not an idiot, but someone with uncommon ways to process information and to interact with others, which led them to be demeaned.Sounds more to me like agnosticism. Anyway as much as I would like to believe in magic no matter how much I try I just can't move things with my mind
Anyway I'm starting to get over my creative block but still having hard time coming terms with having adhd and autism. Wish I had magical powers instead of being so stupid.
There is progress in this regard, but the situation is not yet ideal.
Well, sure. But it doesn't affect reality much unless I am also doing something to manipulate it with my body and not just my mind.
The spell is just there to give you a little extra motivation. Of course it won't do anything if you don't work for it! The Universe isn't just going to go, "oh, you did a ritual? Okay, here's a job." (Or lover, or A+, or whatever your goal is.)
Sorry, a little late to the party here, but I get it. I acutely felt the loss of belief in magic (or as we called it, prayer). It gets better, and I'm sure you'll find it so in the long run, even if it takes time to adjust. How much time it takes depends on each individual person, and there's no right or wrong amount of time. It'll be what it'll be, and that's OK.
And you can absolutely be successful with ADHD and autism. I'm almost certainly on the spectrum (though I haven't been officially diagnosed) and I have been diagnosed with ADHD. Neither ever prevented me from being successful. I had a successful career in IT, which unfortunately was finished (or at least paused) for unrelated reasons.
And you can absolutely be successful with ADHD and autism. I'm almost certainly on the spectrum (though I haven't been officially diagnosed) and I have been diagnosed with ADHD. Neither ever prevented me from being successful. I had a successful career in IT, which unfortunately was finished (or at least paused) for unrelated reasons.
Still having a really hard time coping. In fact im kind of crying right now as I'm typing this. It's just I still wish I had some kind of magical power like being able to foresee the future or move things with my mind. Instead though I have adhd and nothing I do even matters because of that. So what if I can draw and so what if I eventually become a great comic book artist. Even if I am successful I still have adhd and that just makes it less impressive in my opinion.
I'm so sorry. I know that hurts so much, and I wish I could help in some way.
Everything you do matters. ADHD doesn't diminish that in any way. There are so many neurodiverse authors and artists out there. If anything, ADHD makes that more impressive because we're living in a world that only caters to neurotypical people.
Everything you do matters. ADHD doesn't diminish that in any way. There are so many neurodiverse authors and artists out there. If anything, ADHD makes that more impressive because we're living in a world that only caters to neurotypical people.
I'm not so sure the things I do matter. I've heard about people with adhd and autism being able to accomplish stuff but I've always brushed it off because they still have adhd or autism. So why should anything I do matter when I have adhd and autism. I could even be the most powerful person in the world and it still wouldn't matter because I have adhd and autism. Sorry if it seems I'm getting into an argument.