There are many people who see artistic or spiritual interest as being based in failure to deal with reality. They have an inadequate understanding of what reality is. Reality is not just what you can see, touch or smell. There are all sorts of invisible powers that are completely real. Dealing with these powers is not a result of failure to deal with reality; it is a result of experiencing these powers.
We also see such things being seen as mental illness. It is mental illness if it exists inside your head and only inside your head. It is not mental illness if it corresponds with things that exist outside of your head. Spiritual powers do not exist solely inside of one's head. They exist absolutely.
In my case, my spiritual experiences have been so numerous and so intense that I would have to be completely psychotic to deny them. I will list some of them here.
In 1995, I had a beautiful romantic relationship with a woman named Michelle, who finished Harvard in 3 years and who was a poet. In 2000 I wanted to have it recapitulated, so what happens but that I start corresponding with a woman named Michele, who finished Caltech in three years, who was a poet, and who in 1995 had had a similar relationship with a man from Bulgaria whose last name was similar to my middle name.
My girlfriend woke up in the middle of the night, complaining that her ex-husband was talking to her in spirit. In the morning she decided to test this, so she said in her head, “OK Todd, if you have been talking to me in spirit call me.” 30 seconds later Todd called and said that he had been talking to her in spirit.
In a mediation I saw an outpouring of sorrow in Argentina. Shortly after that I picked up a paper and read that there was an outpouring of sorrow in Argentina because someone famous had died.
I see master numbers on the clock – numbers such as 3:33 and 12:12. One day I decided to set up an experiment. I set four different clocks to four different times around the house and recorded every time that I looked at the clock. 1 in 10 of what I got was master numbers when by chance it would be 1 in 60.
I was asked inside my head what kind of woman I wanted, and I said the best artist. Shortly after that I met Julia, who was a magnificent artist and who was in the middle of leaving her husband, which is the only time a woman as beautiful as her would be single.
And there are more.
Once again, I would have to be completely psychotic to deny spiritual experience. There are simply too many.
When faced with an experience that contradicts one's worldview, the logical solution is to correct the worldview, not to deny the experience. And if it does not fit into one's notion of what is reality, it is to adjust one's definition of what reality is. We see logic being used as a code word for denying spirituality. That is a wrong definition of logic. Logic is a tool, not a mindset. And when faced with undeniable spiritual experience, the logical thing to do is adjust one's definition of what is real.