The Revelation of Jesus with Rick Sterling

Dissonance~

Have you ever experienced a time in life when it felt as if something was wrong but you didn't know what it was? Where you had an upset stomach for a few days, but anti-acids didn't help, or when you felt just a little irrational nervousness over insignificant issues? (Just FYI-I am not a psych professional, nor do I play one on TV; what I am saying is not meant as therapy.) There exsists situations in our lives that set us 'on edge', but we just don't know why. Often these uncomfortable situations are caused by something that is termed 'cognitive dissonance', which is defined as "mental discomfort experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. This discomfort is triggered by a situation in which a person's belief clashes with new evidence perceived by that person".

When a person believes something with all their heart, and then hears something that challenges that belief, there is set up inside that person a 'cognitive dissonance' that makes them at the very least uncomfortable, which if not dealt with can cause them to lash out at the person or situation that triggered that dissonance. We here at Spirit of Truth Ministry experience this all the time when presenting concepts and ideas to people that simply don't want to be challenged in that way. Denial, defensiveness, or outright antipathy are the result, more often than not.

The solution to this anxiety is to confront the issues directly, and find out whether there is any truth in what has been presented, not to ignore those ideas and hope they go away; they don't, they will just fester in the mind, and cause the intellect great harm. Facing the Truth head on, and confronting new ideas and concepts is never easy, but when you discover the truth you are rewarded with peace.