But why do so many of us (the rhetorical us) insist on clinging to them? We're talking about the majority of humanity here -- this inner desire to find meaning in our existence and to express that desire by attaching ourselves to some man-made stories. Is this some kind of flaw in our psyche, our inability to face up to the possibility that THIS IS IT? Or is it some kind of a survival mechanism? A frustration with never KNOWING anything, feeling better because we have an explanation, albeit an unprovable, illogical one?
There are several related factors which seem to blind us to our intrinsic wholeness and completeness, and you have touched on some of them. Generally, out of well meaning ignorance, society and family program the child that it is a separate entity and everything else experienced and sensed is other. On a phenominal level there is indeed a practicle use for division of things, but it's not the foundational Reality of things). The consciousness looking out the eyes comes to unquestionably accept that it is but a shard of existence. We then spend a human life-span seeking within "other", within phenomena for wholeness, via sex, marriage, family, work, politics, materialism, drugs, rape and murder, religion, etc.. Religion is popular because it admits to an existing wholeness (God/Heaven/Paradise) which we can reenter if we just follow certain criteria. It's in our innate nature to seek our Wholeness, seek Truth, and religion offers up a powerful promise. However, the religious interpretation of wholeness (Holiness) is a tiny thing separate, out there; and this, is a lie. The problem is a chronic one which effects humanity century after century, simply because the focus of attention and the search for wholeness is outward. We believe we need to earn or get something that we don't already have. So, generally the very first step in the journey is in the wrong direction and all goes to hell from there. No one tells us that we already are whole and complete, and that the direction for rediscovery is inward into the closest and most intimate of our Being. I'll back up for a moment and add that generally we come to identify unquestionably and concretely with our solitary and broken individualism. If someone did come along and say "you are infinitely more than what you believe yourself to be", we would see this as a threat to our personal survival, and we would do everything in our power to remain our precious shard of existence. We are in this mess, because we really don't want to know the Truth. j