Numbing Doesn't Work

One of the strange things we humans do when we are living in the Pit of Illusion is find ways to numb ourselves against the pain of life. As we’ve talked about before, the Pit of Illusion is filled with Unnecessary Pain—pain that hurts. But rather than get out of the Pit and rid ourselves from the pain, when wallowing in the Pit we turn to things that will divert us and help us not think about the pain. Some of us seek escape through pleasures such as shopping, or Internet surfing, or watching television, or keeping so busy we can’t think, or any number of things that we hope will provide an escape and keep us from feeling the pain.


While diversions such as these do keep us from feeling the pain for awhile, as soon as the diversion stops the pain comes back in full force. Numbing ourselves through diversions is never a solution. But there is a greater problem that comes when we try to numb ourselves instead of getting rid of the cause of the pain. When we numb ourselves to pain, we also numb ourselves to joy. When we numb darkness we also numb light.

The best solution, then, is to get out of the Pit of Illusion which places us in the realm of Truth. When Living in Truth we rid ourselves of Unnecessary Pain. It also means that we walk confidently through the Necessary Pain of life without numbing ourselves knowing that our Savior will help us every step of the way and that despite the pain, we will feel the joy.

Life is meant to be a time of joy, but if we numb ourselves we won’t experience what is intended for us—the joy.