Belief vs. Knowing: The Journey from Faith to Experience

Belief is a powerful thing. For many of us, belief shapes how we navigate the world and connect with God. We’re often taught from a young age what to believe about life, faith, and God; but how much of what we believe is shaped by our own experiences versus what we’ve been conditioned to accept?

Conditioning plays a huge role in shaping our beliefs. From family, church, and society, we inherit ideas about God, the divine, and what it means to live a good life. But belief, when based solely on conditioning, can leave us disconnected from the deeper truth that comes from knowing God directly.

The Shift from Belief to Knowing

For years, I believed in God. Raised in a deeply religious environment, I attended a Bible college for a couple of years and was surrounded by teachings, stories, and traditions that instilled this belief in me. I had seen miracles, heard testimonies, and felt moments of connection with God or at least, I thought I had. But I couldn’t shake the doubts that crept in during quiet moments. Was I really experiencing God? Or was it just my mind playing tricks on me, clinging to what I had been taught to believe?

This lingering doubt weighed heavily on me. I longed for something more. Something beyond what I had been conditioned to accept. I wanted a deeper, undeniable connection with God. And then, everything changed when I encountered Bufo/5-MeO-DMT, the entheogen sometimes called "The God Molecule."

The experience was unlike anything I had ever imagined. It wasn’t a vision, a voice, or a story. It was a feeling. A deep, all-encompassing feeling that transcended words. In that moment, I felt something so profound that it defies description: unconditional love, perfect peace, and pure bliss. It wasn’t just a fleeting emotion; it was as if I had been enveloped by the very essence of God. I felt gratitude and love for ALL things, from the smallest detail of creation to the vastness of the universe.

This love wasn’t something I believed in, it was something I knew in every fiber of my being. The peace I felt was beyond anything I had ever experienced, and for the first time in my life, I felt what it truly meant to be connected to God, to creation, and to all that is. Words like "unconditional love" and "oneness" fall short. It was ineffable, an experience that cannot be adequately described and must be felt.

As the scripture says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived"—the things God has prepared for those who love him. This verse echoes the truth that there are experiences of God that go beyond our human comprehension, things that cannot be described by words or understood by the mind. They must be experienced directly, in the depth of our hearts and souls.

Since that encounter, I’ve been able to tap back into that state of knowing through meditation and prayer. Bufo wasn’t just a one-time event; it was a stepping stone that intensified my belief into a knowing that has transformed my entire spiritual life. It shifted my thought patterns, deepened my relationship with God, and showed me that the connection I had been seeking was always within reach just waiting to be experienced.

Belief vs. Conditioning

So much of what we believe is shaped by our conditioning, what we've been told by family, religion, or society. From an early age, we’re taught who God is, how we should worship, and what it means to be faithful. While these teachings can provide a strong foundation, they often limit our understanding of God based on what others have experienced.

When we rely solely on conditioning, belief can feel distant and abstract. It’s something we accept because we’ve been told it’s true, but it may not always resonate on a personal level. We may recite prayers, attend church, and follow religious practices, but if our belief hasn’t been challenged or deepened by personal experience, we may feel like something is missing.

This is where the shift from belief to knowing becomes transformative. When we step beyond the boundaries of what we’ve been conditioned to believe and have a direct encounter with God, our faith becomes something far more personal, profound, and undeniable.

The Role of Experience in Knowing

There is something profound that happens when we experience something firsthand. Knowing transcends belief because it’s not based on what we’ve been told, it’s rooted in personal, unmediated experience. When we know, it’s no longer an intellectual concept or a distant hope. It becomes an undeniable truth.

This shift can happen through many paths such as meditation, prayer, life-changing moments, or, for some, entheogenic experiences. Entheogens are not necessary to find this connection, but they can act as tools that open doors to direct encounters with God. They allow individuals to go beyond their minds, conditioning, and fear, offering a direct experience of the sacred.

Belief is Not Enough: Moving Toward Knowing

Many of us walk through life believing in a higher power but never truly experiencing it. We go through the motions, reciting prayers, attending services, or reading scripture, but something feels incomplete. Belief is a comforting place to start, but it doesn’t always take us to the deeper realms of spiritual experience.

When we move beyond belief into knowing, it’s as if God reveals Himself directly to us. We move from thinking about God to experiencing Him. This is the difference between hearing a story about the ocean and actually standing in the waves, feeling the water on your skin.

For those who feel a gap in their spiritual lives, the journey from belief to knowing can feel like a homecoming. Entheogens, when used with intention and reverence, are one possible way to cross this threshold. They offer a path to spiritual experiences that aren’t just intellectual; they are visceral, life-changing, and often transformative.

Entheogens as Tools for Knowing God

It’s important to note that entheogens are not the only way to experience this shift. But for those who feel called to explore them, they can act as profound tools for deepening one’s connection with God.

Substances like psilocybin, ayahuasca, and Bufo have been used for centuries to help individuals transcend the limitations of the mind and ego. These experiences can reveal truths about ourselves, our purpose, and the interconnectedness of all life. In many cases, they show us that God is not something far away or external, but something within us and all around us.

In my own journey, these experiences have shown me that we are not separate from God. In fact, we carry the divine within us, and this truth becomes clearer when we step into the realm of knowing, leaving the confines of belief behind.

A Personal Invitation: Moving from Belief to Knowing

What if God is closer than we’ve ever imagined? What if the divine is waiting for us to step into the fullness of knowing, rather than relying on second-hand belief?

This journey from belief to knowing is one of the most profound transformations a person can experience. Whether through traditional means like prayer and meditation or through entheogens, the shift changes everything. It challenges us to go deeper, to step into the unknown, and to encounter God in ways we may never have imagined.

For those seeking a deeper connection with God, or those who feel like something is missing from their spiritual lives, I invite you to consider what it might mean to move from believing to knowing. This journey is not about discarding belief, but about expanding it into a direct, personal, and undeniable experience.

How do you move from believing to knowing? What might change if you experienced God firsthand?

Begin Your Journey

You don’t have to take huge leaps to begin this journey. Start by reflecting on your own beliefs and experiences. Ask yourself where you’ve simply accepted what you’ve been told, and where you’ve felt God in your life.

For those curious about using tools like entheogens to deepen their spiritual experience, I encourage you to explore the possibilities with reverence and intention. These medicines are not shortcuts to God, but they can open doors to profound personal discovery.

No matter where you are on your path, the invitation remains the same: to move from belief into the realm of knowing, to step beyond intellectual understanding and into personal, transformative experience.

Stepping Beyond Belief

In the end, belief is only the beginning. Knowing, through direct experience, is what transforms our faith and our understanding of God. Whether you find that through prayer, meditation, or the profound experiences that entheogens can offer, the journey is yours. But once you step beyond belief and into knowing, you’ll find that God isn’t distant or abstract—He is close, immediate, and deeply personal.

---

Bio:

Jessica is a certified Transformational Coach and Trip Sitter, specializing in guiding individuals through psychedelic-assisted healing journeys. With a deep understanding of how entheogens can foster spiritual growth, Jessica supports clients in preparing for and integrating these experiences, offering a path toward deeper connection with themselves and God.

Disclaimer:

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Psychedelics, including psilocybin and ayahuasca, are illegal in many jurisdictions and should only be used in accordance with local laws. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.