I will now describe how I differentiate faith and suspension of disbelief.

I do not prescribe to any form of absolute faith or belief as it were; these terms suggest the preference of willful denial or ignorance in the face of contrary evidence, which is why these are not an alternate form of knowledge.

Faith is blind by nature, because it cannot continue to be faith if proven, and will not be believed if disproof is accepted. Proof creates knowledge, which trumps faith.

Science, while the only clearly reliable way to explain our world, is not a suitable way to express our experience of it. Thus the conundrum: how can we express ourselves without taking part in willful ignorance, denial, and dogma?

The only ways I have so far recognized are through various forms of mythos, symbolism, iconography. Fiction.

The thing is, fiction is true. Just not literal. Designed to express the experience -- values, feelings, perspectives, ideologies, cultural patterns and structures -- what some might, as I do, call "deeper truths" -- fiction is not to be believed literally, but to be absorbed with some level of suspension of disbelief.

With this entry, I request that readers suspend disbelief in following entries where I refer to fantasy themes in my painting of the deeper truths of the world I see. My assessments may be wrong, but I thoroughly believe that my symbols are suited to their purpose.