[eszed]

That's a good insight, and I agree with everything you wrote.

Side note about horoscopes, or something similar. My sister is pretty far out on the 'woo' side of things, and one of her side gigs is doing 'readings', based on some method that (as far as I can tell) she largely made up. She's a bit canny (at least with me!) about the extent to which she believes in the fortune telling side of it, but she firmly believes that the process opens people up for self reflection, and that the conversations she then has with her clients (some of whom have been with her for years) provide real value. I believe her about that! She's a wise person, and I value her advice a great deal, even though I excuse myself from the 'woo'.

All that's to say that self-reflection is useful and good, and deep conversations with trusted people even better. I try not to be too critical of anything someone finds leads them to those valuable experiences. (Unless, of course, it costs life-changing amounts of money, or otherwise damages other parts of participants' person or identity. There's a special hell - or should be - for people who prey on vulnerable people in those ways.)