Hello, this is Isis. There is an issue coming up now. The reason certain religions are very popular now—usually branches of other religions—is that people need to be reassured. Many people are so overwhelmed by life that the idea of something very structured and organized is appealing. This is not about any one religion but is more generally about religions around the world and, I might add, some philosophies that go beyond religion—I don't mean the philosophies are better, but they are in a different category.

When people are overwhelmed by their lives, when they are in transition, whether they know it or not, they often find it very appealing to have some place where they can put their lives, so to speak. They put their lives into a dish with the lives of other people—not literally, you understand, but figuratively— in order to achieve a certain level of comfort and reassurance based on a community belief.

The Mask Isn't There Anymore

In recent years, the whole idea of community became very popular and it really preceded this time you find yourselves in now. This is the time when your true selves come to the surface and this is actually, on a practical level, very challenging for many people. You've spent literally almost your whole lives—most of you, though perhaps not the very, very young—trying to conform to your perception of what others wanted from you. This happens often in families, and later on, with friends, peers, and so on.