Religion can be a means of avoiding reality

Taken from: http://www.dreamhawk.com/transf-8.htm

Most humans, despite lack of love, and despite downright brutality, survive. They do so by being able to put reality one or two, or more paces away from consciousness. Races which have successfully lived in the most awful environments and despite constant stress and deprivation have survived with the help of their religion. Like with the Israelites, the greatest survival factor was their religion, which performed the above function perfectly.

Consciousness; to be aware, as man is aware; is a most awful agony, and a great splendour.

In stripping off the protective layers we needed to survive, gradually we come to that point where we face without protection the immensity of uncertainty and vulnerability only a human consciousness can know, and we see too that we are life, which despite its blind unknowing struggle, despite forever not knowing what it is, despite its vulnerability, has survived all defeat, and knows its very essence in you. When that happens, life, in man, stands alone yet with its unimaginable depths and heights of feeling bared. All the symbols have been removed. Life knows itself in man - man knows itself in Life