Inspiration

Where does it come from? I mean ... well, I do not know what I mean. It is, after all, another thing that is inside our heads, is it not? What inspires one person to write a novel is the same thing that someone else completely missed because, to that person, it was completely mundane. What makes one man think, makes another yawn.

It comes on the form of memories, sensory input, dreams, and the random ones that just seem to come out of nowhere. I suppose that it is this last kind that I am referring to in the question. When it does not come from our reactions to what we have experienced or are experiencing, when it does not come from the part of our brain that we only get to experience when the rest of our brain has decided to take some down time, when it does not come from inside of us or from the world around us, where does it come from? Is this what some people refer to as "divine inspiration"?

At this point in my life, I do not think I am what most people would call a religious man. I am a devout explorer. I have investigated numerous religions ranging from monotheistic "pagan" (the multi/pantheons just seemed too "let's-put-it-in-a-box-and-ignore-everything-that-doesn't-fit" to me), to Catholicism (from my Mother), to the Church of of Latter Day Saints, with several Protestant and "Christian" (read the-Church-of-Believe-Like-Me-or-Burn-in-Hell) religions in between. I still read scriptures, pray, and occasionally attend church (which one is based on the pastors' choice of service projects), and I still bring my children up with the same values as many religious people. I just have not really an "organized" religion which seems to be able and willing to answer my tougher questions.

Do I believe that I could be inspired by some need of the Almighty? Well, I suppose anything is possible, but the odds are better for me to win the lottery. At the same time, some of the thoughts that have been entering my head lately do not seem to have any basis in anything that I can scientifically say 'these are all in my head'. Maybe it just comes out of things I forgot I knew and my poor brain is just beginning to dredge the refuse for some fertile compost. Or maybe the inspiration is divine, and our Creator is trying to tell me how I am to be of service to him.

Does it even matter? As long as it does not hurt anyone, does it matter where it comes from and what I do with it? The only way I can really know is to go on, finding pieces of the puzzle and plugging them in, and hopefully helping somebody along the way.