A reflective look and conversation with educator and author Tomichan Matheikal on his new book, The Simplest Guide to Religion.

At the outset, I’m not religious. Rituals aren’t my forte, and I don’t follow tradition, but I believe in the concept of God as a higher power who anchors us to Earth. I may not associate Him with a shape or a certain place, but for me, He’s the free bird, the ever-flowing wind, the bright Sun, the cool Moon, the starry sky, the infinite cosmos. I guess that takes me closer to Animism, the earliest form of worship of a power stronger than humans, invisible and invincible.

The Simplest Guide to Religion: Understanding Humanity’s Search for the Sacred by Tomichan Matheikal is a fast-paced, thoughtful read that breaks humanity’s search for the divine into small chapters. Coming from a teacher, the book begins with our forest-dwelling ancestors in awe of an unseen power, and journeys to the present day, where algorithms and celebrities attain a god-like status.

Drawing on the work of sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers, and historians, Matheikal introduces readers to a complex belief system whose origins lie deep within human emotions and the brain itself. The book explains, quite objectively, that humanity’s idea of God began with a feeling. When early humans couldn’t explain natural disasters or answer basic questions about life, they looked closely at the ecosystem around them. Nature became sacred. Over time, that reverence evolved into rituals, elaborate traditions, incarnations, and places of worship.

As you turn the pages, you begin to wonder not only where God came from, but why humanity has continually given the divine different names, forms, and identities. As civilizations evolved, stories endured. After all, humans survive on stories and emotions. Myths and legends gradually became scriptures, shaping ethics, discipline, and community life.

What struck me most was the idea that it was our questioning mind that first reached for the divine. Over centuries, that search produced totems, symbols, idols, meditation, yoga, and countless spiritual traditions. Different cultures found different paths, yet many ultimately converged on the same questions. Religion, at its core, was never meant to divide; it fostered community, belonging, and shared meaning.

Today, climate change has once again turned the search for environmental balance to sacred timelines and natural world, “forgotten intimacy” as Matheikal writes. Most importantly, he neither preaches nor dismisses belief. He simply translates humanity’s search for the sacred into an accessible, engaging book.

---

In Conversation with Tomichan Matheikal

What were your biggest challenges while writing this book?

Keeping my characteristic cynicism and sarcasm under control, especially since I don’t look upon religion with any reverence. I took a vow to be totally open-minded because I genuinely wanted to understand why millions of people cling to religions, even fight for them.

You have acknowledged that you used AI for research. How useful is it with philosophical subjects? How much can readers rely on AI-generated information?

AI can be of immense help to anyone to learn about any subject. The output depends entirely on your input, the way you formulate the prompts. AI can potentially scale any height of scholarliness.

However, like any other technology, AI data cannot be entirely relied on without a layer of human verification. Ethical outcries are usually about AI making use of copyrighted contents. We have to be extremely cautious about using such material. Authenticity lies in a grey area. I acknowledged the use of AI in the writing of this book precisely to be as ethical and authentic as possible.

After writing this book, has your understanding of faith changed?

A lot. As I said already, I was totally irreverent towards religion earlier. After writing this book, I’ve acquired a mindset that accepts religion as a human necessity. What people do in the name of religions and gods doesn’t shock me anymore. I make an effort to understand the acts from a more learned perspective.

Is humanity moving towards spirituality beyond organized religion, or simply creating new forms of religion?

There is a rise of religious fundamentalism all over the world and that is not motivated by spirituality. Rather, it emerges from certain complex psychological needs and sociological changes. In simple words, I may say that the rise of religious fundamentalism owes itself to human search for deeper meaning and belongingness. That needn’t be spiritual in any way.

If religion originated as a response to uncertainty, what fills that role for younger generations today?

The youngsters of today don’t give undue importance to religion. Most of them have highly individualised approaches to religion. They mix elements of formal religion with non-religious practices like mindfulness, meditation, art, and even social media. In the last chapter, I’ve written that some “algorithmic systems have become modern oracles”.

---

Reflections & Notes

The Simplest Guide to Religion made me think about everything religious, especially because religion has dominated so many headlines over the last few years. Take the case of the Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and more recently, the allegations surrounding donation theft at the Ram Mandir. Or go further to Israel and Palestine, the devastation of the Gaza Strip. For people who were promised a holy land, that two-year war certainly didn’t feel holy.

Some lines from the book that stayed with me:

• The Antidote to Anxiety: Unlike other animals, humans are burdened with self-awareness and temporal consciousness. We know that we will die, and we know that our actions unfold in time, vulnerable to chance and reversal. This knowledge produces not wisdom but anxiety. Religion emerges as a response to this anxiety, offering not information but orientation. Gods do not explain the world in the scientific sense; they render it intelligible enough to be endured. At its most elemental level, religion is a narrative solution to the problem of chaos.
• The Power of the Symbol: Religion begins wherever language fails and symbol takes over. In simple words, a tribe may believe the cow is holy, but beneath the symbol lies the deeper reality: the tribe’s reverence for its own unity, survival, continuity, and shared identity.
• The Psychological Mirror: Freud’s most controversial claim was that religion resembles a collective neurosis. A neurosis is a psychological condition characterized by irrational fears, compulsive behaviours, and persistent anxieties. Freud noticed similarities between neurotic rituals and religious practices.
• The Geography of the Mind: The landscape of myth resembles the landscape of the human mind. Forests represent uncertainty. Mountains symbolize aspiration. Monsters embody fear. Darkness signifies ignorance. Exile reflects alienation. Homecoming signifies integration and wholeness.
• The Universal Reality: For Spinoza, God was not a supernatural ruler standing outside the universe. God was the universe. Everything that exists is part of a single divine reality.

Book Details
Pages:172
Formats: Available in Paperback and eBook (Kindle/Kindle Unlimited)
Price: INR 249 + shipping; free on Kindle Unlimited

Ambica Gulati is a journalist and editor whose work explores global affairs, travel, environment, and the intuitive arts. From short stories to wellness mantras, she focuses on meaningful experiences in a complex world. She has authored books for children, a series of six books on Monuments of the World published by Om Books International.

From the Archives

If you enjoyed reading this, you may like to continue the journey

1. Kashi: The City That Never Stopped Praying
2. Automatic Writing: Interview with the Sunflower Angel
3. Bhagavad Gita & Modern Management: Ancient Wisdom for Today’s Leaders