Hm. Well, I think at one undefined earlier point in my life I believed in stuff like souls and the afterlife. Actually, definitely. I definitely believed in the afterlife, although I was more inclined towards the reincarnation sort of angle. I think I was at least convinceable on ghosts and spiritual activity, i.e., inclined to believe that they could possibly exist. I think my whole take on reincarnation was that if souls existed it was the most logical way for souls to exist and be recycled. It also prevented me from feeling utter despair at my life.

NOW, I don't believe in souls, the afterlife of any sort, ghosts, or any of that sort of esoteric stuff. I find it both uplifting and immensely liberating (although most people don't).

I used to think I had to desperately fight to make my mark on the world and that if I didn't, my entire existence was useless. It drove me to despair. I used to think that I had to "justify" my existence by somehow making a permanent mark on the world. It drove me insane that eventually we all die and on a long enough timeline, we all disappear. It seemed to make existence pointless unless you could somehow do something amazing - and even then, eventually, world's gonna blow up (or whatever) and we're all going to be forgotten. It drove me into very depressive fits. I used to not understand "the point of life." I thought I had to prove to someone out there that I was worth existing.

Now I believe the only point of life is to live it. To enjoy it. You may or may not make a mark on the world and it's okay. Yes when we die, poof, that's it. The magic of existence is in existing every single day. No one has to justify their life. They just have to appreciate it.

EDIT Oh I know! I remembered an easy one.

Back in middle school I thought it was something like inherently evil to smoke pot. Harder drugs? OMG THEY WERE GOING TO KILL YOU. I remember I started changing my view on this when I started reading a book on Ecstacy that I checked out of - of all things - the school library. Since then let's just say my views have changed considerably.

But don't do meth or heroin, kids.