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Why do people (in the material world) like mystery? Most narrative stories include some kind of mystery, be it overtly or indirectly. From your descriptions of maha-maya it would seem that the sense of inadequacy created when something is missing here in the material world should be something stressful, painful, because we would feel inadequate.
However, people go towards mystery stories with a sense of eagerness and pleasure. And they hate it when someone else ‘spoils’ the mystery before the story is over.
What is the origin of this thirst for mystery and is there a difference in how we relate to mystery in the material vs the spiritual world?I think the most enduring stories are about bravery, undying love, the victory of good over evil, sacrifice, and the struggles of a hero. They have survived centuries, and they will continue to do so. Since bravery, undying love, the victory of good over evil, sacrifice, and heroes are disappearing or have disappeared, the stories have been replaced by thrillers. They excite the emotions temporarily and create anticipation. Yes, the unknown is scary and that fear is exciting — in a perverse sort of way. But nobody reads thrillers more than once unless the above-mentioned themes are enmeshed in them. The unknown becomes known once you read it, and then it’s over. Mystery creates temporary intellectual tension and you are driven to resolve the tension. Once you get the answer it is no longer interesting. But the story of how you solved the mystery — the struggles you went through, the difficulties you conquered, the sacrifices you made, and the endurance you demonstrated through the travails remains interesting.
//Mystery creates temporary intellectual tension and you are driven to resolve the tension.//
Very true. We are driven to resolve the tension.
Every organism has some unique attributes that are its identities. For humans it is mind. It is no wonder that the very name of “homo sapiens” is man. Even sapiens is a name attributed to intelligence. Like a dog enjoys to chew a bone, humans enjoy to solve problems. Though different persons have different capacities to solve a problem, all of us enjoy it when we can solve it or be part of the solving process. A jignasu enjoys the mystery of existance and a scientist enjoys the mystery of nature.
And for everyone mystery exercises this basic distinguishing charactetstics of a human being.The reader/viewer will be part of the solving character. In addition to that in a mystery movie/book the failure to solve a problem does not have a cost to pay which probably is one more reason why everyone enjoys it.
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