Acharya Prashant explains that popular religion has created a hell in every household by imposing models of fear and superstition. He highlights how individuals often find themselves trapped in miserable relationships or situations because they believe they have committed a sin or must follow external dictates. This sense of guilt and the fear of divine punishment are tools used by popular religion to suppress human intelligence and freedom. He argues that the belief in a separate 'individual soul' (Jivatma) and an external 'Supreme Being' (Paramatma) is a fundamental superstition that leads to slavery. When a person bows down to an external authority, they eventually bow down to all forms of worldly authority, sacrificing their own wisdom and love.
