Indiana Jones embodies the gallant and rugged intellectual warrior-hero. In The Last Crusade, he displays both scientific skepticism and acceptance of or belief in the mystical unknown. It is only because of the lucidity of his actions in the overlap of those two mindsets that he is able to overcome that film’s obstacles. Most people fall near one end of this spectrum of belief. At one extreme is scientific, philosophical, or nihilistic skepticism. At the other is blind religious belief. The belief Indiana Jones displayed I shall call “embracing the unknown,” which is an essential trait of a good scientist, as it leads to visionary discoveries. This realm is the overlap between science, religion, magic, and art. Take just one step in any of these directions and you have yourself a career. For simplicity’s sake, I shall call the actor in this realm an artist, but I could just as easily use the term shaman or wizard or visionary scientist. These are roles of spiritual leadership in natural cultures. However, on these artists’ spectrum of belief, the blind faith end is replaced by “embracing the unknown,” which can also include “humbling oneself to the universe,” or Nietzsche’s “teetering on the edge of the Dionysian abyss.” By “the universe,” I mean the force of life/chaos/nature/God, whatever you need to call it. This embrace is far more powerful than the act of belief. When you fully give in to Life, you have absolutely no need for faith. Everyday you will notice being bombarded by miracles. This way of life is very intense, and not everyone can handle the direct contact with “God.” For most people, nihilism or belief in a religion is essential for survival. For those who do not adhere to a religion, the artist/shaman/hero is a more natural and far more powerful spiritual leader than a priest preaching from texts. Artists serve as teachers and healers, and they communicate directly with the abyss of mysteries, the source of dreams and magic.