Category: Humanities
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California, Dreaming?
At the edge of a strip mall, where the Pacific Ocean’s vastness begins, a stark truth emerges. Surfers appear like fleeting thoughts, birds embody ancient hunger, and the ceaseless waves reveal the illusion of progress. This evocative poem by Cornelius Climatus is a meditation on emptiness, acceptance, and the profound truth hidden in plain sight,…
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The Weight of Nothing: Existentialism, Scientism, and the Freedom to Be
Human existence is a struggle for meaning, authenticity, and redemption in a chaotic world. In this text, we look at some of Flannery O’Connor’s gripping stories and read them with insights from Sartre and Kierkegaard. We also explore existentialism with Thomas Merton, where grace transforms despair into hope and freedom.
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Born Again, Enlightened, Analyzed: Exploring the Many Faces of Conversion.
This essay explores the concept of conversion as a transformation of the self, examining its manifestations in Christianity through figures like Paul, Augustine, and Luther, and comparing it to Islamic submission, Zen enlightenment, and Lacanian psychoanalysis. All involve a reorientation of identity and purpose.
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The Psychology of Emotions: A Freudian Model
We live our lives awash in emotion. Every day, reactions ripple through us – a moment of contentment while sipping morning coffee, a flicker of frustration during a difficult conversation, a quiet sadness when remembering someone we’ve lost. Yet these powerful forces that shape our lives can seem oddly ephemeral – a surge of anger…