Beloved and Belonging

By: Jonathan Seidel 

Neo-theological phenomenology

Heschel is most remembered for his books on divine pathos and radical amazement. His ideas resemble much of the phenomenological spirit of Levinas and Derrida.  

Theology’s systematic dogmatism is unnecessary. Dogmas are parameters not obligatory foundations. It is best expressed in the narrational excess of traditional texts. Prophetic and rabbinic theology both attest to an experiential motif in religious expression. The yearning for God in the starstruck honour to beholden his will in the world. Theology is a method of connection. It a way of approaching divinity and articulating religious philosophy. Above all else, feeling trumps logic.

The marvel of religious lingo is the power of its design. The human being is alone in the world. He suffers tremendously finding materialistic distractions to escape his deep insecurity. The rational faculty is a doubled-edged sword. He studies growing ever smarter and capable. Yet he consistently encounters new obstacles. There is no limit to the challenge of life. It is a devilish rascal hellbent on making life miserable. The intellect fosters ego-centric confidence to mow the challenge down. In his imbued confidence he fights emerging victorious. Setbacks occur but his pride fuels his energy forward.    

Man is successful time and time again. Steadily feeling invincible. Whether it’s the first or fifth time, victory is inevitable. That pride slowly realises reality’s true villainous nature. Man is not the supreme. He is restricted. Sapped of self esteem, depression grows. The mighty intellect is unable to excel. Expectations are unmet and unrealised. Marking failure and losing all that means most. His confidence wanes into oblivion. The sword aided him along the way but could not muster to cross any more bridges. He reached the sea of infinity but there is no end nor way across.    

Intellect is a necessary facet to man’s life. The mystical illusion traps man in fiction. Meditating on the absolute is unnatural and unrealistic. Spiritual seeking is devoid of societal engagement. Producing hermits yearning for security in the beyond. Mysticism rejects the social fabric feeling estranged from the spiritual union with the ineffable. Caught up in the spiritual side is a danger to the self, feeling evermore existentially lonely. The mystic rejoices in an ideal image, an impossibility in the reality he lives. The edenic paradise he aspires scorns the present reality. Abandoning society for a pure spiritual life is the best of silent salvation he can attain.

The spiritual seeker sees the world ever differently. Even when engaged in society there is a pessimism to the world at large. Though a common feeling amongst many cynics, there is a difference between metaphysical and practical changes. The cynic scorns devaluation not naturalism. The spiritualist is a paradigm shift. An entirely new method of thought disposing the classic pondering for emotional listening. It forces man to accept a mystery he cannot comprehend. Not only in his faith but in reality. Feel divinity in the world, in everything around. Don’t just see a tree, but a divine creation. Ideally cultivating a universal divine image realistically becomes an exclusivist elite. 

The emotive facet can be harnessed in man’s being. It is not a change in thinking but adding a precursor. Platonism placed wonder before philosophy. A funnel before pouring in the powder. The funnel is implicit to the proper perception of the world. The right side creative brain precedes the left side analytical brain. Appealing to wonder, sublime, mystery are conscious sensations toward the project. Logic needs a creative spin for its direction and specification. Man accepts the world and then responds in kind. Wonder and awe are not just feelings but reactions. Active correspondence with reality at large. The subject consciousness receives messaging and responds with new messaging. 

Instead of running to the world, let it come. Patience and it will arrive. Kicking back and internalising the moment is a relaxing and elevating effort. The goal is not to remain alone in the universe but direct to the world at large. The intersubjective element exemplifies being as another as ultimate reflection and growth. Man becomes his own greatest rival. The first-person metric is the subjective link to the object ahead. It is not about facts but perception. Describing experience denies objective criteria. The life-word of the individual is imprinted in the conscious world of reality. The object itself is riddled with unique charm to the person. Varying by person but charmed. 

Psychologically speaking the ontology of man is represented in his conscious effort to engage in the world. Completing activity with an emotive spirit. The emotive spirit carves meaning in its intentioned matrix. We ask what does this mean instead of why it exists. Lived experience is the hallmark of existence. Concrete efforts proscribe revealed events instead of abstract examples. The feelings and intuitive responses. Contrary to analytical models, it is a qualitative contextualist approach seeking for straight answers not probed dissertations. Discussing the experiential underlies the sensational attitude toward being. 

Will and wonder are predisposed to man’s psyche. He approaches the world with a certain perspective and it is his experience that charts his worldview. Nature will provide a foundation but it is his environment that will shape hill down the road. His experiences tremendously affect him. His genetics are the first wall of defence against the difficult outside world. Yet, consistency will build a wall of protection. The routine and ability to overcome is sincerely consciously appropriate. Newfound encounters foster awe-filled moments of growth. The novel empowers man. Even if momentarily degraded, it will aid in his inevitable climb. Man is responsible for his own senses and actions. His introspective mentality is formidable in approaching the next test. 

Proper elevation is through self-reflection and an experiential motor. Never stop moving forward. Habituated routine veils the scenic paradise. The reckoning is inconsistent. It is the endeavour to sublime outpouring. The inevitable return will empower the self. Don’t be haunted by its absent appearance. Willpower and confidence will appeal in the long run.