- Description Intellect
Its [Intellect] blessedness is not acquired; rather, everything is in it eternally, and it is true eternity, which time imitates, moving around it along with Soul, dropping some things and picking up others.
For at the level of Soul, thoughts are always changing; now it thinks of Socrates, now of a horse – always some particular being – whereas Intellect just is everything.
It has, then, all Beings stable in it, and it alone is, and the ‘is’ is always, and the future is nothing to it – for it ‘is’ then, too – nor is here a past for it – for nothing in the intelligible world has passed away – but all Beings are set within it always inasmuch as they are identical and in a way pleased to be in this condition.
~ Enneads 5.1(10)§5.1.4
- La Haine (1995)
Black and white French movie. It has a real vibe to it, with some really cool shots and a streak of surrealism. I think the main theme is: “You’re in a really shitty situation right now, but you have the power to change it. In fact, if you don’t stop messing around, it’s going to end badly.”
It’s about having chances over and over again, but instead of taking them, one falls back into old, self-destructive patterns. 7/10.
One interpretation I liked.
- On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy
It starts with an introduction on why mysticism matters, countering its bad reputation as being anti-scientific. It then continues by going through numerous Christian mystical texts and interpreting their meanings. He ends by showing how the notion of mysticism can be transferred to aesthetics, particularly music—as can be seen with krautrock and punk.
The book is alright. For me personally, it’s too unstructured and not systematic enough. It’s more concerned with flowery language and interpretations. After finishing the book, you won’t come away with a clear metaphysical understanding of what mystics actually believed in. It’s more about feelings and vibes. But wanting to know exactly what the mystics meant is, according to the author, exactly the trap we fall into. When we try to look at the subjective objectively, we strip away the essence of subjectivity—that is, its very subjectivity. In other words, the subjective does not have an objective quality to it.
One of the most important aspect of the book for me was the argument for the mystical that he lays out. If there is an experience you can have—no strings attached—that brings the kind of ecstasy mystics describe, wouldn’t you want it? Most people would say yes. And then the question becomes: how do you access such experiences? Central to this is being open to these moments and not rationalizing them away. For example, imagine you’re on a hike and suddenly feel an enormous sense of wonder swelling up within you. Instead of suppressing it or reasoning it away, the idea is to surrender to it and remain open to the experience.
- La Düsseldorf
- City Called Heaven
I am a poor pilgrim of sorrow, I’m tossed in this wide world alone, No hope have I for tomorrow, I’ve started to make heav’n my home. Sometimes I am tossed and driven, Lord, Sometimes I don’t know where to roam, I’ve heard of a city called heaven, I’ve started to make it my home.
My mother has reached that pure glory, My father’s still walkin’ in sin, My brothers and sisters won’t own me, Because I am tryin’ to get in. Sometimes I am tossed and driven, Lord, Sometimes I don’t know where to roam, I’ve heard of a city called heaven, I’ve started to make it my home.