We have just celebrated All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) in many of our cultures. In Mexico, Dia de Los Muertes is celebrated. It is a visit to the night of our psyche, the dark side that fascinates and frightens us.
As children, many want a light on in the room at certain ages, because in the dark our imaginations fill in the gaps, quite often with our fears. The mystic, on the other hand, embraces the night for much the same reason with wonder substituted for fear.
In the same manner, we confront the penultimate trip into the night. Death! We wrap it in the nightlight of religion and philosophy, but ultimately we get to experience it in fact. Some go to it as children fearing the dark and others go as mystics embracing the wonder.
I'm thinking the mystic has less difficulty going to sleep. And better dreams!
I agree......
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_Pn4OF2ktc
I can't see the video until I get back to a machine that can use the Flash Player.
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of fears as a child. I think my imagination was too good. :)
ReplyDelete@Delirious
ReplyDeleteThat imagination serves you well, though, doesn't it?
I don't know about "embracing the wonder", Old Foss.
ReplyDeleteKicking and screaming more like it - maybe because I am not yet tired. I shudder to think how undignified I'll be fighting to the last. When the time comes I wish I could hold my own hand to calm me down and tell me to not be so bloody pathetic and just get it over with. As it is it'll be the Angel having to see his mother trying to defy fate - one last time. Unless, of course, a lorry gets me before I can even think - and no one needs to hold my hand. Fait accompli. It's the last frontier: Death. On the way to it you may win many a battle. But you won't win the war. Guaranteed.
As to darkness: I am NOT afraid of it even when I am on my own. And, in the end, and most of the time, we are all alone on our way through the tunnel heading towards the light.
On this happy note,
U
Did you think that I had drifted off in to the night? No way, I had a very satisfying day with an odd hat tip to all things interwebby.
ReplyDeleteThere are only two things that we can be sure of: There are that nothing stays the same and that we are all going to die. The bonus about that journey: No packing required!
In some mystic systems death is actually moving from darkness to light!
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navras
@Ursula
ReplyDeleteWe will all deal with it as we deal with it at the time, but I can understand and embrace part of what you are saying with a quote from Woody Allen, "I don't mind dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens!"
@Grannymar
ReplyDeleteNo, adventurer, we aren't on some kind of web leash. We are all dealing with life first, after all!
@Rummuser
ReplyDeleteYes, and some that I feel strongly drawn to feel that this is the dream and that is the awakening. I think we both believe that.
There is something that happened to the night with the loss of my husband … I can no longer tolerate darkness.
ReplyDeleteblessings ~ maxi
@Maxi
ReplyDeleteThat is deeply poignant. I cannot imagine the pain that must associate with it.