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Postemotional Society - Nick Sheffield

Stjepan G. Mestrovic

Sage Publications: London 1999

We currently live in an age of crocodile tears and manufactured emotion. This is a society of synthetic feeling where we have all become progressively indifferent to the suffering of others. How else, charges Mestrovic, are we to understand the West's indifference to the practice of genocide in Rwanda and Bosnia? The globalisation of the media and communications and the commodification of mass suffering means that we can no longer claim that we did not know. Civilisation in the Western world has come to mean the ability to exhibit refined manners while exhibiting a cool indifference to televised murder. The postemotional society values 'being nice' over the collective ability to be able to act on our emotions and to intervene to help others. Hence the capacity to be able to feel real deep emotions in an age which endlessly simulates sentiment through news bulletins, talk shows and soap operas is being progressively undermined. The display of feeling is short lived, useless, aesthetic and luxurious and rarely becomes connected to a sense of justice and a genuine concern for humanity.

Despite Mestrovic's overriding concern with the war in the Balkan's, the best illustration of his argument comes from an intriguing discussion of death. Unlike many traditional societies (and it is part of Mestrovic's thesis that society is becoming progressively worse) our collective rituals in respect of human mortality have become emptied of anything other than the most superficial sentiments. Death has become MacDonaldised with the modern funeral emphasising speed and efficiency. The emotional out-pourings that are needed to collectively reaffirm society of its common bonds have been replaced by the media spectacle of death and the standardisation of feeling. The postemotional society then is one of mass manipulation, fragmentation and cynicism.

Mestrovic gives a diversity of examples to support the thesis of postemotionalism. They range from the decline of dating, fast divorces, the disappearance of the Parisian cafe and the fact that lecturers no longer flirt with their students. What all these examples point towards is a society where emotions are progressively socially regulated. Postemotionalism disallows the possibility of emotions becoming chaotic and are increasingly subject to 'politically correct' forms of regulation. This cleaned up universe then leaves as little room for flirting as it does for our desire to intervene in humanitarian disasters.

This is undoubtedly a richly provocative book. Mestrovic asks some disturbing questions (particularly in respect of the West's moral indifference in respect of the Balkans) and his book sits well with other contemporary theories from Foucault to Ritzer and from Adorno to Baudrillard who have sought to warn us about some of the de-humanising effects of instrumental reason. However, this work is less than convincing in many of the conclusions that it seeks to draw, and offers a picture of modern societies that I take to be irredeemably flawed. Here I shall confine myself to only three objections (although there are others). The first is that the book seems to advocate a certain masculine logic when it comes to analysing the emotions. Emotions that do not directly lead to immediate forms of action are labelled as useless. This is not only a very instrumental view, but also takes as its touchstone an idealised masculine subject who has banished uncertainty and is able to confidently act in the world. The values of introspection, ambivalence and doubt are quickly dismissed as a form of cruelty that is indifferent to the needs of others. Secondly, we might also question the rampant moral pessimism of this book. The end of the cold war, collapse of communism, the rise of new social movements and the development of new and more global media are all potentially more 'progressive' phenomenon than Mestrovic thinks. He might equally have argued that emotions are becoming democratised and that ideas of respectful recognition are pushing a more concerted agenda within Western societies. Such a view might have lead Mestrovic to have offered a more complex analysis of modern society. Finally, while many of the examples are thought provoking, I did not come across a single one where it might not have been interpreted in a different way. This raises the question as to what is to count as evidence in such a sweeping account? How, without more 'empirical' support, can Mestrovic be so certain of the range of emotional reactions that ordinary people had to questions like Bosnia? The fact that Mestrovic rarely considers counter examples, questions of cultural variability, or arguments that might challenge his view, means that his book often reads as an enraged polemic. This only adds to the impression that the book's central arguments are not only over stated, but severely limited.

Nick Stevenson University of Sheffield

https://www.socresonline.org.uk/4/3/mestrovic.html

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Nude Sitting on a Divan,” c. 1918 Modigliani

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The Arch

BY PATRICIA LOCKWOOD

Of all living monuments has the fewest facts attached to it, they slide right off its surface, no Lincoln lap for them to sit on and no horse to be astride. Here is what                                                 I know for sure: Was a gift from one city to another. A city cannot travel to another city, a city cannot visit any city but itself, and in its sadness it gives        away a great door in the air. Well        a city cannot except for Paris, who puts on a hat styled with pigeon wings and walks through the streets of another city and will not even see the sights, too full she is of the sights already. And within her walk her women,        and the women of Paris looking like        they just walked through an Arch...        Or am I mixing it up I think I am with another famous female statue? Born in its shadow and shook-foil hot the facts slid off me also. I and the Arch we burned to the touch. “Don’t touch that Arch a boy we know got third-degree burns from touch-        ing that Arch,” says my mother sitting for her statue. She is metal on a hilltop and so sad she isn’t a Cross. She was long ago given to us by Ireland. What an underhand        gift for an elsewhere to give, a door that reminds you you can leave it. She raises        her arm to brush my hair. Oh no female armpit lovelier than the armpit of the Arch.

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INTRODUCTION A L'ÉTUDE DE LA SENSIBILITÉ ORGANIQUE

L'organisme vivant est un complexe physico-chimique! Les éléments qui le composent sont ceux-là mêmes que nous retrou- vons dans le monde de la matière inerte. En tant que substance, rien ne semble donc différencier, à première vue, le corps vivant dû corps brut. Ici comme là, carbone, hydrogêne, oxygène, azote, sels, eau, etc. Ici comme là, combinaisons, mélanges, actions et réactions, lois conditionnant les phénomènes, etc. Tout se passe comme si la vie n'était qu'un épiphénomène dans l'univers et la biologie pourrait sembler ri'avoir d'autre objet que la con- naissance des effets particuliers du fonctionnement physiolo- gique, sans d'autre cause apparente que le hasard manifesté dans les phénomènes, de la nature.

Sans doute, note-t-on des divergences assez grandes dans les manifestations respectives de la matière et de la vie, mais elles ne suffisent pas, en elles-mêmes, pour justifier une différencia- tion fondée sur ces seuls caractères. Dans l'être vivant, en effet, essentiellement formé de molécules protéiques groupant des atomes de corps simples de la chimie, dont l'état colloïdal est l'expression physique, les processus qui interviennent dans les infinies modalités de ses réactions sont également d'ordre phy- sico-chimique.

Ainsi, complexion et activité biologique mettent en évidence le même mécanisme, ou exigent les mêmes conditions.

L'organisme vivant emprunte enfin à la nature les éléments

LA SENSIBILITÉ ORGANIQUE 489

nécessaires à sa subsistance. II en est imprégné. H les assimile et les désassimile en passant par les mutations que comportent toutes transformations de la matière. Les conditions et la nature des phénomènes sont donc indiscutablement celles qu'étudie la physico-chimie générale. Tout semble donc n'être que matière.

Mais la science moderne ne vient-elle pas elle-même de nous démontrer qu'il n'y a plus de matière... et que tout n'est qu'éner- gie ?

-s

Si l'on va, en effet, au delà d'une observation superficielle des choses et si l'on considère le mécanisme général de consti- tution de l'univers, à la lueur de nos connaissances actuelles, on s'aperçoit qu'il en est bien ainsi, pour la matière comme pour l'organisme vivant. Toute la question est de savoir si nous avons affaire, dans l'un et l'autre cas, à une même forme d'énergie.

On avait pensé, d'abord, pouvoir distinguer la matière inerte de la matière organisée en opposant l'immuabilité appa- rente de l'une à l'évolution singulière de l'autre. Nous1 avons appris qu'une transformation incessante et une désintégration lente affectaient la première comme se désagrège insensible- ment et dans un temps relativement court la seconde et qu'il n'y avait là que phénomènes à échelles différentes. Et, à pénétrer le mystère de ces mutations communes, nous avons dû renoncer à différencier la vie et la matière sur ces illusions premières de nos sens. Dans les deux cas, nous découvrons cette mani- festation essentielle, qui les caractérise l'une et l'autre : l'énergie.

La dématérialisation des atomes, leur désintégration réali- sée par le bombardement de particules animées de vitesses fan- tastiques, la libération instantanée d'une énergie prodigieuse attestent la réalité du phénomène pour la matière. Tout est énergie dans l'univers et c'est de l'énergie que procède la matière. Qu'un éclatement de neutrons se produise, le rayonne- ment qui en résulte recrée, à son tour, une masse qui se désin- tègre à nouveau, et ainsi de suite. Comme l'a montré L. de Bro- glie, matière et lumière sont de même nature et de même consti- tution, les phénomènes ondulatoires et corpusculaires étant comme .« la forme la plus subtile de la matière ». Se fondant

3*

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sur cette union finale des conceptions.de lumière et de matière dans l'univers de cette entité protéiforme qu'est l'énergie, L. de Broglie montre que, dans ce phénomène de transformation de lumière en matière et de matière en lumière, « l'énergie change de forme en se conservant ». « ...Nous pourrions sup- poser, écrit-il, qu'à l'origine des temps, au lendemain de quel- que divin Fiat Lux, la lumière, d'abord seule au monde, a peu à peu engendré par condensation progressive l'univers matériel tel que nous pouvons, grâce à elle, le contempler aujourd'hui. Et peut-être un jour, quand les temps s'achèveront, l'univers retrouvant sa pureté originelle se dissoudra-t-il à nouveau en lumière. » (1)

L'organisme vivant est, comme la matière, un complexe énergétique. Tout au long de la vie physiologique, nous assis- tons à une manifestation de cette énergie dans tous ses phéno- mènes et dans tous ses rythmes, dans la migration des ions, les phénomènes électro-magnétiques de la cellule, le mécanisme de l'influx nerveux, le mouvement et dans la chaleur animale. Quand l'être meurt, ses éléments constituants se confondent bien avec ceux de la nature. L'air reprend la fumée et la terre la .cendre, comme dit le poète. La pièce est finie ; le rideau tombe ; chaque élément a joué son rôle ; il se dissocie du tout. L'énergie se libère, elle aussi, dans une désintégration véri- table et, comme il a été écrit : « La vie change, mais elle ne finit pas. »

Si donc tout est physico-chimique dans les phénomènes de la matière vivante comme dans ceux de la matière brute, et si tout est énergie dans les deux cas, doit-on considérer l'acti- vité vitale comme une simple manifestation de l'énergie physi- que ? Et si, au contraire, elle s'en distingue, quels caractères permettent-ils de la différencier ?

Toute interprétation des phénomènes de la vie organique exige cette interrogation préliminaire.

Il nè s'agit plus, on le voit, de se contenter d'explications abstraites du phénomène-vie, ou de la simple observation des

(1) L. de Broglie, Physique et microphysique; Albin Michel, Paria, p. 77.

LA SENSIBILITÉ ORGANIQUE 441' effets que l'excitabilité vitale manifeste, mais du ihécanisme lui-'

même dans sa nature, ses propriétés et son fonctionnement. La vie est un complexe énergétique, mais, nous allons le

\oir, il s'agit ici d'un mode singulier d'énergie. (1)

Les; conceptions modernes touchant les phénomènes à l'échelle atomique et les découvertes les plus récentes de la phy- sique montrent que les changements de la matière se produisent sous l'effet du hasard.

Un ordre déterminé s'affirme, au contraire, dans les phéno- mènes évolutifs de la vie physiologique. Dans un cas, mutations indéfinies et aveugles, dans l'autre, modifications strictement limitées et toujours identiques. Ainsi, pouvons-nous souligner un premier caractère distinctif, à savoir que l'énergie vitale est une énergie auto-contrôlée. La vie est régie dans un cadre et des limites données pour chaque espèce, par des lois réglant l'évolution continue des cellules, c'est-à-dire leur formation, leur développement, leurs échanges. Le jeu organique régulier de ces phases évolutives obéit, à l'état normal, à un rythme, à un équilibre, sans lesquels on passe plus ou moins rapidement de l'état physiologique à l'état pathologique. Tout, en effet, dans l'organisme vivant, est équilibre de forces, actions interdépen- dantes. Tout y est unité, de l'acte cellulaire aux fonctions d'or- ganes les plus évoluées.' Ce dynamisme permanent, loin d'être anarchique, est éminemment contrôlé.

Qui dit équilibre contrôlé, dit régulation. Alors qu'une ten- dance à l'uniformité caractérise le monde physique et donne à la matière son aspect de stabilité, le monde de la vie manifeste des variations incessantes, mais cette instabilité apparente est contrôlée et réglée. L'ordre et la régulation, telles sont donc les caractéristiques de la vie. L a solidarité de tous les rouages, l'organisation équilibrée de tous les rythmes font de l'organisme vivant une incomparable machine, qui exige l'unité d'un méca- nisme directeur.

Comment expliquer, en effet, l'équilibre qui caractérise l'agrégation et la désagrégation continuelles de la substance vivante, dans des'limites étroites et avec la précision qu'il com- porte ? Comment la destruction est-elle compensée à tout

(1) Cf. du même auteur, dans Le Problème de la vie. Pion, « Présences »,. Isa? caractères dlstlnctlfs ds l'énergie vitale «t ds l'énergie de la matière.

442 LA BEVUE

moment par une reconstruction équivalente? L'organisme a cette faculté singulière d'assimiler électivement les substances dont il a besoin et surtout d'éliminer celles qu'il a en excès. Les modifications physico-chimiques, si complexes soient-elles, qui sont les témoins de l'activité vitale, sont toutes marquées du sceau de cette régulation générale et n'échappent pas, dans les conditions normales, à la 'loi de l'équilibre, équilibre déterminé pour chaque être et chaque espèce.

Il y a donc, dans l'organisme vivant, un mécanisme de con- trôle et de régulation. Il ne s'agit pas, loin de là, d'un méca- nisme rigide, mais, au contraire, d'un mécanisme adaptatif'. Sa qualité dominante, en effet, est d'être sensible, d'une sensibilité, inconnue dans le monde de la matière. L a coordination de tous

les phénomènes vitaux dépend essentiellement des qualités de ce mécanisme, aussi bien dans son fonctionnement intérieur que dans ses relations avec le monde extérieur. Rien, en cela, de la machine qui réagit de façon toujours identique aux conditions qui lui sont extérieures. L'organisme vivant, au contraire, a cette faculté particulière de s'opposer, avec une indépendance singulière, à l'action des conditions extérieures ou de s'y adap- ter, quand les forces qui l'attaquent ne dépassent pas les limites extrêmes de son excitabilité. Et nous touchons là à la propriété essentielle de l'énergie vitale, celle d'être sensible. ,

Ainsi, le mécanisme ne peut se concevoir que comme un système tourné à la fois vers l'extérieur et vers l'intérieur ; vers l'intérieur, pour contrôler et régler les équilibres de la vie, vers l'extérieur pour réagir ou s'adapter.

* **

Il est donc bien justifié de dire.1 ce qui caractérise essen- tiellement l'organisme vivant, c'est sa faculté réactionnelle. Exposé de toutes parts à des excitations incessantes et infini- ment variables, il maintient à tout moment une position d'équi- libre, seule compatible avec le déroulement normal de son exis- tence. Cet équilibre se manifeste dans les constantes physico- chimiques du milieu humoral, dans le jeu des rythmes et des fonctions, et chaque constituant cellulaire contient én soi une part toujours mouvante des éléments de l'édifice vital tout entier. L a nature, l'état, la quantité et le constant équilibre de

LA SENSIBILITÉ ORGANIQUE 443

ces éléments dépendent essentiellement de ce pouvoir réaction- nel et régulateur. C'est pourquoi nous estimons pouvoir affir- mer que la matière vivante n'est pas, contrairement à la concep- tion habituelle, la source, mais le substratum ou support des phénomènes. Tout, ce qui se passe en elle apparaît comme la conséquence des réactions de la sensibilité.

Pouvoir réactionnel, contrôle et régulation sont exercés uni' mentpar l'excitabilité sensitiveorganique.Telle est la raison, pour laquelle on doit, selon nous, la considérer comme consti- tuant le mécanisme et la manifestation de l'énergie vitale elle- même. Ce mécanisme englobe tous les processus biologiques et non pas seulement tel ou tel des aspects qui s'offrent à notre analyse.

Mais qu'entend-on précisément p a r « sensibilité organi- que » ? Il ne suffit pas de dire qu'elle est l'expression commune à tous les modes de sensibilité dont l'organisme vivant est doté et qu'elle traduit, de ce fait, toutes les impressions qui nais- sent en un point quelconque de cet organisme. Il ne suffit pas davantage de préciser qu'elle, seule, peut régler, par un pro- cessus réflexe, les réactions suscitées par les excitations qui la mettent en jeu et harmoniser ainsi toute l'activité biologique.

C'est une définition du mécanisme dans son ensemble, comme de ses éléments particuliers, qui s'impose. Elle est d'autant plus nécessaire qu'aucune représentation explicite n'en est donnée dans les traités spéciaux. L'expression, de « sensibilité organi- que » n'évoque rien de précis pour qui ne s'est encore penché sur la question.

Chacun sait, par évidence, ce qu'est un phénomène de sensi- bilité et a quelques notions élémentaires de l'acte réflexe. Devant la réaction motrice, par exemple, qui succède instantanément à la douleur provoquée en une partie des membres, i l n'est per- sonne qui ne reconnaisse un fait de sensibilité. Aussi bien, décrit-on parfaitement cette sensibilité dite périphérique ou

« de la vie de relation », comme on l'appelle encore.

Il en est de même pour nos organes des sens qui recueillent des impressions olfactives, optiques, acoustiques, gustatives,

444 LA REVUE

tactiles, et cette sensibilité sensorielle a une large place dans nos traités de physiologie.

Sans doute aussi, n'ignore-t-on pas qu'il existe une sensi- bilité viscérale, dite sensibilité « de la vie végétative », par opposition à celle « de la vie de relation » ou sensibilité péri- phérique, mais l'on n'en parle pour ainsi dire jamais. Les traités sont muets sur la « systématisation » de l'appareil de cette sensibilité interne, sur ses caractères et sur son rôle. Nous entendons par « systématisation » un ensemble dont les parties sont solidaires du tout et dont le tout dépend de chacune des parties. -

Les notions anatomiques et physiologiques qui concernent la sensibilité organique sont, en effet, des plus vagues et, si l'on signale bien, de ci, de là, des manifestations qui lui sont pro- pres, oi#ne l'observe jamais en fonction du tout. A vrai dire, on semble même n'en pas comprendre l'importance dans les phénomènes de la vie. Ne va-t-on pas jusqu'à nier parfois la réalité de la sensibilité viscérale ? Or, nous touchons là à la partie essentielle de l'organisme vivant. C'est dans le compor- tement de cette sensibilité que l'on doit voir la clef de tous les processus physiologiques et de tous les dérèglements patholo- giques.

Dans l'expression de « sensibilité organique », nous englo- bons toutes les formes de la sensibilité aussi bien celle de la vie de relation que celle de la vie sensorielle ou que celle de la vie viscérale, c'est-à-dire toutes les incitations concourant, par un acte centripète, à la production d'actions réflexes.

Une telle définition de la sensibilité organique est encore très schématique. S'il est impossible, en effet, de séparer dans le fonctionnement organique ces diverses sensibilités bien qu'elles présentent chacune leurs caractères particuliers, i l sem- ble nécessaire de distinguer la sensibilité réflexe et la sensi- bilité des'automatismes. Nous entendons, par cette dernière, la sensibilité profonde qui règle certains phénomènes, à carac- tère autonome, c'est-à-dire sans participation directe des cen- tres cérébro-spinaux. On peut suspendre, par exemple, la vie réflexe au cours de l'anesthésie générale, sans interrompre les mouvements du cœur et de la respiration. Mais, dans ce dernier cas, il s'agit bien encore d'actes réflexes et la définition que

LA SENSIBILITÉ ORGANIQUE 445

nous avons donnée de la sensibilité organique reste vraie dan3 tous les cas.

Il est établi, en effet, que, dans l'arc réflexe, les impressions centripètes, c'est-à-dire de nature sensitive, peuvent mettre en jeu des centres intraviscéraux ou ganglionnaires, aussi bien que

Taxe cérébro-spinal lui-même. Tout¡phénomène de sensibilité, où qu'il prenne naissance, est donc le point de départ d'actions réflexes parfaitement dirigées, et, inversement, toute modifi- cation biologique résulte d'une incitation sensitive originelle plus ou moins apparente, mais réelle.

Un appareil nerveux différencié s'offre enfin à la sensibilité organique pour la réception des stimuli et la transmission de l'influx nerveux qui en résulte. La dissociation-physiologique et expérimentale de toutes ces actions centripètes est actuellement possible, en dépit des intrications anatomiques qui avaient rendu difficile, jusqu'à nos jours, l'individualisation de ce système sensitif organique (1).

*

** Ce n'est pas le lieu de développer, dans cette introduction,

les qualités particulières de cette sensibilité organique. On en devine cependant, déjà, l'importance dans le jeu des processus vitaux. Nous faisons allusion aux caractères de spécificité, de défense et de choix qui interviennent dans les phénomènes de la nutrition, de l'anaphylaxie, de l'immunité, du terrain, et dans le tri si merveilleusement adaptatif que l'organisme opère devant les stimuli les plus divers.

Mais, comment passer sous silence, en terminant, cette pro- priété incomparable qu'a l'excitabilité sensitive organique de présider à un phénomène de reproduction unique dans la nature. Seule, la matière vivante, en effet, peut se reproduire par ses propres moyens et toujours identique à elle-même. La manière dont s'effectue, en outre, son développement lui est particulière. Le cristal, dans son accroissement, n'a d'autre limite de taille que celle qui dépend du degré de saturation de la solution où i l est plongé. Il procède par juxtaposition. L'être vivant, au con-

traire, s'accroît par assimilation, dans les limites déterminées de l'espèce, jusqu'au terme précis qu'il doit atteindre, et cet

, . (1) Un ouvrage du même auteur .: La Sensibilité organique, répond à cet objet. (En cours d'édition.), v *

446 LA REVUE accroissement implique la régulation incessante de l'excitabilité

sensitive.

La vie nous apparaît, en définitive, comme un état d'équilibre et de dynamisme contrôlé, dans lequel la « sensibilité orga- nique » joue le premier rôle. ,

Irréductible de par ses caractères à l'énergie de la matière, elle manifeste une autonomie indéniable et nous la trouvons, dès la cellule germinale, comme l'élément régulateur des moin- dres phénomènes de l'organisme.

Elle est la vie même, dans son excitabilité déterminée, dans le développement qu'elle imprime à chaque être, dans son com- portement réactionnel, dans sa faculté de reproduction.

C'est par elle que nous entrons en contact avec le monde extérieur et c'est, selon nous, cette même sensibilité qui nous donne des perceptions plus profondes qu'un yéritable « sens intérieur » semble mettre à notre disposition.

Telle apparaît l'importance du rôle de la sensibilité orga- nique.

Considérant le développement de l'être vivant au départ de sa première cellule, n'est-on pas autorisé à avancer, avec quelque raison, que la vie est Energie avant d'être Substance. ? On peut alors se demander, rien n'interdisant de concevoir plu- sieurs modes d'Energie dans l'univers, si, de même que la Lumière est à l'origine de la Matière, une Energie particulière ne constitue pas, pour l'organisme vivant, son « premier prin- cipe » ?

A côté du Fiat lux originel évoqué par L . de Broglie, ne peut-on supposer un Fiat vita de nature également énergétique, mais d'une Energie singulière, étant donné que la vie, comme nous l'enseignent les géologues, n'est pas contemporaine de la matière ?

Dr MAURICE VERNET.

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Ni le soleil ni la mort ne peuvent se regarder fixement

Cette maxime de La Rochefoucault insiste sur deux éléments, le soleil et la mort. Importants dans l’existence de l’homme, ils le sont aussi dans la symbolique maçonnique. Une maxime est une pensée qui tombe comme une sentence. Sa forme brève, lapidaire, tout comme l’aphorisme ou le proverbe, tient un discours universel à propos de l’homme. Elle frappe l’esprit sans l’illuminer ou dérange parfois mais jamais ne laisse indifférent. Sa pointe, c'est-à-dire sa chute, force à la méditation.

Quel rapport l’homme a-t-il eu avec le soleil et la mort depuis l’émergence de sa conscience ? Le soleil, source de vie, image de la création, peut être aussi générateur de mort.

La mort est-elle un passage ultime vers un autre état ou juste l’instant où tout s’arrête ? A l’évidence, la mort génère des questions pour lesquelles l’homme ne sait pas vraiment s’il désire connaître les vraies réponses. Le soleil et la mort revêtent une importance capitale dans l’évolution de l’humanité. Sans l’un nous ne serions pas et avec l’autre nous ne serons plus. Peut-être est-ce là les raisons pour lesquelles nous ne pouvons pas les regarder fixement. Malgré toutes ses craintes, l’homme, dans la recherche de la vérité, n’aura de cesse de tenter de connaître les éléments qui rythment sa vie.

Le soleil ne peut être regardé fixement, cela est évident et vérifiable pour tout le monde. Celui qui s’y risquerait pourrait en perdre la vue. Au sens figuré le soleil représente tout, à la fois le créateur et la création. Nous ne pouvons donc nous regarder nous-même, sans risquer de faire du nombrilisme.

La mort, elle, n’est pas une chose que l’on peut matérialiser, nous ne pouvons la voir. Au sens figuré elle n’est rien, notre regard se perdrait dans le néant. Nous ne pouvons regarder le soleil en face, nous sommes contraints d’utiliser un reflet. Il en est de même pour la mort, ne pouvant être observée par les vivants, elle ne se laisse appréhender qu’à travers la mort d’autrui comme dans un reflet. Ce que nous pouvons seulement en voir, ce sont leurs effets quotidiens. Ils nous rappellent leur existence et leur importance pour notre vie et notre conscience.

Au début le primitif, vivant en osmose avec la nature, intégrait la mort comme un processus si naturel qu’il ne convenait ni d’en avoir peur ni de tenter de la transcender dans une prise de conscience spirituelle. Tout résidait dans un mouvement répétitif de génération en génération, rythmé par le culte des ancêtres perpétuant leur vie à travers leur descendance. La peur en général et la peur de la mort en particulier a poussé la conscience de l’homme à transcender la mort. Thanatos dans ce même temps il a commencé à se couper de la nature. Peu à peu la sédentarisation s’est installée, les villages, puis les villes se protégeaient de l’extérieur par de hautes forteresses de plus en plus sophistiquées ayant pour principal effet sur l’homme de formater son esprit. Inconsciemment il a bâti ses propres murailles intérieures.

Se protéger par de hautes murailles, c’est l’idée de se couper de la vraie vie, celle qui côtoie la mort au quotidien. La peur s’installe, la peur de la mort grandit avec les murailles. A force ces murailles sont tellement ancrées dans l’esprit que leur « virtualisation» suffit à pérenniser et amplifier cette peur. Ces murailles sont très difficiles à abattre. Elles enferment l’esprit humain dans un carcan opaque qui masque la vue, la vue de l’au-delà, de la réalité, de la vérité, laissant le champ libre à tous les fantasmes repris et confortés par certaines sectes et religions. (au XIIème siècle)

L’instruction du 3ème degré nous donne ce message d’espoir : «Le grade de Maître a été institué pour combattre les préjugés qui s’opposent au développement des connaissances humaines; pour briser le joug de l’ignorance, du fanatisme et de l’ambition déréglée, et pour établir le règne de la Liberté, de l’Egalité et de la Franternité».

Source de chaleur et de lumière, le soleil est devenu un symbole de vie et de puissance dans quasiment toutes les civilisations. Les hommes l’ont toujours adoré, il se sont très tôt tournés vers lui pour répondre à leurs interrogations, concernant le monde et leur propre origine. Ils l’ont souvent personnifié et élevé au rang de divin. Pour les anciens égyptiens, Râ, le dieu soleil, a créé le monde. Durant la nuit, Râ se déplaçait en barque à travers le royaume des morts avant de revenir éclairer la terre le lendemain matin, formalisant ainsi le passage des ténèbres à la lumière. Il a été symbolisé par un scarabée, signe hiéroglyphique qui signifie « venir à l’existence». Pharaon était considéré comme le descendant du premier roi, le créateur Râ. La pyramide était une rampe qui devait lui permettre de rejoindre, après sa mort, le ciel et le soleil.

En Am érique du sud, les peuples ont aussi construit des pyramides, non pour enterrer leurs morts mais pour vénérer le soleil, la religion officielle du peuple Inca. A la même époque, le peuple Aztèque pratiquait des sacrifices humains sur les pyramides pour obtenir la protection du dieu soleil.

Ces sacrifices consistaient à arracher le cœur de la victime, qui, parfois, était un jeune enfant et à l’offrir encore palpitant au soleil. Si les religions avaient pour but de relier les hommes en communautés harmonieuses, ces croyances ont fini par emprisonner et avilir leur esprit, pervertissant le rôle et la place du soleil gageant un certain retour à l’animalité.

Lorsque le soleil disparaît à l’occident, il ne subit qu’une mort apparente. En réalité il aborde un parcours invisible, celui de la nuit qui cache le mystère de la lumière régénérée. Comme le soleil, le compagnon, qui est amené en chambre du milieu où règnent les ténèbres et la mort, vient découvrir les mystères de la vie régénérée. La vie ne peut vivre qu’en se renouvelant.

Il est dit dans le rituel : «Le Maître est retrouvé et il réapparaît aussi radieux que jamais!C’est ainsi, mon TCF que tous les Maîtres Maçons, affranchis d’une mort symbolique, viennent se réunir avec les anciens Compagnons de leurs travaux et que, tous ensemble, les vivants et les morts, assurent la pérennité de l’œuvre!».

Socrate nous en parle en ces termes : «C’est ainsi que tout être mortel se conserve non qu’il soit jamais le même, comme l’être divin, mais du fait que ce qui se retire et vieillit laisse la place à un être neuf, qui ressemble à ce qu’il était lui-même».

Anne PHILIPPE, dans son livre « le temps d’un soupir», écrit sur la mort de son mari : « Tu fus mon plus beau lien avec la vie. Tu es devenu ma connaissance de la mort.»

Cette citation me fait penser à un épisode de ma vie, que le rituel d’élévation au grade de Maître, m’a permis d’analyser comme ayant contribué en grande partie à l’initiation de la vie. Certes, celle-ci fut inconsciente et non consentie, mais a sûrement guidé ma démarche maçonnique cette fois bien volontaire et réfléchie.

En effet, les différentes phases de l’initiation maçonnique du premier, deuxième et troisième degré ont été des signes forts, qui m’ont amené à revivre symboliquement des périodes qui ont structurées ma vie.

Je passerai sur les deux premières pour ne parler que de la troisième, celle qui a été le déclencheur de cette réflexion. Jusqu’à l’âge de dix ans, l’initiation à la vie se passait de façon insouciante. Mon guide, ma mère, était là devant moi, elle rayonnait tel le soleil et éclairait le boulevard de ma vie. Puis, un jour une porte nous a séparés, c’était la maladie. Je parle d’une porte car cette image n’est pas que symbolique. A l’époque l’accès aux hôpitaux était interdit aux enfants et je me souviens être resté devant l’entrée de l’institution le cœur serré envahit par un sentiment contrasté d’incompréhension et de culpabilité. C’est peut-être à ce moment là que j’ai compris que l’être est seul devant son destin, il doit en être l’architecte et l’artisan.

Le plus beau lien à la vie allait se briser. Ce soleil qui avait illuminé ma vie jusque là, s’est assombri ; la mort a devant moi fauché tous les repères et jeté un voile noir, m’obligeant à une introspection. Ce voile cosmique, figuré par le Rideau noir de l’exaltation au grade de Maître, qui dissimule le trône et le Delta rayonnant, nous séparant des Maîtres inconnus, passés à Orient Eternel, qui continuent à diriger nos Travaux, grâce  à la tradition fidèlement suivie. Ce symbole, la marche à reculons lors de l’entrée du temple au troisième degré d’initiation, je l’ai vécu de façon inconsciente au moment où, privé de repère et incapable de regarder la mort en face, j’ai commencé de progresser à reculons. Pas facile, il eut fallu pouvoir faire une pause, afin de se restructurer, mais l’horloge inexorablement continue de tourner. Le temps n’est pas notre allié.

Progresser à reculons ne veut pas forcément dire revenir en arrière ! Cela est évidemment impossible. Par contre, la symbolique de la marche à reculons tente de nous faire saisir que nous sommes en train d’aborder un autre plan, dont nous ne savons plus grand-chose, car la parole a été perdue. Se diriger à reculons est comme avancer dans le noir absolu. L’Etoile flamboyante est, pour le voyageur des ténèbres, une main courante. Elle représente le vécu, le savoir, la connaissance qui doivent permettre de retrouver l’itinéraire, la voie tracée ! La parole a été perdue, parce que la mort a frappé et HIRAM n’est plus. HIRAM gardien de la parole, la gardera à tout jamais ! Nous avons tous été un jour ou l’autre en présence de la mort, mais personne ne l’a vue ! Alors comment le plus courageux d’entre nous pourrait-il la regarder fixement ?

D’où peut bien venir cette phobie qui nous empêche de regarder le soleil ou la mort fixement. Regarder fixement quelqu’un ou quelque chose, nous place en position d’égalité voire de supériorité par rapport au sujet regardé.

En ce qui concerne le soleil, il est plus aisé de comprendre. En effet, l’astre déifié par nos ancêtres, symbole de toute vie sur terre, préside avec une telle sagesse, rayonne avec une telle force, orne avec une telle beauté qu’il ne peut avoir d’égal. L’homme qui se hasarderait à le toiser prendrait le risque d’en perdre la vue ! Seul l’aigle est capable de cet exploit, ce qui lui a valu d’être l’emblème de personnage en quête de puissance. La mort, elle, est parfaitement invisible et rien ne peut la représenter en action, la seule chose visible est le résultat de son passage. Personne ne peut la voir et à plus forte raison la regarder, elle est sournoise, furtive et fugitive. Ce sont des raisons pour lesquelles nous en avons peur, nous ne pouvons ni la connaître ni la situer.

Le philosophe  Frédéric LENOIR fait ressortir cette méconnaissance en posant ce questionnement :

Si on vous demande

L’inverse de froid, tout le monde dira chaud.

L’inverse de noir, la réponse sera blanc.

L’inverse de mort, la vie.

Il poursuit en indiquant que la dernière réponse aurait dû être « la naissance», car la naissance comme la mort font partie intégrante de la vie.

On peut penser que la mort n’est pas un élément de la vie, parce que la mort ne peut être vécue. Il faut donner à la vie un sens plus large qui dépasse le clivage du jour de l’existence. Il existe une porte d’entrée, la naissance et une porte de sortie, la mort. Y a-t-il un avant et un après ? Il serait bien présomptueux d’affirmer détenir la réponse, la vérité. La vérité est comme le soleil. Elle fait tout voir et ne se laisse pas regarder, nous dit Victor HUGO.

Tout le travail du Maître maçon est et sera toujours empreint de ces questions existentielles. Aidé par les outils et les symboles, il s’efforcera non pas de regarder fixement le soleil et la mort, mais de tenter d’en comprendre quelques secrets par la pratique répétée du rituel qui en formalise certains effets et force à la méditation individuelle, enrichie de l’égrégore en chambre du milieu. Acquérir une connaissance, c’est liquider une ancienne croyance et, comme dit BACHELARD la vérité se constitue par rectification des erreurs. Vivre, c’est donc perpétuellement mourir à soi-même. Regarder fixement le soleil et la mort, ne serait-il pas vouloir, comme le dit PLATON, rester indéfiniment ce que l’on est, échapper au temps, être éternel.

J’ai dit T.V.M.

P\C\

[bilgeau-blog]

Masalların Masalı, Nazım Hikmet

Su başında durmuşuz, çınarla ben. Suda suretimiz çıkıyor, çınarla benim. Suyun şavkı vuruyor bize, çınarla bana.

Su başında durmuşuz, çınarla ben, bir de kedi. Suda suretimiz çıkıyor, çınarla benim, bir de kedinin. Suyun şavkı vuruyor bize, çınarla bana, bir de kediye.

Su başında durmuşuz, çınar, ben, kedi, bir de güneş. Suda suretimiz çıkıyor, çınarın, benim, kedinin, bir de güneşin. Suyun şavkı vuruyor bize, çınara, bana, kediye, bir de güneşe.

Su başında durmuşuz, çınar, ben, kedi, güneş, bir de ömrümüz. Suda suretimiz çıkıyor, çınarın, benim, kedinin, güneşin, bir de ömrümüzün. Suyun şavkı vuruyor bize, çınara, bana, kediye, güneşe, bir de ömrümüze .

Su başında durmuşuz. Önce kedi gidecek, kaybolacak suda sureti. Sonra ben gideceğim, kaybolacak suda suretim. Sonra çınar gidecek, kaybolacak suda sureti. Sonra su gidecek güneş kalacak; sonra o da gidecek...

Su başında durmuşuz. Su serin, Çınar ulu, Ben şiir yazıyorum. Kedi uyukluyor Güneş sıcak. Çok şükür yaşıyoruz. Suyun şavkı vuruyor bize Çınara bana, kediye, güneşe, bir de ömrümüze...

---------------ing-----------------

FABLE OF FABLES

We are by the waterside the plane tree and I. Our reflections are thrown on the water the plane tree's and mine. The sparkle of the water hits us the plane tree and me.

We are by the waterside the plane tree, I and the cat. Our reflections are thrown on the water the plane tree's, mine and the cat's. The sparkle of the water hits us the plane tree, me and the cat.

We are by the waterside the plane tree, I, the cat and the sun. Our reflections are thrown on the water the plane tree's, mine, the cat's and the sun's. The sparkle of the water hits us the plane tree, me, the cat and the sun.

We are by the waterside the plane tree, I, the cat, the sun and our life. Our reflections are thrown on the water the plane tree's, mine, the cat's, the sun's and our life's. The sparkle of the water hits us the plane tree, me, the cat, the sun and our life.

We are by the waterside. First the cat will go its reflection will be lost on the water. Then I will go my reflection will be lost on the water. Then the plane tree will go its reflection will be lost on the water. Then the water will go the sun will remain then it will go too.

We are by the waterside the plane tree, I, the cat, the sun and our life. The water is cool the plane tree is huge I am writing a poem the cat is dozing the sun is warm it's good to be alive. The sparkle of the water hits us the plane tree, me, the cat, the sun, our life.

Translated by Richard McKane

[bilgeau-blog]

The Egg

By: Andy Weir

You were on your way home when you died.

It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.

And that’s when you met me.

“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”

“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.

“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”

“Yup,” I said.

“I… I died?”

“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.

You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”

“More or less,” I said.

“Are you god?” You asked.

“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”

“My kids… my wife,” you said.

“What about them?”

“Will they be all right?”

“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”

You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”

“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”

“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”

“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”

“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”

You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”

“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”

“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”

I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.

“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”

“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”

“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”

“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”

“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”

“Where you come from?” You said.

“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”

“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”

“So what’s the point of it all?”

“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”

“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.

I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”

“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”

“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”

“Just me? What about everyone else?”

“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”

You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”

“All you. Different incarnations of you.”

“Wait. I’m everyone!?”

“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.

“I’m every human being who ever lived?”

“Or who will ever live, yes.”

“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”

“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.

“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.

“And you’re the millions he killed.”

“I’m Jesus?”

“And you’re everyone who followed him.”

You fell silent.

“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”

You thought for a long time.

“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”

“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”

“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”

“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”

“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”

“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”

And I sent you on your way.

***********************tr*********************

The Egg

By: Andy Weir

Translation: Selin Çıray

Öldüğünde evine gidiyordun.

Trafik kazasıydı. Özellikle dikkat çekici bir şey değil, ama yine de ölümcül. Arkanda bir eş ve iki çocuk bıraktın. Acızı bir ölümdü. İlk Yardım Ekibi seni kurtarmak için ellerinden geleni yaptı, ama işe yaramadı. Vücudun o kadar kötü bir şekilde parçalanmıştı ki, inan bana senin için daha iyi oldu.

İşte o zaman benimle tanıştın.

“Ne... Ne oldu?” diye sordun. “Neredeyim?”“

Durum tespiti olarak, “Öldün.” dedim. Kıvırmanın alemi yok.

“Orada bir... Kamyon vardı, kayıyordu...”

“Hı-hı,” dedim.

“Ben... Ben öldüm?”

“Hı-hı. Ama üzülme. Herkes ölür,” dedim.

Etrafa bakındın. Hiçlik vardı. Sadece sen ve ben. “Burası neresi?” diye sordun. “Öbür dünya mı?”

“Aşağı yukarı,” dedim.

“Sen tanrı mısın?” diye sordun.

“Hı-hı,” diye cevap verdim. “Ben Tanrı’yım”.

“Çocuklarım... karım,” dedin.

“Ne olmuş onlara?”

“İyi olacaklar mı?”

“İşte görmek istediğim bu,” dedim. “Daha biraz önce öldün ve ailen için endişeleniyorsun. İşte bu iyi bir şey.”

Bana büyülenmiş gibi baktın. Sana Tanrı gibi görünmüyordum. Adamın biri gibi görünüyordum. Belki de bir kadın. Belli belirsiz bir otorite figürü, belki. Yaradandan ziyade edebiyat öğretmeni.

“Merak etme,” dedim. “İyi olacaklar. Çocukların seni her yönünle mükemmel olarak hatırlayacak. Sana nefret besleyecek zamanları olmadı. Karın görünürde ağlayacak ama içten içe rahatlayacak. Dürüst olmak gerekirse, evliliğin dağılıyordu. Rahatlamış hisettiği için kendisini çok suçlu hissedecek, teselli olacaksa.”

“Ha,” dedin. “Peki şimdi ne oluyor? Cennete, cehhenneme, bir yerlere gidiyor muyum?”

“Hiçbiri, ” dedim. “Reenkarne olacaksın.”

“Hı,” dedin. “Hintliler haklıymış demek,”

“Bir bakıma bütün dinler haklıdır,” dedim. “Yürüyelim”.

Boşlukta yürürken beni takip ettin. “Nereye gidiyoruz?”

“Belirli bir yere değil,” dedim. “Sadece yürürken konuşmak güzel.”

“O zaman bütün bunların amacı ne?” diye sordun. “Yeniden doğduğumda bomboş bir tahta olacağım değil mi? Bir bebek. Yani bütün deneyimlerimin, bu hayatta yaptıklarımın hiçbir manası veya etkisi olmayacak.”

“Hiç de değil!” dedim. “İçinde bütün geçmiş hayatlarının bilgi birikimini ve deneyimlerini taşıyorsun. Sadece şu anda onları hatırlamıyorsun.”

Durdum ve seni omuzlarından tuttum. “Ruhun, hayal edebileceğinden çok daha mutheşem, güzel ve büyük. İnsan aklı varlığının ancak çok küçük bir kısmını içerebilir. Bu sıcak olup olmadığını anlamak için parmağını bir su bardağına batırmak gibi. Kendinin çok küçük kısmını bir kaba koyuyorsun ve çıkardığın zaman yaşadığı bütün deneyimleri kazanmış oluyorsun.”

“Son 48 senedir bir insanın içindeydin, dolayısı ile uzanıp engin bilinçaltının devamını hissedebilmiş değilsin. Burada yeteri kadar kalırsak, her şeyi hatırlamaya başlardın. Ama her yaşamın arasında bunu yapmaya hiç gerek yok.”

“Kaç kere reenkarne oldum o zaman?”

“Oho, çok kez. Çok, çok kez. Ve bambaşka bir sürü hayata.” Dedim. “Bu sefer, milattan sonra 5402ta yaşayan Çinli bir köylü kız olacaksın.”

“Bir saniye, ne?” diye kekeledin. “Beni zamanda geriye mi gönderiyorsun?”

“Yani, teknik olarak evet. Zaman, bildiğin üzere, sadece senin evreninde var. Benim geldiğim yerde işler farklı.”

“Senin geldiğin yerde?” dedin.

“Tabi ki”, dedim, “ben de bir yerlerden geliyorum. Başka bir yerden. Ve benim gibi başkaları var. Oranın nasıl olduğunu bilmek isteyeceksin, biliyorum, ama açıkçası anlatsam da anlamazdın.”

“Hı,” dedin, biraz hayal kırıklığına uğrayarak. “Bir saniye. Eğer zaman içerisinde başka başka yerlere reenkarne oluyorsam, bir noktada kendimle karşılaşmış olabilirim.”

“Tabi. Sürekli oluyor. Ama iki hayat da sadece kendi ömürlerinden haberdar oldukları için farkına bile varmıyorsun.”

“O zaman bütün bunların ne gereği var?”

“Cidden mi?” diye sordum. “Cidden? Bana hayatın anlamını soruyorsun? Biraz beylik bir soru değil mi?”

“Gayet akla yatkın bir soru,” diye ısrar ettin.

Gözlerinin içine baktım. “Hayatın anlamı, bu evreni yaratmamın tek sebebi, senin olgunlaşman.”

“İnsanoğlunu mu kastediyorsun? Olgunlaşmamızı mı istiyorsun?”

“Hayır, sadece sen. Bütün evreni senin için yaptım. Her hayatla beraber büyüyor, olgunlaşıyor ve daha büyük bir zeka oluyorsun.”

“Sadece ben mi? Diğerleri?”

“Başka kimse yok,” dedim. “Bu evrende, sadece sen ve ben varız.”

Bana boş gözlerle baktın. “Ama dünyadaki o kadar insan...”

“Hepsi sen. Senin başka cisimlerin.”

“Bekle. Herkes ben miyim?!”

Sırtına bir tebrik şaplağı ile beraber “İşte şimdi taşlar yerine oturuyor,” dedim.

“Bütün zamanlarda yaşayan bütün insanlar ben miyim?”

“Ve yaşayacak olan, evet.”

“Abraham Lincoln ben miyim?”

“Onu öldüren John Wilkes Booth da sen,” diye ekledim.

Dehşet içinde “Hitler’im?” dedin.

“Ve öldürdüğü milyonlarsın.”

“İsa’yım?”

“Ve onu takip eden herkes.”

Sessizliğe gömüldün.

“Ne zaman birine haksızlık etsen,” dedim, “kendine haksızlık ediyordun. Yaptığın bütün iyilikleri de kendine yaptın. Yaşanmış ve yaşanacak olan bütün mutlu ve üzgün anlar, senin tarafından yaşanacak.”

Düşünceye daldın.

“Neden?” diye sordun. “Bunları neden yaparsın ki?”

“Çünkü, bir gün, sen de benim gibi olacaksın. Çünkü bu sensin. Sen benim türümdensin. Sen benim çocuğumsun.”

İnanamayarak, “Ne?!” dedin. “Benim de bir tanrı olduğumu mu söylüyorsun?”

“Hayır. Daha değil. Sen ceninsin. Hala büyüyorsun. Bütün zamanlardaki bütün insan hayatlarını yaşadığın zaman, doğacak kadar büyümüş olacaksın.”

“Yani bütün evren,” dedin, “sadece...”

“Yumurta.” diye yanıtladım. “Yeni hayatına başlamanın zamanı geldi.”

Ve seni yoluna gönderdim.

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Oh my love Where did you go? And why did you leave?

I close my eyes and you are here I open them and you are nowhere to be found

All you left was a note with the words "Sorry, leaving earth" I borrowed a spacesuit from Sun Ra himself Set out on my astro travels Dodging lifeless satellites as I made my way past The dark side of the moon

Where did you go? and why did you leave?

Open outer space blurred from the speakers My soundtrack for the six-year odyssey To find you

Mars truly is a red planet and meteor showers are not so serene while in the midst of them

Oh I have witnessed things quite wondrous to see Travelled through the tail of an icy comet Mesmerized by the brilliant glow of stars outside my port window Yet nothing compares to you Star of my story I always tell

I searched for you on the moons of Jupiter Europa, Io, Ganymede and Callisto

The storms of Jupiter rages The surface is always changing

I hope this transmission finds you soon As I drift in space I can make out Earth in the distance Shining bright No need to return Nothing there for me without you

You are my starship, wherever you are The storms of Jupiter rages The surface always changes

Did I miss your distress beacon? Did I take our love for granted? Can you hear my transmission?

Where did you go and why did you leave?

Where did you go and why did you leave?

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HORMONES & DESIRE By Bridget Murray Law Most animals aren’t shy about showing their interest in mating. The male frigate bird puffs out his throat into a gigantic red balloon. Female cats yowl and spray urine during estrus, their time of ovulation and sexual receptivity. And in female chimps, estrus swellings of the external sex organs can get as large as a cantaloupe — not something a male could easily miss. In humans, signs of sexual interest aren’t nearly so obvious. The male of the species generally doesn’t broadcast his constant readiness for sex, and during her window of fertility at ovulation, the female doesn’t display any outward signs. Some biologists and anthropologists have theorized that this “loss of estrus” in people makes us less driven by sex hormones than other animals. But according to a steady stream of new studies by evolutionary and biological psychologists, that may not be the case. This research indicates that the hormonal changes of a woman’s monthly cycle may be more powerful than we’ve ever conceived — compelling women to advertise when they’re ovulating, and men to notice. Although women aren’t showing off swellings, yowling or spraying, studies suggest they may dress more provocatively, flirt more, and possibly become more sexually excitable, for roughly six days mid-cycle, before and after ovulation. They even show minuscule shifts in voice pitch, scent and skin tone, some studies suggest. These changes are not lost on men, whose own hormones and mating behavior respond to a woman’s cues, as well as how the woman treats them, says Jon Maner, PhD, a hormones researcher and associate professor of psychology at Florida State University. To illustrate: In one of his studies, men actually inched closer to a woman — and mimicked her gestures more — when she was ovulating. There are, of course, critics of this line of research, who believe that it’s overly focused on ovulation-related behavior, and that it doesn’t necessarily translate into what happens in real-world relationships. “These lab studies have never, to my knowledge, been extended into actual partner choice,” says hormones researcher Sari van Anders, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology and women’s studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. “If ovulation affects real-life mate choice so strongly outside the lab, why haven’t we seen these results?” There is also research to suggest that women aren’t the only ones with hormonal cycles that affect behavior: Men’s testosterone appears to cycle throughout the day, month, and possibly even the seasons, affecting their moods and sexual desire. Also, drops in testosterone with age may trigger something of a male menopause, or “andropause.” Yet another source of debate is the degree to which hormones may respond to people’s sexual behavior, versus directly influencing it. This much, however, is not debatable: Both men and women have little to no awareness of just how much these hormonal machinations in their bodies affect what they do. “The vast majority of all this occurs outside of our conscious awareness,” says Maner. “It’s kind of like chemistry between two people. You know when you have it, but you’re not sure what it is.” Cycling Attraction The real world notwithstanding, hormones certainly appear a formidable force in the lab. One psychologist investigating how ovulation affects women’s preferences in men is Steve Gangestad, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico. In recent work, Gangestad and his colleagues recruited 66 young couples, assessed the male partners’ intelligence and, using photographs, gauged their facial attractiveness and features. Meanwhile, they required the women to complete questionnaires about their sexual feelings toward their partners and other men at fertile and non-fertile points in their cycles. The study, in press at Evolution and Human Behavior, produced results consistent with previous research: Women paired with feminine-faced men were more attracted to men other than their partners, relative to their partners, when ovulating. The same effect was found for women with facially unattractive men, though not when the researchers controlled for men’s facial masculinity or femininity. No significant effects were found for men’s intelligence. Gangestad has found similar patterns for stereotypically male behavior traits. In a study of 238 college women published in APA’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 92, No. 1) in 2007, he and his colleagues found that, in mid-cycle, women tended to prefer flings with “caddish” men. On average, fertile women were more interested in short-term relationships with men who came across as confident, or even cocky, on videotape. In comparison, at other points in their cycle, they gravitated toward longer-term relationships with kinder, more conscientious, deferential types — good father material. Interestingly, these mid-cycle preferences for hyper-masculine men seem to disappear among women taking birth control medication that suppresses normal ovulation. All this may seem counterintuitive. Wouldn’t it make more sense for a woman to make babies with a nurturing man? Someone more likely to stick around? You would think, says Gangestad, but, in an evolutionary sense, women want manly men’s superior genes. Masculine features and dominance over other males indicates stronger genetic fitness, according to “good genes theory,” he explains. “Infidelity may be part of the strategy,” says Gangestad. “But while there has been selection for conditional unfaithfulness, it’s also very possible that there was never selection of that sort — that estrus is a carry over from pre-pair-bonding, and has not been modified in the context of pair-bonding (for example, for infidelity).” But what about men? Do they have hormonal cycles too? Some hormones researchers say no; men don’t cycle. Others say yes, but their cycles are less studied and less dramatic than women’s. Men’s testosterone cycles fluctuate from higher in the morning to lower each evening, and, according to some Australian, Russian and Dutch studies, the hormone level fluctuates seasonally as well, peaking in October and ebbing in April, notes psychologist Jed Diamond, PhD, author of several books on men and hormones. Testosterone also declines as men age, and as their levels drop, they experience increases in moodiness and irritability, says Diamond, who in 1977 published the book “Male Menopause,” one of the first U.S. works to raise awareness that, during the midlife period of what he calls “andropause,” men’s hormones change, just as women’s do. “The whole idea that men show hormonally based changes or change of life has not been studied much in this country, or has been seen as a joke, but in fact there is a lot of research on this happening outside the United States,” says Diamond, a Northern California psychotherapist who most recently published “Mr. Mean: Saving Your Relationship from the Irritable Male Syndrome” (Vox Novus, 2010). Sharp-dressed Women Meanwhile, ovulation remains the primary focus for U.S. researchers studying sex hormones and behavior, though so far, there’s no evidence to prove that women act on a supposed ovulation-induced desire for extracurricular sex. “But there are data trends in those directions,” says psychologist Martie Haselton, PhD, who has studied infidelity and mate preferences with Gangestad. Though there aren’t studies showing that women seek sex more in mid-cycle, there is evidence that women take more care to look alluring during ovulation, notes Haselton, an associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. In a study published in 2007 in Hormones and Behavior (Vol. 51, No. 1), she and colleagues had 40 judges determine the degree to which 30 young women tried to look attractive at different points in their menstrual cycles. The judges rated separate photos of each woman on grooming and eye-catching dress. One photo was taken as the women’s levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) surged before ovulation, and the other was taken in the non-fertile luteal phase. At well above chance levels, the raters labeled more of the ovulating women than luteal-phase women as “trying to look attractive” (60 percent versus 40 percent). However, none of the women in this study chose very revealing clothing. They were, after all, headed to a university lab where they might run into their professors. But it appears that ovulating women do select skimpier apparel than their luteal sisters when attending parties and other such social events, finds psychologist Kristina Durante, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. In one study, conducted with Haselton and published in 2008 in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (Vol. 34, No. 11), Durante’s team had 88 women draw pictures of outfits they planned to wear to a hypothetical party that evening. Not only were fertile-phase women more likely to draw more revealing outfits, but those in happy long-term relationships planned outfits that were almost as provocative as those of single women. Durante theorizes that the committed women may have opted for slinkier outfits to retain their partners’ interest. “They were told there’d be lots of sexy people at the party,” says Durante. “So it’s possible these women want to be on their game since others may be vying for their man’s attention.” Nature’s Perfume Men also get more possessive of their women, and more loving toward them, during ovulation, find various studies by Gangestad and Haselton. Most likely this is also to stave off the competition. But how do men tell when women get their LH surge? Most obvious are the visible cues: the increased flirtatiousness, the more attractive dress. But there are also more subtle biological signs that research is just beginning to uncover. Some of these studies suggest that women’s voices get higher, that their soft tissue becomes more symmetrical — even that their skin tone changes, becoming more textured and vascular. Among the most compelling findings in this area are those concerning smell. In many species, the male couldn’t be more certain what chemicals he’s seeking: Male dogs and apes, for example, will sniff females’ behinds to discern signs of sexual readiness. And the male giraffe will instigate urination in the female with a nose tap, then check her output for signs of estrus. Nothing that obvious goes on in humans. But men do respond hormonally to the scents of ovulating women, according to research Maner has conducted with Florida State graduate student Saul Miller. In a study published online in Psychological Science (Vol. 23, No. 2) in December 2009, 105 undergraduate men smelled T-shirts of young women who were either near ovulation or far from it. In two studies, the men also smelled unworn T-shirts, which served as controls. Results showed that men who sniffed the ovulation-scented shirts displayed higher levels of testosterone than men who sniffed the non-ovulation or control shirts. But how strong was the response, and what could this mean? “The effects on testosterone are medium, and we’re not sure of the behavioral effects, but other studies suggest the testosterone effects are large enough to produce changes in behavior,” says Maner. “So it stands to reason that a man is more likely to be attracted to an ovulating female and to pursue her as a partner.” Not that spikes in testosterone are dependent on ovulation. Most heterosexual men get a significant testosterone boost after just briefly chatting with an attractive woman, suggests a study of 149 undergraduate men, published in 2010 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society (Vol. 277, No. 1,678). In comparison, testosterone stays level or drops after a conversation with another man. Testosterone levels also tend to drop when a man enters a committed relationship and has children, says Gangestad. “Probably the most effective way, short of castration, for men to reduce testosterone levels is to have a child,” he says. The effects of sex and relationships on hormones could be quite different, however, for gay men, notes psychologist Aaron Lukaszewski, PhD, a co-author of the Proceedings of the Royal Society study and visiting postdoctoral scholar at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Other individual differences showed up in the study as well. “On average, testosterone was increasing 10 to 12 percent, but some men were showing huge increases, while others were showing none,” says Lukaszewski. The amount of testosterone, and men’s responses to it, appears written in their genetic code — in particular, their androgen receptor gene sequence. The stress hormone cortisol also appears to play a role, actually squelching testosterone levels when men get stressed. And, of course, hormone levels and effects also vary across women. Also, when it comes to women, some behavioral neuroendocrinologists think their fellow researchers overemphasize the link between women’s hormones and heterosexual relations. “It is striking how well this corresponds to cultural notions of women’s value lying in their sexual connections to men,” says hormones and women’s studies researcher van Anders. “In contrast, there are research groups that ask questions, including evolutionary questions, about sexuality and hormones that see a point in studying women beyond their sexiness vis-à-vis men.” For example, notes van Anders, her lab has looked at masturbation’s effects on women’s hormones, and University of Chicago psychologist Martha McClintock, PhD, has found evidence that breastfeeding women and their infants may emit a chemosignal that increases sexual desire in other women. Sexual motivations and individual differences aside, one thing is certain: We are, despite our modern advancements and sophistication, animals whose genes and hormones continue to drive our behavior at the most basic levels. Without our realizing it, bodily chemicals are constantly at work to ensure our continued existence. Estrus, it seems, is still very much with us. (APA'den alıntı)

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Çift Kişilik Yalnızlık

Biten ilişkinin ardından, ilişkinin aslında zaten hiç yolunda gitmediği fikrine kendini ne kadar inandırmaya çabalasan da nafile. Günün sonunda yastığa başına koyduğunda aklına sadece güzel anılarımız gelecek. "Daha fazla kabus göremem, artık daha ne yaşatabilir ki bana?" dediğin anda bile hep kan ter içinde uyanacaksın. İşin kötüsü benim şimdiden eskittiğim bu hisler, senin için hep taptaze kalacak. Murathan Mungan'dan bir şiir iliştiriyorum buraya. Sanmıyorum ama belki okumayı lütfedersin. Halbuki bu sayfayı unuttuğundan bile oldukça eminim. Kimdi kimdi kalan Giden mi suçludur her zaman? Ne zaman başlar ayrılıklar Dostluklar biter ne zaman Her geçen gün bir parça daha Aldı götürdü bizden Aynı kalmıyordu hiçbir şey Değişiyordu herşey kendiliğinden Artık çözülmüştü ellerimiz Artık bölünmüştü yüreğimiz Birimiz söylemeliydi bunu Ötekini incitmeden Kimdi giden kimdi kalan Aslında giden değil Kalandır terkeden Giden de bu yüzden gitmiştir zaten Kolay Gelsin

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"Woman Is The Nigger Of The World" Woman is the nigger of the world Yes she is...think about it Woman is the nigger of the world Think about it...do something about it We make her paint her face and dance If she won't be slave, we say that she don't love us If she's real, we say she's trying to be a man While putting her down we pretend that she is above us Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is If you don't belive me take a look to the one you're with Woman is the slaves of the slaves Ah yeah...better screem about it We make her bear and raise our children And then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother hen We tell her home is the only place she would be Then we complain that she's too unworldly to be our friend Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is If you don't belive me take a look to the one you're with Woman is the slaves of the slaves Yeah (think about it) We insult her everyday on TV And wonder why she has no guts or confidence When she's young we kill her will to be free While telling her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is If you don't belive me take a look to the one you're with Woman is the slaves of the slaves Yes she is...if you belive me, you better screem about it.

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HOW THE BICYCLE BECAME A SYMBOL OF WOMEN'S EMANCIPATION One hundred years ago, Alice Hawkins, a suffragette, cycled around Leicester promoting the women's rights movement, causing outrage by being one of the first ladies to wear pantaloons in the city. During the fight to win the vote the bicycle became not only a tool but also a symbol for the emancipation of women. The American civil rights leader, Susan B Anthony, wrote in 1896: "I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood." I'm sure many women cyclists would still claim those feelings of self-reliance and independence, but sadly today three times more men than women cycle and the number of female cyclists is actually dwindling. Women appear somewhat more reluctant to "take to their seats". However, Leicester is quickly developing a progressive and forward thinking cycling culture. There is a strong community of advocates championing the cause of cycling in the city and once a month many of them gather for the Critical Mass rides. Leicester Critical Mass, now a year old and currently over two hundred riders strong, has brought together many people with ideas and a will to make change. This is how we came together as Cycles and Suffragettes, an organisation with an aim to encourage potential women cyclists. Inspired by Alice Hawkins, we decided to conjure the spirit of the suffragettes, celebrate the legacy of our local heroines and raise a clarion call to all Leicester cyclists to rouse, inspire and an incite a modern day revolution in women's cycling. We believe by evoking a little community activism and a lot of fun we can demonstrate this form of transport as an attainable, fun and beneficial and once again elevate the bicycle to a symbol of emancipation. On Saturday 5 November our free event begins at 11am with a led ride that includes a tour of blue plaques around the city celebrating local women who had an impact on the local community. At midday there'll be a flash mob where we're encouraging the feisty free-spirited ladies of Leicester to don bloomers and join us in a bit of community activism in the spirit of the suffragettes. There will also be film screenings, including a showing of Pedalling to Freedom, a documentary film by Vijay S Jodha about a unique initiative in Puddukkottai, India, where the bicycle changed the lives of many women when it became a tool for empowerment, promoting literacy. Everybody is welcome, so come and join us for a day of pedal power and the rallying cry of "on your bikes ladies – on your bikes!" ------------------------------------------------ Guardian Louise Dawson Friday 4 November 2011 12.30 EDT First published on Friday 4 November 2011 12.30 EDT

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Aynalar - Eduardo Galeano

biz arzudan yapıldık yaşam, isimsiz ve anısızken, yapayalnızdı. elleri vardı ama dokunacak kimsesi yoktu. ağzı vardı ama konuşacak kimsesi yoktu. yaşam hiçbir çağ ile tanımlanamıyordu henüz. işte o zaman arzu yayını gerdi, fırlattığı arzu oku yaşamı ikiye böldü ve yaşam iki kişi oldu. bu ikisi buluştu ve gülüştüler. birbirlerine bakmak güldürüyordu onları, birbirlerine dokunmak da.

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Battleship Potemkin - Odessa Steps Sequence - Sergei Eisenstein - 1925 What was so groundbreaking about this sequence was the editing and filming techniques. For the time, the blocking is very elaborate. The usually type of filmmaking in the ’20s was to set up a camera in the center of where the “fourth wall” would be. The camera would almost always be static as the actors would act out the scene. It was very much like watching a play from the perspective of the audience in attendance. The Odessa Steps sequence, however, took the camera outdoors and set it up in what many thought were odd and daring positions. The beautiful shot look straight on the side of the soldiers feet as they marched down the steps in unison was the kind of artistic touch not scene in filmmaking in those days. Most notably, there were dolly shots going down the steps. Though they don’t look as nice as modern dolly shots, just the thought of pulling this off is impressive knowing that they didn’t have anything close to resembling steadicam technology back then. The other groundbreaking element of the scene is the editing. At the time, the common way to edit a scene was wide shot, close-up, wide shot, close-up. And by close-up, I mean what we would nowadays call a medium shot. Very rarely was the camera placed in direct vicinity of the actor’s face. The editing in the Odessa Steps sequence, however, is closer to modern editing: wide, close-up, close-up, medium, close-up, etc. (that’s just an example). Eisenstein most likely sat with the editor as he manually spliced film together, watched the different shots with him, and telling him what to cut to next. This montage uses quick cuts to give the audience a sense of urgency and dread. By cutting to shots of people fleeing down the stairs, the audience feels the urgency they feel, while at the same time feeling concerned for their safety. This concern is only heightened by cutting to the stunning shots of the feet of the soldiers walking down the stairs. The sense of intensity and concern hits an all-time high as we see the baby carriage falling down the stairs with the baby inside. By cutting to shots of shocked onlookers, we as well get a feeling of shock and horror after observing the preceding events. This sequence was so influential, that all filmmakers globally, not just in Russia, stood up, took notice, and began making changes to how they blocked and edited their films. It was one of the earliest examples of a film reaching beyond the borders of its country of origin. Eisenstein changed filmmaking forever. Movies like The Godfather, Requiem for a Dream, and The Untouchables (which all but copied the Odessa Steps sequence shot for shot) are indebted to Eisenstein and the Odessa Steps. For nearly a century, montage has been a crucial form of storytelling. Countless films have used montage to move the story along in a short, but powerful fashion. These films and filmmakers owe everything they know about montage to Sergei Eisenstein and the Odessa Steps sequence, arguably the most important montage in cinema history. -Matt Peterson

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ENIVREZ-VOUS

Il faut être toujours ivre, tout est là ; c'est l'unique question. Pour ne pas sentir l'horrible fardeau du temps qui brise vos épaules et vous penche vers la terre, il faut vous enivrer sans trêve. Mais de quoi? De vin, de poésie, ou de vertu à votre guise, mais enivrez-vous! Et si quelquefois, sur les marches d'un palais, sur l'herbe verte d'un fossé, vous vous réveillez, l'ivresse déjà diminuée ou disparue, demandez au vent, à la vague, à l'étoile, à l'oiseau, à l'horloge; à tout ce qui fuit, à tout ce qui gémit, à tout ce qui roule, à tout ce qui chante, à tout ce qui parle, demandez quelle heure il est. Et le vent, la vague, l'étoile, l'oiseau, l'horloge, vous répondront, il est l'heure de s'enivrer ; pour ne pas être les esclaves martyrisés du temps, enivrez-vous, enivrez-vous sans cesse de vin, de poésie, de vertu, à votre guise. -Baudelaire

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When I scroll back through our recent days Try to understand how we could forget We made a promise to one another that nothing would ever break what we had Now we never talk when we fall apart We never talk when we fall apart

We pretend we're OK, surrounding ourselves with one-way friendships and so-called friends

I know we got used to new us, and I don't want to be there I don't want to be there where we are I know we got used to new life, and I don't want to be there No, I don't want to be there where we are

all the words unsaid, and we're still afraid of time Started to keep ourselves at a distance that we could control Not too close

Not too far Now we never talk when we fall apart We just never talk when we fall apart We pretend we're OK by filling up our inner space with little hates and so-called love

I know we got used to new us, and I don't want to be there I don't want to be there where we are I know we got used to new life, and I don't want to be there No, I don't want to be there where we are

I know we got used to new us, and I don't want to be there I don't want to be there where we are I don't want to be there I don't want to be there where we are So walk away with me

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I could be foreign forever to your otherland I could be foreign forevermore to your promiseland One life was great, but another… No, I don't want to live on the edge I won't follow you I found my own I will stay I could be foreign forever to your hastenland I could be foreign forevermore to your neverland One little brick, then another And I will build that wall anyway You can find me there Rested and calm, without mask This is where I will stay Look around where we are who we are What we always want Twenty-four, seven, three sixty-five Sometimes little more I was chasing your shadow Not knowing I'd become your slave I could be foreign forever to your otherland I could be foreign forevermore to your promiseland One life was great, but another… No, I don't want to live on the edge I won't follow you I found my own I will stay I could stay forevermore I've said a farewell to never-ending smiles I did not look good in red From my place, I can finally see How much of this shade I called myself was me And what was left behind I could be foreign forever to your otherland I could be foreign forevermore to your promiseland One life was great, but another… No, I don't want to live on the edge I won't follow you I found my own I will stay I could stay forevermore I've said a farewell to never-ending smiles From my place, I can finally see How much of this shade I called myself was me And what was left behind