The Meaning Of Catharsis
“The Meaning Of Catharsis” was written (and recorded!) by guest contributor, Samuel Kronen.
We all feel the deeply rooted inclination towards cathartic release.
We are so beaten down by the dampening and desensitizing mechanisms of culture, so utterly dejected by the soul tearing and heart wrenching devices of the societal structure, that we allow for the evocation of anything that even resembles some form of felt transcendence. This can manifest either dangerously or with utter glory and benevolence, but either way it is important to acknowledge and comprehend the essence of this rather fundamental experience.
What Is Catharsis?
Cathartic release is ultimately the experience of transcending the ego, which is to say stepping outside of our conceptualized sense of self.
The human enterprise is most aptly characterized by the trajectory of our thoughts, the general direction of our mental activity. Over time we come to naturally identify as these patterns of thought, and in doing so come to elicit a conceptualized sense of self, a metaphysical identity, an ego. The problem with this is that we come to be confined to these patterns, limited by our notion of who we are, and this sense of being incessantly hindered and suffocated by our mental movements creates the impetus for cathartic release.
Catharsis is that which arises when we experience sovereignty from our thoughts, when we come to eclipse our psychic habits.
Thought is time, or rather our inner interpretation of time. It can only move according to our sense of the past and our anticipation for the future, which is quite a limiting paradigm in an experiential sense. Catharsis is that which occurs when we step fully into the present, and are thereby free of this psychological sense of time.
There can be no deep and abiding sense of freedom or fulfillment when we are wholly capitulated to our thoughts, totally wrapped up in self-image, and it is the corroding of these tendencies that defines the cathartic experience.
How To Induce Catharsis
The question then arises, how might we bring about this profound sense of self-transcendence, this divine quality of existential ascendency?
We induce catharsis through engaging in consciousness expanding modalities, which redirect the neurological pathways of our brain so as to heighten the quality of our perception. This can incorporate anything from reading, to meditation, to engaging in various artistic practices, so on and so forth.
When we engage in such practices we begin to move away from the conditioned pathways of our psyche, and thereby are open to the possibility of cathartic release, egoic transcendence.
Novelty must be introduced, and surely it cannot be through the processes of our thoughts. We must go beyond the realm of preconception and presumption, and we do this through enveloping ourselves in immediate present moment experience. To be entirely immersed in practices that elicit this quality of experience is to engender a kind of novelty of being, and here we move towards the dawning of catharsis.
Where there is experiential novelty then cathartic experience is made possible, and we might only induce such a state through implementing modalities that bring us wholly upon the present moment. What that particular modality consists of is entirely based the the predisposition of the individual.
Ask yourself, “What interests me? What fuels me? What speaks to me?” Through answering this with complete honesty and sincerity you will invariably generate a much deeper idea of what particular modality correlates to your nature.
Why This Matters
The cathartic experience is integral to human existence. It is the manner in which we reconnect with the divine, realign ourselves with the beautiful mystery of the universe. It acts as a kind of existential balancing act.
We are both individuals, as well as intrinsic aspects of the collective. We are both the part and the whole. We are both egos, as well as vehicles of the divine. We are both the subject and the object, and through experiencing catharsis we come to most clearly see this fact. The paradigm of being an isolated individual, inherently split from all that is other, is shattered through the cathartic experience, and this is why it is so absolutely essential to the proliferation of human consciousness.
Until we come to see ourselves as being innately intertwined with that which is universal, as being intrinsically connected to cosmic enterprise, we will never meet our greatest potential.
-Samuel
Do you want to raise your vibration?
If you enjoyed Samuel’s essay & video (“The Meaning of Catharsis”), consider signing up for my free Law of Attraction newsletter for conscious advice to help you attract positive outcomes into your life. You can also become a member of my LOA member website and gain access to a library of full-length video tutorials, ebooks, audiobooks and meditations. Learn how to attract the things you want with fun, clarity and success! Join today for as little as $1.99 or become an annual member for 30% in savings. XO, Andrea
About the Author: Samuel Kronen is a young writer, spiritual entrepreneur, and warrior of the soul whose life work is comprised of the pursuing of higher consciousness and the propagating of love and compassion on a collective level. You can also reach him directly via at sjkronen @ gmail (dot) com. You can also check out his YouTube channel here.
