PSYchology

Svetlana Krivtsova read for us the book by Irvin Yalom “Peering into the sun. Life without fear of death.

“Neither the sun nor death can be looked at point-blank,” Irwin Yalom quotes the French philosopher La Rochefoucauld in his new book. However, Yalom himself manages to keep the reader’s eye on this topic. He writes about the fear of death and describes its specific manifestations, and he does it phenomenologically accurately, without unnecessary theories of sexuality, without inventing anything. He also introduces the concept of «awakening experiences». This is the most important experience for a person: when we find ourselves next to death, it breaks into our lives and changes everything, values ​​and priorities, ideas about time and duty. If these changes bring more meaning to life, they become awakening, even when there is sadly little time left for this real life. But, perhaps, the most valuable thing in the book — which, by the way, can narrow the circle of its readers — is that the author is looking for ways to cope with the fear of death, without resorting to the well-known idea of ​​saving the soul. This is not the first time Yalom has admitted that he is not religious, but among my friends, relatives and patients there are also many people who do not believe in God. Rather, God for them is the deepest order and meaning contained in this world, surpassing a single mind. This is how many Russian intellectuals, scientists, researchers of nature understand God. That’s right, without the idea of ​​saving the soul. Yalom finds consonance with such a belief in the philosophy of Epicurus, whose thoughts are comforting and wise. If the soul dies with the person, dispersing like smoke, then it cannot feel death. When death comes, our «I» will no longer exist, so we will never meet with it and, therefore, there is nothing to fear from it. Yalom lovingly collects the ideas of great philosophers: Epicurus and Schopenhauer, Heidegger and Nietzsche. He gives the floor to Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, Nabokov and May. But all ideas mean nothing on their own, says Yalom. Only the reliability of relationships between people, only the depth of compassion and love can withstand death, which is often experienced as loneliness and alienation. The author of the book is 77 years old. His memories of childhood and youth, love and betrayal, losses and mistakes are very sincere and … absolutely recognizable. Both Yalom himself and all people immediately become understandable and close to you, and in this recognition you experience a deep connection with those who, like you, are mortal.”

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