“Transcendence is a fundamental part of the human experience. Since the dawn of our species, people have been losing themselves in ritualistic prayer, song, and dance. Even so, for a long time, the prevailing consensus in psychology was that such experiences were pathological rather than natural. Freud believed that ‘oceanic feelings of oneness’ were neurotic memories of the womb and the signs of a deranged mind. … The person who got transcendence right, [research psychologist David] Yaden says, is William James.”
Tag: 06.03.17
Worrying Can Be Good For You (Sometimes)
It can be a motivator to do what needs to be done, and (like banging your head against the wall) you can feel much better after you stop. The key, as usual, is moderation.
Governor Vetoes Money For Florida Orchestra’s Outreach Program
“The Florida Orchestra got an unwelcome surprise late Friday when Gov. Rick Scott ruled out $500,000 in funds to help pay for a new outreach program. Beyond the Bay launched in January with a vision of taking the orchestra to schools and community orchestras across Florida. The veto was part of $34 million the governor nixed from the state’s budget, leaving that money available for other priorities.”
A Crown Prince, A Ballerina, And A Bared Breast – The Latest Battleground In Russia’s Culture Wars
“The costume drama featuring this moment, a film called Matilda after the dancer, is not due out until October. Yet the release of trailers of that scene, and a few others depicting the torrid affair that follows, was enough to ignite a firestorm.” The opposing sides are “an artistic community determined to fend off any hint of Soviet-style censorship” and a religious nationalist faction that sees the film as an insult to Nicholas II (the crown prince in question) – and therefore, since the last tsar is now a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church, “an insult to the faithful, which is a crime in Russia.”
Chicago’s Goodman Theatre Cancels ‘Pamplona’ After Star Stacy Keach Falls Ill
“The Goodman Theatre has canceled the entire run of Pamplona, the highly anticipated world premiere of the one-man show about Ernest Hemingway starring Stacy Keach that was to run through June 25 … Performances were canceled on a day-to-day basis since this past Tuesday when the 76-year-old actor fell ill midway through the opening night performance of the show.”
Banksy Offers Free Limited Edition Print To Britons Who Vote Against Tories
It’s probably illegal to take photos of your ballot in the UK, but Banksy wrote to people in six recent Conservative strongholds, “Simply send in a photo of your ballot paper from polling day showing you voted against the Conservative incumbent and this complimentary gift will be mailed to you.”
The Benefits Of Being An Older Ballerina (Yes, Even Into Their 40s)
When you’ve been a principal for decades, one dancer says, ‘You hone your craft as you go. All the years of experience come into play when I approach any role, all of that muscle memory and stamina is in your body.’ … After years of repetition, she says, ‘You’re able to focus and dig deeper. Once you have the technical mastery under your belt, your focus is freed.'”
A New Play Is Inspired By The Shakespearean Dilemma Of A Refugee Actor In Australia
Playwright Charles Smith happened upon the story while watching his own plays. The new “is based on the true story of a young actor named Shedrick Yarkpai. Smith met Yarkpai when a theater company in Adelaide, Australia, produced two of Smith’s plays with Yarkpai in the lead.” Then, at lunch, the entire double-identity, maybe double-jeopardy plot revealed itself when Yarkpai talked about how he got to Australia. (2017 ironic twist: The actor couldn’t get a visa to come to Chicago to see the play about him.)
Wonder Woman Is From A Fictional Amazonian Island, But FOX News Wonders If She’s ‘American Enough’
While the first superhero movie directed by and starring a woman soars to a début weekend that beats Iron Man‘s first outing, one FOX News host said, “Some are calling it less American, Dion, because, well, her outfit isn’t red, white, and blue.”
Writing About A Country In Which 85 Percent Of The Population Are ‘Guest Workers’
Award-winning author Deepak Unnikrishnan: “When you grow up in Abu Dhabi, you’re trained by your folks to detach yourself from the place, but then you return to it periodically — not physically but mentally — and then sometimes you do so physically as well, and everything evolves, the city evolves, people evolve, your parents evolve, you evolve, and you can’t get a handle on it simply because you don’t know what to talk about.”