Emotional Experiential Existence
June 23, 2010
[Language and myth] are both resolutions of an inner tension, the representation of subjective impulses and excitations in definite objective forms and figures.
~ Ernst Cassirer, Language and Myth, p88
As I have few other books, I have much enjoyed Cassirer’s essay in the context of my reflections on interior experience and intimate relationships (see also here and here). Having finished it, I think the above quote is a safe summation of his point, however since from the first pages I saw a correlation of his ‘primitive mythic image’ with my numinous relationship experience, and now at the end I am left with some interesting correlative conclusions.
First, if the numinous (female led) relationship experience and the nature of language itself share an essential manner of expression, it seems no wonder I use the latter to express the former, i.e. use and unending stream of writing to better understand what is so powerfully meaningful about my intimate relationship with my wife. In fact, I have always turned to writing (whether a journal or creative) to ease my tensions, and especially tensions about my interior experience and intimate relationships.
Also, like language and myth, I think my writing about my numinous relationship experience works so well (for me) because both are reflections and expressions (ah yes, even art in the case of stories and poetry) of my interior emotional experience. This (for me) goes back to my assessment that (individual, emotional, interior) passion and (relational, emotional, exterior) empathy is at the root of the female led impulse and the female led ‘love-symbol’. Even in passion from puzzle pieces (or meaning from puzzle pieces), the idea is to find exterior expression of an interior emotional experience.
Lastly, that all of this – this very journalistic excursion (and why I create so many self referential links and pingbacks), my (seeming excessive – ) philosophic analysis and constant (occasionally needless - ) differentiation, the female impulse itself – all of this (and indeed much of life) is an attempt to make sense of, to make meaning of (also here), to adequately understand, an emotional experiential existence.
[T]he mind […] uses [both words and mythic images] as sensuous forms of its own, and thereby recognizes them for what they really are: forms of [the mind's] own self-realization.
~ Ernst Cassirer, Language and Myth, p99
