Ecstatic Meditations: The Human Condition

4 Comments by Alexander Phillips on 22nd Feb 2012

The Human Condition

Silence is another way of saying what I wanna say. flickr.com/photos/cowgummy

“Human beings are the only creatures who think about and dread their mortality. Only cosmic heroism can help us get through. ” - Jason Silva

Introducing “The Human Condition” the sixth and final release in the breathtaking “Ecstatic Meditations” series; explosive short films by filmaker, TV personality, futurist and epiphany addict Jason Silva delving into the human condition. We have been releasing one of Jasons’ shorts a day for the last week and this is the last. Consider them the online equivalent of a caffeine jolt—a metaphor which Jason embraces, aptly terming them “shots of philosophical espresso”. He says:

“These ecstatic meditations explore various facets of the human condition through the lens of imagination, ecstasy, love, beauty, etc. The idea is that each vignette immerses you in a feeling, a concept, a way of seeing the world. Similarly to my techno-utopian rants, these are meant to ‘epiphanize’ and provide an artful antidote to existential despair. I think Urban Times is just the kind of media enterprise to push forth this memetic content! So thank you!!”

This short draws its wisdom from Ernest Becker’s Denial of Death, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for its dissection of the human condition. It turns out that it is not sexual repression that causes our collective neurosis, but rather it is our death anxiety. We are the only species that is aware of our mortality and this causes all kinds of cognitive stress. Becker identified three solutions mankind has employed to dilute the acute absurdity and tragedy of the human situation. They are THE RELIGIOUS SOLUTION, THE ROMANTIC SOLUTION, and THE CREATIVE SOLUTION.

What a perfect way to end the series.