The first and only time I’ve been on an aircraft that ran out of fuel was in a Twin Otter. At least I hope it’s… The post Terrifying Conveyances IV: The Twin Otter appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingTag: existentialism
mark a. rayner: Formidable! My Night at the Moulin Rouge
If you’ve seen the movie Moulin Rouge (2001), then no doubt you’re expecting an extravagant, musical story about this evening. Let me set you straight:… The post Formidable! My Night at the Moulin Rouge appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: Frankl’s Logotherapy
The second half of Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning was added in 1962 to provide greater detail of Logotherapy, in which patients must hear difficult things in contrast to psychoanalysts provoking telling difficult things (see the first part here). It’s less introspective and more focused on our place in the world: “Logotherapy defocuses all
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: Frankl’s Phases of Life in the Camps
My lovely friend and former colleague recently passed away unexpectedly. The kindest people go far too soon. We also went to teacher’s college together over 30 years ago, and his quips and just the calm and jovial way about him helped make the ridiculous assignments there far more tolerable. Sitting next to
Continue readingmark a. rayner: Protected: The Blue Finger of Fate
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. The post Protected: The Blue Finger of Fate appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingmark a. rayner: 10 Mind-Blowing Reads About the Multiverse
In a real sense, you could argue that every book is another reality. The best of them certainly feel like self-contained worlds, and when you… The post 10 Mind-Blowing Reads About the Multiverse appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingmark a. rayner: What is the multiverse?
If you’ve ever gazed up at the stars, knowing that you are only seeing a tiny fraction of our galaxy, and then realized the Milky… The post What is the multiverse? appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingmark a rayner: Bad Chemicals & Babel Fish: My Favourite Humorous Science Fiction Books
Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. This may be a controversial choice to top a list of humorous science fiction books, but I have… The post Bad Chemicals & Babel Fish: My Favourite Humorous Science Fiction Books appeared first on mark a rayner.
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: On Anxiety
I just finished John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down, which I read because he claimed it was his way of trying to put words around what it’s like to live with profound anxiety, and then I saw this article asking “Why are more American teens than ever suffering from
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: On the Absurdist Victory: All is Well
A while back I wrote about a video comparing Stoicism and Existentialism. The video also touched on different psychology principles developed from each philosophy. Stoicism is easily seen in CBT and REBT, which start with the premise that when we’re upset it’s because of our perception of things, not the things
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: On Comparing Existentialism and Stoicism
This summer, I went on one camping trip with a book on Stoicism, then another camping trip with a book on Existentialism, and I was intrigued by the many similarities. Then I came across this video that has some overlap with what I had noticed. As they say in the video,
Continue readingmark a rayner: The Procedure
Grounding the team had been difficult, but not impossible. Dr. Hansrik assured them there would be no danger, once the patient was unconscious. Prior to sedation, the patient was capable of anything. (Just ask the good folk of Peoria, Illinois, who&#…
Continue readingmark a rayner: Camusic of the Spheres
The dreams had returned, again, and no amount of coffee and cigarettes could keep their influence at bay. The ennui was crushing at times, and even talking with an outrageous French accent would not help. He thought of his days in the theatre. Oh, the …
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: On Childhood Angst
Can children be existentialists? What I’m asking isn’t so much whether or not it’s possible, but should we allow it? If I dare to claim to define some central ideas here, the part about living authentically and embracing the freedom that comes with taking responsibility for all our choices with
Continue readingmark a rayner: Did I Miss Anything?
Question frequently asked by students after missing a class by Tom Wayman The Astonishing Weight of the Dead. Vancouver: Polestar, 1994. Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here we sat with our hands folded on our desks in silence, for the full two hours Everything. I gave an exam worth 40
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: On the Titanic and Tolstoy
I’ve heard this before somewhere, but I can’t find it to give due credit: Coping with climate change is like coping with being a passenger on the Titanic. Some won’t notice anything’s amiss until they’re well into the water. Some will notice it’s going down and decide we should continue
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Explaining video games
This helps me to understand why my character in Skyrim keeps picking up crap to sell, even though he has more money than he’ll ever be able to spend. Also, snowberries. Alltop tastes delicious with existential berries.
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Tell Me About Your Mother
You awake each morning screaming, your mouth dry and your eyes red from the tears that bath your Pillow of Ennui. You had the dream again. Of falling. Of dogs tearing at your carcass, broken on the dirty pavement of … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Paging Dr. Godhead
“…whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities.” –Bertrand Russell “The satirist is prevented by repulsion from gaining a better knowledge of the world he is attracted to, yet he is forced by attraction … Continue reading →
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