Essays Regarding the Philosophy and the Psychology of Neon Genesis Evangelion
Before the story is concluded I would like to share with you, the reader, several essays written on the philosophies discussed within the final two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Death and Rebirth, and The End of Evangelion. Originally, these essays were written by me and published as a freelance booklet entitled "Self-Righteous Rants". Upon looking at them from an Evangelion point of view, one can find the parallels between what is written here and what happens philosophically and/or psychologically throughout the series and the movies. It would immensely be appreciated for some feedback. Thanks in advance and enjoy. -Nikolai
P.S. The end is near.
A. IDENTIFYING REALITY
1. FREEDOM AND SECURITY
The edge of a great divide that pushes forth the limitations that consume our lives and give us constriction, also prevent us from absolute abstractions, or abstract ideas. This is the point at which removal is needed and yet without these boundaries security does not exist. However, almost instantaneously, the removal of these boundaries could also speculatively bring about a point where mind and body can achieve boundless possibilities in which existence is the epitome of complete freedom. But of course, this is impossible to achieve due to the fact that mankind yearns for security, which goes without saying, immediately removes certain aspects of freedom and can even be viewed as the yin to freedom's yang. One pulls, the other pushes, one cannot exist without the other and yet both are opposites, such as a man and a woman. This is what we humans would call a symbiotic relationship. Although freedom would indeed be a gratifying experience, I believe that security is nothing more than a simple "reality check" for mankind. Man seeks perfection. Man dreams of perfection. And yet if that perfection were ever achieved, man would be obsolete. Hence security. Security is the boundary
2. HAPPINESS
It's so warm outside. It, for one reason or another, soothes me and for the period of time that I am outside I feel complete and loved. Whether I feel loved by nature, the world around me, or by the people I am with, I do not know, but that isn't important, all that's important is that I am happy. The pinnacle of human subsistence, where humans feel absolute, and at their closest to being that of god during their waking-lives, is euphoria, so if someone reaches this, they have removed their humanly urges and/or anything that produces negativity from their system. And right now I feel euphoric, absolutely euphoric, I have so much weight off my back, I have no worries, and it's so fucking beautiful. And for one reason or another I felt the need to rant about it. For once I don't care if anyone has something bad to say and nor do I care about who hears what. I am happy and reassured that I am me, the world is here to support my being, and it is so fucking great.
3. PAIN
When we experience something negative, something that goes against our wishes, we experience the unsatisfying truth. We experience the truth that we wish not to see for we would rather have things go our way, such as the way that goes in our utmost fantasies and dreams of empowerment, along with the reaching of some goal or point of nirvana/euphoria. Pain gives us a slap in the face and tells us that our fantasies are not substitutes for reality. The truth hurts and we have to suck it up and deal with it, whether we like it our not. This is one of the purposes of pain. Pain also has another purpose though. If pain did not exist, there would be no such thing as happiness, for there would be no opposites, and that emotional spectrum would be non-existent. For example, if pain did not exist, you wouldn't be able to tell whether or not sex felt better than receiving an injury or even dying, and even further if sex didn't feel good, would we still want to have sex? Would we still feel the need to procreate? Thus pain exists so that happiness can exist, and visa versa.
4. DREAMS
Amidst an alternate reality of illogic, I journey… The moon filled half of the sky, and yet that sky still remained as ominous as usual, perhaps even darker than before. The aqueduct was treeless and practically non-existent. Balloons, hundreds of them, were tightly clustered in the night sky and from my perspective, they appeared in the bottom-right corner of the moon. They were then released in an almost ritualistic fashion, as if part of a ceremony. I stood there, in awe of the beauty of such chaos in the sky, and then I looked forward, and continued, to face the uncertainty handed to me.
5. RELATIONSHIPS
Why do people surround themselves with friends, even if each and every one of those people aren't people you necessarily like to be with, or don't find comfort in being with? Yes there are good people out there and yes some of those good people are my friends, but then there are some that I don't even know why I bother. Does being surrounded by other people give you insight into who you are? Does surrounding one with others give that person an identity and means to justify that ones very own existence? Do we find our true selves, the true facets to our persona in other people? Perhaps each person that exists is a mirror. Reflecting images of the persona back and forth to each other might just be the reason why the world does not consist of one ever-living form of life, but rather, billions and trillions of short-lived species. Even stranger, perhaps we are all like pieces of a formerly one, shattered mirror. Light reflects off of one shard and onto another creating complexity and relationships. If this were to be the case, this would justify individuality in the way that no two shards are the same. So maybe this is why one has "friends", even ones they don't even like. This also gives answer to the statement "I don't even know why I hang out with him (or her)!" That person hangs out with him (or her) because he (or she) is a necessary facet to his (or her) personality. This also might give an explanation to the loss of a friend. Maybe when one loses a friend, they lose an aspect of their personality. Opposite that, if one gains a friend, they gain a new aspect of their personality. It appears that having other conscious life around you justifies your existence, that your full self is created via that person's environment. If no one else existed (going back to the ever-living form of life) except one living thing that had the ability of conscience, how would that thing justify its very own existence? Without a mirror, it would not view itself; therefore its own means of viewing the fact that it exists would be through its own senses. And this of course is uncertain. One's senses can be very different from another's senses (hence uniqueness and individuality) and that is why no one will ever be able to realize absolute truth. But that's a whole other story…
6. PERCEPTION/SENSES
I am holding the pen that I am writing with. I can feel it's texture, I can see its colors, and I can hear the movement of the pen across the page. I control the movement of the pen via my hand. The pen exists because I sense it exists. But what if my senses are wrong or misinterpreted? If this were true, then that would mean that every single conscious being that existed, exists, or will exist, has a different perspective of existence. Example: I see that on my desk lies a black lamp. To me, the lamp is black. But, if everyone has a different perspective of existence, then who is to say that what we all see is different in shade and color? "Black" is a word, a label, created to identify an existent thing. Therefore, an actual identification of absolute truth is impossible.
7. MEMORY
It just appeared in my mind; it was as if a giant light bulb had just turned on. Memories always return to me, as to everyone else, sometimes when linking the most unrelated of thoughts, or when simply being asked whether or not I remember a certain event that I supposedly took place in. These memories, for one reason or another, justify my own existence and do so even further when someone else remembers something that I had previously been involved with. It gives me the sense of security because then I know I exist, because others sense I exist. On a more abstract and stranger note, perhaps I could be like the theoretical brain in the vat, sensing because I am told to sense it, or because of the electrical impulses being sent to make me see the world we perceive, perhaps my memories are false and I had another forgotten life. This is possible because there is no way to disprove the theory and yet it is improbable because of its unrealistic ideas. Memory can certainly be categorized one of the more uncertain of human qualities because of its fallible nature.
B. THOUGHTS
I. POSSIBILITIES AND UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING DREAMS
Reality is, quite possibly, absolutely nothing but a memory, or a dream, rather, of our former existing selves. A dream can last up to three seconds in real-time, however, this can feel like hours upon hours, or even the span of entire day in dreamtime. Now if this is legitimate, reliable, information, then try and comprehend this: after one dies, the last part of the body to shut down is the brain. And this can take from six to twelve minutes to do. So theoretically, those six to twelve minutes can actually be a reenactment of your life, a gigantic, lucid dream, that is so real we are convinced it is true. For all I know I am long dead and this existence is nothing but a memory of my past, or even further, that I am simply a "dream character" in someone else's past, and the second me knowing of that person ends, I am blinked out of existence. Or is it that my new existence begins? Life in general is an extremely funny thing…It tosses you an endless amount of questions, theory upon theory, law upon law, and label upon label, all to give you only but a few, solid, absolute truths.
II. ABSTRACT IDEAS REGARDING TRUTH
We lie within ourselves. And ourselves lie within us. It allows for human perception. Creating a personal universe and alternate universes, along with reality upon reality, this gives us the ability of decision, choice, logic, independence, and the power to change our surroundings, along with a power to change the people around us. The self within the self allows for self-control. And power, a very large tool of change, is a key in human society. As much as one might want freedom and equality, it will never be achieved. As long as there is an opposing thought (another set of realities) one can never achieve the full expression of ones true self. It is opinion which creates our social selves. Opinion hinders self-expression and yet opinion is necessary for change, thus complete freedom is an impossible thought. Equality too, is an impossible thing, for opinion of one another creates difference which can lead to the barbaric emotion of hate. At this complicated, negative, rate, why does existence bother existing? Life, although full of negativity, it is also full of happiness. But why does existence decide happiness is a good thing? Existence doesn't. Human opinion rubs off onto other humans. We are told what is good and what is bad. So is it possible to believe all emotion is actually good? Even pain? But then what is good? What is bad? And who decides? Is it god? Is it the self within? Who is the self within? And all I want is freedom. What is freedom? And yet another chain of unanswerable questions lies in front of us.
III. EVOLUTION
The purpose of life is to improve future generations from past experiences and return to the life from which we came along with trying to decrease the difficulties of living. By being happy and enjoying life, you accept the facts, no matter how brutal they may seem, and embrace life for what it is thus removing any forms of negativity. We can never be sure what lies next in the cycle of life so it's best not to worry about anything that seems uncertain and collectively grasp what solid truths we have. All we can do for now is simply just hope that life can continue and prosper and that existence remains existing, even if we don't know why. For if we ask questions, and were to be answered, with our nature we would simply ask more questions and this would lead us into a cycle of doubt. All of this is why I believe we humans, have missed the chance to prosper and unite with nature. We have already begun that cycle of doubt and our inquisitive nature just yearns to keep traveling for impossible truths. So unfortunately, the only thing we can do now is simply, do what we feel we need to do, and hope that we are given another chance to prosper, because otherwise we are simply going to exterminate ourselves and the life around us, which we can only hope will never happen.
* * *
Before the story is concluded I would like to share with you, the reader, several essays written on the philosophies discussed within the final two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Death and Rebirth, and The End of Evangelion. Originally, these essays were written by me and published as a freelance booklet entitled "Self-Righteous Rants". Upon looking at them from an Evangelion point of view, one can find the parallels between what is written here and what happens philosophically and/or psychologically throughout the series and the movies. It would immensely be appreciated for some feedback. Thanks in advance and enjoy. -Nikolai
P.S. The end is near.
A. IDENTIFYING REALITY
1. FREEDOM AND SECURITY
The edge of a great divide that pushes forth the limitations that consume our lives and give us constriction, also prevent us from absolute abstractions, or abstract ideas. This is the point at which removal is needed and yet without these boundaries security does not exist. However, almost instantaneously, the removal of these boundaries could also speculatively bring about a point where mind and body can achieve boundless possibilities in which existence is the epitome of complete freedom. But of course, this is impossible to achieve due to the fact that mankind yearns for security, which goes without saying, immediately removes certain aspects of freedom and can even be viewed as the yin to freedom's yang. One pulls, the other pushes, one cannot exist without the other and yet both are opposites, such as a man and a woman. This is what we humans would call a symbiotic relationship. Although freedom would indeed be a gratifying experience, I believe that security is nothing more than a simple "reality check" for mankind. Man seeks perfection. Man dreams of perfection. And yet if that perfection were ever achieved, man would be obsolete. Hence security. Security is the boundary
2. HAPPINESS
It's so warm outside. It, for one reason or another, soothes me and for the period of time that I am outside I feel complete and loved. Whether I feel loved by nature, the world around me, or by the people I am with, I do not know, but that isn't important, all that's important is that I am happy. The pinnacle of human subsistence, where humans feel absolute, and at their closest to being that of god during their waking-lives, is euphoria, so if someone reaches this, they have removed their humanly urges and/or anything that produces negativity from their system. And right now I feel euphoric, absolutely euphoric, I have so much weight off my back, I have no worries, and it's so fucking beautiful. And for one reason or another I felt the need to rant about it. For once I don't care if anyone has something bad to say and nor do I care about who hears what. I am happy and reassured that I am me, the world is here to support my being, and it is so fucking great.
3. PAIN
When we experience something negative, something that goes against our wishes, we experience the unsatisfying truth. We experience the truth that we wish not to see for we would rather have things go our way, such as the way that goes in our utmost fantasies and dreams of empowerment, along with the reaching of some goal or point of nirvana/euphoria. Pain gives us a slap in the face and tells us that our fantasies are not substitutes for reality. The truth hurts and we have to suck it up and deal with it, whether we like it our not. This is one of the purposes of pain. Pain also has another purpose though. If pain did not exist, there would be no such thing as happiness, for there would be no opposites, and that emotional spectrum would be non-existent. For example, if pain did not exist, you wouldn't be able to tell whether or not sex felt better than receiving an injury or even dying, and even further if sex didn't feel good, would we still want to have sex? Would we still feel the need to procreate? Thus pain exists so that happiness can exist, and visa versa.
4. DREAMS
Amidst an alternate reality of illogic, I journey… The moon filled half of the sky, and yet that sky still remained as ominous as usual, perhaps even darker than before. The aqueduct was treeless and practically non-existent. Balloons, hundreds of them, were tightly clustered in the night sky and from my perspective, they appeared in the bottom-right corner of the moon. They were then released in an almost ritualistic fashion, as if part of a ceremony. I stood there, in awe of the beauty of such chaos in the sky, and then I looked forward, and continued, to face the uncertainty handed to me.
5. RELATIONSHIPS
Why do people surround themselves with friends, even if each and every one of those people aren't people you necessarily like to be with, or don't find comfort in being with? Yes there are good people out there and yes some of those good people are my friends, but then there are some that I don't even know why I bother. Does being surrounded by other people give you insight into who you are? Does surrounding one with others give that person an identity and means to justify that ones very own existence? Do we find our true selves, the true facets to our persona in other people? Perhaps each person that exists is a mirror. Reflecting images of the persona back and forth to each other might just be the reason why the world does not consist of one ever-living form of life, but rather, billions and trillions of short-lived species. Even stranger, perhaps we are all like pieces of a formerly one, shattered mirror. Light reflects off of one shard and onto another creating complexity and relationships. If this were to be the case, this would justify individuality in the way that no two shards are the same. So maybe this is why one has "friends", even ones they don't even like. This also gives answer to the statement "I don't even know why I hang out with him (or her)!" That person hangs out with him (or her) because he (or she) is a necessary facet to his (or her) personality. This also might give an explanation to the loss of a friend. Maybe when one loses a friend, they lose an aspect of their personality. Opposite that, if one gains a friend, they gain a new aspect of their personality. It appears that having other conscious life around you justifies your existence, that your full self is created via that person's environment. If no one else existed (going back to the ever-living form of life) except one living thing that had the ability of conscience, how would that thing justify its very own existence? Without a mirror, it would not view itself; therefore its own means of viewing the fact that it exists would be through its own senses. And this of course is uncertain. One's senses can be very different from another's senses (hence uniqueness and individuality) and that is why no one will ever be able to realize absolute truth. But that's a whole other story…
6. PERCEPTION/SENSES
I am holding the pen that I am writing with. I can feel it's texture, I can see its colors, and I can hear the movement of the pen across the page. I control the movement of the pen via my hand. The pen exists because I sense it exists. But what if my senses are wrong or misinterpreted? If this were true, then that would mean that every single conscious being that existed, exists, or will exist, has a different perspective of existence. Example: I see that on my desk lies a black lamp. To me, the lamp is black. But, if everyone has a different perspective of existence, then who is to say that what we all see is different in shade and color? "Black" is a word, a label, created to identify an existent thing. Therefore, an actual identification of absolute truth is impossible.
7. MEMORY
It just appeared in my mind; it was as if a giant light bulb had just turned on. Memories always return to me, as to everyone else, sometimes when linking the most unrelated of thoughts, or when simply being asked whether or not I remember a certain event that I supposedly took place in. These memories, for one reason or another, justify my own existence and do so even further when someone else remembers something that I had previously been involved with. It gives me the sense of security because then I know I exist, because others sense I exist. On a more abstract and stranger note, perhaps I could be like the theoretical brain in the vat, sensing because I am told to sense it, or because of the electrical impulses being sent to make me see the world we perceive, perhaps my memories are false and I had another forgotten life. This is possible because there is no way to disprove the theory and yet it is improbable because of its unrealistic ideas. Memory can certainly be categorized one of the more uncertain of human qualities because of its fallible nature.
B. THOUGHTS
I. POSSIBILITIES AND UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING DREAMS
Reality is, quite possibly, absolutely nothing but a memory, or a dream, rather, of our former existing selves. A dream can last up to three seconds in real-time, however, this can feel like hours upon hours, or even the span of entire day in dreamtime. Now if this is legitimate, reliable, information, then try and comprehend this: after one dies, the last part of the body to shut down is the brain. And this can take from six to twelve minutes to do. So theoretically, those six to twelve minutes can actually be a reenactment of your life, a gigantic, lucid dream, that is so real we are convinced it is true. For all I know I am long dead and this existence is nothing but a memory of my past, or even further, that I am simply a "dream character" in someone else's past, and the second me knowing of that person ends, I am blinked out of existence. Or is it that my new existence begins? Life in general is an extremely funny thing…It tosses you an endless amount of questions, theory upon theory, law upon law, and label upon label, all to give you only but a few, solid, absolute truths.
II. ABSTRACT IDEAS REGARDING TRUTH
We lie within ourselves. And ourselves lie within us. It allows for human perception. Creating a personal universe and alternate universes, along with reality upon reality, this gives us the ability of decision, choice, logic, independence, and the power to change our surroundings, along with a power to change the people around us. The self within the self allows for self-control. And power, a very large tool of change, is a key in human society. As much as one might want freedom and equality, it will never be achieved. As long as there is an opposing thought (another set of realities) one can never achieve the full expression of ones true self. It is opinion which creates our social selves. Opinion hinders self-expression and yet opinion is necessary for change, thus complete freedom is an impossible thought. Equality too, is an impossible thing, for opinion of one another creates difference which can lead to the barbaric emotion of hate. At this complicated, negative, rate, why does existence bother existing? Life, although full of negativity, it is also full of happiness. But why does existence decide happiness is a good thing? Existence doesn't. Human opinion rubs off onto other humans. We are told what is good and what is bad. So is it possible to believe all emotion is actually good? Even pain? But then what is good? What is bad? And who decides? Is it god? Is it the self within? Who is the self within? And all I want is freedom. What is freedom? And yet another chain of unanswerable questions lies in front of us.
III. EVOLUTION
The purpose of life is to improve future generations from past experiences and return to the life from which we came along with trying to decrease the difficulties of living. By being happy and enjoying life, you accept the facts, no matter how brutal they may seem, and embrace life for what it is thus removing any forms of negativity. We can never be sure what lies next in the cycle of life so it's best not to worry about anything that seems uncertain and collectively grasp what solid truths we have. All we can do for now is simply just hope that life can continue and prosper and that existence remains existing, even if we don't know why. For if we ask questions, and were to be answered, with our nature we would simply ask more questions and this would lead us into a cycle of doubt. All of this is why I believe we humans, have missed the chance to prosper and unite with nature. We have already begun that cycle of doubt and our inquisitive nature just yearns to keep traveling for impossible truths. So unfortunately, the only thing we can do now is simply, do what we feel we need to do, and hope that we are given another chance to prosper, because otherwise we are simply going to exterminate ourselves and the life around us, which we can only hope will never happen.
* * *