Anyone who wants to live their entire life in a tiny cell has got to be "odd" This kind of lifestyle would drive most people crazy. Maybe her "visions" were hysterical/psychotic delusions.
The impact of Julian’s showings over the centuries to now seems to bring forth more humility, compassion, wisdom, deeper faith and understanding… not fanaticism or delusional religiosity. Unfortunately, the Book of ‘Revelations’ in the Bible seems to fit the more hysterical/psychotic description you propose. The way so many ‘Christians’ today interpret the Bible itself and ‘Revenations’ in particular seems to generate a type of fanatical fear, delusion, and ‘idolatry of belief’ that results in a separation from nature, life, compassion, humility and wisdom. So, like many other Contemplatives from different spiritual traditions worldwide, Julian of Norwich may have lived a non-conventional life but the fruit of her life over time has been of benefit, love, compassion and wisdom. To me, that matters and is quite meaningful.
Hmmm…. Having read Julian a number of times and studied her, I would say that the nuance, wisdom and profound insight of her ‘shewings’ (many centuries ahead of her times) would not indicate psychosis or hysteria - in contrast they exhibit the fruits of decades of contemplation and rumination on what she initially experienced. It is we in the 21st century who are at odds with the wisdom of the past, and of many other contemporary cultures, where recluses, hermits, monastics and the like were and are part of the fabric of society. This makes us decidedly ‘odd’, unable to comprehend the value of silence, aloneness, mystery and wisdom in any society - and how the lack of it is detrimental to our public life. As our highly polarised and fragmented western culture demonstrates with its floods of information and wholesale lack of depth of I sight and wisdom. We need recluses and hermits in our times!!!
Yes, .... I think you are probably right in what you say. After what you have said to be a monastic hermit is appealling to me more and more: No mortgage installments to pay. Little chance of eviction. 3 meals a day guaranteed for life. A life time of security. Heating paid for. No boss or relatives to fall out with. You can take a nap whenever you feel like it. You can read books all day long and engage with some of the greatest thinkers and writers that have ever lived. Yes ..... I am starting to "warm" to the idea !!!! 😂😂😂 .@@saintmichaelthearchangelal6417
This was stunningly beautiful, thank you for sharing it
Anyone who wants to live their entire life in a tiny cell has got to be "odd" This kind of lifestyle would drive most people crazy. Maybe her "visions" were hysterical/psychotic delusions.
The impact of Julian’s showings over the centuries to now seems to bring forth more humility, compassion, wisdom, deeper faith and understanding… not fanaticism or delusional religiosity. Unfortunately, the Book of ‘Revelations’ in the Bible seems to fit the more hysterical/psychotic description you propose. The way so many ‘Christians’ today interpret the Bible itself and ‘Revenations’ in particular seems to generate a type of fanatical fear, delusion, and ‘idolatry of belief’ that results in a separation from nature, life, compassion, humility and wisdom.
So, like many other Contemplatives from different spiritual traditions worldwide, Julian of Norwich may have lived a non-conventional life but the fruit of her life over time has been of benefit, love, compassion and wisdom. To me, that matters and is quite meaningful.
Hmmm…. Having read Julian a number of times and studied her, I would say that the nuance, wisdom and profound insight of her ‘shewings’ (many centuries ahead of her times) would not indicate psychosis or hysteria - in contrast they exhibit the fruits of decades of contemplation and rumination on what she initially experienced. It is we in the 21st century who are at odds with the wisdom of the past, and of many other contemporary cultures, where recluses, hermits, monastics and the like were and are part of the fabric of society. This makes us decidedly ‘odd’, unable to comprehend the value of silence, aloneness, mystery and wisdom in any society - and how the lack of it is detrimental to our public life. As our highly polarised and fragmented western culture demonstrates with its floods of information and wholesale lack of depth of I sight and wisdom.
We need recluses and hermits in our times!!!
Yes, .... I think you are probably right in what you say. After what you have said to be a monastic hermit is appealling to me more and more:
No mortgage installments to pay.
Little chance of eviction.
3 meals a day guaranteed for life.
A life time of security.
Heating paid for.
No boss or relatives to fall out with.
You can take a nap whenever you feel like it.
You can read books all day long and engage with some of the greatest thinkers and writers that have ever lived.
Yes ..... I am starting to "warm" to the idea !!!! 😂😂😂
.@@saintmichaelthearchangelal6417