Ecstasy

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- From Wired

My first exposure to Werner Herzog was the film Grizzly Man. The commentary and cinematography in that film captured my imagination and my heart and at the same time prodded me with philosophical questions regarding the relationship between people and animals. Herzog, in one fascinating film, had left a deep impression. Reading Wired’s recent article about his latest movie reminded me of one of Herzog’s qualities I find most attractive: His passion for the truth outstrides the fetters of facticity. (see posts on that topic here and here)

Perhaps some of you share my view that facts are far too narrow to convey the truth but are distrustful of Herzog’s belief in “human ecstasies.” If you stick to the facts of Herzog’s statement and render judgement based on your own conception of “ecstasies’” meaning you might question whether Herzog is a selfish humanist. If I hadn’t been exposed to Herzog before that is probably where my suspicions would lead, which really is unfair especially considering the inherrent philosophy in Herzog’s own words. But perhaps you have triumphantly avoided such suspicion–perhaps you look at the root of ecstasies’ meaning and reconstruct it in a Christian theatre where the primary meaning of ecstasy, intense joy or delight, centers its meaning in the absolute middle of Christian doctrine. For the uncorrupted intensities of joy and delight are only found in relationship with Christ and when discovered swirl upwards in divinely ecstatic melismas.

The idea of ecstasy and its place in relationship with Christ, or its possible perversion in relationship with self are entirely fascinating. Charles Williams in Shadows of Ecstasy examines the idea profoundly and shows the epic danger of a perverse ecstasy. This is important, for by its very nature ecstasy is disarming and captivating; read Wordsworth with this in mind and think about his ecstatic feelings for nature–are they damning or redemptive?