The Ars Poetica: Manifesting Yourself to the Universe
“Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.” — Pope St. John Paul II
“For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.” — Ephesians 2:10
The phrase “ars poetica” refers to various lyrical treatises written about the art of poetry itself. Horace wrote his famous work circa 20 BC. Others, including French poet Paul Verlaine (1950) and Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges (1960), have since added their input as to the proper craft of the poem. I find it interesting that the word art — through its Proto-Indo-European roots — can be linked to the Sanskrit word “rta,” which refers to the dynamic natural order that moves and coordinates the operations of the universe. On the other hand, poet — from its Greek origin — signifies “making, creating, or composing.” As such, I believe that there may be some connection between our own personal poiesis and the larger artistic work which is God’s creation of the universe. As He created all that was, is, and will be, so too do we get to participate in co-creating on a smaller scale in our own lives.
However, this understanding can be taken to an extreme at times. In our modern world, there has been a wide spread, though not overtly all of the time, of various New Age beliefs. These movements that focus on the body-mind-soul connection are so broad and numerous that they can be hard to characterize. However, they can include beliefs such as holistic divinity, semi-divine entities, evolutionary godhood, global unity, spiritual awareness, intuition-based thinking, and connection to nature and others. Some related book titles that I came across include Quantum Body by Deepak Chopra, Quantum Soul Cleaning by Michelle Manning-Kogler, and Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza.
New Age phrases, such as “manifesting oneself to the universe,” are used to describe how one can become connected to the universe and influence future events by imagining or willing them into existence. Another colloquial phrase — “sending/putting off good vibes” — emphasizes the idea of sensing others’ energy. Unfortunately, these mindsets have overridden our awareness of the true spiritual realities present in our world and, instead, have replaced them with a more secular mode. While I do not espouse these New Age ideas, I do think that it can be helpful to see how some themes are in alignment with Christian theology and how we can understand them to help us approach our lives as a poetic art.
Essentially, by focusing on how our body, mind, soul, and time affect who we are, we also are able to change how we approach each of these aspects of ourselves, so that we can become more of who we are meant to be. Fundamentally, this is achieved through surrendering ourselves to our Author and seeking to follow His will. For, only He knows how the story ends and how to help us get there. I have broken down each of these four components (body, mind, soul, time) into three main characteristics. While not a complete list or the only important qualities for these components of the human person, I hope that they will be at least thought-provoking and helpful for us to reflect on how we can use all of the aspects of our lives to be examples to others of how we can each create our own unique ars poetica.
The Body
Self-memory
In The Embodied Mind, accomplished psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Verny details how various aspects of our bodies exhibit a sort of memory that influences our phenotypes, or genetic expressions. Initially, he discusses the importance of the epigenome, which affects when and how genes are expressed. This modern understanding of the genome goes beyond simple Mendelian inheritance and reveals how our environment influences who we are. He also gives evidence that epigenetic features can be passed down to future generations, highlighting how lasting the impact of our environment can be.
In the subsequent chapters, Verny describes how numerous systems in our bodies and in biology have the capacity for memory. He starts with multiple theories about how memories are stored in the brain. Next, he demonstrates how the immune system, human cells, single-celled organisms, and animals all exhibit the ability of memory. Through his book, he reveals how integrated the human body and mind are. We truly are embodied minds — a complete system that provides and responds to feedback from the countless stimuli, systems, and structures that make up the human being. As such, by practicing healthy lifestyle habits, we can craft apostrophes in our ars poetica to encourage our bodies to have a more constructive self-memory.
Self-respect
On quite a different note, Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body — a series of 129 papal audiences — explores the rich, theological meaning within the human person. He begins with the salvation history of humankind: from creation, through the Fall, to our ultimate redemption. This progression explains what we were originally made for, how we currently experience our fallen reality, and what we are called to eventually become. He continues to delve into the depths of these topics and expounds on them with analyses of the various vocations, sinful tendencies, and acts of virtue that characterize the human condition.
Three of the main themes that arise from his discussions are dignity, solidarity, and charity. Clearly, he reveals how we are all made in the image and likeness of God. No matter what sufferings we endure due to the Fall, that reality still remains. Because of this divine affiliation, all humans also have great dignity. As a result, we ought to support one another in solidarity when another’s dignity is being violated, either by themselves or by someone else. This is accomplished by a complete gift of self. Such self-sacrificial love is the heart of Christian charity. When we are able to see the dignity that we all have as sons and daughters of God, then we are able to be united with one another in solidarity and charity. With these approaches, we can weave a more mutually self-respecting tone into our ars poetica.
Self-healing
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is a psychiatrist at Boston University who specializes in trauma. His book The Body Keeps the Score dives into the complexities of this heavy topic and unpacks a number of proposed methods to aid in recovery from a traumatic past. Essentially, trauma is created by how we respond to a stressful event. Such situations are characterized by the fact that we can do nothing to stave off the inevitable. In these cases, our primitive, animal brain takes over and tells our bodies to go into fight/flight response or to disassociate from our environment. If we have a safe connection with someone in those moments, the trauma may not be as severe. Unfortunately, there are countless scenarios that we have to live through in which we are isolated (physically, emotionally, psychologically, etc.) and have to deal with an overwhelming event.
After we live through a traumatic period, our bodies continue to react to mild stressors as if we are still in danger. Symptoms can arise such as flashbacks, hypervigilance, disassociation, difficulty concentrating, impulsivity, irritability, and sleep disturbances. As we are embodied minds, many of these conditions can be exemplified outside of the brain, in the body itself. We can see changes in our posture, breathing, digestion, and habits of sleep, hygiene, and exercise. Essentially, the question must be asked: how do we help traumatized people live in bodies that they feel are safe again?
Therein, van der Kolk recommends a sort of therapeutic approach that is trauma-informed. Some examples include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), and even embodied sports and activities (e.g. kickboxing, running, swimming, music, dance, and massage). Thankfully, there are numerous methods to aid us in self-healing. Of course, a well-trained psychotherapist is always the best guide in this process. With their help to recover from our past and to form new, securely attached relationships with others and our environment, we are able to participate in creating a healed voice within our ars poetica.
Mind
Regulation
Child psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry created the framework “regulate, relate, and reason” to describe the ideal mental model for dealing with traumatic experiences. It is based on the fundamental understanding of our sympathetic nervous system’s response to stress: “freeze, flock, fight/flight.” When we want to freeze, we need to regulate ourselves; when we want to flock to others, we ought to engage our support systems; when we are triggered to fight or flee, we should use our reason to discern the best option. In his book What Happened to You?, he describes how changing our understanding of mental illness from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?” can help us to better fix the underlying dysregulations that lead to us to experience psychological suffering.
A term that is related to regulation is homeostasis. It signifies the stability of all of the systems within an organism. We were made to exist in this state of baseline balance. Certainly, throughout human history — since the dawn of predators and prey — there have always been stressors that throw us out of homeostasis (parasympathetic nervous system) into fight/flight (sympathetic nervous system). When it comes to modern life, relationships, and trauma, multiple further layers of tension to which we have to attend are added. Ultimately, Perry reveals that this balance is found through securely-attached relationships. Thankfully, with this knowledge and through the support of well-trained psychotherapists, we can come to heal the dysregulated parts of our minds. This regulation can aid in the creation of a more aptly metered ars poetica.
Relation
Another similar approach to Perry’s theory is positive psychology. Started in the late 1990s, by then president of the American Psychological Association Martin Seligman, it was created out of a desire to shift the focus in modern psychology away from such a heavy emphasis on psychological pathologies and maladaptive behaviors toward an approach focused on human happiness and well-being. The characteristics of positive psychology are summarized in the acronym PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. Seligman posits that these components are integral to holistic human happiness.
In his book, The Gospel of Happiness: Rediscover Your Faith Through Spiritual Practice and Positive Psychology, philosophy professor Dr. Christopher Kaczor brings together this new field of positive psychology and the old traditions of Christianity. He starts by explaining what positive psychology is and how it is a great addition to the toolbox of psychotherapy. However, he then details why it is not a sufficient replacement for Christianity. He touches on reasons such as that it does not give an answer to the question of death, it does not suggest a proper hierarchy of the PERMA characteristics, it is neutral with respect to God’s existence, it does not address the problem of sin and guilt, and neither does it provide what faith does through revelation and truth. He concludes by delving into important themes such as the theological virtues, prayer, gratitude, forgiveness, striving for virtue, and the will. Kaczor explores some of the research underlying these practices in positive psychology and how the traditions of the Church expand upon and deepen the reality of them. The components of both positive psychology and Christianity are inherently relational. Such practices aid us in creating more connected similes with ourselves and one another in our shared ars poetica.
Reason
In her book The Mindful Body, Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer highlights the importance of mindfulness for human flourishing. Through review of her own extensive research, she emphasizes how our bodies are significantly influenced by the way in which we see the world. Through numerous examples and categories, she demonstrates how we are able to affect how we experience the world by changing what we understand about and expect from it.
Reframing is another related popular term in psychology and common culture these days. It is based on the idea that by changing the way that we view something, we can change the way that we experience it. It has a lot of overlap with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing the way that one views things, to positively affect what they feel and how they act. A great resource for tools in reframing and CBT is Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Majeres. He has numerous videos, articles, and book recommendations to aid us in changing our perspective on the various aspects — both good and bad — of our lives, so that we can synthesize a more logical ars poetica.
Soul
Quintessence
The word quintessence originates from the Latin quinta + essentia, meaning “fifth essence.” In ancient times, there was believed to be a fifth element (in addition to earth, wind, fire, and water) that made up the universe, which was often called “ether.” This substance was thought to fill the heavens. In the present day, we use the word “quintessential” to describe the best example or the truest essence of something. Though I am not an expert on the philosophy of the soul, many belief systems see the soul as that most essential part of the human person. It is that which gives form to human beings.
Quintessential to the well working of the human soul is being united with its Maker. As with any living creature, if the soul is not nourished, it cannot survive. Two short pieces — The Practice of the Presence of God by Carmelite friar Brother Lawrence and The Way of a Pilgrim by an anonymous mendicant pilgrim — reveal simple instruction on how to continually be united with God. The first is a collection of reflections, letters, etc. from the lay friar on how he was able to form the habit of continually acknowledging God’s presence and devoting everything that he did for love of Him. The second tells the tale of a Russian pilgrim who learned to pray the Jesus prayer (“Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”) with every inspiration and expiration of his daily activities. From both of these examples, we can learn how we are able to find and stay in touch with the quintessential identity of who we are — children of God — throughout every day. With this soulful sustenance, we can be inspired to structure a fitting form for our ars poetica.
Quiescence
If the essence of the human person is the soul; then, the essence of the soul is peace. Put another way, as homeostasis is to the body, so is peace to the soul. In his book Searching for and Maintaining Peace, Fr. Jacques Philippe describes how this peace is found in the practice of goodwill — a sort of positive intentionality always directed toward love of God and His will. It is this open disposition toward God which brings with it peace overflowing. However, there can be numerous barriers, namely: a lack of confidence in God, a fear of suffering, a pride in our own capabilities, and an apprehension of being judged by others.
However, both the words “quiescence” and “peace” carry at their root a connotation of “silence.” Along with silence comes stillness. As such, the cure for our lack of quiescence lies in contemplative prayer and an awareness of the love of God for us, which is clearly evident in our world — if we are looking for it. Too, a renunciation of our own possession, desires, etc. is necessary to receive God’s peace. Ultimately, we must seek confidence in and abandonment toward God in all circumstances (e.g. when we assess our own lives, encounter the sufferings of others, confront the faults of others, realize our own imperfections, or face periods of decision making). In this way, when we regain our peace and allow God to act, He can draw a meaningful metaphor out of even the bad aspects of our ars poetica.
Quantum
A growing area in the New Age view of the world is that of how quantum physics applies to the human being. Basically, quantum physics describes the behavior or nature of the world at and below the scale of atoms. Most relevant, quantum physicists theorize that some particles can have both properties of matter and waves at the same time. In the view of Schrödinger, something can exist in both matter and wave states until it is observed in either state (e.g. the Schrödinger’s cat conundrum). When the object is in both states, this is called “coherence;” when it becomes one or the other, it is called “decoherence.” Some people have proposed that these theories can be applied to human memory, human consciousness, and the human soul (e.g. the Orch OR of Hammerhoff and Penrose, the Poised Realm of Kauffman, and the Quantum Field of Dispenza).
While many of these beliefs seem a bit too complex or far-fetched for me, I do believe that there is a possible connection to Christian mysticism and meditation. One example of this is the book of Elder Thaddeus of Vitnovnica (a twentieth century Serbian Orthodox monk) titled Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives. His Orthodox and eastern influences led him to experience great peace with himself, others, and the world through maintaining a strong connection with God. His religious experiences, and those of many other saint mystics, must also have some physical explanation, as we live in a material world. However, whether quantum physics explains them or not is way above my pay grade.
Nonetheless, I believe that the theories of quantum physics can provide some useful analogies. In the same way that humans are thought to be able to connect to the infinite quantum realm through meditation, so are we able to unite ourselves with the trinitarian God through prayer. As God is infinite, omnipotent, and omnipresent, we can receive His wisdom, mercy, and peace by becoming “coherent” with Him and surrendering to His will. Therein, we can accept the sanctifying grace that He wishes to bestow on us. However, as we live in a physical reality, we do have to “decohere” through making decisions and taking action in the material world. Nonetheless, the more that we stay in the “quantum realm” of God’s presence — no matter what our temporal circumstances — the less we will experience the discomforts and disillusionments of the Newtonian world, which is defined by the constraints of classical physics and human weakness. With this quantum perspective, we can be opened up to the broad allegorical possibilities of our ars poetica.
Time
Patience
Having completed a large survey on the topic of life transitions, Bruce Feiler wrote a book titled Life is in the Transitions. The biggest takeaway from this book, I believe, is that change is an extremely common and integral aspect of our life journeys. Through his thorough review of 225 people regarding their life stories, he is able to demonstrate the frequency and qualities of the shifts, which he also calls “life disruptors” or “lifequakes.” They are present in a wide range of areas of life (including love, identity, beliefs, work, and body). He also notes that not all turning points are necessarily bad (e.g. getting married or starting a new job). However, he emphasizes that both the positives and negatives are opportunities for reassessment and growth.
Feiler’s ideas are reminiscent of the concept of a liminal space. These periods, though often painful, are thresholds through which we must pass to become truer versions of ourselves. Not only can we gain many useful skills and virtues through these periods, but we also are given the chance to redefine ourselves or get unstuck from our current identities. In this sense, having patience (from the Latin patiens, meaning “suffering, enduring, permitting”) and mindfully bearing all of our difficulties with the awareness that they can be used for a greater purpose, we are able to change through our life transitions, rather than become overwhelmed by them. Likewise, this patient approach can aid us in integrating a proper rhyme into our ars poetica.
Perseverance
Perseverance is a central theme in Kyle Idleman’s When Your Way Isn’t Working. As a Christian pastor, he tells the stories of numerous struggles that he and many of his congregants have experienced. One approach that many of these tales tell of is stubbornly persevering through our lives when we feel stuck or come up against barriers. In these situations — especially in modern American culture — ideas such as independence, autonomy, and individualism reign supreme. These principles lead us to accept mindsets like “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” or “no pain, no gain.” So, we determinedly push ourselves past our limits until we finally realize that our way is not working.
However, what Idleman proposes instead is that we do not forge ahead all on our own; rather, using John 15 (e.g. “I am the vine, you are the branches”) as his basis, he proposes that we need to remain connected to God and to one another to grow into who we were made to be. Through the analogy of vines and gardening, he points to various ways that connection is vital to our simple sustenance and fuller flourishment. Likewise, though perseverance is central to the Christian journey, it is not something that we have to do with tight fists, clenching onto the plans that we have made. Rather, we ought to go out with open arms, accepting support from and offering help to both our God, neighbors, and enemies alike. In this way, we can emphasize the anaphora that we repeat with all of those that are a part of our ars poetica.
Providence
The witness of Fr. Walter Ciszek in his extraordinary memoir He Leadeth Me is a striking testament to the reality of providence. I have always found it interesting that the etymology of the word arises from pro + videre, meaning “to see ahead.” In Fr. Cszek’s story, we can clearly see how God was constantly “seeing ahead” for him, even when it was not clear or comfortable for him. In recounting his trials of being a persecuted Catholic priest in Soviet Russia, we not only learn of the intense suffering that he endured, but we also come to understand how all that he went through was used by God to make him into who he was meant to become. The author himself notes that many of his trials were necessary for him to overcome some of the negative mindsets and vices that he was harboring.
One image that can be used to describe providence is that of a river. The continually coursing current provides guidance along the course and direction toward the destination of the water. Those in the stream can either go along with or against the flow. When it comes to God’s providence, going along with His will ought to be our aim. For, the more that we attempt to pursue our own desires, the more we will exhaust ourselves and the further we will move away from our ultimate end. As such, we ought to go along with the movements of the Holy Spirit, without resistance, so that through us, God’s will can be infused into the themes of our ars poetica.
Looking back on my life, I have often wondered: “Could things have been different?” or “Should things have been different?” However, we can waste so much of our lives mulling over what we did or did not do or what did or did not happen to us. The reality is that, though in the present moment there are nearly an infinite number of possible outcomes, in just the next instant, that previous moment has passed. Now, it cannot have been any different. Looking back, it does not matter if it could or should have been different. It is what it is (or rather, it was what it was). That being said, we ought to seek forgiveness when necessary, learn from our mistakes, and grow out of our trials. Nonetheless, we can only control a small fraction of our lives. By focusing on what we can change and allowing God to work through the circumstances over which we have no control, only then can we begin to manifest ourselves to the universe more in the way that we are called to do so.
However, unlike some New Age beliefs purport, we cannot bring things into existence solely by imagining or willing them into existence. Instead, I like to think of it in another way that the word manifest is used: “to make manifest.” Often, this indicates that something becomes clear or evident to someone. Likewise, I believe that by creating various habits to expect and to be receptive to good things happening, we can increase in ourselves the bodily, mental, spiritual, and temporal resources needed to achieve them — if they are ultimately in accord with God’s plan. In doing so, we can participate in allowing God’s will for the universe to be made manifest through the ars poetica of our lives.
