HERE THERE BE DRAGONS
The Perilous Adventure Into Psyche Incognito
To live authentically can be frightening. Writing helps us develop the courage and conviction needed to stick to it.
Once upon a time, most of Earth’s surface was an endless stretch of “terra incognito” and “mare incognito,” Latin terms for “unknown lands” and “unknown seas,” respectively.
Today, we have largely mapped the surface of the Earth. What remains of its mystery has retreated into the deepest trenches of the oceans or into what little is left of the planet’s wildernesses.
But perhaps it is most apt to say that mystery has migrated to two seemingly opposing poles: the infinite expanse of outer space and the subjective interior of the human psyche.
Some are drawn to the “outer pole.” People like Elon Musk and those who work for agencies such as NASA continue to carry the pioneer’s torch, hoping to take steps — great or small — toward making humanity a truly interstellar species.
Still, others are drawn toward the “inner pole.” Psychologists, neuroscientists, and modern gurus are fascinated by the experiential depth that characterizes the human mind, as well as the problems that arise when we try to delineate objective truth in what appears to be a sea of subjective human perceptions.
