Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Conversation begins at 12:55
With his fantastic new book, MYSTICISM (NYRB, bookshop.org/a/4669/9781681378244), philosopher Simon Critchley (https://simon-critchley.com) explores mystic traditions from medieval Christianity to the present. We talk about the evolving definition of mysticism, its female-centric history, how it's not just the moment of revelation but the adoption of a form practice (like Julian of Norwich's half-day of revelations and ~40 years of theological examination of them), and whether today's aesthetic experiences can truly be a substitute for the religious transcendence of the past. We get into attention as a form of mysticism and close reading as a form of attention, how we can try to overcome this age of distraction upon distraction, what it means to de-create our creaturely self and 'get out of our own way', how philosophy treated religion as bonkers, and why he's drawn to the weirdness of Christianity. We also discuss how he's made a publishing career out of death, how we each faced our theoretical deaths and found liberation in their wake, the music he makes with his oldest friend, John Simmons (instagram.com/critchley_and_simmons/), how Brian Eno's concept of a Scenius is hard to create virtually, how his life and his teaching have changed since the pandemic began, The Time He Got To Meet Nick Cave (grr!), and a lot more. Follow Simon on Instagram (instagram.com/critchls/) and Facebook (facebook.com/simon.critchley.140/) • More info at chimeraobscura.com/vm/episode-610-simon-critchley • Support The Virtual Memories Show via patreon.com/vmspod or paypal.me/vmspod and via our e-newsletter, https://buttondown.email/vmspod
Conversation begins at 12:55
With his fantastic new book, MYSTICISM (NYRB, bookshop.org/a/4669/9781681378244), philosopher Simon Critchley (https://simon-critchley.com) explores mystic traditions from medieval Christianity to the present. We talk about the evolving definition of mysticism, its female-centric history, how it's not just the moment of revelation but the adoption of a form practice (like Julian of Norwich's half-day of revelations and ~40 years of theological examination of them), and whether today's aesthetic experiences can truly be a substitute for the religious transcendence of the past. We get into attention as a form of mysticism and close reading as a form of attention, how we can try to overcome this age of distraction upon distraction, what it means to de-create our creaturely self and 'get out of our own way', how philosophy treated religion as bonkers, and why he's drawn to the weirdness of Christianity. We also discuss how he's made a publishing career out of death, how we each faced our theoretical deaths and found liberation in their wake, the music he makes with his oldest friend, John Simmons (instagram.com/critchley_and_simmons/), how Brian Eno's concept of a Scenius is hard to create virtually, how his life and his teaching have changed since the pandemic began, The Time He Got To Meet Nick Cave (grr!), and a lot more. Follow Simon on Instagram (instagram.com/critchls/) and Facebook (facebook.com/simon.critchley.140/) • More info at chimeraobscura.com/vm/episode-610-simon-critchley • Support The Virtual Memories Show via patreon.com/vmspod or paypal.me/vmspod and via our e-newsletter, https://buttondown.email/vmspod
