Peculiar worlds

“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.”

H. P. Lovecraft

I always loved reading science-fiction books. I am especially attracted to those writers that in their books have created a whole mythical universe. The mythical worlds can be worlds occupied by hobbits and dwarves, funny villains or people that travel in different dimensions. This is the reason that I love the Lord of the Rings, the Discworld and Stephen King’s odd places. But there was one writer that creates such an atmosphere in his books that enabled me to think that I am travelling in these peculiar worlds and meeting these peculiar creatures. His name is Howard Philip Lovecraft and his books have influenced many writers, musicians and the pop culture.

He was born in 1890 in Rhode Island. His father died when he was young and he was raised by his mother. He barely went to school as he had a fragile health. As a young boy he wrote a lot of poetry and his grandfather was the one that encouraged him to read fiction. He had many emotional difficulties as a child as his family poor financial state, the death of his grandfather and his mother admission to a mental hospital made him contemplate ending his life. Later one in his life he got married but shortly divorced. In the last decade of his life he was very productive as he wrote many stories that all have created a myth as many believed that he is unreal and peculiar. His stories are so powerful that people would believe that some creatures actually existed. He has mostly written short stories some of which are: The Call of Cthulhu, The Shadow over Innsmouth and The Dunwich Horror.

I don’t think that Lovecraft is just another horror fiction writer. His books are not about the endless struggle between good and evil. He presents worlds that drive people insane, our inability to control our actions and describe peculiar gatherings. Unlike other writers he is inspired by dreams and nightmares and many of his stories resemble a travel to a symbolic unconscious. Ultimately maybe his stories were about his struggle within himself and those stories provided a window were he could travel away with his imagination to other worlds that he created scary but yet familiar.

(art by nighty)

The labyrinth of the mind

“Insanity -- a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world”

R.D Laing (psychiatrist)

Suffering from a mental illness is like been trapped in a labyrinth. The labyrinth is dark and vast and it is difficult to find an exit. Those people are often labeled easily by the “normal” ones as being disturbed, crazy and scary. When a murder occurs we are ready to assume that this was an act of an insane person and we are ready to separate us from them because we are normal and they are not. For me what is normal is something relevant and the most gruesome acts can are caused by the so called “normal” people.

Before you haste to condemn and stigmatize someone for being crazy or psycho consider the following facts: People that suffer from a mental illness are not more likely to commit a murder that the so called “normal" people. In particular schizophrenics that have been stigmatized and feared are usually catatonic and passive. They are more likely become a threat to themselves as they often commit suicide and its rare to become a threat to others and can only happen if untreated. If a person that suffers from a mental illness commits a murder do not haste to assume that this happened because he/she had a mental illness. One should consider factors like the experiences and environment that interplay and this can be the cause of the excessive anger that is bottled up inside someone before they commit a crime. Even amongst serial killers what was discovered that they had in common was heavy consumption of alcohol and drugs that can elicit violent behavior. Violent behavior can also be elicited when someone has a personality disorder but again every person that has a personality disorder does not commit homicides. The causes are deeper and more complex and I think really we have to consider them individually with every case. The so called normal people are committing more murders.

The mind is a complex mechanism and there is always logic as to why things happen even behind the most gruesome acts. These acts are disturbing but society itself is disturbing and promotes violence, alienation and insecurity. Moreover, if there is a person that committed a murder and suffered from a mental illness it is sad for people that suffer from a disorder to be stigmatized. What they need is our support, ongoing treatment and a secure base so that they don’t feel that they are falling in the void.

(art by pesare)

A cage went in search of a bird...

A cage went in search of a bird;that is what Kafka was picturing in his mind when he was thinking about human existence. We observe everyday around us the existence of cages that look for people to be caged and people who are doing this willingly. We identify more and more people that prefer the security of a cage to freedom because they are terrified to live in an insecure world. They get inside their cage and even lock the door behind them; sometimes they even shut the windows and each one of you can name what this cage represents.

The cages around us are many and varied and the people that search for a secure cage are increasing. They become entangled in so called secure relationships, they become victims or they just isolate themselves behind closed doors. They become afraid to live, afraid to love and fear of change. They engage in vicious circles of dependence which they are not only unable to escape but unwilling.

The nature of the birds is to try to escape from their cage and similarly this is the nature of human existence. As Kafka was saying the road is endless and nothing can be added or subtracted. Everyone has a measure that they carry from childhood and with this measure they can calculate the length of the road that they want to walk. This part of the road in particularly should be walked and no one can take this from us.The road represents our life and is the road that leads to our personal happiness and no one can take this from us but ourselves.

The cage went in search of a bird but sadly could not find many birds that could fit because their wings were too large and their existence too important so they could not sacrifice security for personal freedom. They preferred to live rather than feel secured in a cage. Besides, a cage is always a cage and there is nothing worse than the imprisonment of one’s spirit and soul.

This was the start and slowly a tremendous noise echoed across the cities. The cages started breaking one after another as no one wanted to use them anymore.

(art by libelle)

You never know someone until you live with them…

It’s so beautiful having people staying in your house and share every day moments with them. I like it because I believe that the every day moments that people share are the moments that really matter and that these little occurrences bring people closer. I don’t feel that the people who share tragic or traumatic events are the ones that bond rather the people that can tolerate each other during their daily routines.

Saying that recently I had visitors in my house and I realized that you never really know someone until you live with them .Going out for a coffee or to a bar can not make you realize if you are compatible with someone. Besides people when they go out as they wear their nice clothes wear also their nice behavior. When you don’t wake up with someone in the same house and observe how they are and behave in their daily routines you never know if you can really connect with them. Something that you can realize either when you stay with someone in the same house or if you go for holidays with them. This is a time that friendships can form and friendships can rupture.

I realized that you never know someone until you live with them twice recently. A person that I had really fun with when we went out and started getting closer invited me for holidays with her friends. The holidays because of her behavior became so unbearable that summer that I wanted to take the boat back home. Something similar happened to me during these holidays as I was surprised with the behavior of my cousin when she had to spend a week in my house. The first few days were nice but then her behavior was so bad that I realized that I did not really know her at all. A few days in my house made me realize how she behaves at home and it really shocked me.

As a student I shared my room and the house I live in with friends. The people that I love the most are people that we have shared our routine and have lived together for a while. They are people that you love simply having a coffee with and engaging in conversations around the table. The friends that you love even more because of how they are in their daily lives. In a house where they have left the nice clothes and their social mask and can not avoid revealing who they really are.

(art by annie julie)

Happy Easter everyone...

The blog is going for holidays so I want to wish you a great time, relax and have fun as much as possible.I know that you will be having many things to do in your free time so I am sure that you will not have too much time for blogging reading.I will come back next week with a new post.I dedicate to you this happy easter bunny card.Have Fun!

(art by krecha)

The tree and the grass

In the countryside a tree and a grass were having a conversation
The grass asked the tree:
"Who do you think is the strongest?"
The tree replied immediately:
"Its me of course.I am the strongest.Look at you you are so short and look so vulnerable.I am tall, I have thick branches,I have leaves and I scare my enemies.I can also live for a thousand years and no one dares to disrespect me."
The grass replied:
"You definitely look strong but appearances can often be misleading.I think that a small grass like me can be stronger that a huge tree."
The tree was furious:
"What are you talking about you must be insane."
The grass explained:
"You look strong and I look fragile but I'm stronger than you tree.When the wind blows you shiver,your leaves fall,your branches may fall and you get hurt because of the wounds that the wind inflicts on you.I may look small and vulnerable but the wind can not hurt me,it can only shake me a bit but I still stand strong.The wind can blow a tall tree like you but it can never blow a small grass.The enemies can locate you when you are like that and hurt you but mine can barely see me because I am so short."
"I told you tree, appearances can be misleading and the strongest can be the one that you expect the least!"

(art by ploop)