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Dreaming the End of the World: Apocalypse as a Rite of Passage
Ortiz Hill looks closely into one hundred end-of-world dreams and uncovers the myths ruling our fears and hopes. In his foreword to this new edition, Ortiz Hill calls September 11, 2001 "the blade of initiation, dividing who we were from who we are called to be . . . I invite the reader to the wilderness, to the beginning of the apocalyptic rite of passage . . . I offer this book with a single Beware the seduction of the image, mine and others, for the myth of apocalypse seeks to enthrall us into an epic fiction with very real consequences. Beware the fascination with what is larger than life, this vulgar Passion Play that would crucify the world."
- GenresNonfictionPhilosophy
210 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 31, 2013
This is an odd but fascinating book for anyone interested in dreams (And who isn't at least passively interested in their dreams?).
The author has spent many years compiling accounts of apocalyptic dreams that people have experienced in the decades since World War II. A good deal of the book is dedicated to categorizing and recounting those dreams. The dream descriptions are, as one would expect, at turns gripping, frightening, bizarre, and sometimes graphic (just a fair warning).
Ortiz's intention in writing this book, however, goes beyond merely recounting dreams of death and destruction. Almost immediately, he explains his theory that our modern culture is living in a sort of denial about its own ability to destroy itself, and that our apocalyptic visions are the subconcious' effort to force us to confront this grim reality. It is his further claim that these dreams reveal our need to undergo a symbolic, ritual Apocalypse so that we may better deal with the very real threats to our world. This is the basic premise and his arguments are interesting but not entirely convinving. (Or perhaps I'm too obtuse to understand them.) As with many books of this nature, his arguments rely on theories of the collective unconscious, which imply the presence of some shadowy reality somewhere between the physical and spiritual. At times he seems to be suggesting that the traditions of ancient death/rebirth rituals, buried somewhere deep in out inherited memories, are calling out to us in our dreams.
His command that we as a people must engage in a ritual apocalypse is interesting but difficult to comprehend, perhaps even to Ortiz himself, as his explanation of how to execute this is fuzzy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the dream accounts, as well as his interpretations of how the subconsious mind processes the horrific concept of nuclear holocaust that our waking mind attempts to brush aside. And at the very least, his assertion that our culture is in a state of denial feels right to me. His proposed method of dealing with this crisis, however, loses me.
The author has spent many years compiling accounts of apocalyptic dreams that people have experienced in the decades since World War II. A good deal of the book is dedicated to categorizing and recounting those dreams. The dream descriptions are, as one would expect, at turns gripping, frightening, bizarre, and sometimes graphic (just a fair warning).
Ortiz's intention in writing this book, however, goes beyond merely recounting dreams of death and destruction. Almost immediately, he explains his theory that our modern culture is living in a sort of denial about its own ability to destroy itself, and that our apocalyptic visions are the subconcious' effort to force us to confront this grim reality. It is his further claim that these dreams reveal our need to undergo a symbolic, ritual Apocalypse so that we may better deal with the very real threats to our world. This is the basic premise and his arguments are interesting but not entirely convinving. (Or perhaps I'm too obtuse to understand them.) As with many books of this nature, his arguments rely on theories of the collective unconscious, which imply the presence of some shadowy reality somewhere between the physical and spiritual. At times he seems to be suggesting that the traditions of ancient death/rebirth rituals, buried somewhere deep in out inherited memories, are calling out to us in our dreams.
His command that we as a people must engage in a ritual apocalypse is interesting but difficult to comprehend, perhaps even to Ortiz himself, as his explanation of how to execute this is fuzzy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the dream accounts, as well as his interpretations of how the subconsious mind processes the horrific concept of nuclear holocaust that our waking mind attempts to brush aside. And at the very least, his assertion that our culture is in a state of denial feels right to me. His proposed method of dealing with this crisis, however, loses me.
March 2, 2009
interpretations of end of the world dreams that help us see the dire need to go through apocalypse as a rite of passage-or we will act it out physically and unconsciously. a profound and much needed reflection. i highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews