LONELINESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, & DEATH
short description:
This seminar for advanced sufferers
will explore whatever dimensions of our
Existential Predicament or Malaise
the participants choose: existential loneliness,
depression, absurdity, meaninglessness,
void, anxiety, splitting, guilt, death,
despair, or insecurity.
The text of the same name costs $45
—less if the class decides to read
and discuss only some of the chapters.
one-page course description:
OUR EXISTENTIAL PREDICAMENT:
LONELINESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, & DEATH
This seminar will explore the deepest
existential or spiritual suffering that comes with being a human person.
Only a few people are aware of this level of suffering
because we are usually preoccupied with the practical problems of living.
The philosophical background of this study
includes the works of Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
and Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
It is a seminar in existential psychology or existential phenomenology.
But the deepest exploration will take place not in the library
but in our own inwardness—in our human spirits.
The text for this seminar emerged from several years
of just such discussions among sensitive, inward persons,
people who knew that there was something fundamentally wrong
with their existence and who wanted to explore
just what this problem might be.
We do not need to face this advanced suffering alone.
In the presence of other sensitive persons of spirit
—and with their help—
we can explore the depths of our Malaise.
The concept of our Existential Predicament
is a reformulation of a phenomenon
(or perhaps several related phenomena)
that has been known to human beings
since the dawn of self-awareness.
In the earliest phases of human thinking,
this Dilemma, Predicament, or Malaise
was usually expressed in mythological terms.
But later philosophy and psychology attempted to explain our Malaise
using various philosophical and psychological models.
This seminar draws on the most advanced human thinking
to probe the depths of our hidden suffering.
The table of contents for Our Existential Predicament appears below.
except the longest chapters—anxiety and death—
which should be given 3 or 4 sessions each.
Because this complete seminar would then take 17 or 18 sessions,
most sponsors will select the most important chapters
to include in any particular seminar.
Or the whole content could be covered
in a series of three or four seminars of about 4 or 5 session each.) In the following table of contents,
you can click any chapter title to see
the specific contents of that chapter,
including its first page or two.
Introduction Transcending Our Existential Predicament
Chapter 1 Existential Loneliness :
Deeper than the Reach of Love
Chapter 2 Existential Depression :
Deeper than Psychological Depression
Chapter 3 Existential Absurdity :
Is Life Worth Living?
Chapter 4 Existential Meaninglessness :
The Collapse of 'Meanings' and Illusions
Chapter 5 The Existential Void :
Discovering Our Bottomless Emptiness
Chapter 6 Existential Anxiety :
Angst
Chapter 7 Existential Splitting :
Søren Kierkegaard's Sickness Unto Death
Chapter 8 Existential Guilt :
Deeper than Moral Conscience
Chapter 9 An Existential Understanding of Death :
A Phenomenology of Ontological Anxiety
Chapter 10 Existential Despair :
Floating Down the River of Despair
Chapter 11 Existential Insecurity :
When all Security-Operations Fail
Afterword Obstacles to Existential Freedom
The whole book costs $45 wholesale ($100 retail).
This is the fifth edition, 2006.
This high price puts the book out of range
for most adult education programs,
but college classes in existentialism might use it.
Wherever the cost of the text is an issue,
the instructor might decide to use only some of the chapters,
which can be printed especially for that class.
Each of the basic 11 chapters
explores our Existential Predicament is a slightly different way.
Readers and seminar-leaders can select the most interesting perspectives.
The Introduction prepares us for becoming aware
of our usually-hidden Existential Malaise.
As we honor our sensitivity and subjectivity,
we become open for the disclosure of depths in ourselves
that are seldom discussed in psychology and philosophy.
we have acknowledged and explored our Existential Predicament.
Once we profoundly know our Dilemma,
we will still have to face the problems of resolving it.
syllabus for distant learners:
Because only a few peopleare ready to acknowledge their Existential Predicament
in any given time and place,
this seminar lends itself especially well to individual exploration.
Here is the synopsis of each chapter:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/XP-SYN.html
And here you will find the beginning of each chapter,
including its outline:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/XP.html
Over 50 pages of the book are published on the Internet,
which should give you enough free samples
for you to decide just where to begin reading.
These synopses, outlines, and excerpts
should help you decide which ways of experiencing
our Existential Predicament are most relevant to you.
Complete bibliographical details:
TITLE: Our Existential Predicament
SUBTITLE: Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, & Death
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CALL NUMBER: B819.P37 2006)
NUMBER OF PAGES: 312
SIZE: 8-1/2 inches wide X 11 inches high X 3/4 inch thick.
PUBLISHER: Existential Books
PUBLICATION DATE: April 9, 2006—5th edition
BINDING: aluminum screw posts (5)
BINDING: comb
BINDING: loose-leaf notebook
ISBN: 978-0-89231-950-3
WEBSITE FOR THIS BOOK:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/XP.html
LIST PRICE: $100 US
WHOLESALE PRICE: $45
PDF: $19
If you are not sure you are quite ready to tackle
a huge study of our Existential Predicament,
a much shorter book has been created summarizing the main thesis:
Opening to Grace: Transcending our Spiritual Malaise:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/OG.html
This book uses some religious language,
but it is not sectarian in tone.
Any open-minded person in spiritual quest
(regardless of religious background and/or present belief or non-belief)
should be able to follow this study-book.
Additional books will be found
in the Existential Spirituality Bibliography:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/B-XSP.html
presenting in very brief format
the basic themes of our Existential Predicament:
"Loneliness of Spirit: Deeper than the Reach of Love":
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/CY-LONE.html
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/CY-DEP.html
"Looking for the Meaning of Life":
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/CY-MEAN.html
After you have begun your own reading program,
you may have some question and comments
you would like to share with someone else who understands the problem.
The author of Our Existential Predicament:
Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, & Death
offers this service free of charge:
Send your responses, comments, & questions to:
James Park e-mail: PARKx032@TC.UMN.EDU
This offer also applies to groups of people
who are getting together to discuss our Existential Predicament.
Send your comments, questions, etc. to James Park,
who should be able to answer them by e-mail
before your next meeting.
electronic options
In 2009, a Facebook Page was established for Existential Spirituality.
In 2010, a virtual seminar was proposed using the Yahoo Group called Existential Freedom.
This world-wide discussion was listed by the Experimental College of the Twin Cities as
"Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, & Death: Our Existential Predicament".
Click this title for complete information.
suggestions for offering this class in adult education programs or college courses:
1. Discussion leader.
It might be difficult to find an appropriate discussion leader
because the content of the text for this class is difficult and unfamiliar.
Anyone who undertakes to lead such a seminar
should take as much time as necessary to read Our Existential Predicament
and other supporting material.
Any questions that arise for the facilitator
can be sent to the author before the class begins.
This book could also be used in a college course in existentialism
or a class specifically on the existential spirituality of Søren Kierkegaard
or the existential phenomenology of Martin Heidegger.
The author will also be available by e-mail during any class or seminar,
but the facilitator should know the subject as well as possible
before offering a class on our Existential Malaise.
2. Course title.
Certainly at first, you are not going to offer this whole class.
Therefore you need a more limited title
describing just which aspects of our Existential Malaise
you are planing to cover.
Some possibilities:
EXISTENTIAL ANXIETY: ANGST
LONELINESS, ABSURDITY, & MEANINGLESSNESS
DEPRESSION, DESPAIR, & THE VOID
If the first limited class, using only a few themes, is well received
and if the participants in that course wish to discuss
other dimensions of our Existential Dilemma,
then another class on other themes could be offered,
inviting new people to join.
Alternative titles for the class (or series of classes):
OUR EXISTENTIAL MALAISE:
LONELINESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, & DEATH
OUR EXISTENTIAL DILEMMA:
LONELINESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, & DEATH
3. Alternative course.
Since the above course is advanced and demanding,
it might be wise to begin with a simpler course
based on another book by the same author:
Opening to Grace: Transcending Our Spiritual Malaise:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/OG.html
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/D-OG.html
Created June 3, 2001; revised 8-21-2007; 12-5-2008; early 2009; 12-11-2009; 9-28-2012
Go to more information about the author's career in alternative adult education,
including other possible courses.
Go to the EXISTENTIALISM page.
Go to the Existential Spirituality index page.
Go to the beginning of this website
James Leonard Park—Free Library
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