The World in Singing Made: David Markson's "Wittgenstein's Mistress"

In line with Wittgenstein's axiom that "what the solipsist means is quite correct; only it cannot be said, but makes itself manifest," this thesis aims to demonstrate how the gulf between analytic and continental philosophy can best be bridged through the mediation of art. The present thesis brings attention to Markson's work, lauded in the tradition of Faulkner, Joyce, and Lowry, as exemplary of the shift from modernity to postmodernity, wherein the human heart is not only in conflict with itself, but with the language out of which it is necessarily constituted. Markson limns the paradoxical condition of the subject severed from intersubjectivity, and affected not only by the grief of bereavement, which can be defined in Heideggarian terms as anxiety for the ontic negation of a being (i.e., death), but by loss, which I assert is the ontological ground for how Dasein encounters the nothing in anxiety proper.

Nec(Romantic)

NEC(ROMANTIC) is a poetry collection thematically linked through images of insects, celestial bodies, bones, and other elements of the supernatural. These images are indicative of spells, but the parenthesis around romantic in the collection’s title also implies idealism. The poems explore the author’s experiences with death, grief, love, oppression, and addiction. NEC(ROMANTIC) employs the use of traditional forms such as the villanelle, sestina, and haiku to organize these experiences. Prose poetry and a peca kucha ground the center of NEC(ROMANTIC) which alternates between lyrical and narrative gestures. NEC(ROMANTIC) is influenced by Sylvia Plath. The author uses Plath’s methods of compression, sound, and rhythm to create a swift, child-like tone when examining emotionally laden topics. Ilya Kaminsky influences lyrical elements of the poems, including surrealism. Spencer Reese’s combination of the natural and personal world is also paramount to this book. Adrienne Rich and Audre Lorde influence NEC(ROMANTIC)’s political poetry.

Sonho e cura: o culto de Asclépio em Epidauro entre os séculos IV e II a. C.

Profound changes have marked Greek society from the fourth century B.C.. Conquests, wars and epidemics altered drastically the Greek’s posture regarding his public life, his conception of gods and hence the construction of their spaces, whether sacred or profane. Through the fonts, we perceived that the cult of god Asklepeios turned very popular, in this context, for the peculiar way that the god relates to his devotees, through the dreams. We know that the dream was held, for the Greeks, as a space of real existence, it was sacred, and could be accessed in the healing rituals of Asklepios. Our work intends, thereby, to understand the curious and peculiar oniric space, mainly through the inscriptions, architectural structures of the sanctuary and the ancient texts that refer to the context of the period, because we understand that this space was the essential condition for the popularization of the cult, it placed the individual in direct contact with the divinity, a rare closeness between men and gods accepted by the greek imagery until then.

Imaginários da morte: poética das imagens em cemitérios brasileiros

The thesis presented is committed to a poetic reading that results in the creation of meaning and images of the death from the various cultural practices and symbolic representations exposed in urban cemeteries in some Brazilian cities, aiming to give visibility to new understandings about the imaginary of the in the contemporary scene. Death, therefore, will be seen as a imagining condition of anthroposwhen starts itself from the prerogative of the human consciousness of death (MORIN, 1970), in other words, this awareness that man has he will die and that triggers reflections about their existence allows the emergence of a number of practices such as: mourning, funeral rituals and the creation of several impregnated representations of human emotions emerged from the death facing the man and present, in a more evident form in cemeterial spaces. For this, it focuses on the conflictuous dimension that man establishes with death, because the cultural practices and symbolic representations observed in the research field are the result of this conflict and allow the expansion of the senses about this issue, to the extent that these are coated with a fantastic aura, mystical, secret, spooky, fearful, religious, building a complex imagination. The general plan of this study is to discuss and create, from a phenomenology of imagination and materials / dynamics imagination, as well as along the lines treated by Gaston Bachelard, images of death, from a field experience in cemeteries in Brazil. For this, it is assumed, to observe the cultural practices and symbolic representations in these spaces, a posture able to make the experience into the search field a moment of symbolic exchanges and creation. Thus, it was used observation, conversations with visitors and employees of the cemeteries and the capture of photographic records. The data produced as a fragment of a conversation, a tearful outburst about the loss of a relative, a melancholic epitaph, a flower on the grave or a cry captured by photography were seen as detonators of meanings and a poetic of the imagination.

Imaginários da morte: poética das imagens em cemitérios brasileiros

The thesis presented is committed to a poetic reading that results in the creation of meaning and images of the death from the various cultural practices and symbolic representations exposed in urban cemeteries in some Brazilian cities, aiming to give visibility to new understandings about the imaginary of the in the contemporary scene. Death, therefore, will be seen as a imagining condition of anthroposwhen starts itself from the prerogative of the human consciousness of death (MORIN, 1970), in other words, this awareness that man has he will die and that triggers reflections about their existence allows the emergence of a number of practices such as: mourning, funeral rituals and the creation of several impregnated representations of human emotions emerged from the death facing the man and present, in a more evident form in cemeterial spaces. For this, it focuses on the conflictuous dimension that man establishes with death, because the cultural practices and symbolic representations observed in the research field are the result of this conflict and allow the expansion of the senses about this issue, to the extent that these are coated with a fantastic aura, mystical, secret, spooky, fearful, religious, building a complex imagination. The general plan of this study is to discuss and create, from a phenomenology of imagination and materials / dynamics imagination, as well as along the lines treated by Gaston Bachelard, images of death, from a field experience in cemeteries in Brazil. For this, it is assumed, to observe the cultural practices and symbolic representations in these spaces, a posture able to make the experience into the search field a moment of symbolic exchanges and creation. Thus, it was used observation, conversations with visitors and employees of the cemeteries and the capture of photographic records. The data produced as a fragment of a conversation, a tearful outburst about the loss of a relative, a melancholic epitaph, a flower on the grave or a cry captured by photography were seen as detonators of meanings and a poetic of the imagination.

O Ensino de ligações químicas por meio do conceito de energia: uma proposta didática para o ensino médio

This work presents discussions on the teaching of Chemical Bonds in high school and some implications of this approach in learning chemistry by students. In general, understanding how the chemicals combine to form substances and compounds, it is a key point for understanding the properties of substances and their structure. In this sense, the chemical bonds represent an extremely important issue, and their knowledge is essential for a better understanding of the changes occurring in our world. Despite these findings, it is observed that the way in which this concept is discussed in chemistry class has contributed, paradoxically, to the emergence of several alternative designs, making the understanding of the subject by students. It is believed that one of the explanations for these observations is the exclusive use of the "octet rule" as an explanatory model for the Chemical Bonds. The use of such a model over time eventually replace chemical principles that gave rise to it, transforming knowledge into a series of uninteresting rituals and even confusing for students. Based on these findings, it is deemed necessary a reformulation in the way to approach this content in the classroom, taking into account especially the fact that the explanations of the formation of substances should be based on the energy concept, which is fundamental to understanding how atoms combine. Thus, the main question of the survey and described here of the following question: Can the development of an explanatory model for the Chemical Bonds in high school based on the concept of energy and without the need to use the "octet rule"? Based on the concepts and methodologies of modeling activity, we sought the development of a teaching model was made through Teaching Units designed to give subsidies to high school teachers to address the chemical bonds through the concept of energy. Through this work it is intended to make the process of teaching and learning of Chemical Bonds content becomes more meaningful to students, developing models that contribute to the learning of this and hence other basic fundamentals of chemistry.

Does worry affect adjustment to bereavement? A longitudinal investigation

This work was supported with a ZonMw TOP grant of the Dutch Association for Scientific Research (NWO), grant number: 91208009.

O Ensino de ligações químicas por meio do conceito de energia: uma proposta didática para o ensino médio

This work presents discussions on the teaching of Chemical Bonds in high school and some implications of this approach in learning chemistry by students. In general, understanding how the chemicals combine to form substances and compounds, it is a key point for understanding the properties of substances and their structure. In this sense, the chemical bonds represent an extremely important issue, and their knowledge is essential for a better understanding of the changes occurring in our world. Despite these findings, it is observed that the way in which this concept is discussed in chemistry class has contributed, paradoxically, to the emergence of several alternative designs, making the understanding of the subject by students. It is believed that one of the explanations for these observations is the exclusive use of the "octet rule" as an explanatory model for the Chemical Bonds. The use of such a model over time eventually replace chemical principles that gave rise to it, transforming knowledge into a series of uninteresting rituals and even confusing for students. Based on these findings, it is deemed necessary a reformulation in the way to approach this content in the classroom, taking into account especially the fact that the explanations of the formation of substances should be based on the energy concept, which is fundamental to understanding how atoms combine. Thus, the main question of the survey and described here of the following question: Can the development of an explanatory model for the Chemical Bonds in high school based on the concept of energy and without the need to use the "octet rule"? Based on the concepts and methodologies of modeling activity, we sought the development of a teaching model was made through Teaching Units designed to give subsidies to high school teachers to address the chemical bonds through the concept of energy. Through this work it is intended to make the process of teaching and learning of Chemical Bonds content becomes more meaningful to students, developing models that contribute to the learning of this and hence other basic fundamentals of chemistry.

Seven Photographs of Cerridwen Salon events

Inscription: Verso: Cerridwen Salon, New York, ritual.

Seven Photographs of Cerridwen Salon events

Inscription: Verso: Cerridwen Salon, New York, ripening ritual.

Beyond the Convent Walls: The Local and Japan-wide Activities of Daihongan’s Nuns in the Early Modern Period (c. 1550–1868)

This dissertation examines the social and financial activities of Buddhist nuns to demonstrate how and why they deployed Buddhist doctrines, rituals, legends, and material culture to interact with society outside the convent. By examining the activities of the nuns of the Daihongan convent (one of the two administrative heads of the popular pilgrimage temple, Zenkōji) in Japan’s early modern period (roughly 1550 to 1868) as documented in the convent’s rich archival sources, I shed further light on the oft-overlooked political and financial activities of nuns, illustrate how Buddhist institutions interacted with the laity, provide further nuance to the discussion of how Buddhist women navigated patriarchal sectarian and secular hierarchies, and, within the field of Japanese history, give voice to women who were active outside of the household unit around which early modern Japanese society was organized.

Zenkōji temple, surrounded by the mountains of Nagano, has been one of Japan’s most popular pilgrimage sites since the medieval period. The abbesses of Daihongan, one Zenkōji’s main sub-temples, traveled widely to maintain connections with elite and common laypeople, participated in frequent country-wide displays of Zenkōji’s icon, and oversaw the creation of branch temples in Edo (now Tokyo), Osaka, Echigo (now Niigata), and Shinano (now Nagano). The abbesses of Daihongan were one of only a few women to hold the imperially sanctioned title of eminent person (shōnin 上人) and to wear purple robes. While this means that this Pure Land convent was in some ways not representative of all convents in early modern Japan, Daihongan’s position is particularly instructive because the existence of nuns and monks in a single temple complex allows us to see in detail how monastics of both genders interacted in close quarters.

This work draws heavily from the convent’s archival materials, which I used as a guide in framing my dissertation chapters. In the Introduction I discuss previous works on women in Buddhism. In Chapter 1, I briefly discuss the convent’s history and its place within the Zenkōji temple complex. In Chapter 2, I examine the convent’s regular economic bases and its expenditures. In Chapter 3, I highlight Daihongan’s branch temples and discuss the ways that they acted as nodes in a network connecting people in various areas to Daihongan and Zenkōji, thus demonstrating how a rural religious center extended its sphere of influence in urban settings. In Chapter 4, I discuss the nuns’ travels throughout the country to generate new and maintain old connections with the imperial court in Kyoto, confraternities in Osaka, influential women in the shogun’s castle, and commoners in Edo. In Chapter 5, I examine the convent’s reliance upon irregular means of income such as patronage, temple lotteries, loans, and displays of treasures, and how these were needed to balance irregular expenditures such as travel and the maintenance or reconstruction of temple buildings. Throughout the dissertation I describe Daihongan’s inner social structure comprised of abbesses, nuns, and administrators, and its local emplacement within Zenkōji and Zenkōji’s temple lands.

Exploring these themes sheds light on the lives of Japanese Buddhist nuns in this period. While the tensions between freedom and agency on the one hand and obligations to patrons, subordination to monks, or gender- and status-based restrictions on the other are important, and I discuss them in my work, my primary focus is on the nuns’ activities and lives. Doing so demonstrates that nuns were central figures in ever-changing economic and social networks as they made and maintained connections with the outside world through Buddhist practices and through precedents set centuries before. This research contributes to our understanding of nuns in Japan’s early modern period and will participate in and shape debates on the roles of women in patriarchal religious hierarchies.

The spiritual and professional impact of stillbirth

Stillbirth is without question one of the most devastating experiences of grief for parents and families. The death of a baby is also a distressing experience for healthcare professionals who share hopes of a live healthy baby at the end of pregnancy. It is a sad reality however, that in Ireland one in 238 babies will die before birth. The creation and nurture of new life in pregnancy is a spiritual experience as a new baby is at the same time experienced and anticipated. There is little in the published literature concerning the spiritual impact of stillbirth on healthcare chaplains who are the main providers of spiritual care for parents and staff colleagues in Irish maternity units. In addition there are few qualitative studies that explore the impact of stillbirth on consultant obstetricians and no published studies on the spiritual impact of stillbirth on bereaved parents. This study explored the spiritual and professional impact of stillbirth on Irish maternity healthcare chaplains, consultant obstetricians and bereaved parents. Following an overall review of spiritual care provision following stillbirth in the Irish maternity services, thematic analysis was used in the first phase of the study following in-depth interviews with maternity healthcare chaplains. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used in the second and third phases with consultant obstetricians and bereaved parents respectively. The data from both maternity healthcare chaplains and consultant obstetricians revealed that stillbirth posed immense personal, spiritual and professional challenges. Chaplains expressed the spiritual and professional impact of stillbirth in terms of perception of their role, suffering, doubt and presence as they provided care for bereaved parents. A review of spiritual care provision in the Irish maternity services revealed a diversity of practice. The data from consultant obstetricians identified considerable personal, professional and spiritual impact following stillbirth that was identified in superordinate themes of human response to stillbirth, weight of professional responsibility, conflict of personal faith and incongruence between personal faith and professional practice. Data from bereaved parents revealed that stillbirth was spiritually challenging and all parents expressed that stillbirth posed considerable challenge to their faith/ belief structure. The parents of only three babies felt that their spiritual needs were adequately addressed while in hospital. The data had six superordinate themes of searching for meaning, maintaining hope, importance of personhood, protective care, questioning core beliefs and relationships. Other findings from the data from bereaved parents outlined the importance of environment of care and communication. This study has revealed the immense impact of stillbirth on healthcare chaplains, consultant obstetricians and most especially the spiritual impact for bereaved parents. Recommendations are made for improvements in clinical and spiritual care for bereaved parents following stillbirth and for staff wellbeing and support initiatives. Further research areas are recommended in the areas of spiritual care, theological reflection, bereavement care, post-mortem consent procedures and staff wellbeing.

Crónicas, reliquias, piedras legendarias y coronaciones en la Edad Media

Este artículo es un estudio histórico de la leyenda de la «Piedra del Destino», que fue parte del asiento del trono de coronación de los reyes de Escocia y que fue trasladada a la abadía de Westminster por el rey Eduardo de Inglaterra, que la situó bajo el trono de la coronación de los reyes de Inglaterra. La «Piedra del Destino», como muchas reliquias y antigüedades de la Edad Media, tuvo una larga historia, escrita por cronistas e historiadores. Una historia muy semejante a otras translationes de reliquias. La historia de la «Piedra del Destino» contiene ricos aspectos jurídicos, políticos y sacrales. Para comprenderlos es necesario analizar las crónicas, entendidas como textos históricos, que dan sentido a los rituales jurídicos y políticos de la Edad Media.

Duelo, ansiedad y depresión en familiares de pacientes en una unidad de cuidados paliativos a los dos meses de la pérdida

Aim: This study is going to assess the prevalance of prolonged grief diagnoses and it will evaluate the severity of the symptoms of depression, anxiety and complicated grief two months after a loved one is lost. We also intend to study which variables associated with the risk of grief could be more decisive when diagnosing it, its symptoms and the consequent emotional distress.Method: A total of 66 families of patients in the Palliative Care Unit (PCU) at Hospital San Cecilio in Granada have been evaluated. Measurements were taken two months after the death. This investigation has explored the existing emotional distress using the following questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) and Prolongued Grief Disorder (PG-12).Results: The results show that 33.3% and 21.21% of the sufferers had high levels of depression and clinical anxiety two months after the death. The prevalence of prolongued grief diagnoses, according to the PG-12, is 10.6% and 53.03% of the participants showed symptoms of complicated grief according to the ICG. Additionally, statistically significant differences are found in the sufferers with and without a prolongued grief diagnosis and scores in the ICG and BDI-II. The family’s financial situation is linked to the presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression and complicated grief, with the most determining variable being the risk of grief. Finally, the greater the age of the deceased and the longer the time spent in the PCU is linked to fewer symptoms of grief. However, important links have been found between the sufferers who have experienced stressful critical events prior to losing their loved one, with symptoms of depression, anxiety and complicated grief.Conclusions: The high numbers of cases of symptoms of complicated grief and levels of anxiety and clinical depression two months after a death suggests that early interventions should be carried out in those individuals with greater vulnerability.

Metamorfosis en la energía mítica:de la libido freudiana a la libido electrónica y digital

La historia de la mitología puede ser narrada como la crónica de las sucesivas metamorfosis de las fuentes de energía mítica y sus desplazamientos metafóricos de sentido. La modernidad se distingue por haber descubierto un manantial inédito de energía mítica, la libido freudiana. Desde su despertar surrealista, donde se creía inagotable, hasta su empleo por parte de los dispositivos pulsionales de Internet, el imaginario de la libido freudiana está sufriendo una mutación como libido digital: una crisis energética que supone una lectura renovada del imaginario edípico (crisis de la diacronía) y un estudio de sus más recientes rituales electrónicos (crisis de la sincronía) en la era de Internet.