Monster Madness

We are limited by the way we describe the world. Descartes transforms and stirs consciousness, forcing our Cartesian way of thinking. Our fascination with the mind-body split is evident in our allure of the supernatural; what we don’t know and maybe can’t even explain.

            The Cartesian view holds reason high on the pedestal; we seek logical explanations for the world. Nature is used to explain itself. One attribute that I’d relate to Cartesian-ism is the unquenchable thirst to know as much as there is to know about everything there is to know. Here is where the draw of the supernatural comes into play. TV shows, movies, books, and basically anything you can think of have been constructed around monsters, ghosts, aliens, etc. Many peoples first response to the legitimacy of the supernatural or unexplainable is that of condescension and disbelief. If it cannot be naturally explained it can’t be real, a “pics or it didn’t happen” mentality. This is just our reason backing up our Cartesian point of view. Why then are we still enthralled with the supernatural? This is where the drive to know and explain comes into play. Anything supernatural is near the opposite of the Cartesian thought, which is where the attraction stems from. The supernatural world doesn’t follow Cartesian perspectives. There is no reason behind magic. The emphasis on the body or shape of monsters or aliens and the consequences that follow is critical to the supernatural world. Reason doesn’t necessarily ever need to come into play in the supernatural world and there needn’t be a conscious split between mind and body.

            Infatuation with monsters and the paranormal is evident everywhere despite our Cartesian ways. The supernatural refutes the need for reason and natural explanation. In science, if data doesn’t support the hypothesis it’s disregarded because it doesn’t aid in the explanation. Everything is relevant when it comes to the supernatural because the boundaries we place on our natural world are non-existent. Interest in the supernatural allows us to wrestle with our Cartesian thinking and call into question how we view the world. Reflection on ones mentality and world outlook is crucial throughout life and anything that stirs up the thoughts and truly makes you evaluate yourself is, in my opinion, more than welcome. I think our Cartesian reason keeps us grounded, but also stimulates the idea that there is quite possibly the unexplainable lurking if we could just get out of our minds.