Epiphany (feeling)

Epiphany (feeling)

An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something. The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that the claimant has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture," or has new information or experience, often insignificant by itself, that illuminates a deeper or numinous foundational frame of reference.

The word's secular usage may owe some of its popularity to James Joyce, who expounded on its meaning in the fragment "Stephen Hero" and the novel "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (1916). Referring to those times in his life when something became manifest, a deep realisation, he would then attempt to write this epiphanic realisation in a fragment. Joyce also used epiphany as a literary device within each short story of his collection "Dubliners" (1914) as his protagonists came to sudden recognitions that changed their view of themselves or their social condition and often sparking a reversal or change of heart.

For the philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas, epiphany or a manifestation of the divine is seen in another's face (see face-to-face).

To this day in traditional and pre-modern cultures, initiation rites and mystery religions have served as vehicles of epiphany, as well as the arts. The Greek dramatists and poets, would, in the ideal, induct the audience into states of "catharsis" or "kenosis", respectively. In modern times an epiphany lies behind the title of William Burroughs' "Naked Lunch", a drug-influenced state, as Burroughs explained, “a frozen moment when everyone sees what is at the end of the fork.” Both the Dadaist Marcel Duchamp and the Pop Artist Andy Warhol would invert expectations by presenting commonplace objects or graphics as works of fine art, simply by presenting them in a way no one had thought to do before; the result was intended to induce an epiphany of "what art is" or is not.

Epiphanies of sudden comprehension have also made possible forward leaps in technology and the sciences. Famous epiphanies include Archimedes' realisation of how to estimate the volume of a given mass, which inspired him to shout "Eureka!" ("I have found it!"). The biographies of many mathematicians and scientists include an epiphanic episode early in the career, the ramifications of which were worked out in detail over the following years. For example, Albert Einstein was struck as a young child by being given a compass, and realising that some unseen force in space was making it move. An example of a flash of holistic understanding in a prepared mind was Charles Darwin's "hunch" (about natural selection) during The Voyage of the Beagle.

The word "zen" is sometimes used as a verb in the same sense as epiphany, to mean acquiring a sudden comprehension. Zen is similar to grokking, but not done over time. The Zen term "kensho" would more accurately describe this moment, referring as "kensho" does, to the feeling attendant on realising, for example, the answer to the question set by a "koan".

ee also

*Lateral thinking
*"Gnosis"
*Anagnorisis

External links

* [http://www.mrbauld.com/epiphany.html Joyce's Epiphany]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Epiphany — may refer to:* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday on January 6 celebrating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus * Epiphany (feeling), the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something * Theophany, an… …   Wikipedia

  • Epiphany (holiday) — This article is about the feast day. For the feeling, see Epiphany (feeling). Epiphany, (Koine Greek: ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, manifestation , striking appearance ,[1]) or Theophany, (Ancient Greek (ἡ) Θεοφάνεια, Τheophaneia,[2]) meaning vision of… …   Wikipedia

  • Epiphany (Angel) — Infobox Television episode Title = Epiphany Series = Angel Caption = {Caption|} Season = 2 Episode = 16 Airdate = February 27, 2001 Production = 2ADH16 Writer = Tim Minear Director = Thomas J. Wright Guests = Elisabeth Röhm (Kate) Andy Hallett… …   Wikipedia

  • epiphany — noun /ɪˈpɪf.ə.ni,ɛˈpɪf.ə.ni,ɪˈpɪf.ə.ni,əˈpɪf.ə.ni/ a) A manifestation or appearance of a divine or superhuman being. b) An illuminating realization or discovery, often resulting in a personal feeling of elation, awe …   Wiktionary

  • Новелла — Эта статья в данный момент активно редактируется участником Ghirlandajo. Пожалуйста, не вносите в неё никаких изменений до тех пор, пока не исчезнет это объявление. В противном случае могут возникнуть конфликты редактирования. Данное… …   Википедия

  • Divine inspiration — may refer to: Revelation Biblical inspiration, inspiration from the Christian bible to those of the Christian faith The ancient Greek Muses were said to be supernatural forces of inspiration on par with fate or the gods Epiphany (feeling), the… …   Wikipedia

  • List of past General Hospital characters — The following is a list of notable past characters from the soap opera, General Hospital who are not notable enough for their own articles. Characters are listed based on the decade in which they first appeared. Contents 1 2010 present 1.1 Warren …   Wikipedia

  • List of miscellaneous General Hospital characters — The following are notable characters from the American soap opera General Hospital who do not warrant individual articles. Contents 1 Shawn Butler 2 Max Giambetti …   Wikipedia

  • American Beauty (film) — American Beauty Theatrical release poster Directed by Sam Mendes …   Wikipedia

  • biblical literature — Introduction       four bodies of written works: the Old Testament writings according to the Hebrew canon; intertestamental works, including the Old Testament Apocrypha; the New Testament writings; and the New Testament Apocrypha.       The Old… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”