Brandon Ferry - Ecstasy

In relation to the Van Der Lew text, I found the idea of ecstasy as inherently fascinating despite its complex ideology. The notion of "standing beside oneself" is a crazy concept to me and I can't help but think there are many times in my own life where I may or may not have experienced true ecstasy. Defined as being so overcome with positive emotion that it feels like you are experiencing it outside of yourself, I feel as if the ingesting of a psycho stimulant may be needed to feel that high on life. When I saw 127 Hours, I regarded the scene where Aron Ralston cuts off his own arm as a euphoric exercise of choosing life over death. Although he was in a great deal of pain, the feeling he must have experienced of being free while being lightheaded from maiming himself must have been indescribable to someone who has not encountered such a life-altering event. Ecstasy may be something I will encounter later in my life, and until that day comes, I will continue to speculate on the idea of sitting beside oneself.