When was the last time you had an epiphany?
Thinking about how certain major events could seem so unexpected, and discontinuous with a history that I believe contains one large arc (for clarification, this concerned the relationships between the Hebrew scriptures and those exclusively Christian, but that is outside the question)I was thinking in terms of discontinuities in math, and seeming discontinuities, and had the function x=1/y jump into my head As X increases from negative infinity and approaches 0, Y approaches negative infinity.Without the knowledge of the function, there is no way I would predict what happens next, that as X crosses 0, Y flips and descends positive infinity.Not to get too wrapped in metaphor, but it was a clear example to me of how seemingly unrelated and wildly disparate events (in this case the value of y for x very close to 0) could in fact be related by a very simple and fundamental function if I had the wit to discern it.That graph made me happy for weeks, and it still brings me joy to contemplate it.
Can someone please give me an example of an Epiphany?
An epiphany is when a light bulb suddenly lights above your head. You suddenly 'get it', everything falls into place and you realize something. Have you ever been in a class and the teacher said something that just struck your head like a Chinese gong? It suddenly made a lot of things make sense? Everything sort of gelled together? That's an epiphany. Or you can have a strong opinion about something, but someone says something that just makes you think, and suddenly you realize you've changed your mind. In the Biblical sense, an epiphany is sometimes caused by an angel (or a 'manifestation of god') appearing and imparting some information. If you're familiar with the New Testament, the classic epiphany is Paul on the road to Damascus. Or in the Old Testament, the burning bush that appeared to Moses.
Epiphany: I need an example from a book/movie?
If you've seen the "Usual Suspects", the greatest epiphany scene is when the detective learns he's been totally fooled by Kevin Spacey's character. Another great one is in "Se7en" when Morgan Freeman's character realizes that again Kevin Spacey's character had been playing them all along.
Have you experienced a moment of epiphany?
Lightsc...... got it right, but in my case it was a period of NON-duality which left me with the imossibly strong desire to go back. Knowledge and reality did not, not, mean anything (double "not's are intentional). It is all in the way one views the experience afterwards that matters . . . . .and it does not involve a great bearded icon in flowing robes. Everyone to this point has had the same experience . . . .cool, huh?
Can you get PTSD from an epiphany?
I guess what I'm ultimately asking is, can PTSD begin long after the traumatic event has happened? Years even? I understand that PTSD usually begins right after the traumatic event, whether physical or psychological. Can you get PTSD from suddenly realizing some horrible truth? I guess a hypothetical example would be childhood sexual abuse. Let's say that as a child, you were sexually abused. If the abuser was cunning, then they "groomed" you, tricking you into thinking it was just a fun game. You had no idea at the time that any of this was wrong. So you are not traumatized. Not yet. Then years later, maybe in your teens, you suddenly realize that you weren't playing doctor with your dad all those times. What happened to you was very sick. Surely you will be revolted by this realization. But will you develop PTSD? Triggerings, flashbacks, and everything? Thank you.
Who has the epiphany in "everyday use"?
Not quite sure what you mean. The word 'epiphany', in English English, is generally used to mean a 'sudden realisation' about something. 'It was a bit of an epiphany' is a fairly common phrase. When I caught him stealing from my desk it was a total epiphany: until then, I had thought him to be a true friend.
What was your last epiphany?
My latest epiphany was over some advice on jealousy and selfishness contained in the Quora answer below. I thought I already knew these things but the way he put it hit me on a spot right at the border of my brain and my gut, the place where mind meets emotion, and it was like I heard it clearly for the first time:Are you an introvert, married to an extrovert, and find it difficult to 'share' them in public situations?Johnny Vae, Devil's Advocate or Voice of ReasonAnswered Sep 2Yes, yes, and no.I’m not sure if it’s coming from jealousy or selfishness, but either way I think you should figure this out, for your sake and your wife’s. If you’re asking for yourself, that is.If it’s jealousy then it’s for your sake that you should work it out. And I mean work it out on your own. Bringing this up to your wife is not working it out, it’s simply asking her to stop behavior that makes you feel jealous when that may not be her intention at all, which is unfair to her. Jealousy stems from the fear that someone will steal her away from you, permanently. If you’re jealous, it means you don’t trust your wife completely, and you need to decide if that’s something she’s earned or if it’s something you’ve created.If it’s selfishness then it’s for her sake that you should work it out. Alone. As Introverts, we have vastly different needs, and you need to understand that she needs more than just your marriage. She needs friends, she needs social events, parties, whatever. Pulling her away from those things is eventually going to depress her, because Extroverts need that the same we Introverts need space and solitude. Don’t deprive her of her needs, take the time to train yourself to trust your wife and be happy that she’s getting that social energy that she that she needs.It may be hard to accept that you alone aren’t enough to satisfy her needs, but I’m assuming that you, like me, need your own private time. If your wife respects your need to be alone, why can’t you respect her need to be among friends? Don’t just respect it; support it! A happy wife is a happy life.
What does it feel like to have an epiphany?
So I identify with bipolar tendencies and I experience major epiphanies on a regular basis. Other than this feeling of satisfaction and euphoria where everything's all shiny and the universe suddenly makes sense, there's this interesting lead-up to an epiphany.My mind definitely does acrobatics. I think of it like swinging on vines, because one idea seamlessly connects with the other, and it's an extremely physical sensation like a hand-shake or locking eyes with someone. But I find that I lose momentum by overanalysing my thoughts then 'swing' back and in different directions, grabbing onto whatever I can find and making aberrant connections/associations. Another way of thinking about it is in terms of magnetism. If you're familiar with Harry Potter, there a lot of metaphors which illustrate the point of finding things hidden away by elaborate spells and riddles e.g. the Mirror of Erised, Gringotts vaults, Grimmauld Place, Room of Requirement etc. So there's this 'repulsive' brute force of selfish desire or panic, but an 'attractive' force of necessity.My mind races a lot, it's 'connect. connect. connect' in a very short space of time, which is pretty exhilarating. Watching a stand-up comedian or a Formula 1 driver, I'm pretty sure a similar thing goes on in their head. I think everyone experiences this sensation to an extent. The best example is when you're trying to figure out a maths problem, sleep on it, then suddenly it all makes sense when you wake up. I think stress kills creativity, which is why sleep or meditation probably helps.What I find useful is spending time to feel and think around a question, almost lifting it away from two-dimensonal form and approaching it in as many ways possible. It's important to consider even those tenuous associations non-judgmentally and skim through them like a photo reel. Then, if it's meant to be, the subconscious bit of your brain should tie everything together.