I used to associate the word sublime to something divine, or to something that brings pleasure to our senses. Finding out that terror conduces sublimity was definitely a fresh idea that I was introduced to. Reading Burke's The Sublime gave remedy to some of the puzzlements that 's been lingering in my mind. Like, my wondering about why my little brother is fond of watching National Geographic's Seconds from Disaster and Air Crash Investigation where you see buildings collapse, tsunami, rockets explosions, volcanic eruptions, and other disasters where a number of people dies. Now, it's no longer too murky to fathom this fancy my brother has over seeing things destroyed. As Burke said,"whatever therefore is terrible, with regard to sight is sublime too." The 9/11 event can be an example of sublimity. I got to watch the live coverage, the breaking news at CNN, and the moment I saw it I was astonished as what Burke said you became consumed. It was like watching a movie with amazing special effects yet more intense since it's real. Thus, even horrifying events like those are sublime too since they make you feel astounded. It also explains my short-lived addiction to horror flicks, why I still love watching horror flicks even though I get in trouble sleeping at night.
Obscurity. Our ignorance to something or someone led us to believe that that certain thing or person is supreme. Mystery is exciting, it stirs our interest. I definitely agree with what Burke said about obscurity in relation to sublimity. We usually don't like movies with predictable stories aren't we? Seeing UFOs brings awe to us since we don't know what they are. People fear death for no one knows for sure what happens next. The terrifying, the obscure arouse a higher degree of emotions compared to pleasant things and have this impact or power over us which absolutely makes sense to say that they are indeed sublime.
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