Writing in a Haunted Universe

A conversation on horror, spirituality, and the creative process

Dear Living Dark reader,

In a world increasingly dominated by digital technology, how do we navigate the delicate balance between online engagement and personal well-being without losing our authentic selves?

If our lives are an intricate dance between inevitability and free will, how much of our creativity and spiritual growth is truly our own, and how much is predetermined by forces beyond our control?

Can the act of exploring psychological and metaphysical darkness—through horror fiction, childhood fairy tales, and confronting our own traumas—paradoxically lead us to greater enlightenment and self-understanding?

In our quest for spiritual authenticity, how do we discern between genuine enlightenment and its imitations, especially when the very language we use to describe such experiences may be inadequate?

These are all questions and themes that arose in a recent conversation that I had with the writer Jasun Horsley for his podcast Jobcast: Fathoming God. You may already be familiar with Jasun and his work, which has been a visible part of the cultural-conversational landscape for many years. Jasun is a British author and cultural commentator known for his unique and critical perspectives on contemporary issues. His creations include the website and project Auticulture—an ongoing exploration of liminality and the interface between the human psyche, society, and culture—as well as books like Seen and Unseen: Confessions of a Movie Autist. Currently he writes the newsletter Children of Job, “a space for cognitive dissidents to gather,” with Jobcast as its associated podcast. Our interaction came about when he invited me on as a guest.

The episode is titled “Body of Horror” and is available to Jasun’s paid subscribers. With his permission, I’m also publishing it here for paid TLD subscribers. You’ll find the audio player at the bottom of this post.

Our conversation was long, relaxed, and meandering in the best of ways, spanning two days and two Zoom sessions as we followed a spontaneous thread. Here are some key themes and topics that we ended up exploring:

• The ambivalence of online writing and technology: The pros and cons of social media. Quitting Twitter and Facebook for Substack. The pressure to produce content. The importance of disconnecting for well-being.

• The writing process: The challenges and rewards of maintaining a writing practice. The tension between public and private writing. The value of knowing when to step back, stop writing, and embrace silence. The wisdom of Ecclesiastes regarding the weariness of constant writing and study.

• Spontaneity and creativity: The unpredictable nature of inspiration. Challenging the notion that fiction is inherently more creative than nonfiction. The role of interpersonal dialogue and external stimuli in sparking creative energy.

• Light and darkness in writing: The intersection of fiction and nonfiction. My journey from writing dark horror fiction to nondual, spiritually inclined nonfiction.

• Horror, trauma, and reality: The philosophical and psychological complementarity of light and darkness in writing. The impact of trauma on perception. How personal experiences and existential questions shape writing styles. The allure of supernatural horror. Dream life and sleep paralysis.

• Childhood and horror: The influence of early experiences on writing and perception. The psychological roots of childhood fascination with supernatural horror. The role of fairy tales and frightening stories in childhood development.

• Authenticity in art and spirituality: Authentic vs. superficial creativity. The challenges of discerning genuine creativity and spirituality. The impact of spiritual teachers and experiences.

• Physical activity and mental well-being: Connection between physical work and mental clarity. Counteracting an overactive mind and intellectual malaise through action.

• Enlightenment and horror: The intersection of religion, spirituality, and cosmic horror in life and literature. Steven Norquist and his book Haunted Universe. Connections to Thomas Ligotti and the Ligottian perspective. The paradoxical nature of conveying enlightenment through language. Potential healing and addictive aspects of engaging with horror.

• Questioning spiritual authority: The relative authenticity of enlightenment claims. The potential influence of nonhuman entities on consciousness and spiritual experiences.

• The interplay of inevitability and agency: The core tension in our lives between determinism and free will. Navigating the living balance between karmic inevitability and individual choice.

• Universal awakening and spiritual reconciliation: The idea of apocatastasis, the ultimate restoration of all things to their divine origin. The potential reconciliation of all opposites and redemption of all beings.

If you like dialogues that run deep while remaining relaxed and unhurried (Jasun’s and mine went two and a half hours), this one’s for you: