BERGSON'S 'ELAN VITAL'

Personally, I somewhat identify myself with some parts of Bergsonian thougths. I align myself relatively in the thinking of Henri Bergson, which for me reflects with what he is experiencing deep within.

First, I try to quote him with what he said about symbols:

He points it out here that symbols cannot take place with the original object or the person. He even gives as an example a photograph as incapable of giving inner meaning of the original.

For me, this seems to affirm with the idea which is very clear in mind at this present moment now. I could say that we can in no way share experiences; 'experience' as in its right and proper meaning. When I speak of experience, I do not mean literally the event nor the situation where each one may be in. For experience is far different from the things we call events, or circumstances or any given situation in life. As I've said, experiences cannot be shared absolutely; only events and happenings are. Beyond those that happen to us, we are incapacitated to do it.

There are events in our life which leave us ecstatic or sometimes sad or discouraged. Even if we try to share these wonderful moments in our life, and hopefully our own experience too, we cannot even make them as ecstatic or sad or happy as we are. Events, activities, situations and happenings are mere human structures in human living. As long as we remain human beings, we can escape from these structures. However, they may be indispensable for healthy human living, they still remain as something 'artificial' - it is something from with-out of the human person in order to hopefully attain a particular end - which is from within.

'Experience' as proper of the human person, is an incommunicable reality within each of us. It is the one that gives each of us the edge of being unique, the essence of our being a human person. It is only this particular person who can experience a unique something, which is absolutely different from anybody. Thus, every inner reality we experience is precious and must be treasured accordingly.

Is our experience completely incommunicable? Not really. Absolutely or totally, it is incommunicable to anybody; partly, it is. Even if I say that we cannot share experience to another party, we can in some ways make people understand with what's going on within us. I believe that two or three individuals can still share their respective experiences, not in absolute way but in proximate manner. And when the person gets the proximate sharing of one's experience, this is the time when their union becomes deeper and their friendship closer.

Structures outside human person are just means to achieve one's experiences and one's bonding with the other. But one must realize that friendship or deeper relationship does not happen, with full guarantee, through mere organizing games, or fellowships or even parties or anything physical or psychological which enhances human bonding. What is original cannot become the fruit of what is artificial. However, the latter could become a very effective means to achieve the former.

I see in the clear-cut structures as clear-cut solutions to our process of uniting ourselves to another. Comparatively speaking, these structures are those which Bergson called as 'without', 'analysis', 'relative', and the like. On the other hand, experience can be described as 'within', the 'absolute', the 'intuition', the ' sympathy'. Henri Bergson gives a hint about the uniqueness of one's experience when he said:

"When with the inner regard of my consciousness, I examine my person in its passivity, like some superficial encrustment, first I perceived all the perceptions which come to it from the material world. These perceptions are clear-cut, distinct juxtaposed, or mutually juxtaposed; they seek to group themselves into object. But if I pull myself in from the periphery toward the center, if I seek deep down within me what is uniformly, the most constantly and durably myself, I find something altogether different."

Another thought which I consider very wonderful of Bergson's philosophy is his concept of constant progress in all living beings in duration. He said that life is a continuum and an undivided process. Likewise, one cannot have a good grasp of reality if he thinks in terms of scientific principles, as it tries to freeze all knowledge for all time. No, one can have a good grasp of reality if he thinks in duration. Why? The main reason is: things are not actually beings but becoming. For Bergson, all things progress and evolve, in such a way knowledge about them must not be crystallized at a certain moment in time. It must be in duration.

Reflection about the dynamicity of life has come to me once - that our own experience cannot be shared to others, absolutely. This is originally ours, and will always be ours. Thus, each of us existed for a purpose. One's existence in this world has not been wasted. Each of us has something to give to the world which is uniquely ours. Not primarily our achievements nor talents. It is mainly and simply our own experience. Others may call it 'his person is a gift to us'. This is because, he can contribute something which is uniquely his/hers.

Thus, human life is progressively changing. The state of our life last century is not the same with life at the present. It undergoes progressive change. For as long as new persons continue to receive existence in this world, changes towards perfection always take place. As a matter of fact, everyone would agree with me if I say that the world was never the same when Gandhi was born. This may be a very poor comparison to some, but the fact is, we change and consequently, the world takes a new face.

However, if one person finds monotony in life, he cannot but asks himself this question: 'what's the meaning of life? How come this is so? It is simply because our life is meant for a progressive change. If we feel that our life is going to stagnation, our whole being can know it, and we can be alienated from ourselves. We shall know by instinct that this should not be the case. In fact, it's not human life for us; it's death. The essence of human life is the constant yearning to achieve that progressive change in us. Human life is meant for greater things. Ad maiora natus! We are all like that.

Anthony Wilbert S. Dianon, SDB