Lonely Photos

Traveling Beyond the Woods of Isolation

After first seeing my photography, people often try to understand the man behind the lens. "I'll bet he is..." Lonely. Sad. Depressed. Tortured. Lives alone. Comments about the work itself - are often quite positive, but about my personal life? Wayne Wirs is invariably... misunderstood.

It is true, that as of this writing, I live alone, but as for the rest - I seem to suffer those burdens far less than most. As a serious spiritual seeker, I naturally had to travel through those dark lands of Sadness, Depression, Loneliness and deep Inner Conflict. These trials I have described in Fading Toward Enlightenment, but those forsaken lands are mostly behind me now. What is it then, that prompts these remarks?

The misunderstanding, it seems to me, is simply a result of perspective. As any artist will tell you, where the artist stands in relation to the subject, their "viewpoint" so to speak, has a tremendous bearing on the aesthetics of the work. My viewpoint, in terms of spiritual growth, is simply on the far side of the darkness that lies within our souls. Simply put, where most see Lonely, I see Solitude. Where most see Isolation, I see Unity.

For those familiar with my writings, you'll know that I see life as a sort of Hero's Journey. A journey that is fraught with many trials to be passed and demons to be slain with only the promise of the Holy Grail of Enlightenment somewhere at the end.

One of those terrors to be faced, one that lies buried within every human soul, is found in the heart of the dreaded Woods of Isolation. It is the subtle yet persistent feeling of Aloneness.

For most normal people, people who are not called on the Quest, Aloneness often has a darkness associated with it:  a subtle, hollow feeling - something akin to worthlessness and futility. Buried deep within the back of our minds, we know that we will always be alone, that no one will ever truly understand us, and that, when we take our final breath, no living person will be able to help us with what we are going through.

But for those Seekers who have found their way through the Woods of Isolation, Aloneness has a wonderful, paradoxically unifying effect on our souls. The seeker realizes that all humans share the feeling of Aloneness, and since it is an emotion that all of us experience, it links us. The core of my Aloneness feels exactly the same as the core of your Aloneness. They are the same Aloneness. Not Two, but One. One and the Same. To the spiritual seeker, Aloneness is often one of the first signposts indicating that their Path is true - that at the core of everything, everything is the same. One unified whole.

This unity, this commonality, this all pervasive stillness that lies behind everything, is what I try to capture in my photography. It is this Stillness, this common feeling of Aloneness that pulls the viewer into the photographs. It is simply my soul talking to your soul. It is what we all have in common. It is the result of a simple man trying to take a picture of God...

Wayne Wirs is the photographer and author of Fading Toward Enlightenment - Life between the Ego and the Ethereal. For more information about Wayne, his writings or his photography, please visit FadingTowardEnlightenment.com

Publisher's Note:  Some people think that the Spiritual Journey ends in a land of no problems. I think otherwise. The Journey never truely ends, we just go through new lands and one of them is the Woods of Isolation. past which is a new awareness that brings one closer to seeing the soul within all of us...

News about Spiritual Aloneness

PsychCentral.com

Finding Authenticity in Your Man PsychCentral.com This can lead to feelings of aloneness, isolation, depression, and even suicidal ideation in severe cases of isolation. It is extremely important that we share our feelings, receive feedback and support, and gain love and human closeness from those we ...

New Jersey Jewish News

Author shares quest to make peace with Judaism New Jersey Jewish News Photos by Debra Rubin by Debra Rubin A dozen years ago, as author Dani Shapiro cradled her seriously ill infant son in her arms, the feeling of aloneness that characterized the existential crisis she had long felt became more of a spiritual plea.

Irish Times

Who'll care best for our deepest selves? Irish Times We need to deal with aloneness, death, relationship breakdown and illness – but unlike religions, which were designed precisely to deal with these, our museums, art galleries, universities and other cultural institutions have little to offer us in ... and more »

The Decline of the American Empire CounterPunch Berman spends a good deal of time talking about the “alternative culture” to all this, including “a commitment to craft, community, the public good, the natural environment, spiritual practice, and the 'simple life,” and he shows that its adherents and ...

Fagan's exit strategy a measure of his despair Irish Times Trace the trail of any young Irish athlete that followed the American scholarship route, and you'll find many similar tales of aloneness. For some it comes during those four years in college, even within the close-knit college spirit they're surrounded ...

JESUS - You are going to be on a roll because the good times are co... January ... Gather.com We in the spiritual realms, who have always been with you to provide guidance and support when you ask for it, are overjoyed that you have finally made the collective decision to awaken, and we are here to guide and assist you in any way we can. and more »

Houston Chronicle (blog)

Months After a Divorce You Didn't Want Houston Chronicle (blog) This will help you minimize your aloneness and it will also get you out into the community. Minimize meeting up with your ex as much as possible. The more you engage with your ex, the more difficult it can be moving on. Continue enjoying the events you ...

Alone together in prime time: TV dramas depict existential angst of loneliness ... Denver Post Clearly his aim is togetherness, but aloneness beams through first. In Fox's "Alcatraz," premiering Monday, the characters are not merely out of touch, they're out of sync: The JJ Abrams series about the infamous prison island jumps back and forth in ...

Yahoo! Sports

Ricky Williams still rushes to a different rhythm Yahoo! Sports The bulk of the offense is carried by Ray Rice, an effusive bowling ball of a man who in the spirit of running backs relishes the chance to run the ball 25 times a game. Williams is an afterthought, a backup who has carried the ball more than 12 times ...