Paradoxes of Belonging

Abstract

“Who am I?” “Where do I really belong?” “How can I cultivate a broad perspective on immediate contradictory self-states? These are profound questions for many Israelis. Two vignettes, one of a personal account, the other of a segment from an Israeli movie, are presented to illustrate the transformation sought in order to retrieve a secure experience of belonging and connect to a non-traumatic transcended self. The importance of a sense of belonging to an ultimate reality, which goes beyond personal experience, is accentuated. The author explores the taking of a spiritual journey, which opens up the path toward compassion and understanding of the complexities of belonging and identity. Complexity theory is shown to help the comprehension and acceptance of the paradoxes of belonging.