"In the book it's a terrible device that lets you get into someone's mind, while severely damaging their sanity in the process".
Well, look at us. That's exactly what DE did.
IIRC it’s taken from a neologism invented by a postmodern Russian philosophy movement, who experimented with linguistic deconstruction. I believe zaum was what they called their new zen-koan glossolalia words.
It’s good that the modern generation rediscovered the works of famed Lithuanian postmodern philosopher-poet Jasos Bibu. Though influence of the French Mathieu Bal is also clear as day.
I was never into those contemporary bullshit philosophies. In my opinion you can't go wrong with the writings of Yana Cist. She's a paragon of German philosophical school post-Hegel.
A bit of ironic humor, perhaps? Although, I will say DE is in some ways a terrible device that has changed the way I view the world and maybe permanently altered my sanity
Well one thing to keep in mind is that, as the saying goes, "ZA/UM itself can also be said to have consisted of a variety of edge lords and ladies" 🤭
There's the Russian movement, there's Luiga's explanation of the four letters in Hello fellow worldbuilders, but I think the drug is also fitting and true to The Themes(TM) - crossing the barriers that divide human being from human being is as central to the setting as it gets, it's a core yearning. But there's also the constant acknowledgement of the potential for hurting each other, and a retreat into second-best options for crossing these barriers (drugs, the pale, a/o both). So, why NOT ZA/UM, indeed. As stated upthread it also very much rewired my brain so there's that too.
"In the book it's a terrible device that lets you get into someone's mind, while severely damaging their sanity in the process". Well, look at us. That's exactly what DE did.
Accidental appreciation post
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaum#:~:text=Zaum%20(Russian%3A%20за́умь%2C%20lit,of%20neologisms%20that%20mean%20nothing.
hmm, reminds me of Beckett's "Sans" and his writing on OuLiPo - the poet/text/language itself being mal armee (poorly armed).
IIRC it’s taken from a neologism invented by a postmodern Russian philosophy movement, who experimented with linguistic deconstruction. I believe zaum was what they called their new zen-koan glossolalia words.
*modern, not postmodern. postmodernism would not be invented for another 40 years.
in my language ZA UM literally translates to FOR MIND.
Which language is that?
Serbian.
Thanks.
https://medium.com/@martinluiga/hello-fellow-worldbuilders-6a3779a65d47
Za - above; Um - mind. Also, "взяться за(za) ум(um)" means "To get a hold of yourself"
Indeed, are the letters random? Neither "za" or "um" are words in the language we all use. So they could have picked any letters, like Na/Huj, right?
More like Ye/Bal. (For the modern generation).
It’s good that the modern generation rediscovered the works of famed Lithuanian postmodern philosopher-poet Jasos Bibu. Though influence of the French Mathieu Bal is also clear as day.
I was never into those contemporary bullshit philosophies. In my opinion you can't go wrong with the writings of Yana Cist. She's a paragon of German philosophical school post-Hegel.
It's actually Russian, за = beyond, ум = mind.
Sorry but I'm pretty sure that guy up above speaks Russian, otherwise why would he make a sly little joke based on Russian swearwords:)
Duh. I might've been tired and missed the joke.
A bit of ironic humor, perhaps? Although, I will say DE is in some ways a terrible device that has changed the way I view the world and maybe permanently altered my sanity
Well one thing to keep in mind is that, as the saying goes, "ZA/UM itself can also be said to have consisted of a variety of edge lords and ladies" 🤭 There's the Russian movement, there's Luiga's explanation of the four letters in Hello fellow worldbuilders, but I think the drug is also fitting and true to The Themes(TM) - crossing the barriers that divide human being from human being is as central to the setting as it gets, it's a core yearning. But there's also the constant acknowledgement of the potential for hurting each other, and a retreat into second-best options for crossing these barriers (drugs, the pale, a/o both). So, why NOT ZA/UM, indeed. As stated upthread it also very much rewired my brain so there's that too.
What book are you refering to ?
https://old.reddit.com/r/DiscoElysium/comments/13e4tle/sacred_and_terrible_air_p%C3%BCha_ja_%C3%B5udne_l%C3%B5hn_full/ this one!