A Woman Catching a Flee (c. 1638), by Georges de la Tour

Here's the physical sensation concentrated in one pinprick. It's not really very intense, and yet intense enough to force the mind to fully focus on that physical sensation and black out everything else, including of course any form of spiritual pursuit. A perfect illustration of the way material phenomena insist on their significance through senses and block spirituality. Pain or pleasure could serve as "fleas". Sexuality is one of the strongest "fleas". Any form of fear, especially unchecked animal terror or panic, is another "flea".

The Gulag Archipelago (1958–1986), by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Aside from being a powerful accusation of Marxism as a social system, the value of this book is in that it is addressing the hidden psychological aspects of Marxism that permeate the mentality of all without exception post-communist people who, even many generations later, still operate using the Marxist methods of thinking, for example, the Marxist / Leninist technique of "hacking from the shoulder". This is rooted in Marxist / proletarian psychopathic disregard of a human being. Another important note is that the intelligent human being must at all cost defend his / her dignity and his human right, even wen facing fear of society. There was very little personal and no group resistance to NKVD, and things would have turned out differently if people resisted. Resist. Stand up for your rights. It's your spiritual duty.

Also: lack of preparedness. Lack of preparedness equals fear. One must be prepared for an attack, and prepared at any point to counterattack.

Having found yourself in a paranoid social situation or at the mercy of a paranoid personality, do not consider yourself exception from the common condition, and do not demonize others.

I also want to add that it's the ideal book, in my opinion, because it shows the kind of motivation a writer must have in order to write. Writing must be rooted in one's destiny, and the force of the writer's spiritual duty must force him to write. Most of other books seem accidental by comparison with The Gulag Archipelago.

The Kreutzer Sonata (1889), by Leo Tolstoy

Art, understood as instrument for stimulating sensuality, becomes a two-fold diabolic trap. On one hand, understanding art as purely sensual phenomenon blocks in the majority of potentially spiritual people their ability to perceive spirituality in art. On the other hand, the disdain of the minority toward sensuality through art forces them away from art and towards cultural self-deprivation (something that actually happened to Tolstoy).

(The subject matter, with a certain degree of success, was visually and dramatically expressed in 1901 by the painter René François Xavier Prinet – see the reproduction above.)

The Barefoot Contessa (1954), dir. by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

She hates her low-class background and despises herself for it and for any urge she sees as "low" - for example, her compulsive uncontrollable sexual attraction to brutish men. Instead of remaining aware of her impulses and doing something about them, she tries to render herself oblivious. She succumbs to every impulse, but first she has to find a convincing justification for it (she does it "to spite someone", or – in the climax – deceives herself that her husband would want it). As a result, she is split between her highest and lowest social points (becomes the "barefoot contessa") – and falls into subjectivism.

Tower of Babel, by Abel Grimmer (ca. 1570, Antwerp – ca. 1620, Antwerp)

Any enterprise, no matter how magnificent in scale and insight, is bound to fail if devoid of spiritual content (even if it seems like success – the actual absence of spirituality is the failure). Note that the painting looks unfinished! – possibly on purpose. The alternative metaphorical interpretation of this legend (even though not necessarily for this painting) is human inability to communicate and establish true soul-to-soul contact ("everyone speaks his own language"). Finally, the inversion of the traditional interpretation is also possible (along the lines of Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" and Nike) is the romantic human quest for the spiritual heights, despite the resistance of the antagonistic pseudo-gods / hostile destiny.

Le Boucher (1970). dir. by Claude Chabrol

We must accept our loved ones the way they are, no matter how traumatized or twisted their souls are by their experience in the material reality. Helene's temporary inability to accept Popaul, her instinctive urge to judge, destroys him.

Carrying the Cross, by Abel Grimmer (ca. 1570, Antwerp – ca. 1620, Antwerp)

The unaware living in the material world is a celebration of killing God.

Patton (1970). dir. by Franklin J. Schaffner

The fulfillment of one's true destiny is the only true and ultimate boon; the pursuit of social status, glory or common opinion puts a person into a waste land condition.

Blackmail (1929), dir. by Alfred Hitchcock

This movie is a warning against acting on an impulse. The wanted criminal in the prologue on the impulse decides to grab the gun, which gets him arrested and adds resisting arrest to his list of felonies. Alice White is ready to chat on her boyfriend on an impulse of liking the handsome artist, she kills the artist on an impulse when she feels threatened. Her boyfriend, detective Frank Webber, on an impulse decides to hide the evidence of Alice's crime. The blackmailer, without thinking, on an impulse decides to blackmail them both. Little boy on the tram, on the impulse, decides to pull Hitchcock's hat by the brim. The blackmailer, hearing the police at the door, on the impulse decides to run and climb, which choice immediately kills him. Finally, Alice on an impulse decides to give herself in to the police - but at this point "deus ax machina" comically interferes (through the phone call) and this gives her the chance for a real absolution: to think about what he had done, and to rethink her attitude toward life. We must never act motivated by urges we have, whether it's a sexual urge we keep secret, or a sudden strong survival / self-defense impulse (acting on this makes us victims, rather than survivors). Our actions should be firmly controlled by reason.

Lola Montès (1955), dir. by Max Ophüls

She could have been happy with the German student who fell in love with her and offered her marriage and quiet family life. But Lola's addiction to her own sexual power, to the control she can exercise over men, to being a "sex star" makes her a prisoner - similarly to smoking and drinking addictions that are killing her.

The Supper at Emmaus (1622-23), by Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez

This painting is related to Duccio's "The calling of apostles Peter and Andrew". The two disciples are so involved in their worldly activity, that they are completely unaware of the obvious fact of the presence of God in their world and the undeniable miracle of His resurrection. That's how people go about our everyday business, ignoring the Truth that stares them in the face. The painting is remarkable in depicting realistic Christ as a dominant, muscular, tall and physically powerful man (not as a feeble, emaciated, slender man painted by the majority of Christian artists).

Our Hospitality (1923), dir. by John G. Blystone & Baster Keaton

The only way to handle people aggressively obsessed with social rules is to impose on them the kind of social rule that renders them harmless. Thus, the hero of Baster Keaton first remains inside the house of the vengeful family, and then marries the daughter, so that they are unable to follow their vendetta. The film is remarkable in its use of visual metaphors for social restrictions: the dog that is trained to follow the master (a similar symbol will eventually be used by Bunuel in "Viridiana"); the hero that has to wear his top hat, no matter what; the train that has to stay on rails, whatever absurd path the rails are on – which leads to a bumpy ride until the train is derailed – and then the ride becomes finally smooth. The dam that holds the natural flow of the river - and when it's exploded, the resulting waterfall saves the hero. As a result of these metaphors, the silent film reads almost like a ballet.

The Emperor of the North (1973), dir. by Robert Aldrich

A true accomplishment is inevitably an inner quest, the path of self-discovery and self-realization. Establishing one's status within a system has nothing to do with it. For example, true works of art are not made for money of for recognition. No true hero ever sacrificed himself for the sake of being called a hero. Anyone who craves high status in a system – even if the system is that of homeless people – is bound to fail.

Christ Discovered in the Temple (1342), by Simone Martini

The moment when Christ discovers that his mother doesn't understand his spiritual impulse, and he is alone. Projection of Gethsemane etc. Mary and Joseph play the roles of the future disciples. Joseph points out to his son (the God!) that he is supposed to follow his social obligations.

Transept of the Lower Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi, attributed to Cimabue

The painting celebrates the humility of St. Francis. Treating humility as the attribute of mental and spiritual strength; a sort of a secret spiritual weapon.

Colonna Traiana (Trajan's Column, 113 CE), constructed under supervision of Apollodorus of Damascus

The tragic destiny of a man whose spiritual duty is to obey his social obligation and to bring war to a neighboring country, in order to protect the culture of Roman civilization and to impose that culture onto the barbarians of Dacia. The whirlwind of violence and death elevates him, and his following his destiny gives him the right to hover triumphantly over Rome, lit by the sun, and to bless the conquered countries from his pedestal. the column as a work of art is very similar to Shakespearean chronicles.

David and Goliath (c. 1123), fresco at Tahull, Spain

This fresco (as well as its subject matter) is related to the "Denial of Saint Peter", and has important existentialist significance. Facing the gigantism of the Universe, we may feel small, insignificant, socially unimportant and "young" (our age notwithstanding). And yet we can find all the power we need to win in our awareness of the imperative of fulfilling our spiritual duty. No matter how enormous is our material opponent, no matter how immense is our task and our fight, we can win if our mind is centered in spirituality. The material forces of antagonism are feeble compared to the power of the spirit.

The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew, from Maestà (1311), by Duccio di Buoninsegna

God's invocation is addressed to us when we're in the middle of the mundane. It's a constant call we must obey immediately and unquestioningly – but how often do we cling to our food gathering, too conservative and too afraid to follow God.

(This panel from the reverse side of Duccio's Maestà is presently a part of Samuel H. Kress Collection, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.)

Amazonomachy

Typically a symbol of the war of sexes. One may suppose that whoever is buried in this sarcophagus was killed in that war.

(On the photo: Amazonomachy, marble sarcophagus at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.)

Gradiva (1903), by Wilhelm Jensen

A human urge to fit the expected social image and social function leads to subjectivism, and ultimately, to insanity. In some cases, the social masks may appear highly spiritual, and the subjectivism may seem nobler than the objective reality. However, it's just a self-deception and a lethal delusion that must be overcome. The objective reality may be crude and uninspiring, and yet maximum objectivity (to the true state of our world, and especially to our intentions and motivations) is the the true path – and the necessary initial condition – not only for true spirituality, but for such simple important things as personal happiness, success, and so on.

(The author of this novella, German writer Wilhelm Jensen (1837-1911), is not to be confused with the Nobel Prize Laureate Danish writer Johannes Vilhelm Jensen (1873 - 1950).

La Negazione di Pietro (The Denial of Saint Peter, circa 1610), by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

A human being must respect own spirituality. Our ability to maintain our spiritual dignity is tested continuously through our lives. We must honor our spirituality, which is higher than any social duty, and must never humiliate our spirituality, being constantly aware of it. Awareness of one's spiritual value is the key to self-respect and courage.

(The painting is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.)

L'Eclisse (1962), dir. by Michelangelo Antonioni

A woman on the verge of spiritual awakening lulls herself to sleep first by various attempts at empty self-entertainment, and finally by engaging in sensuous affair with a materialistic young man. The state of near-enlightenment is presented by Antonioni in a clumsy, incompetent way, but the climactic sequence has a touch of genius (watching this movie is like having two hours of lousy sex followed by an explosive orgasm). The climax is successful largely thanks to the brilliant cinematography by Gianni Di Venanzo and frightening dramatic music by Giovanni Fusco.

(Script by Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra and others. Starring Monica Vitti, Alain Delon, Francisco Rabal, etc. )