The Art of Losing Control: A Philosopher’s Search for Ecstatic Experience - Jules Evans (Book)

Title: The Art of Losing Control: A Philosopher’s Search for Ecstatic Experience

Author: Jules Evans

Publisher: Canongate Books

Publication Date: April 6, 2017

Category: Non-fiction / Philosophy / Psychology

In The Art of Losing Control, philosopher Jules Evans delves into the human pursuit of ecstatic experiences—those moments when we transcend our ordinary selves and feel connected to something greater. He explores how Western culture, since the Enlightenment, has often dismissed such experiences as irrational or pathological, favoring reason over emotion. However, Evans argues that these moments of “losing control” are essential to human flourishing and meaning.

Structured as a metaphorical festival, each chapter represents a different “tent” exploring various avenues to ecstasy, including religion, music, sex, meditation, psychedelic drugs, and even war. Evans combines personal anecdotes, interviews, and philosophical analysis to investigate how these experiences can be both transformative and dangerous. He questions whether we can learn to lose control safely and what role these experiences play in our lives.

Evans’s journey is both intellectual and personal, as he recounts his own encounters with the sublime, including a near-death experience that profoundly affected his worldview. Through this exploration, he invites readers to consider the value of ecstatic experiences and how they can lead to a more connected and meaningful life.