Boredom and its Contents: exploring the creative, contemplative and existential aspects of switching off

Boredom could be considered the zeitgeist of our Corona-times. The stillness, silences, and empty spaces are all too common these days. More often we try to fill them with attention grabbing stimuli, but what if we did not – what if we instead examined the boredom we feel? This seminar will do exactly that, explore the contents of boredom through how it can offer a space for creative and contemplative thought, as well as existential reflection. This seminar is text-based where we will examine one theme each week with the final week dedicated to a final project presentation. Discussions and activities will be inspired by the dedicated theme of the week, which include: creative sides of boredom as explored through the psychological and artistic perspectives, contemplative thought examined through the practice of meditation and its effects on the brain, and existential reflection inspired by phenomenological texts, in particular Heidegger’s perspective on boredom and its relationship to technology.