Longing for Paradise in the Modern Man: Nostalgia for the Missing Center The longing for paradise (Sehnsucht nach dem Paradies) in the modern, secular, and technologized society has lost its direct religious reference to the Garden of Eden, but it has not disappeared. It has transformed into a deep, often unconscious psychological and existential phenomenon, expressing a desire for wholeness, tranquility, perfect harmony, and authenticity in a world perceived as fragmented, alienated, and hyperreal. This longing becomes a "ghostly member" of the modern person's psyche, manifesting in various aspects of his life. Philosophical and Psychological Foundations The concept of "longing for paradise" is rooted in philosophical anthropology. Mircea Eliade spoke of homo religiosus as a being oriented towards the sacred Center, a point of reference from which the modern man is alienated. Sigmund Freud saw this striving as a projection of the unconscious desire to return to the state of intrauterine bliss and unity with the mother. Carl Jung interpreted paradise as the archetype of the Self — internal wholeness, lost with the development of the ego. In the modern context, key ideas include: Giorgio Agamben and Felix Guattari's concept of "schizophrenization" of society: capitalism produces desire but never allows it to achieve satisfaction, creating a permanent sense of loss. Byard's "metaphysical nostalgia" — longing not for a specific past but for the "lost homeland of existence". Manifestations in Culture, Consumption, and Lifestyle The longing for paradise finds expression not in prayer, but in compensatory practices that promise to restore the lost harmony. Culture of nature and eco-utopianism: Paradise is associated with untouched nature. This leads to: Downshifting and moving "to nature" as a physical attempt to return to the "garden". Fetishization of organic food, eco-materials — the pursuit of "naturalness" as purity before the fall (where sin is industrialization). A ... Read more