Ethereal is an aesthetic based around the feeling of being extremely delicate and light in a way that seems to be not of this world.
It is typically used in reference to Disney or Barbie princess movies and other fantasy films that are completely without irony in their dreamy romanticism. The imagery used is very wholesome, light, and soft, embracing the happiest parts of fairy tales.
It is a generalisation of imagery that includes depictions of royalty (often princes and princesses), classical dancers, sweeping ballrooms, colourful gardens, pixie dust, fairies, angels, and the beauty of true love.
This aesthetic can be described as very heavenly and light. Certain things it includes are angels, angel wings, lace, floral patterns, chandeliers, cathedrals, cathedral ceilings, etc.
Locations associated with this aesthetic:
- Nature: cliffsides, streams
- Gardens: overgrown gardens, flower gardens
- Small farms: pastures
- Cottages
- Glinting water
- Soft, pleasant light
- Minerals (especially quartz)
- Castles
- Overgrown buildings
What is a Soul?
The soul is the purported immaterial aspect or essence of a living being. It is typically believed to be immortal and to exist apart from the material world. Anthropologists and psychologists have found that most humans are naturally inclined to believe in the existence of the soul and that they have interculturally distinguished between souls and bodies.
Socrates envisioned the soul to possess a rational faculty, its practice being man’s most godlike activity. Plato believed the soul to be the person’s real self, an immaterial and immortal dweller of our lives that continues and thinks even after death. Aristotle sketched out the soul as the “first actuality” of a naturally organized body—form and matter arrangement allowing natural beings to aspire to full actualization.
Interactionism or interactionist dualism is the theory in the philosophy of mind which holds that matter and mind are two distinct and independent substances that exert causal effects on one another
In the philosophy of mind, psychophysical parallelism (or simply parallelism) is the theory that mental and bodily events are perfectly coordinated, without any causal interaction between them.
Epiphenomenalism holds that subjective mental events are completely dependent for their existence on corresponding physical and biochemical events within the human body, but do not themselves influence physical events
Different religions conceptualize souls in different ways. Buddhism generally teaches the non-existence of a permanent self (anattā), contrasting with Christianity’s belief in an eternal soul that experiences death as a transition to God’s presence in heaven. Hinduism views the Ātman (‘self’, ‘essence’) as identical to Brahman in some traditions, while Islam uses two terms—rūḥ and nafs—to distinguish between the divine spirit and a personal disposition. Jainism considers the soul (jīva) to be an eternal but changing form until liberation, while Judaism employs multiple terms such as nefesh and neshamah to refer to the soul. Sikhism regards the soul as part of God (Waheguru), Shamanism often embraces soul dualism with “body souls” and “free souls”, while Taoism recognizes dual soul types (Hun and po).
Resonance
The language of ‘resonance’ is often used to describe the profound connection that we feel when an idea or concept synchronises and aligns harmoniously with our experiences and beliefs, often creating strong emotions and affirming our deepest truths.
The concept of resonance holds particular significance in spiritual and metaphysical circles, where it is often associated with the idea of being ‘on the same wavelength’ as the universe or divine intelligence. This conceptualisation suggests that when we resonate with an idea, we are attuning ourselves to a higher frequency of consciousness, aligning with the universal truths that underlie all existence.
Spiritual Resonance
At its core, spiritual resonance is the recognition of the divine spark within all things. It is the acknowledgment that we are connected to something greater than ourselves, and that this connection is woven into the fabric of existence. When we encounter ideas that resonate with us spiritually, we are experiencing a profound sense of alignment with the universal truth.
Spiritual resonance can evoke feelings of tranquillity, joy, and profound insight. It is the feeling of coming home, of remembering who we truly are. In the presence of spiritually resonant ideas, we feel a deep sense of belonging and interconnectedness with all of creation. From a spiritual perspective, resonance can manifest itself in the feelings of awe and wonder that can find in nature, as well as the inspiration we feel when encountering a profound truth, to the deep sense of peace and contentment that arises when we connect with our spiritual path. It is the feeling of coming home, of recognizing ourselves in the vast tapestry of existence and finding solace in the interconnectedness of all things.
Sources:
https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Ethereal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul
https://www.silvotherapy.co.uk/articles/resonance-schumann-frequency