Bob Schwartz

Among Freud’s most controversial and often rejected concepts is what he termed Todestrieb—death drive—also fashioned as Thanatos—death instinct. Death drive or instinct, he proposes that as people we aim to reduce psychic tension to the lowest possible point, that is, death. Supposedly the drive is first directed inward as a self-destructive tendency and later turned outward in the form of the aggressive behavior. It stands opposed to the life instinct, Eros.

A total solar eclipse is a rare and spectacular event that has fascinated and enraptured humankind forever. The rarity of the spectacle is alone enough to explain the interest. Images won’t do. Just like attending a concert by a favorite performer is so much more than remotely listening and watching. Being there in the flesh as a participant is needed. The difference between pornography and sex.

But maybe more is at play. Maybe watching the sun go out, even for minutes, means something, or everything. Maybe, as R.E.M. sings, “It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.” Maybe we want to see it and, if possible, be there when it happens.

Freud can no longer help us with this because, death drive or not, he succumbed to the death reality eighty-five years ago in 1939. (Note that he missed seeing a total eclipse that happened just a couple of weeks later.)

There is another more uplifting explanation. Maybe we want to experience the sun going out so we can experience the sun coming back to life. People don’t want to watch the eclipse—they want to watch the eclipse ending. They want the victory of eros. They want to be there for that. Who can blame them?

© 2024 by Bob Schwartz