The world’s speed or slowness has become an illusion before my eyes, as has the mysterious sense of time within the heart — a soul like a half-open door between here and there, with hints of light and darkness bridging us, between here and there. Some minds become entrapped in this in-between state, akin to dream addicts whose awake eyes are uncertain of their place or belonging. In such moments, they feel omnipresent yet fragmented, caught between remnants of the past, premonitions of the future, and regrets of what once was. To liberate themselves, they strive to overcome regret and confront spiritual emptiness, peeling away thoughts like curious, instinctive children to reveal what lies beneath faded paint and stark realities.

Their minds whisper: "I desire more than this." Their hunger for spiritual fulfillment persists, even as they face the abrupt, magical, and sometimes painful transition from existence to non-existence in the blink of an eye, leaving them awe-struck beyond human comprehension. It seems they draw upon otherworldly dimensions to transcend mere physicality, surpassing the realms of sleep, dreams, and waking to recall their dreams with astonishment and spontaneity, seeking interpretations to grasp their significance. Driven by curiosity, their motives vary — whether to relive experiences, analyse them, or elevate their awareness.

Often, I find myself adrift amidst the world’s fluctuations between speed and slowness, between awareness and human folly, between the proximity and grandeur of the soul, uncertain of my place — whether it be the end, the beginning, or the beginning of the end.

Amidst the clash of religion, myth, heritage, and tradition, and the rupture with modernity's norms, if heritage yields traditions, myths, and legends, it is through tinted lenses that they judge, creating and adhering to customs, shielded by social conventions and authoritative positions that enforce the power of words, regardless of their true intent. These myths and their creators donned the cloak of authority, worshipped by many. The modernists emerged to dismantle these recycled habits and traditions, yet faced a counteroffensive of misinformation, scandals, and invasions into their personal lives, which became permissible and mandatory. Amidst this turmoil, the most tranquil and progressive were the Enlightenment thinkers, advocating goodwill, religious tolerance, and cultural harmony.

Cultural harmony is what I believe we urgently need. We've weathered a tempest of ideas, settling disputes with judgments that oppose them (narrow dualistic thinkers) or embracing loftier thoughts (for those who revel in dramatic events), all while creating scandals to discredit proponents of these ideas (shallow-minded individuals). Intellectual and cultural harmony emerges from a society steeped in confusion, where identity is defined through its relationship with language, place, time, and intellectual contributions.

Are these contributors outsiders within the same society? Even amidst cultural diversity, does this signify fractured identities or a heightened openness to others? Amidst the clamor of so-called minorities reclaiming their identities, reevaluating their worth, and immersing themselves in historical analyses to justify one side over another, both minorities and the dominant majority grapple with the existential question: who are we? The complexities of who we were prove more daunting than who we are now or who we will become. This question reverberates across political, social, and identity landscapes, crucial in defining post-colonial identities. Setting boundaries for each identity within a specific time and place fosters understanding amidst diverse cultural beliefs and limited perspectives.

Relocating alters these coordinates, reshaping intellectual and cultural landscapes from one homeland to another, disrupting the very essence of definition within the framework of home. Historical influences shackle subsequent generations with social impurities borne of past events, perpetuating beliefs and cultural dilemmas across psychological and sociocultural dimensions. Thus, the philosophy of intellectual harmony intertwines with time, place, and identity. Achieving equilibrium within this trinity yields a unifying spirit that transcends opposing trinities: tolerance, unity, and belonging amidst differences.