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Why is it called “Existential Horror”?

The Existential Horror brand was created by me whilst I was an undergraduate Philosophy and Law Degree. At the time of its creation, I was deeply fascinated in existentialism (as most philosophy students are at the beginning). Existentialism is a hard topic to define, but generally speaking, it is the branch of philosophy which explicitly deals with problems arising from human existence and the human perspective. It is an examination of the universe through a human lens.

I chose to name my personal brand after existentialism because it was the first branch of philosophy that I fell in love with. It is also the branch that includes my two favourite philosophers: Soren Kierkegaard, and Emmanuel Levinas.

What about the “Horror” part?

The word “horror” came to me during an LSD trip. I wanted to use the word as a way of putting a focus on the severe anxiety which occurs during many psychedelic adventures; not in a negative way, but more so in a way of simply acknowledging the fact that fear is a significant aspect of the psychedelic experience.

A defining feature of horror is anxiety, which is a core concept within Kierkegaard’s work. And so I consider examining horror as a way of attaching myself to the field of existentialism through Kierkegaard and his work.  

With this in mind, “Existential Horror” is a brand focused on the severe anxiety of existence.

Existential Horror is a brand which is comfortable with engaging with the darker elements of existence. This is not a brand which brushes over the disquieting aspects of human life.