Neurology - Research & Surgery

Neurology - Research & Surgery

Open Access
ISSN: 2641-4333
Research Article

The Wound as Altar: Divine Absence and the Therapeutic Space of Healing

Authors: Julian Ungar-Sargon MD.

DOI: 10.33425/2641-4333.1078


Abstract

This essay explores the theme of divine absence as a generative, rather than merely traumatic, space for healing. Building upon the poem "The Insanity of the Last Century," the discussion examines how the post-Holocaust theological landscape— marked by silence, rupture, and disillusionment—can also birth a radical ethic of sacred presence through human compassion. Drawing from Jewish mysticism, post-theodical theology, and insights from the clinical and therapeutic encounter, this essay argues that healing becomes most potent not despite the absence of God, but because of it. The therapeutic space emerges as a new sanctuary where divine withdrawal enables unprecedented human responsibility and compassionate presence.

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Citation: Julian Ungar-Sargon MD. The Wound as Altar: Divine Absence and the Therapeutic Space of Healing. 2025; 8(3). DOI: 10.33425/2641-4333.1078
Editor-in-Chief
Inaki Arrotegui
Inaki Arrotegui
Department of Neurosurgery | Zaragoza University

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