Iris ter Schiphorst

The Voice(s) Within Me

Who are these voices that, in the course of a lifetime, increasingly populate the inner space, condensing into a polyphonic cluster,

contradicting each other, quarreling, driving—yes, whom?!—the I?!—me?!

—to despair or "inciting me against myself," captivating me—for whom?—me?!—

demanding order, a weighting, a reaction,

a—my?!—voice...

And who or what within me hears these voices? Who evaluates them?

Who or what resonates within me, feels "struck," "supported," "challenged," "oppressed," or "understood"?

And where do these feelings come from? And why?

And how does this particular condensation come about?

By chance? Through desire—and if so, through which? And for what?