Lasagna.

A lasagna of difficult thoughts, seasoned with a touch of fantasy and a hint of hallucination, is not for the faint of heart. It's a mental meal, slowly cooked in the oven of introspection and served on the tableware of consciousness. Preparing it doesn't require culinary skills, but it does require a willingness to face yourself, layer by layer.

We begin with the foundation: a solid layer of repressed memories. These are often tough, sometimes bitter, but essential for giving structure to the whole. They are like dried lasagna sheets: stiff, shapeless, and only accessible after simmering. Cut them into equal pieces of lost time, unspoken words, and suppressed anger. Place these evenly across the bottom of your mind.

On top of that, a sauce of hard-to-digest thoughts rises. This sauce doesn't just happen—you have to let it simmer over low heat. Start with some doubt, slowly add self-criticism, and let it simmer with uncertainty until it becomes a thick, dark mass. Then stir in guilt, followed by a tablespoon of melancholy. Be careful: don't let it burn, or it will develop a bitter aftertaste of self-contempt.

The next layer is filled with ramblings—frivolous, unpredictable strands of mental activity that never seem to lead anywhere, yet still add flavor. Think of questions like, "What if I had acted differently yesterday?" or "What would the world be like if time ran backward?" These ramblings are like melted cheese: sticky, hard to avoid, but they hold the structure together.

Above that, you place hallucinatory reflections—the spices of this unique lasagna. They add color to the dish, though they're not always reliable. Sometimes they taste of ecstasy, sometimes of fear. Use them sparingly: a touch of dream logic here, a pinch of alienating thoughts there. They shouldn't overpower, only surprise.

Now it's time to layer. Repeat the layers: memories, difficult thoughts, fantasies, hallucinations. Build until the bowl nearly overflows with awareness. Drizzle the top with a béchamel sauce of self-reflection: smooth, creamy, yet with a hint of ironic nutmeg. Finally, sprinkle a crumbly crust of acceptance on top—not too thick, but just enough to hold everything together.

Place this mixture in the oven of your imagination and let it bake over the fire of your experience. Let it simmer slowly for at least 45 minutes, or until you begin to smell the aroma of insight. Then let it rest for a while—reflecting on what you've just cooked is an integral part of the recipe.

The first bite might grate on your throat. You taste the past, you feel the present, you smell the possibility of change. But with each subsequent spoonful, it sinks deeper into your consciousness, and you discover that even the most heavy thoughts become digestible, provided you let them simmer long enough with attention and a little imagination.



Leave a Reply

Proudly powered by WordPress

Up ↑

en_USEnglish

Discover more from Mijn NiemandsLand

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading