“I want to understand the concept of dionysian in a more up-to-date way, more scientifically, more psychologically. what is the dionysian phenomenon, this instinctual upsurge, this growing importance of intoxicating orgiastic sensual feelings, this onslaught of the unconscious, of unconscious powers, other than the pressure for abreaction, for excessive abreaction that wants to unblock stasis, to seek the breakthrough of urges, breakthrough of the chaotic-amorphic and balance of instinctual tensions. the endpoint of dionysian upsurge is therefore the endpoint of all abreaction. this profoundly dionysian excess is the basic experience of excess, which is identical with the dionysian phenomenon of tearing apart. the phenomenon of the dionysian contains the preliminary stage of christian brotherly love as an important factor in the bacchanalian intoxication. the narcotically numbing orgiastic intoxication has something communicative, disintegrating the personality.” Hermann Nitsch, 1976

Das Orgien Mysterien Theater is on in the War Memorial Library, Summerhall, until the 31st October 2015.