On this interactive evening at the end of Dry January, philosophers Max Schmermbeck and Maarten Doevendans (initiators of ‘Open Blik’) explore the sober existence. Together with writer and poet Erik Jan Harmens (author of, among others, Hallo Muur and Door het Licht) they discuss the challenges faced by the sober human being, what it is like to always live in the light, and how this relates to the intoxicating adventure of the high. In his work, Harmens speaks candidly about his own past, in which the light of reality sometimes burned so fiercely that he preferred to live in the dark recesses of drink. Now that he has overcome those obstacles and no longer feels chained to that damned bottle, he sees that the desire to escape reality is still present in his life. But what do you do if you no longer want to flee into intoxication to satisfy that desire for escape? And what exactly are you escaping from in the high?

After this lecture, Max deepens the conversation through a philosophical reflection on the problem of ‘being a self’ that is always trapped inside its own head. In intoxication you can briefly put the churning mind on pause and escape your own thoughts, but in a way that is not a sustainable way to live. That is why, according to him, the sober human being must learn to reconcile with his own loneliness. In the second part of the evening, the two speakers, under the guidance of Maarten, engage in conversation about their views, and there is ample opportunity for the audience to ask questions or share experiences. In this way, space is created to explore the challenges, beauties and pitfalls of the sober existence with everyone present. But if you simply want to come and listen quietly, that is of course completely fine. It promises to be an inspiring and stimulating evening.

• note The Podiumpas cannot be used for this performance