Sulfur miners

This incredible site is a place where earth, water, fire, wind, and space seemed to be in harmony. It is, however, the most beautiful and dangerous site for a human being: poisonous gases sting the eyes, burn the lungs, and corrode skin. People who work here do not live longer than 45 years. The Ijen Volcano has more than 1,000 visitors a day. But why? Why are tourists attracted to this place? Why do some people want to watch others suffer? The National Geographic called it “the sublime”—a feeling of pleasure in seeing a dangerous but awe-inspiring object, like a violent act of nature. The sublime. A philosopher Edmund Burke argued that for better understanding of the sublime, we should closely examine our own experiences with pain and pleasure. Can pain and pleasure be the basic systems of our existence? Can we really feel someone’s pain and suffering or our voyeuristic insinuation is only an attempt to establish ourselves in this televised world?