This was a really interesting chapter to read. I'm not very well versed in Buddhism or many of the spiritual practices Hirschfeld talks about, so she lost me at some points (which is not unusual for this book). However, the gist of what she seemed to be saying is that writing can be used as a way to occupy yourself in "the life of the world" (208). Writing is a tool we can use to understand the experience of others and transcend the one dimensionality of our own perceptions. It really struck me when she started talking about liminality, because that is a concept I am fascinated by and have written papers on in the past. I think writing represents the ultimate liminal experience because you are always occupying a transitory space (both as a reader and a writer). You begin a poem or a book in one headspace and you are transformed through the writing / reading process by the end of it.