Traversing the Aleph: A Journey Through Time, Self, and Spiritual Awakening in Paulo Coelho’s Aleph

Abstract

The book Aleph (2011) by Paulo Coelho can be considered the turning point in the author's literary work, as it marks a shift toward overt spiritual self-examination presented through the lens of autobiographical fiction. The story of the Trans-Siberian Railway frames the novel. It follows a spiritually burned-out author who seeks to revive himself on the journey and meets a woman connected to his unresolved past. The story's central idea is the so-called Aleph. In this spiritual locus, time, memory, and consciousness intersect, enabling the protagonist to confront guilt, karmic debt, and emotional trauma from an earlier life. The present paper provides a critical analysis of Aleph, employing an interdisciplinary approach that draws on spiritual philosophy, psychoanalytic theory, and narrative criticism. It claims that the novel goes beyond its apparent simplicity to express a sustained reflection on forgiveness, moral accountability, and self-change. Placing Aleph in the context of Eastern metaphysics, Christian mysticism, and postmodern life-writing, the analysis reveals that the narrative Coelho offers is a therapeutic work in which confession becomes a spiritual and therapeutic practice.