The material and spatial dimensions documented in the manuscripts of ritual magic that circulated in the medieval and early modern periods have long eluded researchers. Studying where those rituals take place is important to understand the history of the practice of ritual magic. Few attempts have been done to interpret the reasons behind the construction of magic circles and the use of...
Mid-19th-century mental scientists were intrigued by the phenomenon of memory, and self-reflexively applied associationist ideas to emerging concepts of unconscious mental reflex to explore it. They emphasized that the 'consciousness of agreement' between present and past states of consciousness was the basis of a coherent, well-managed identity. But they were also fascinated by forms of latent...
Psychedelic drugs are making a comeback. Proponents of psychedelics point to the widespread medical experimentation with mescaline and lysergic acid diethylamide-125 (LSD) in the 1950s as proof of their safety and efficacy. However, a review of the private and published writings of Sidney Cohen, MD, who conducted the first study of the safety of psychedelics, reveals that serious medical...