Numen
January 1, 1995
Robert H. Sharf
395 citations
The category of 'experience' has been central to modern Buddhist studies, with scholars often assuming that monastic practice and meditation aim to produce specific religious or mystical experiences. This has led to a phenomenological interpretation of Buddhist technical terms related to stages on the path, treating them as if they describe distinct states of consciousness experienced by historical practitioners. The author argues that this approach may be misguided, questioning whether such a focus on subjective experience accurately reflects Buddhist traditions.
Numen
September 28, 2017
Thomas Michael
8 citations
A history of shamanism remains elusive. The article examines four scholarly approaches—prehistoric rock art, cultural myth origins, memory studies, and cultural resistance movements—and finds each inadequate. Focusing on early Chinese shamanism, it critiques these options and then turns to the frameworks of Mircea Eliade and Roberte Hamayon as two alternative pathways. The author proposes a third way between them, aiming to construct a viable history of shamanism without relying on the rejected approaches.
Numen
June 4, 2020
Bas J.H. Jacobs
7 citations
Enlightenment, often considered the ultimate goal of spiritual development by New Agers, has been largely overlooked by scholars. This article traces the concept's historical origins to the late 19th-century 'Oriental reaction' to Theosophy, when figures like Vivekananda and Suzuki synthesized transcendentalism, Theosophy, and new psychological ideas to articulate a paradigmatic Asian soteriology. It follows the trajectory from these early figures through Aldous Huxley, 1960s counterculture, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and neo-advaita, providing an account of how the New Age concept of enlightenment was formed.
Numen
May 31, 2023
Matei Iagher
The concept of the 'transconscious,' central to Mircea Eliade's work on religion, emerged from a long psychological tradition of a 'religious faculty.' This article traces that genealogy, beginning with Max Müller and his German post-Kantian precursors Friedrich Jacobi and Jakob Fries. It then examines turn-of-the-century terms like 'super-conscious,' 'supra-conscious,' and 'trans-conscious' in philosophy and theology before 1947. Four intellectual strands contributed to Eliade's concept: the psychology of mysticism, occultism, interpretations of yoga, and contemporary philosophy and theology. The article concludes by analyzing Eliade's uses of the 'transconscious' and his debate with C. G. Jung on religion and the mind.
Numen
January 30, 2018
Otávio Augusto Vieira
Vipassana meditation, also known as insight or analytical meditation, was originally taught by Siddhartha Gautama and transmitted through the tradition of S. N. Goenka. The techniques of mindfulness (anapana-sati), analytical (vipassana-sati), and loving-kindness (metta) meditation, along with Buddha's practical philosophy, are taught during a 10-day silent retreat. The practice focuses on equanimous observation (upekkha) of the impermanence (anicca) of bodily sensations, since everything that arises in the mind also arises as bodily sensation (vedana), thereby freeing the being from mental conditioning (sankhara) that leads to suffering.
Numen
January 30, 2018
Catón Eduardo Carini
This article investigates the history of the international Buddhist organization Vipassana Meditation. It first traces the development of Buddhism in Asia, emphasizing its establishment in Burma. It then explores the life trajectories of the religious leaders who formed the organization and analyzes the main features of the Vipassana worldview. Finally, it reflects on how Buddhism develops through a flow of ideas and practices that move back and forth between India, Southeast Asia, and the West.