This article examines a cultural reversal in the logic of escapism: whereas virtuality once served as a refuge from the burdens of reality, it is now increasingly experienced as the domain from which individuals seek escape. Practices such as digital detoxes, offline retreats, and slow living signal more than technological fatigue—they reveal a deeper existential longing. Through a...
This article discusses the plausibility of uploading the human mind onto a non-biological digital medium. The concept of mind uploading has gained significant momentum due to advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence. This question is highly relevant for theology and religion because it addresses key theological issues. Undoubtedly, mind uploading conflicts with religious and...
The first part of the paper briefly outlines the role of dreams in early Buddhism and their importance in establishing the continuity of the whole tradition, before presenting in the second part entirely new aspects of dreams in the Buddhist eremitic tradition, influenced by the Tantric spiritual horizon, in particular by a transformed concept of the body. The central part of the paper follows...
Dream research is entering a new era of accelerating insights and discoveries, thanks to the rise of powerful digital analysis tools that are enabling important advances in the empirical study of dreams. This paper illustrates the use of these tools, drawing on the resources of the Sleep and Dream Database, a free online archive of information about sleep and dreaming. These tools include...
For thousands of years people have attempted to understand epilepsy. Throughout our long history, healing traditions have incorporated dreams into both epilepsy diagnosis and treatment. Recent studies provide new information on the impact of epilepsy on sleep and dreaming, while research into epileptic dream content offers insight into the emotional and spiritual experience of people with...
Breath is a grounding phenomenon present in many forms of Buddhist meditation. In traditional Buddhist meditations (including ānāpānasati and vipassanā), the practitioner observes the breath, surveys various physical and mental phenomena, and from there realizes that suffering (duḥkha) is not ultimately binding (and along the way, they may experience the nonduality of body and mind). Similarly,...
The paper presents the concept of “dual awakening”, which is based on the Buddhist mindfulness appropriated by socially engaged Buddhism as a method to recognize and implement a “wholesome” paradigm on both the social and individual level. In the first half of the paper, I analyze the idea of “dual awakening” in the Southeast Asian context, especially in the case of the Sarvodaya Sramadana...
My aim in this paper is to investigate Islamic Mysticism and find out how and to what extent mystical views can build good grounds for a productive and fruitful interreligious dialogue. First, I provide a brief clarification of what I mean by the notions of ‘interreligious dialogue’ and ‘Islamic mysticism.’ Then, I explain three mystical principles as three bases for the promotion of...