What Julian Saw: The Embodied Showings and the Items for Private Devotion
Religions May 16, 2019 DOI: 10.3390/rel10040245 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Revelations Ekphrasis Neuromedievalism Neuroarthistory Psychohistory Julian of norwich Visions Sleep paralysis Psalters Books of hours Rosary beads |
| Key points | Argues that Julian of Norwich's visions were shaped by everyday devotional objects and were embodied, sensory experiences rather than purely apophatic mystical encounters. |
Abstract
The article traces potential visual sources of Julian of Norwich’s (1343–after 1416) Revelations or Showings, suggesting that many of them come from familiar everyday devotional objects such as Psalters, Books of Hours, or rosary beads. It attempts to approach Julian’s text from the perspective of neuromedievalism, combining more familiar textual analysis with some recent findings in clinical psychology and neuroscience. By doing so, the essay emphasizes the embodied nature of Julian’s visions and devotions as opposed to the more apophatic approach expected from a mystic.