Abstract In The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), Albert Camus critiques mysticism for its attempt to escape the absurdity or meaninglessness of reality through a leap of faith (which Camus calls “philosophical suicide”). This critique does not so obviously apply to the atheistic mysticism endorsed by Brook Ziporyn in his Experiments in Mystical Atheism (2024). According to Ziporyn, the mystic atheist...
Digital qur’anic exegesis emerges at the intersection of classical interpretive traditions and the fast-paced, fragmented, and algorithm-driven logic of online media. This transformation not only reshapes how tafsir is delivered but also shifts the reader’s epistemological experience from the presence of meaning (ḥuḍūr) toward the dominance of representation (ḥuṣūlī). This study aims to...
This article liberates discussion of the politics of psychedelics from its present impasse. Across ten theses, it asserts that psychedelics are interruptive deautomating political technologies, which makes them conducive to democratic politics, in the radical sense: rather than consolidating liberal-democratic systems of representative or managed democracy, psychedelic experience tends to open...
Prophetic or messianic states of consciousness are charged with moral urgency and are active, historical, political, and sometimes infused with ego. In this paper, I inquire into psychedelic micro-messianic phenomenology and revolutionary dynamics through the historical case studies of Allen Ginsberg, Master Irineu, and John Wilson (Moonhead)—figures associated with the diffusion of LSD, Daime...
Abstract The Other Condition is a type of experience. It is a way of experiencing the world that is very different from the way we normally experience the world. And a much more valuable one. This Other Condition is what we find ourselves in when we have aesthetic experiences, but also when we have a mystical experience or if we are in what he calls the “ardour of love” (Musil 1925/1990, p....
Abstract This chapter examines the debate surrounding the common core thesis of mystical experience by situating contemporary empirical psychology within the longer intellectual history of psychology, philosophy, and theology. It traces how William James and Walter Stace defend the distinction between experience and interpretation, establishing a foundation for a cross-cultural,...
Shahmaran (or Yamlika), a mythological figure depicted as half-human and half-serpent, holds deep significance in both Iranian and Turkish cultural traditions and functions not merely as a folkloric character but as a complex symbol representing transformation and wisdom. The narrative of Shahmaran can be read as an allegory of spiritual initiation, depicting the hero’s descent into the sacred...
Background: Despite the rapid growth of psychedelic research, limited attention has been given to how psychedelics are used, experienced and integrated within highly conservative religious communities, and in Jewish contexts more broadly. This study addresses this gap by examining ayahuasca use among the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community, a highly religious, conservative, and collectivist...
Space and Culture, IndiaJune 20, 2026P Kadek Wulandari Laksmi, P Komang Widhya Sedana Putra, Ign Oka Ariwangsa
Mystical illness beliefs—encompassing notions of witchcraft, spirit possession, and supernatural affliction—remain embedded in many societies and continue to shape health-related behaviour, work practices, and economic life. In Denpasar, Bali, where traditional spiritual frameworks intersect with an increasingly modern urban economy, such beliefs retain social relevance. However, empirical...
There are empirical studies on both the cognitive and performative outcomes of learning via VR and the affective aspects of the use of VR in learning. Studies on affective outcomes in relation to the learning object, such as the attitude towards it or the atmospheric effect of a visited environment on the students, are still pending. This desideratum of educational research is addressed in this...