This essay discusses feminist ideas in connection to the occulture present in opera, musical theatre, and film, focusing on femme fatales, tricksters and ‘wicked women’ in a transcultural approach to religion, (Western) esotericism, and the performing arts. A culturally critic debate is facilitated here via the spiritual-scientific embodiment of Afro-Brazilian traditions, as seen through the...
This study aims to describe the presentation form and analyze the correlation between the elements that form the Kuda Lumping dance in Manunggal Karya Village, Randangan District, Pohuwato Regency. This research is motivated by the existence of traditional Javanese art that is still preserved and purely maintained by the transmigrant community since 1981, and functions as a cultural identity...
Background Breathwork that increases ventilatory rate or depth represents an accessible non-pharmacological modality for potentially inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs). Despite gaining traction as a potential therapeutic tool, empirical controlled research on breathwork and ASCs remains limited. Methods We examined the effects of a single session of high ventilation breathwork,...
This chapter focuses on two “unruly friends of God”: the Hanbali Sufi, Abdullah Ansari of Herat (1006–1088), and the French Dominican friar, Serge de Beaurecueil (1917–2005). The comparison derives analytical insight from the classic Sufi distinction between “drunk” and “sober” mysticism. Both men in their historical and religious contexts embraced an expression of sanctity found on the edge,...
UPDATED 2026-06-09 Corrected dataset attribution from Timmermann et al. (2019) to Pallavicini et al. (2021) UPDATED 2026-01-21 Background: Psychedelic substances produce profound alterations in conscious experience, yet the neural mechanisms underlying phenomenal richness remain poorly understood. Static measures of neural integration and complexity have shown limited success in predicting...
BackgroundPsychiatry has long maintained an ambivalent relationship with religion and spirituality, often acknowledging their relevance while remaining cautious about clinical engagement.ObjectivesThis article examines the historical, conceptual, and clinical tensions surrounding spirituality in psychiatry and explores how contemporary psychedelic research has renewed attention to meaning and...
The Pentamerone (1634–1636) by Giambattista Basile is one of the first, and most important literary collection in the European fairy-tale tradition. Basile’s work is considered a precursor to later fairy-tale writers like Charles Perrault and the Grimm Brothers. His stories also preserve a much older mythic traditions shaped by ritual transformation, sacred kingship, and cosmic justice. This...
Of all of the major figures in the Western philosophical tradition, none was more influential on Simone Weil or more ubiquitous in her writings than Plato. Weil uses Plato's thought to frame her considerations of matters ranging from science and mathematics to divine creation and the relationship of human beings to what is greater than us. Yet Weil makes no attempt to read Plato objectively or...
In this article we examine the intertwining of Zen Buddhism, Christian Mysticism and Archetypes through traditional Zen contemplative practice and tales collected by the Brothers Grimm. Ana María Schlüter Rodés (1935-1925), philosopher, theologian and Zen master, disciple of Yamada Kōun Roshi (1907-1989), writes and teaches Zen through contemplation, kōans —Zen paradoxes used to awaken...
Abstract In navigating the complexities of the modern era, a profound understanding of religious teachings is increasingly vital to provide moral and existential guidance in human life. A central aspect of Islam is understanding the Qur’an, which serves as a foundational source of spiritual and moral guidance. Sufistic epistemology offers a distinctive framework for interpreting the Qur’an,...