Yulia Ustinova

Gebundenes Buch

Divine Mania

Alteration of Consciousness in Ancient Greece

Beschreibung

Divine mania comprises a fascinating array of experiences, which could be voluntary or involuntary, intense or mild, and were interpreted as an invasive divine power within one's mind, or illumination granted by a superhuman being. Greece was unique in its attitude to alteration of consciousness and the prominent position of the divine mania in Greek society reflects its acceptance of the inborn human proclivity to experience alteration of consciousness, interpreted in positive terms as god-sent. These mental states were treated with cautious respect and in contrast to the majority of complex societies, ancient and modern, were never suppressed or pushed to the cultural and social periphery.

Autor

Yulia Ustinova is the Anna and Sam Lopin Professor of History at Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Israel. Her main field of study is ancient Greek religion and its role within the society. In addition to historical written and archaeological sources, she makes use of a multidisciplinary approach based on the application of results of cognitive neuroscience, anthropology, and sociology to the interpretation of historical phenomena.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Routledge
• Seitenzahl: 412
• Erscheinungstermin: 19. Oktober 2017
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 240mm x 161mm x 27mm
• Gewicht: 781g
• ISBN-13: 9781138298118
• ISBN-10: 1138298115
• Artikelnr.: 49623970

Rezensionen

"Ustinova's book on divine mania is an excellent and highly innovative contribution to the study of Greek culture. By applying a cognitive approach, she explores embodied experiences of Greek religion. As "people are biological and cultural creatures at the same time" (p. 18), an unbridgeable dichotomy of these categories can no longer be presupposed. The book is a successful example of how the application of cognitive sciences to a historical study of Greek culture can lead to new insights into complex cultural phenomena." - Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Ustinova builds on the growing interest in cognitive science approaches to Greek religious thought. This monograph displays careful

attention to philological detail and a wide range of theoretical toolkits, founded on the interdependence of humanity's biological and cultural dimensions." - American Journal of Philology

"Yulia Ustinova's Divine Mania is the first comprehensive overview of the source evidence for alterations of consciousness in ancient Greece... Whereas earlier generations often fell into the trap of cherry-picking "rational consciousness" in ancient Greece, Ustinova succeeds admirably in avoiding that temptation in this splendid overview of its counterpart, alterations of consciousness. Divine Mania recovers a treasure trove of rejected knowledge that gives access to some of the most important esoteric origins of Western culture." - Aries - Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism