Abstract
The present work introduces the neuropsychological paradigm as a new approach to studying ancient literature. In the first part of the article, an epistemological framework for the proper use of neuropsychology in relation to ancient literature is presented. The article then discusses neuropsychological methods of studying different human experiences and dimensions already addressed by ancient literatures. The experiences of human encounters with gods among ancient cultures are first considered, through the contributions of Julian Jaynes and Eric R. Dodds. The concepts of right and left in the Bible, and that of soul are then discussed. Ecstatic experience in Paul of Tarsus is also presented, with a particular focus on glossolalia. Neuroscientific differences between mindful and unitive meditative practices are then described referring to ancient Buddhist literature, and finally a brief description of dreams in ancient Greek literature is proposed. Neuropsychology variously enables a more profound understanding of themes characterizing human experiences that ancient literature has already explored; these investigations prove that the collaboration of neuroscience and humanistic studies can return fruitful and interesting results.
Highlights
The scientific experimental method, developed in the West by great scientists and philosophers like Galileo Galilei, René Descartes and Isaac Newton, addressed the study of objects and processes situated in the external environment, in particular the laws that govern the celestial bodies
In the first Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul did not want to prevent the ecclesiastic assembly needlessly hearing verbal expressions without meaning; it is possible that he wanted to impede the collective ecstasy and sexual disinhibition that glossolalic expressions might induce during the assembly. This suggests that Paul knew the practice of glossolalia could have effects that were probably due to emotional contagion phenomena (Panksepp, 2009; Prochazkova and Kret, 2017)
The results showed a key activation of frontal and prefrontal regions in practitioners of Buddhisminspired meditation, which could be connected to executive functions and voluntary attention required during mindful awareness
Summary
The present work introduces the neuropsychological paradigm as a new approach to studying ancient literature. In the first part of the article, an epistemological framework for the proper use of neuropsychology in relation to ancient literature is presented. The article discusses neuropsychological methods of studying different human experiences and dimensions already addressed by ancient literatures. The experiences of human encounters with gods among ancient cultures are first considered, through the contributions of Julian Jaynes and Eric R. Ecstatic experience in Paul of Tarsus is presented, with a particular focus on glossolalia. Neuropsychology variously enables a more profound understanding of themes characterizing human experiences that ancient literature has already explored; these investigations prove that the collaboration of neuroscience and humanistic studies can return fruitful and interesting results
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