Sacred Experience Research Articles

Laure and Bataille as educators: On the useless value of sacred experiences

Whereas there are potentially many ways to have sacred experiences as part of one’s higher education, we show how exam writing as a specific study activity can serve as an occasion for such experiences to occur. Experiences through writing that involve the destruction and creation of worlds, of losing and regaining oneself and of learning profound things along the way. Illustrated through the case of Sofie, an undergraduate philosophy student, we show how experiencing the sacred involves the temporary entrapment of the self by the self, in a demonic fashion. The process of emergence and dissolution of this entrapment ultimately makes up a sacred experience that nourishes a learning-development process that can best be described as an oscillating process of becoming. Our article draws its main philosophical inspiration from Laure and Georges Bataille.

Disclosing the sacred in technological practices for sustainability

ABSTRACT Owing to the claimed loss of meaning in modern societies, this article investigates how the experience of the sacred is disclosed in technological practices. The experience of the sacred is studied through four framings that approach the sacred as (i) extreme im/purity or sublimity, (ii) a religious framework, (iii) a sense of connection, and (iv) a cognitive experience related to skills. Sacred experiences may emerge in all technological practices, but their meaning is implied to be of a particularly fleeting kind in highly technological practices – measured by their increase in matter-energy throughput – and prone to cause the experience of alienation. Sacred experience in less technological practices is consequently proposed to hold the potential to offer a more sustained experience of meaning. However, the proper kinds of skills are essential to reach experiences of the sacred that may serve to restore life and its purpose.

The Digital as Sacred Space: Exploring the Online Religious Dimension.

In the current context where digitization permeates all aspects of everyday life, the religious world is not immune to the influences associated with technological aspects. In recent years, a space has emerged on the internet where a collective faith is recognized, even through electronic means, bringing together individuals into a community that takes on the characteristics of a sacred place. This raises new questions about the concept of sacredness itself in relation to digitization, as this process has opened up the possibility of new forms of communicating the sacred through electronic means, transforming the very concept of the sacred into a digital dimension. The use of virtual environments or digital tools to spread a religious message has given space to creative figures who experiment with innovative language within the religious traditions. In this scenario, research has emerged aimed at understanding the multiple aspects and meanings of this new sacred experience. The objective is to analyze how these religious traditions adapt to and appropriate the digital dimension, exploring the dynamics of interaction between the sacred and the digital, as well as the theological, cultural, and social implications that arise from it. Through the exploration of these themes, this article aims to explain how digitization has redefined traditional concepts such as sacred place and how religious practice has evolved in the digital age. The goal is to offer a perspective on the transformation of the sacred in the digital context, exploring tensions between tradition and innovation, authenticity and fragmentation, participation, and distance in the contemporary religious sphere. This article aims to provide an understanding of how the digital has redefined the concept of sacredness, opening new horizons and challenges for religion in this new era.

The Sacred Soundscapes of Mountain Wilderness

Sound and silence in nature intensify our perception of the non-anthropogenic world, of that which seems unaffected by humans and has been considered transcendent, eternal, and sacred. This is especially true in mountain settings. Mountain wilderness manifests a reality beyond anthropocentrism, and this reality becomes perceivable, in part, through sound. When described in the language of soundscape ecology, mountain soundscapes can be characterized by a lack or reduction of anthrophonic sounds and the presence or increase of geophonic and biophonic sounds. When described in the language of philosophy and religion, these soundscapes have been said to offer an ideal space beyond impermanence and rational explanation and contain that which is unchanging and inexplicable. The search for personal contact with that which is unchanging and inexplicable, and the attendant belief that these qualities reveal a higher form of reality, is a search for the sacred, and mountain soundscapes have played a significant but as yet unexamined role in this search. Across different religions and secular practices, in different cultures and historical periods, mountain soundscapes have acted as catalysts for sacred experience. This article uses the combined perspectives of philosophy, religion, and soundscape ecology to map some of the physical and intellectual terrain in which such experience has taken place.

PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE

The structural abstract discusses the features of modern post-non-classical scientific discourse, according to which all kinds of scientific and religious knowledge are simplified mental construction of a complex objective reality. All accumulated religious knowledge is a combination of various theoretical models of divine reality, the performance of which was checked by centuries of experience of mystical connection with the Lord. According to the requirements of scientific and religious discourse on incompleteness of knowledge, all religious texts of the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, etc. are not carriers of absolutely probable knowledge. The sacred reality they describe is far more complex. The structural abstract reveals the originality of the subject and object of religious narration and the special nature of the mystical fact. The empirical basis of Christian knowledge is the books of the Old and New Testaments, which set the initial basis of Christian knowledge. The array of interpretations of sacred knowledge, accumulated over two thousand years of the Christianity development, it constitutes the main volume in the system of Christian knowledge. Christian theology provides a comprehensive understanding of Christian doctrine and its historical development. A special role is played by mystical knowledge-management-experiencing, the knowledge of God in the structure of Christian knowledge. The peculiarity of knowledgemanagement-experiencing determines that it comes directly from God. Theology can be achieved in the course of many years of practical work of an ascetic. The mystical side of knowledge-management is the experience of a direct connection with the Lord, which is difficult to convey in words. Secret knowledge-management exists only in real time in the existential reality of sacred experience. The structural abstract distinguishes two types of metaphysical knowledge – Western and Eastern metaphysics. Western metaphysics is considered to be the universal, most developed type of philosophical rational knowledge, the main goal of which is to develop a theoretical model of the fundamental reality, what is the God. It is reasonable to call Eastern metaphysics the metaphysics of the Path originating in the middle of the first millennium BC in India (Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc.) and China (Taoism). Orthodoxy is the Christian version of the metaphysics of the Path, while Sufism is in Islam. Everything is subordinated to the liberation of the ascetic from worldly desires and the achievement of a mystical connection with God in Eastern metaphysics. The metaphysics of the Path includes three components – theoretical construction of the God, difficult practical actions (the Path) and the secret knowledge-management of the God, which are considered in inseparable unity. The Orthodox version of the metaphysics of the Path is one of the most developed in Eastern metaphysics.The texts of Western and Eastern metaphysics differ considerably. The works of Western metaphysicians appeal to the human mind and are predominantly speculative. The writings of Eastern metaphysicians try to reproduce the mental reality of the Path of merit of Enlightenment to a large extent. If rational knowledge of the fundamental foundations of the universe prevails in Western metaphysics, then Orthodox metaphysics is guided by the desire to enter the mystical space of divine reality.

Psycho-Religious Experiences in Deep Space History: Astronaut’s Latent Countermeasures for Human Risk Management

Current scientific developments have reached the stage where human aspirations of space exploration are not science fiction but a reality involving travelling to the Earth’s orbit, the Moon and Mars. In the second half of the twentieth century, international space agencies (like NASA, European Space Agency, and Russia) witnessed the professional experiments of official and commercial space projects, gradually unveiling the universe’s secrets. Astronautical research has predominantly been developed within the context of advanced materialism. The astronauts’ physical health has been protected by the technology of space medicine, while the socio-cultural aspect of psychological well-being was less regarded. As space-travel time is getting longer and more solitary, the evaluation of the mental environment of the astronauts during space travel or in technical crisis is necessary. Also, can the private sphere of astronauts help the public sphere of space safety or security? When and how can religious behaviour (or psycho-religious potentiality) be effective in the space community of long-term missions? This paper explores the sacred experiences of past astronauts in the non-scientific aspects of fearlessness, courage, stability, and confidence. It argues a new hypothesis that while the space team can theoretically depend on the visual and systematic data of the latest information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), the success of deep space missions (including Mars exploration), in terms of human risk management, is not always irrelevant to the strength of individual spirituality as an internal countermeasure of self-positivity in absolute hope. Furthermore, this aspect can be proved in the case studies of the American Christians’ willpower, Papal support, spontaneous Jewish astronauts, the institutional cooperation of the Russian Orthodox Church and its government, and the commitments of Asian and Islamic astronauts.

Reflections on Leonard J. Arrington

Reflections on Leonard J. Arrington

Chico Xavier and the Sacred Experience: a Semiotic and Ethnopsychological Perspective

Chico Xavier and the Sacred Experience: a Semiotic and Ethnopsychological Perspective

"Don't Ask Me How I Know This…".

"Don't Ask Me How I Know This…".

Tomorrowland Around the World 2020: A Virtual Pilgrimage

The year 2020 was devastating to electronic music festivals and their attendees as the COVID-19 pandemic forced most festivals to cancel their events. Because attendance at these festivals is a sacred experience for many of their participants, this manifested as a loss for participants. Tomorrowland, however, created a virtual festival through filming DJ performances and working with visual effects teams. Tomorrowland Around the World functioned to constitute a global public. This paper will situate the electronic music scene in a spiritual context that promotes the well-being of its participants. Next, the paper will explain how the DJ performances worked with the visual production teams to create a sacred virtual space that promoted unity, love, life, and a general sense of well-being.

Brutal Aesthetics: Dubuffet, Bataille, Jorn, Paolozzi, Oldenburg

Brutal Aesthetics: Dubuffet, Bataille, Jorn, Paolozzi, Oldenburg

Finding the divine within: exploring the role of the sacred in psychedelic integration therapy for sexual trauma and dysfunction

During the last two decades, psychedelic-assisted therapy has emerged as one of the most promising novel treatments for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorders. These medicines have also been used in sacred, ritual settings for, in some cases, centuries. Often referred to as entheogens (meaning “creating the divine within”), psychedelic plant medicines such as psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline-containing cacti, and ayahuasca are unique for their ability to induce a direct and personal experience of the divine. In my work as a psychedelic integration psychotherapist who specializes in sexual trauma as well as issues around gender and sexuality, I have seen my clients transform trauma and develop a healthy relationship to their identity after these profoundly sacred experiences with psychedelic plant medicines in ritual settings. Clients who have sought healing with plant medicines describe an experience of the ineffable, direct communication with divinity or ancestors, and deep felt experiences of embodied pleasure free from shame. Psychedelic integration therapy for sexual trauma uses the experience of ecstasy, direct communication with the divine, and sacred embodied pleasure as vehicles to achieve sustained trauma healing, increased sexual satisfaction, and wellbeing.

Current Grief Support in Pediatric Palliative Care.

Grief support changes as more is learned from current grief theory and research. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of current grief support as it relates to Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC). The following aspects of grief are addressed: (1) anticipatory grief: the nondeath losses that occur with a complex and chronic illness, as well as the time leading up to death; (2) grief around the time of death: the intense and sacred experience of companioning with a dying child; (3) grief after death: supporting bereavement and mourning through programing and other methods; (4) innovative approaches: the future of grief support. The contents of this article are meant to support and educate programs currently providing grief services and those aiming to begin the meaningful work of grief support.

Reconstructing the Sacred Experience at the Sanctuary of Hekate at Lagina

In Reconstructing the Sacred Experience at the Sanctuary of Hekate at Lagina, Amanda Herring traces aspects of ancient worshippers’ experience at this Hellenistic sanctuary. As the sanctuary was located 10 kilometers outside the closest city, Stratonikeia, most visitors would have traveled to Lagina only when they participated in state-sponsored festivals. Lagina represents the only monumental temple dedicated to Hekate and the only site at which the goddess had a central role in the local pantheon. The rites and rituals practiced there were thus unique to the site and required a specific type of architectural framework. Drawing on theories of cultural biography and experiential architecture, Herring argues that the complex’s architectural design and sculpted decoration conveyed an intricate yet cohesive message of political and cultural alliances, a message made accessible via ritualized experience of the space.

In This Issue

Other| September 01 2020 In This Issue Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (2020) 79 (3): 246. https://doi.org/10.1525/jsah.2020.79.3.246 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation In This Issue. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 1 September 2020; 79 (3): 246. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/jsah.2020.79.3.246 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentJournal of the Society of Architectural Historians Search In Reconstructing the Sacred Experience at the Sanctuary of Hekate at Lagina, Amanda Herring traces aspects of ancient worshippers' experience at this Hellenistic sanctuary. As the sanctuary was located 10 kilometers outside the closest city, Stratonikeia, most visitors would have traveled to Lagina only when they participated in state-sponsored festivals. Lagina represents the only monumental temple dedicated to Hekate and the only site at which the goddess had a central role in the local pantheon. The rites and rituals practiced there were thus unique to the site and required a specific type of architectural framework. Drawing on theories of cultural biography and experiential architecture, Herring argues that the complex's architectural design and sculpted decoration conveyed an intricate yet cohesive message of political and cultural alliances, a message made accessible via ritualized experience of the space. Recurrent in architectural historiography is the notion that large-scale building projects in premodern societies... You do not currently have access to this content.

A Paradox of Love: Motherhood and Evangelical Faith in Kate Drumgoold’s Autobiography: <i>A Slave Girl’s Story</i>

This paper explores the portrayal of motherhood in Kate Drumgoold’s autobiography A Slave Girl’s Story (1898). Drumgoold’s narrative stresses her sacred experience partly contributes to its shortage of secular life stories. Drumgoold constructs a world of love in the narrative. She got love from her white mothers, from God, and she got a different type of love from her birth mother. Drumgoold might be the first female slave narrative writer who depicts her white mistress as her mother. But Drumgoold’s depictions of white maternal love partially conceal the violence and suffering that she and her family had suffered in slavery. This paper argues that Drumgoold’s narrative demonstrates ambivalences in depicting the world of love and the hardships she and her family had to overcome. Drumgoold’s helplessness and weakness in slavery induce her to turn to God and God’s love, which helps her find an anchor in her white mother who might extend kindness to her. But Drumgoold also praises her own mother who strived to take care of her children and taught them to fight for freedom. This paper also investigates Drumgoold’s thoughts of the morality of motherhood as she relates that a mother would be rewarded by God when she takes responsibility for mothering work.

Prognostication Accuracy, Confidence, and Decisional Conflict Across Training Levels of Internal Medicine Providers.

Providing patient care at the end of a patient's life is a humbling and sacred experience for both patient and provider. Without a truthful and meaningful conversation about end-of-life care preferences, the care that is delivered may not be the care that the patient prefers. Determine if there is a relationship between level of training, confidence, and presence of decisional conflict in making an accurate prognosis for 2 standardized cases. Additionally, we evaluated the correctness of the prognosis as measured against survival outcomes for patients with similar diagnoses. Decisional conflict was measured with the SURE tool, a validated 4-item tool that has been used in assessing for the presence of decisional conflict. Following analysis of data, it was found that providers with no decisional conflict were much more likely to be attendings with more than 5 years' experience. Providers were more conflicted overall when confronted with a case with a more grave prognosis. It was determined that providers with a lower level of training were more likely to have decisional conflict. Provider confidence increases and decisional conflict decreases as one increases their level of training. However, the degree in which the provider is correct in their prognosis does not change as one increases their level of training. These findings have broad implications on patients, providers, and the health-care system.

Faith in the Water God General Yang Si and the Construction of Its Sacred Field at Taoyuan

Sacred land experience is exclusive to the sacred space, with its unique geographical location, the spiritual beliefs of ethnic groups as the carrier, become a place of pilgrimage for people. In view of the increasingly serious problems such as floods, soil erosion and water pollution, we should respect rivers to advocate the harmonious coexistence of human and water. Through sacrificial activities, site selection, spatial pattern and symbolic system, this paper explains the future focus on the research and protection of historical space culture, revealing the close correlation between the construction of sacred sites and the planning of ecological environment protection.

EXPERIÊNCIA SAGRADA DO POVO YE’KUANA

O povo Ye’kuana vive nos estados Amazonas e Bolívar localizados ao sul da Venezuela. Um pequeno grupo habita no Brasil, em Roraima. Os Ye’kuana vivem numa sociedade que não tem construções de templos. Por isso, não raras vezes são interpretados pelos ocidentais como um povo não religioso. O presente artigo busca compreender e evidenciar a experiência sagrada dos Ye’kuana a partir da análise de duas representações simbólicas: A Ättä, a casa comunitária, e a A’daja, a roça. A obra de Mircea Eliade, O Sagrado e o Profano, ajuda a compreender como eles podem conectar com o mundo do Ser Supremo Wanadi vivendo na Terra que está nas mãos de Odosha, opositor de Wanadi. Como recurso metodológico privilegia os anos de convivência que a autora tem com os Ye’kuana.

Awe, spirituality and conspicuous consumer behavior

AbstractAwe represents a self‐transcendent, sacred experience that is closely related to spirituality. In this study, we suggest that spirituality buffers the effect of awe on materialistic consumption. Across three studies (N = 896), we test the hypothesis that awe can prompt participants’ spirituality, which in turn decreases the inclination of conspicuous consumption. In a survey, dispositional awe is found to be negatively related to the inclination of conspicuous consumption (Study 1). In follow‐up experiments, the induction of awe (relative to other control states) decreases conspicuous consumption behavior (Studies 2 and 3). In addition, a mediation analysis demonstrates that the impacts of awe on conspicuous consumption behavior are explained partly by spirituality. These findings indicate that awe may impede an individual’s materialistic need by enhancing self‐transcendent value.