Supernatural Entities Research Articles

Patron Saints of Meat and Tallow: Sacralizing Extractivism in the Colonial Cattle Industry of Yucatán, Mexico

In colonial Yucatán, Mexico, the owners of plantation-like estates known as haciendas conscripted saints and cows to expropriate land from Indigenous Maya farming communities. In this paper, I trace the role of hacienda saints by framing them as an introduced or adventive species, capable of forming both mutualistic and invasive interspecies relationships in their new habitat. I examine the introduction of saints to the region by Franciscans, early attempts by Maya people to build anticolonial coalitions with saints and cows, the participation of hacienda saints in extractivist ranching practices, and the ultimate reclaiming and possible naturalization of saints by Maya rebels. This paper extends conceptualizations of the plantation—as both a site of species extinction and a site of interspecies collaboration—to include Catholic saints, so as to interrogate the dynamic role of supernatural entities in deep and ongoing histories of extractivism.

Quantifying the role of supernatural entities and the effect of missing data in Irish sagas

For over a decade, complex networks have been applied to mythological texts in order to quantitatively compare them. This has allowed us to identify similarities between texts in different cultures, as well as to quantify the significance of some heroic characters. Analysing a full mythology of a culture requires gathering data from many individual myths which is time consuming and often impractical. In this work, we attempt to bypass this by analysing the network of characters in a dictionary of mythological characters. We show that the top characters identified by different centrality measures are consistent with central figures in the Irish sagas. Although much of Irish mythology has been lost, we demonstrate that these most central characters are highly robust to a large random removal of edges.

Мифические детерминанты политического (Политический проект Платона)

The article is devoted to the explication of the mythological determinants of Plato’s political doctrine. The author raises the question about those axiomatic propositions that underlie the political philosophy of the ancient Greek thinker: what is it, the rudiments of mythical consciousness or the rationality of the nascent philosophical logos? The article shows that there are two opposite answers to this question. One is associated with the tradition of conceptualizing myth as fiction and fantasy (Georg Hegel, Auguste Comte, Feokhari Kessidy), the other with the understanding of myth as a special type of rationality underlying a certain ontological reality (Friedrich Schelling, Alexey Losev, Kurt Huebner). The author shows that modern Platonists are increasingly inclined to the second approach and consider myth as an indispensable element of Plato’s philosophy as such. The central element of his system, the doctrine of ideas, is genetically linked to classical mythology. Plato’s ideas are rationalized supernatural entities, divine substances. This understanding finds comprehensive manifestation in Plato’s political project. The peace of a self-identified being is the ideal of a perfect polis. Justice, on the other hand, is conformity to one’s nature i.e., ultimately, conformity to the divine substance expressed in the idea. Thus, the author concludes, justice in Plato’s project is primarily not a social or political

Prevalence, patterns and predictors of paranormal beliefs in The Netherlands: a several-analysts approach

Paranormal beliefs encompass a wide variety of phenomena, including the existence of supernatural entities such as ghosts and witches, as well as extraordinary human abilities such as telepathy and clairvoyance. In the current study, we used a nationally representative sample ( N = 2534 ) to investigate the presence and correlates of paranormal beliefs among the secular Dutch population. The results indicated that most single paranormal phenomena (e.g. belief in clairvoyance) are endorsed by 10–20% of Dutch respondents; however, 55.6% of respondents qualify as paranormal believers based on the preregistered criterion that they believe in at least one phenomenon with considerable certainty. In addition, we invited four analysis teams with different methodological expertise to assess the structure of paranormal beliefs using traditional factor analysis, network analysis, Bayesian network analysis and latent class analysis (LCA). The teams’ analyses indicated adequate fit of a four-factor structure reported in a 1985 study, but also emphasized different conclusions across techniques; network analyses showed evidence against strong connectedness within most clusters, and suggested a five-cluster structure. The application of various analytic techniques painted a nuanced picture of paranormal beliefs and believers in The Netherlands and suggests that despite increased secularization, subgroups of the general population still believe in paranormal phenomena.

Supernatural Attributions for Extraordinary Events: Examining Cognitive and Contextual Predictors

AbstractWhy do people make supernatural attributions (SA) for events? This article focused on five possible predictors: stressfulness, unusual events, religiousness, seeing a supernatural explanation as meaningful, and seeing supernatural entities as powerful. We also predicted that people would be more likely to adopt supernatural explanations seen as highly accessible, motivating, and plausible. We focused primarily on SA in general and secondarily on specific entities. We tested preregistered hypotheses using survey data in two samples of undergraduates: one reporting life‐changing events (N = 594) and another reporting on an event with a supernatural air, or supernaturally perceived events (N = 475). Results supported all proposed predictors except for stressfulness. Path analyses revealed that, in both samples, predictors were linked with seeing supernatural explanations as accessible, plausible, and motivating; these ratings, in turn, had positive associations with SA. These results begin to integrate previous theory and research on individual predictors of SA.

“The heavens, the earth and all their hosts” (Gen 2,1). The inventory of the supernatural entities in the Hebrew Bible created with the Elyonim veTachtonim system

Abstract Elyonim veTachtonim is a system of quantitative and qualitative analysis of the traditions involving supernatural entities and, in this article, I showcase its implementation to the construction of the biblical inventory. I start with a review of the printed and electronic resources and recognize their advantages and limitations which informed and motivated the production of the database. Next, I summarize the theoretical and methodological fundamentals of the endeavor and then scrutinize the development process emphasizing the quantitative and qualitative specificities of the biblical inventory. Finally, I sketch out the possible applications of the database and its prospective developments.

In Defense of Hitchens’s Razor

In this chapter, I’m going to defend what has come to be known as Hitchens’s Razor, which he stated as follows: “What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.” The point Christopher Hitchens was making is that miracle claims asserted without any evidence can be dismissed. Period! William of Ockham (1285‒1349) had previously articulated what is known as Ockham’s Razor, whereby “entities should not be multiplied without necessity” when it came to supernaturally caused miracles. According to Ockham, the best explanations are those that make the fewest assumptions, so simpler explanations are to be preferred over complex ones. This paved a pathway for modern scientific inquiry since the addition of supernatural entities adds unnecessary complexity into our scientific explanations.

Taboo Violation and Charming Initiation, as Expressed by Some Romanian Legends and Incantations Addressed to the Fairies

Within the context of charmings, as it has been recorded among Romanians, the article aims to disclose the meaning of the theme of fairies’ taboo violation as a precondition necesary to gain sacred knowledge. In this regard, various certain incantations addressed to the fairies are examined, along with legends and third person accounts that underline the role played by these supernatural entities as numinous agents for initiation to the `secret` register of knowledge through a special form of communication, which in modern neuroscience terminology might be referred to as an ‚altered state of consciouness’, but which, in the emic terms of magic medicine is described as a disease, namely beeing taken by the fairies. In concordance with the idea of mutual exchanges between humans and the numinous, the one who accept the fairies’ authority and pay the price of being tormented by them, gain the gift of therapeutic and divinatory abilities.

The Corporeal and Monstrosity of Supernatural Entities: Towards a Socio-Functional Illustration of Pontianak In Tunku Halim's “Horror Stories”

The Corporeal and Monstrosity of Supernatural Entities: Towards a Socio-Functional Illustration of Pontianak In Tunku Halim's “Horror Stories”

Measuring the strength of belief in the supernatural entities in the Babylonian Talmud. A method based on the Elyonim veTachtonim project

This paper offers a technique for assessing the strength of belief in the traditions involving supernatural entities (angels, demons, ghosts, and monsters) present in the Babylonian Talmud. The method is based on the appreciation of the formal features of the text (genre, language, attribution, etc.) in the theoretical and technical framework of the Elyonim veTachtonim project and allows to grade relatively the perceived reality of particular accounts. The analysis of the quantitative data shows that these are the traditions about the demons, which are usually provided in the form of pragmatic recommendations transmitted in Aramaic and featuring the Babylonian sages. This allows us to infer that the demons appeared to the final redactors (i.e., the Stammaim) as the most real among the supernatural entities: they were presented as posing real danger and as demanding adequate means of action.

The Angelized Rabbis and the Rabbinized Angels. The Reworked Motif of the Angelic Progeny in the Babylonian Talmud (bShabb 112b)

The myth of the fallen angels, as it is known from the intertestamental literature, narrates the story of the angels who break the divine law, marry earthly women, and beget malevolent hybrid progeny. The latter element of this narrative can be found in the Babylonian Talmud, where it is invested with new significance: these are the distinguished rabbis who are the heavenly messengers’ offspring. I start this paper by outlining the traces of the rabbis’ familiarity with the myth of the fallen angels and then move on to an analysis of the tradition about the angelic origins of the sages found in bShabb 112b. I offer that this passage should be read as exemplifying the practice of associating rabbis and angels that permeates the whole Babylonian Talmud. I base on two methodological paradigms: cognitive linguistics, which allows for the translation of this problem into two conceptual metaphors (SAGES ARE ANGELS and ANGELS ARE SAGES), and the Elyonim veTachtonim – a system of quantitative and qualitative analysis of the traditions involving supernatural entities, which permits to locate all the Talmudic passages utilizing these metaphors and to interpret their place in the broader conceptual network. The data show that the sages and rabbinized biblical figures are frequently juxtaposed with angels, and the main dimension of comparison is their intellectual proficiency. When it comes to the mapping of specific rabbinic competencies onto the angels, the most popular is the ability to engage in halakhic scrutiny and teaching. In sum, this presentation of the sages as angels can be taken as an expression of the sense of elitism entertained by the Babylonian sages and, as such, sheds additional light on the interpretation of the passage in bShabb 112b.

Pounding the ground for the thunder god: Sounding platforms in the Prehispanic Andes (CE 1000–1532)

The past is silent, or mostly so, yet sound can open a window to this same past. Early Spanish colonial ethnohistoric sources from the Andes are littered with references to indigenous dancing and music as an accompaniment to ritual and feasts. Recent archaeological research in the upper Ica Drainage on the late Prehispanic (CE 1000–1532) site of Viejo Sangayaico has revealed an open-air platform potentially prepared as a type of sprung or ‘sounding’ dancefloor which produces a deep percussion-like sound when stepped upon. I interpret this feature as a sounding platform for stomp dancing. The larger site’s association to veneration of Andean lightning and thunder deity suggests that dancing at this location might have been in part attuned to this supernatural entity. Wider ethnohistoric evidence provide a potential parallel into understanding what type of activities were practiced on this platform and site.

SINKRETISME DALAM SLAMETAN RITUAL ULUR-ULUR

This research aims to explain the hidden narrative in the slametan of the ulur-ulur ritual at Telaga Buret, Sawo Village, Campurdarat District, Tulungagung Regency. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the long sequences of ulur-ulur rituals were summarized by only conducting slametan. This indicates that the main foundation of the ulur-ulur ritual is slametan. To find the core ideology of slametan, this study employed the ethnographic approach. Data were obtained through participatory research and in-depth interview. The collected data were then transcribed and analyzed using related theories. This research shows that in slametan, syncretic narratives are beautifully woven into the ritual. An assortment of narratives from Islam and other religions or beliefs is represented in the offerings served during the ritual. Each offering is addressed specifically to a particular supernatural entity through ujub. This harmonious assortment shows that the Javanese people have a high degree of adaptability when it comes to adjusting their religious practices to inevitable social changes.

Psychedelics and the Entropic Brain Beyond the Self

ABSTRACT A increasing number of studies points toward beneficial effects of psychedelic experiences if administered in the right setting. A smaller number of studies present explanations for why psychedelics have these therapeutic effects. Of these most argue that psychedelic experiences increase neuroplasticity, allowing subjects to let go of unhelpful entrenched beliefs. I argue that (1) psychedelics are likely therapeutic because they help subjects align their beliefs with their respective contexts; (2) relaxation of entrenched beliefs need not occur at higher cognitive levels concerned with the self or ego to be therapeutic; and (3) the proneness toward having supernatural entity experiences can be explained using this contextual approach. I conclude that therapeutic effects of psychedelics are not necessarily tied to beliefs about the self.

Does analytic theology belong in the public university?

AbstractAn overarching question in William Wood'sAnalytic Theology and the Academic Study of Religionconcerns the conditions under which theology belongs in the public university. On this question, many or most academics today are methodological naturalists, and they would not accept explanations that appeal to supernatural entities. Wood devotes a chapter to arguing against that position. Nevertheless, Wood is not a ‘sectarian’ who argues that Christian theology should only answer to its own, tradition-specific norms, and so it is important to see how close his proposal and methodological naturalism (MN) actually are. In this response, I seek to clarify both MN and Wood's proposal regarding the proper norms for academic inquiry. Key to my argument is a distinction between a MN based on strict or scientific naturalism and a MN based on liberal or expansive naturalism. Analytic theologians and expansive naturalists can agree both that a theology that operates according to proper norms for academic inquiry belongs in the public university and that strict naturalism is not the norm that we want.

Romance in “Christabel”: Fear of the Supernatural Other

Literary romance is a difficult term to coherently define among critics. Dating back to the thirteenth century in Middle English, the number of romances written in the preceding English centuries offers an expansive opportunity for scholarly research and debate. One commonality that may be examined is the presence of a hero/heroine and a supernatural entity meant to challenge the protagonist’s inability to live up to ideals. Spanning from 1785 to 1832, British Romanticism is a movement that critics also have trouble defining. Literature written during the Romantic period includes the first and second-generation poets, who were present during and after the French Revolution respectively. The selected Romantic-era poem of study is “Christabel” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge due to its presence of a heroine in Christabel and a supernatural entity in Geraldine. When placing literary romance’s Morgan le Fay and Geraldine in juxtaposition with one another, a clearer definition of romance and Romanticism may be formed. “Christabel” invokes literary romance’s tendency to depict a supernatural other who is not inherently evil but complicates through sexual temptation the hero’s struggle with chastity. The supernatural other is someone who is outcasted and alienated from society because they are a perceived threat to normalcy. However, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Le Morte Darthur, and “Christabel” demonstrate how the real threat is often the hero/heroine’s inability to deny temptation. This research ultimately reveals how the hero and supernatural other become vehicles to reflect common weaknesses and flaws that make people human.

Ancestral Waters: Material Culture, Notion of Transformation and Shamanism in the Stilt Villages in Eastern Amazonia

This work aims to apply the theories of new materialities to the study of the material culture of the Formoso stilt village, a pre-colonial settlement from the ninth–tenth centuriesad, located in the Baixada Maranhense. Appliqués of the pottery bowls at this archaeological site present cosmological information regarding the transformation or metamorphosis of bodies, aspects that are fertile for the discussion of shamanism in the lowlands of South America, especially the Amazon. Classic concepts of anthropological ethnography applied to archaeology are used, contributing to the discussion on the diversity of ways to manufacture the body in the Amazon in its easternmost portion, such as that of theMaster of Animals, a supernatural entity metamorphosed by the shaman and who could also have been part of the cosmology of the lake peoples of Maranhão, Brazil. Two artifacts depicting beings that have their feet turned backwards may be associated with the Curupira, thus evidencing a long-lasting history of this supernatural being that was recorded both in colonial documentation and in indigenous ethnography.

‘Ka asi kasya asi, kalyāṇi?’ The Ambiguity of the yakṣas in the Araṇya Parva of the Mahābhārata

Supernatural entities are often described as ambiguous, but ambiguity is underdetermined and undefined. This article has a twofold goal: first of all, it constructs an ideal-type model for identifying and specifying ambiguity in supernatural beings; secondly, it examines the ambiguity of yakṣas in the Araṇya Parva of the Mahābhārata. This model for determining supernatural ambiguity utilizes five markers, which appear in either a positive or negative aspect: fulfilling or denying needs and desires; protecting or attacking humans; belonging to the same order as humansor rejecting this order; beautiful or hideous appearance; and living close by or far away from human communities. Four narratives are examined: the story of Nala and Damayantī, the First and Second War of the Yakṣas, and the story of the Drillling Woods. In all stories, each of the five markers are utilized to describe the yakṣas’ ambiguity. However, one should distinguish between ambiguity proper (when conflicting markers are present at the same time) verus ambiguity caused by the shifting of markers during a narrative.

«Устная история» в дневниках Ц. Дамдинсурэна

Introduction. The oral tradition has figured largely in the literature of Mongols since ancient times. This is due to the nomadic way of life resulting in that sparse population gets scattered across vast territories forced to exchange news and knowledge by word of mouth. Such intensive functioning of the oral text transmission form can be witnessed even nowadays. Goals. The paper aims at introducing some data on ‘oral histories’ contained in Ts. Damdinsüren’s diaries into scientific circulation. Results. The tradition of using oral narratives in the functional sphere, in particular, to preserve and transmit historical facts — i.e. to somewhat ‘document’ the past — has given rise to such genres as ‘oral history’ (aman tuuh), ‘oral memoires’ (huuch yaria), and ‘folkloric accounts’ (yaria) that have become very popular in recent decades. And it is Academician Ts. Damdinsüren that can be viewed as initiator of this genre in Mongolian literature. The diaries of Ts. Damdinsüren dated from 1956 to 1986 contain materials used by him in his publications of ‘oral histories’. The latter can be somewhat provisionally classified into a few categories. First of all, it is evident enough that Ts. Damdinsüren was interested in funny stories, amusements, and anecdotes. Furthermore, he had been collecting narratives about supernatural entities for many years. The theme aroused the academician’s interest as manifested mythopoeia of the Mongols and as embodied living mythology of the people rather than as some mere object of curiosity, neither was he ever that enthusiastic about insights into esoteric practices of Mongolian Buddhist priests. The notebooks also contain quite a number of texts dealing with the Mongolian Revolution and the dramatic 1930s to have witnessed harsh repressions. The latter coupled with arrangements directed against the old culture did capture the scholar’s attention. The recorded ‘oral histories’ were articulating inconvenient and sometimes even hostile data for authorities on topics that remained banned up to the 1990s. So, the ‘oral histories’ not only introduce new historical and cultural facts, opinions of commoners on certain events, but also narrate about Mongolian household life of the past, peculiarities of ethnic worldviews and attitudes.

Do Psychedelic Trips Open the Door to Messages from God, Spirits, Transcendent Realities, or the Devil? Links with Attitudes About Psychedelics, Opinions About Legalization, and Interest in Personal Use

ABSTRACT Could psychedelic use open the door to messages from supernatural entities, including God, the devil, or human or nature spirits? Might psychedelics allow a glimpse of some transcendent domain, consciousness, or self that exists beyond the material world? We were interested in how people’s answers to these questions would relate to their attitudes about psychedelic use, legalization, and desire to use psychedelics if given a safe opportunity. After preregistering key hypotheses on the Open Science Framework, we recruited U. S. adults (final N = 800) to complete an online survey. Participants expected psychedelics to prompt psychological messages (from the brain or subconscious) more than spiritual messages, which were typically endorsed more than explicitly supernatural messages; however, even supernatural messages received moderate endorsement. As predicted, seeing psychedelics as a doorway to positive spiritual or supernatural messages (from a transcendent spiritual domain, God, human spirits, nature spirits) was linked with more positive attitudes about psychedelics, more favoring of their legalization, and more past use and interest in personal use. As expected, attitudes about psychedelics were less favorable among those who saw them as doorways to negative messages, either from supernatural evil (devil, demons, evil spirits) or from one’s own mind (dark side, shadow self, “inner demons”). Beliefs in supernatural messages via psychedelics were linked with stronger supernatural beliefs, more prior psychedelic use, younger age, self-identifying as spiritual, more past experiences seen as supernatural (in general and involving psychedelics), and greater approval of psychedelics by one’s religious community (where applicable). In summary, many people see psychedelics as potential sources of supernatural messages. These supernatural attributions, in turn, are closely linked with attitudes, behaviors, and past experiences related to psychedelic use.