Caves and the Ancient Greek Mind analyses techniques of searching for ultimate wisdom in ancient Greece. The Greeks perceived mental experiences of exceptional intensity as resulting from divine intervention. They believed that to share in the immortals' knowledge, one had to liberate the soul from the burden of the mortal body by attaining an altered state of consciousness, that is, by merging with a superhuman being or through possession by a deity. These states were often attained by inspired mediums, `impresarios of the gods' - prophets, poets, and sages - who descended into caves or underground chambers. Yulia Ustinova juxtaposes ancient testimonies with the results of modern neuropsychological research. This novel approach enables an examination of religious phenomena not only from the outside, but also from the inside: it penetrates the consciousness of people who were engaged in the vision quest, and demonstrates that the darkness of the caves provided conditions vital for their activities.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
What this book offers is an explanation for that association through the very plausible claim that the cave experiences of the Greeks were culturally patterned responses to biologically determined processes in the human brain. * Penelope Murray, University of Warwick * a valuable and thought-provoking book * Time and Mind * Ustinova's systematic discussion of evidence on underground revelations in ancient Greek culture remains highly valuable * Bryn Mawr Classical Review * Yulia Ustinova weaves together neuropsychological, archaeological and literary evidence to scrutinize the unsetlling and altering gifts of caves as understood by what she refers to as the "Ancient Greek Mind". * Times Literary Supplement *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Maße
Höhe: 222 mm
Breite: 145 mm
Dicke: 21 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-19-954856-9 (9780199548569)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Yulia Ustinova is Senior Lecturer, Department of General History, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
Autor*in
Senior Lecturer, Department of General History, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Introduction ; 1. Cave Experiences and the Human Mind ; 2. Oracles and Caves ; 3. Seers and Poets ; 4. Sages and Philosophers ; 5. Near-Death Experiences: Real and Make-Believe ; Conclusions ; Retrospect