Divine Mania: Alteration of Consciousness in Ancient Greece

ISBN-13: 9781138298118 / Angielski / Twarda / 2017 / 396 str.

Yulia Ustinova

Opis

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.

Spis treści

Introduction  1. Prophetic mania  2. Telestic mania and near-death experiences  3. Bakcheia  4. Mania on the battlefield and on the march  5. Nympholepsy  6. Poetic mania  7. Erotic mania  8. The philosopher’s mania and his path to truth  Epilogue: Perspectives on divine mania

O autorze

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.