Caves and the Ancient Greek Mind: Descending Underground in the Search for Ultimate Truth

by: Ustinova, Y.

Price: 115,00 EURO

1 copy in stock

Caves and the Ancient Greek Mind
Descending Underground in the Search for Ultimate Truth
Yulia Ustinova
The first systematic collection of evidence on underground revelations in ancient Greek culture
Juxtaposes ancient testimonies with the results of modern neurological research
Cross-cultural and trans-historical emphases provide a broad background for understanding the phenomena in question

Description
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.

Table of Contents
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

Caves and the Ancient Greek Mind: Descending Underground in the Search for Ultimate Truth

by: Ustinova, Y.

• ISBN-13: 9780199548569 / 978-0-19-954856-9
• ISBN-03: 0199548560 / 0-19-954856-0
• Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009

Price: 115,00 EURO

1 copy in stock