%E2%80%9CI saw %E2%80%A6 someone like a son of man%E2%80%A6 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire%E2%80%A6 I fell at his feet as though dead%E2%80%A6%E2%80%9D This narration of a vision of God in the Revelation of John is one of the best known examples of a religious experience. But descriptions of visions, ecstatic experiences, soul flights, heavenly ascents, and trance populate texts of religious, philosophical, and theosophical character of all times. They are at the core of mystic and esoteric currents of various kinds. What is the nature of such phenomena? Are such experiences %E2%80%98real%E2%80%99? In what sense? What was and is the significance of such encounters in different cultural contexts in the ancient, medieval, and contemporary period? In this summer school, religious experiences will be addressed from two rather different perspectives: religious studies and neuroscience. In recent years, research has flourished in both areas of expertise%E2%80"in neuroscience owing to new techniques of mapping the human brain; in religious studies due to innovative views on the connection between religion and knowledge. This summer school is linked to the Masters programme %E2%80%9CConcealed Knowledge: Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism%E2%80%9D at the University of Groningen, and set up in close collaboration with the University of Aarhus (Denmark).
Course leaderProf. Dr. Kocku von Stuckrad, University of Groningen
Target group(Research) Master, PhD and Postdoc
Credits info3 ECTS Students who participate in all summer school activities will receive 3 EC and a certificate of attendance.
Fee infoEUR 250: Housing is excluded in the fee.
ScholarshipsThe Erasmus programme also offers options for Student and Staff mobility. Please check with your University or Erasmus representative for availability.
University of GroningenAddress: Broerstraat 5 Groningen
Postal code: 9721 CP
City: Groningen
Country: Netherlands
Website: http://rug.nl/summerschools
E-mail: summerschools@rug.nl
Phone: 0031 6 28216256
