Weird Studies

Episode 131: Knocking on the Abyssal Door: Live at the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute


Listen Later

The historian of religion Jeffrey J. Kripal writes, "The world is one, and the human is two." The line captures the riddle of reality. What is it with our species? Equipped with an intellect able to grok the basic laws that govern the physical universe, we seem unable to wrap our heads around as simple a question as "What is real?". Recorded live before a learned audience at the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI) in August of 2022, this episode approaches the enigma by teasing the Weird out of the very idea of intellection. If the architects of DISI are right to say that mind, far from being confined to human skulls, enjoys wide distribution across nature, what might such ideas as magic, synchronicity, and prophecy tell us about intelligence and meaning?

DISI is a three-week interdisciplinary event held each year at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The hosts are grateful to Jacob Foster and Erica Cartmill of UCLA for inviting them to speak at the institute.

**Header image: **Detail of The Ancient of Days by William Blake.

SHOW NOTES

Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI)

Earlier iteration of Jacob Foster's talk, "Toward a Social Science of the Possible"

Pauline Oliveros's Tuning Meditation

Norbert Wiener, American mathematician
Joshua Ramey, "Contingency Without Unreason: Speculation After Meillassoux"
E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande
Aristotle, Physics and Metaphysics
Jeffrey J. Kripal, "The World is One, and the Human is Two: Tentative Conclusions of a Working Historian of Religion"
Jeffrey Kripal on Weird Studies: episodes ## and ##
Aleister Crowley, See The Vision and the Voice and Magick in Theory and Practice
The "Unwritten Doctrines" of Plato
Plato, Republic, "Seventh Letter" & Phaedrus
Phil's prophetic dream report (Patreon supporters only)
H. P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (for description of Azathoth)
C. G. Jung, Synchroncity: An Acausal Connecting Principle, Alchemical Studies & Mysterium Coniunctionis
Charles Taylor, A Secular Age
New York Times article on 2022 UFO hearings

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Weird StudiesBy SpectreVision Radio

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

586 ratings


More shows like Weird Studies

View all
Bookworm by KCRW

Bookworm

579 Listeners

Very Bad Wizards by Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro

Very Bad Wizards

2,674 Listeners

Rune Soup by Gordon

Rune Soup

766 Listeners

THIRD EYE DROPS by SpectreVision Radio

THIRD EYE DROPS

1,290 Listeners

Speaking of Jung: Interviews with Jungian Analysts by Laura London

Speaking of Jung: Interviews with Jungian Analysts

342 Listeners

Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff

Team Human

375 Listeners

Deconstructing Yourself by Michael W. Taft

Deconstructing Yourself

399 Listeners

Why Theory by Why Theory

Why Theory

586 Listeners

This Jungian Life Podcast by Joseph Lee, Deborah Stewart, Lisa Marchiano

This Jungian Life Podcast

1,648 Listeners

Hermitix by Hermitix

Hermitix

358 Listeners

The Emerald by Joshua Schrei

The Emerald

1,045 Listeners

Theory & Philosophy by David Guignion

Theory & Philosophy

372 Listeners

Acid Horizon by Acid Horizon

Acid Horizon

196 Listeners

Doomscroll with Joshua Citarella by Joshua Citarella

Doomscroll with Joshua Citarella

284 Listeners

Nymphet Alumni by Nymphet Alumni

Nymphet Alumni

303 Listeners