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  • 2024-02-15 10:33 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)

    The International Theosophical History Conference 2024, Ascona Switzerland:

    Nature, Theosophy and related esoteric currents

    Nature has always been a point of interest for humanity, but in recent times, it has become even more significant due to environmental issues, most notably climate change. Theosophy places significant emphasis on the importance of nature, viewing it as not only an expression of the one life, but also as containing spiritual and hidden dimensions, encouraging individuals to foster a deep connection with the natural world and to seek out the spiritual truths that can be found within it. In agreement with other esoteric currents such as hermeticism and the occult arts, Theosophical teachings maintain a strong focus on nature as a living entity and the idea that all life is interconnected. Life is embodied in numerous spiritual beings, energies, natural kingdoms and a divine will that pushes towards harmonious order and beauty. Furthermore, as with other esoteric currents, the Theosophical Society emphasizes the importance of the study of the three-way relation between humanity, nature, and the divine as a means for humanity to live in harmony with the greater whole.

    Outlines of theosophical cosmology, such as the one given in H. P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine (1888), were in fact presented as an ancient key to understand the universe and our place in it. Unlike the cosmology of many religions and of science, every entity is perceived not only as living and conscious but also as descending from the spiritual and evolving through the various planes of existence encompassing matter and spirit.

    This conference invites reflection and research on understanding the particular views and practices cultivated by the Theosophical and other esoteric currents in relation to nature. It also welcomes studies that are either in contrast to or in alignment with dominant views and narratives formulated by traditional religions, philosophies, or sciences.

    Other issues relating to nature and previously addressed by philosophers are also welcome, including issues that are of special interest today, including the following questions:

    1) Should nature be left untouched or shaped by human intervention?

    2) Are humans separate from and superior to nature?

    3) Is nature conscious and alive?

    4) What relations exist between humans, animals, plants and nature in general?

    Reflections and discussions on the theme of nature are both relevant and urgent today given the current state of the planet. Furthermore, studying nature reveals more clearly those genealogies of knowledge about spiritual understandings of nature that have been cultivated from the birth of the Theosophical Society and certainly throughout history.

    Themes include:

    -Spiritual cosmology

    -Living nature

    -Human nature

    -Non-human animals and personhood; non-human animals, consciousness and soul; animals rights

    -The relations between the kingdoms of nature, including the elemental and deva kingdoms

    -Animation, animism

    -Sustainability

    -Ecology, Deep Ecology, climate change

    -Vegetarianism, veganism

    -Practices to align with or overcome nature, including teaching and initiation

    -Embodiment

    -Technology and nature

    -Gardens and parks, Theosophical campuses

    -Sacred places, sacred geometry

    -Artistic expressions related to nature, visual art, music, literature, architecture

    All interested parties are welcome to be creative and to submit proposals not listed above, but they must be related to the general theme of the Conference.

    Key-Note Speaker:

    Professor Kocku von Stuckrad

    Paper Proposals

    To be considered as a presenter in the Conference, please submit an abstract of between 700–1000 words with a 50-word biography to the secretary of the ITHC, Erica Georgiades, via email (erica.georgiades@gmail.com). All proposals will be evaluated by the conference committee.

    THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY CONFERENCE AND THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY JOURNAL.

    The purposes of holding the International Theosophical History Conferences are practical in nature: to maintain interest in the subject, to assess the status of research in the area, and finally to provide material for publication within The Theosophical History journal. If the presenter wishes to publish in the journal, we advise that the style of the final text and endnotes conform to Chicago Style and that a digital submission be sent for review to the editor (Tim Rudbøg timrudboeg@hum.ku.dk) in Word format no later than two months following the Conference. To visit the website of the Theosophical History journal, please https://theohistory.org/

    Presentations

    Suggested presentation time 20 minutes + 10 minutes for questions & answers.

    Important Dates

    Deadline for submission of a paper: 1 May 2024 Notification of acceptance: 20 May 2024

    Registration & Fees

    Registration fee for students, per day 22 Euros. Registration Fee per day 30 Euros.

    Registration to the 2024 ITHC will open after the programme is released.

    LOCATION: HOTEL ASCONA AT THE SLOPES OF MONTE VERITAS Accommodation cost from 16 to 18 November 2024.

    To book, please contact directly the hotel booking@hotel-ascona.ch

    En Suite Single room (full board) CHF 220.- for the entire stay. En Suite Double room (full board) CHF 212.- per person for the entire stay. (The city taxes, CHF 4.50/person/day is not included in the price)

    Meals are vegan full board without beverage. All the rooms have a bathroom with shower or bath, minibar, television, safe, telephone, radio and WiFi connection. The rooms south facing have a balcony and lake view. For information about the hotel, please, visit this link www.hotel-ascona.ch

    HOW TO ARRIVE IN ASCONA To arrive in Ascona, we suggest you to travel to the Zurich Airport. Then take a train to Locarno. The train station is located below Terminal B. A short train ride connects to Zurich Main Station, where you may need to change for a train heading South to Locarno.

    Please contact the Reception at Hotel Ascona, in advance, to book a shuttle to pick you up from Locarno station, (between 07:30-16:00), or take a taxi directly from Locarno to Hotel Ascona, (approx. 3 km, cost approx. CHF 30). Hotel Ascona: Via Signor in Croce 1, Ascona, Switzerland. Tel: +41 9178 51515, e-mail: booking@hotel-ascona.ch

    Conference Committee

    – Conference Chair: Prof. Tim Rudbøg (Associate professor, Science of Religion, chair and director of the Copenhagen Centre for the Study of Theosophy and Esotericism, University of Copenhagen)

    – Prof. James Santucci (Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at California State University, Fullerton)

    – Dr. Olivia Cejvan (Senior lecturer Linnæus University, Sweden)

    – Bjarke Stanley Nielsen (PhD candidate in Study of Religions, University of Copenhagen, Denmark);

    – Erica Georgiades (MRes Religious Experience, University of Wales Trinity Saint David; PgD Merit Ancient Mediterranean Religions UWTSD).

    SUPPORTED BY THE BLAVATSKY TRUST.


  • 2024-01-30 12:09 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)


    The DFG-funded Centre for Advanced Studies (Kollegforschungsgruppe) ‘Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices from a Global Perspective’ at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is seeking to appoint several

    Junior and Senior Fellowships for 3-12 Months

    The preferred starting date is October 1, 2024.

    Project description

    The main goal of the Centre for Advanced Studies – Erlangen (CAS-E) is to compare the interpretation, rationalisation and legimitisation strategies of esoteric practices and their practitioners from a global perspective, and to carve out why and in which ways they are successful, resilient and creative in different cultural and regional contexts. A mid-term goal is the development of a cultural theory of esoteric practices, which seeks to explain their resilience, their typological family resemblances across a large number of cases, and their different culture-bound and politically shaped evaluations. CAS-E has a decidedly global and contemporary research focus and adopts a broad heuristic working definition of ‘esoteric practices’ which includes a variety of aspects such as contingency management, specialisation and the formation of expert systems, secrecy, the reliance on opaque efficacy as well as social dynamics of inclusion and exclusion. Simultaneously, the Centre also comparatively investigates creative reinventions of traditional ‘esoteric practices’ that acquire new hybridising forms in fields of tension with competing cultural registers (e.g. science, new technologies/media, political regimes, religious orthodoxies) which may contribute to their (re-) legitimation.

    DFG-funded Centres for Advanced Studies are interdisciplinary research groups with exceptional funding conditions and an outstanding international reputation. They have an initial funding period of four years, with the possibility of prolongation for a second funding period, and combine an international fellowship programme with local high profile research, whereby a large number of leading experts have the possibility to convene and explore an innovative research topic over a long period of time.

    CAS-E is seeking to appoint its third cohort of several Junior and Senior Research Fellows for the academic year 2024-2025, i.e., for the period from October 2024 to September 2025. Fellowships are awarded for 3 to12 months, depending on the scope and duration of the proposed research project. The fellowships should start either in October 2024 or April 2025, aligned to the German semester periods. The remuneration of the fellowship depends on the scholar’s current status. The fellowships are dedicated to individual research on ‘alternative rationalities and esoteric practices from a global perspective’. Applicants are required to engage in the weekly activities of the Centre (lectures series, colloquia, workshops, etc.) and engage with the research agenda of CAS-E.

    Requirements

    • Applicants should have a degree and a PhD in Cultural or Social Anthropology, Religious Studies, Theology, Sociology of Religion, (cross-)regional /-cultural Studies or in a related interdisciplinary field. We also encourage applications from the field of Natural Sciences.

    • The Centre has a decidedly contemporary research focus, hence applicants are required to pursue a project on present-day esoteric practices, based on appropriate research methodologies (e.g., fieldwork, interviews, participant observation).

    • The Centre also invites historically oriented projects that touch upon contemporary esoteric practices (e.g., by focusing on transfer or entangled history), yet going back to no more than the 19th century.

    • The Centre has a decidedly global research focus, hence fellowship proposals may focus on esoteric practices from all world regions and cultural or religious contexts.

    The working language of the Centre is English, therefore excellent spoken and written English is required. Furthermore, regular presence at the Centre is required.

    We offer

    • Participation in an interdisciplinary, innovative und prestigious DFG-funded joint research project.

    • Access to extensive international networks of high-profile researchers in the social sciences and humanities.

    • An open-minded, cooperative team.

    • Flexible working hours and family-friendly working time schemes. • Professional support with travel, visa, and accommodation arrangements. • Travel costs to and from Erlangen at the beginning and end of the stay. • Travel costs for trips and conferences that are related to the research within the Centre.

    Applications

    Applications should include:

    - Cover letter describing the applicant’s career path and current research interests. - CV including list of publications.

    - Outline of the planned research project and how it relates to the agenda of the Centre (max. 5 pages).

    - One related publication.

    - Names and contact details of two potential referees.

    The latest submission date for applications is April 15, 2024. The preferred starting date is October 1, 2024.

    In its pursuit of academic excellence, FAU is committed to equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach, which supports and encourages all under represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture and values diversity. FAU is a family friendly employer and is also responsive to the needs of dual career couples.

    Please note that costs arising in connection with your application (travel expenses, etc.) cannot be reimbursed.

    For further details about the position, please contact one of CAS-E’s Research Coordinators Dr. Lina Aschenbrenner (lina.aschenbrenner@fau.de), Dr. Stefanie Bukhardt (stefanie.burkhardt@fau.de) or Dr. Rachel Romberg (raquel.romberg@fau.de).

    Applications must be sent in one PDF file to CAS-E’s Adminstrative Manager Sandra Losch (sandra.losch@fau.de).

  • 2024-01-23 15:55 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)

    Call for paper proposals for SNASWE panels at the EASR conference 2024 and individual submissions for an open SNASWE panel at the IAHR 2025:

    EASR

    If you would like to be a part of a SNASWE panel (Scandinavian Network for the Academic Study of Western Esotericism) at the August 2024 EASR conference in Gothenburg Sweden, please send the following information to the head of the SNASWE network, Tim Rudbøg timrudboeg@hum.ku.dk no later than by noon 5 February 2024.

    1. see the details below for the EASR conference. Your proposal should match the conference theme)
    2. a title of your paper proposal
    3. a short abstract (max 150 words)
    4. short bio

    SNASWE represents Nordic scholarship on esotericism and/or deals with esotericism in Nordic contexts. Rudbøg will see if there is potential to create one or more panels for each of the two conferences along these lines.

    You will receive a message by the end of 8 February about your proposal: if it can become a part of a panel and what the possible panel theme will be. If your proposal is accepted for a SNASWE panel, it is expected that you will reply quickly to any emails as the deadline for submitting panels 15 February.

    EASR details:

    https://easr2024.se/

    https://easr2024.se/submission/

    IAHR

    The head of the SNASWE network, Tim Rudbøg will submit an open panel proposal for the The XXIII Quinquennial World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), hosted by Jagiellonian University and the Polish Society for the Study of Religions, will take place in Kraków, Poland, August 24–30, 2025. (deadline for open panels 28.1.2024)

    Here is how it works

    "In short, an open panel is like an empty box with a label on it, into which others may put their individual papers. If your panel is accepted by the reviewers, it will be listed in the call for individual papers and other researchers will be able to submit proposals to it. If those proposals are reviewed positively, you will be able to decide if they are a good fit for your panel."

    Please read these links and submit an individual proposal for the individual call for the panel!

    https://iahr2025.org/registration/important-dates/

    https://iahr2025.org/call-for-panels-papers/

    https://iahr2025.org/should-you-submit-an-open-panel-proposal-spoiler-yes-you-should/


  • 2023-11-28 10:34 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)

    Our latest newsletter is out, please click the below link to open or download: https://esswe.org/resources/pdf/newsletter/ESSWE-Newsletter-Vol-14-SummerWinter-2023.pdf

  • 2023-07-29 10:09 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)


    We invite you to the Happy Hour VIII conference - an international interdisciplinary conference focused on research on esotericism and alternative religious movements, which will be held from 27 to 29 October 2023 in Brno at the Jiří Mahen Memorial.

    We sincerely invite all historians, religious scholars, ethnologists, librarians and others who are interested in:

    • Hermeticism and occultism
    • history of religion and religious movements
    • Freemasons, Martinists, Rosicrucians and other secret societies
    • The Unity of the Brethren, Theosophical Society, Universalia and other public societies;
    • witch trials, alchemy, astrology, etc.

    We would like to point out that the conference is primarily a scientific affair. We welcome also representatives of societies and organizations who can contribute to the topics discussed.

    The conference will be newly streamed online with the possibility of an online presentation

    The supporting programme will offer cultural and tourist events, especially the exhibition "Contemporary Czech Hermetica in photographs and artefacts".

    If you are interested in participating as a speaker or as an participant, you can submit a presentation proposal from 12 June to 6 September 2023 or register as a participant from 15 August to 30 September 2023. The registration form will be available during this time.

    Speakers are exempt from the conference fee.

    The conference program will be posted prior to the opening of participant registration.

    For more information visit http://www.stastna-hodina.cz/home/.


  • 2023-07-10 00:21 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)

    To launch the research program for the newly formed Dark Arts Research Group: Studies in Gothic, Horror and the Occult, 1750-Present in the Department of English, Germanic and Romance Studies at the University of Copenhagen, there will be a two-day hybrid conference between 22 November and 23 November 2023 titled: ‘Occultism and Popular Culture in Europe.’

    The aim is to explore the many ways that horror, gothic and occult topics have been communicated, presented, and packaged for broad audiences from the late eighteenth century to today. We are especially interested in the ways different kinds of media technology, ranging from print and woodcut illustrations to photography and film have shaped conceptions of horror, gothic and the occult.

    We are delighted to have two fantastic keynote speakers lined up for the event: Mathias Clasen, Aarhus University; and Richard Noakes, University of Exeter.

    For more information please click here:

    https://engerom.ku.dk/english/calendar/2023/occultism-and-popular-culture-in-europe/

  • 2023-07-04 19:26 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)

    CALL FOR PAPERS 

    Devil 2024 Conference

    15-18 May 2024

    University of King’s College,

    Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Keynote Speakers

    Francesca Stavrakopoulou  University of Exeter, UK

    W. Scott Poole College of Charleston, US

     

    Keynote Panel, “the Satanic Renaissance”

    Joseph Laycock, Texas State University

    Ross Blotcher, co-host of “Oh No, Ross and Carrie”

    Julie Exline, Case Western University

    Michelle Brock, Washington and Lee University

     The Devil 2024 explores the nature, significance, and operation of demonism and demonization across the western tradition. The conference will bring together scholars interested in the social and cultural construction of the devil and the impact of demonism across different chronological periods and from diverse methodological backgrounds. It aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue that addresses challenging questions about how notions of the demonic are shaped by cultural priorities and anxieties, by professional discerners and the media, and by discourses of fear and safety.

    “The Devil 2024” will investigate why these images repeat through the ages and why they continue to have still have resonance in the modern world.

    The Programme Committee welcomes proposals for 20-minute papers, for panels (generally consisting of three papers), and workshops or round-tables dealing with any aspect of demonism and its manifestation in the western tradition.

    Themes may include but are not limited to:

    • Binaries and contrarieties
    • Colonialism and demonism
    • Constructions and reconstructions of the demonic
    • Demonic and authority
    • Demonisation and its application
    • Demonism and the pursuit of knowledge
    • Demon possession
    • Demons and panics
    • Demons and the environment
    • Devil, exclusion and social cohesion
    • Devil, perception and cognition
    • Devil in the media and popular culture
    • Diagnosing, engaging and challenging the demonic
    • Gender, power and social order
    • Inversions and subversions
    • Representations of the devil

    Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be submitted through our online submission portal at https://devil2024.co/ by 15 October 2023.

     

    Halifax (pop. 500,000) is the largest city in Atlantic Canada and is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia. It is serviced by direct flights from Boston, New York, London, Montreal, and a number of other major North American and European cities. It has a range of services and attractions and has become a leading regional centre for dining and entertainment. The temperature in May generally ranges from 7C (44F) to 15C (59F).

     

    Programme Committee: Michelle D. Brock (W&L Univ.), Peter Dendle (Penn State, Mont Alto), Sarah Hughes (Temple), Vera Kirk (Univ. of Malta), Kathryn Morris (Univ. of King’s College), Richard Raiswell (Univ. of Prince Edward Island), David R. Winter (Brandon Univ.).


    For more information, please visit us at https://devil2024.co/ or contact us at devil2024conference@gmail.com


    Richard Raiswell


    Dept. of History,

    Univ. of PEI

    550 University Ave.,

    Charlottetown, PEI

    C1A 4P3

     

    Fellow, Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies,

    Victoria University in the Univ. of Toronto.


  • 2023-03-31 13:22 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)

    Dear ESSWE Members,

    This is a friendly reminder that early bird registration for ESSWE9 at Malmö University closes at 23.59 CET on April 15th.

    https://sv-se.eu.invajo.com/event/departmentofsociety,cultureandidentity/esswe9


  • 2023-03-15 15:15 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)


    Visit lit.ethz.ch/unseen

    Organised by Chloë Sugden, Jonas Stähelin and Andreas Kilcher

    The Simulations of the Unseen Conference will investigate the shifting meanings of “simulation” from an interdisciplinary perspective with contributions from the histories of art, religion, philosophy, science, and technology. The key theme the event explores is how unseen worlds are modelled and proliferated. The basic format consists of lectures by senior scholars, followed by question-and-answer sessions led by doctoral student respondents. Please visit the conference websites for lecture abstract and further information.

    Registration is mandatory. Register before May 1, 2023.

    After the registration deadline, all registered conference participants will receive information on the venues and the book of abstracts, including the full conference schedule, by e-mail.

    If you have any question write us.

    The conference is supported by Swiss National Science Foundation as part of the SNSF project "Scientification and Aestheticization of 'Esotericism' in the long 19th century".

    Program

    Thursday, May 11

    18:15 – 18:30 Welcome & Introduction by Andreas Kilcher


    18:30 – 19:45 John Tresch (Warburg Institute): Mapping the Modern Cosmos, Seen and Unseen


    19:45 Apéro

    Friday, May 12


    9:00 – 9:15 Welcome & Introduction by Chloë Sugden and Jonas Stähelin


    9:15 – 10:45 Maria Avxentevskaya (MPIWG Berlin)
    Simulation for Proof and Persuasion in the Experimental Practices of the Early Royal Society


    10:45 – 11:15 Coffee break


    11:15 – 12:45 Jeremy Stolow (Concordia University)
    Thelma Moss, Aura Photographer


    12:45 – 14:15 Lunch break


    14:15 – 15:45 Philip Ursprung (ETH Zurich)
    Simulations of the “Inner Design”: Franz Junghuhn’s Volcanoes in the mid 19th century


    15:45 – 16:15 Coffee break


    16:15 – 17:45 Judith Siegmund (Zurich University of the Arts)
    Simulation as a General Form of Knowledge and its Relationship to Artistic Action Today


    Saturday, May 13


    9:00 – 10:30 Simone Natale (University of Turin)

    Simulating Sociality in Machines


    10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break


    11:11 – 12:30 Isabel Millar (Newcastle University)

    Post-Conceptual Art: A Pataphysical Object


    12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break


    13:30 – 15:00 Katrin Solhdju (University of Mons)

    Simulation of Disease: Pathology, Delinquency, or an Act of Contestation?


    15:00 – 15:15 Coffee break


    15:15 – 16:45 Monika Dommann (University of Zurich)
    Simulation in the TV Age. “Die Welt am Draht” by Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1973)


    16:45 Closing remarks by Chloë Sugden, Jonas Stähelin and Andreas Kilcher

    Outline

    The meaning of both the term and the concept of “simulation” is bound up in an oscillating tension between depiction and deception. Contemporary scientific practice relies on models and simulations to stage realities beyond the limits of our ordinary senses. Scientific simulations enable the prediction of future events and the perception of their trajectories, such as viral spreads, economic upheavals and changes in climate. Yet simulations, spanning from simple graphic illustrations to highly complex computer-generated environments, should also be met with suspicion. Jean Baudrillard famously cautioned against the destabilizing effects that simulations can have on reality. In a world oversaturated by simulacra and mass spectacle, separating fact from fiction, the signs of the real from the real, is a precarious pursuit. Simulation, he writes, entails the generation of hyperreality: the production by models of a real without origin.

    This conference is not, however, premised on Baudrillard’s diagnosis. Nor do we wish to praise simulations as instances of linear technical progress, or approach them as products of the digital era alone. Rather, we believe that the simulation, both theoretically and historically, is best understood as an ambivalent tool for revelation, yet also riddle and ruse. We seek to engage with, rather than eliminate or unmask this duality, expanding discussions to include the long nineteenth century, where simulation as a term took on manifold often conflicting meanings.

    Two pivotal nineteenth-century scientific developments contributed to destabilizing the real. First, aided by various technical apparatuses, areas such as chemistry and physics envisioned an invisible world of ethereal undulations, electrical discharges, magnetic forces and subatomic particles. Second, sense physiology showed that human sense perception had little to do with the objective world, but was rather determined by internal physiological processes. These two factors contributed to a growing distrust in the accuracy of human vision, as mechanical recording and measurement devices that registered ever subtler spheres of reality were privileged. The reality to which these devices allowed access was increasingly mediated. This process raises a series of interesting epistemological questions regarding the problem of simulation: How are hypotheses derived from a plurality of technically produced images, representing sections of the world invisible to the human eye? Crucially, how are facts distinguished from artifacts in the absence of a visible referent? How does one translate measurable facts, which are at the same time technical artifacts, into scientific fictions or robust theories?

    The epistemic uncertainties arising from this multiplication of the invisible become strikingly apparent when one considers the emergence of occultism that ran parallel to this process. While many contemporaries viewed science’s venture into the unseen with despair, occultists reveled in the new possibilities that increasingly simulated worlds invited. Accessing the invisible scientifically held the promise that invisible objects which had hitherto belonged to a speculative, transcendental beyond could now be naturalized and made visible. They could be simulated as “occult knowledge” with the newly acquired methods and techniques of science.

    Fin de siècle discourses on hypnosis reveal another instance in which the epistemological implications of simulations were investigated. Known as the “simulation problem,” psychologists and physicians working with hypnosis struggled to determine whether the hypnotic state could be separated from a simulated one. Psychologists questioned whether a subject could convincingly feign hypnosis, deceiving even the most experienced hypnotists. Although generally acknowledged in treatises on hypnotism of the period, the emergence and consequences of this problem were mostly downplayed, as the matter exposed the limits of the male “medical gaze,” threatening psychology’s claim to scientific objectivity.

    Investigations into the simulation of hidden phenomena also interweave with art history. Art objects have historically interacted with occult paradigms to generate productive ambivalences and enchantments. Occultism has cultivated an experimental epistemic uncertainty in art – a visual vocabulary of claimed occult knowledge has continued to circulate through certain image-objects. Modern artists and esotericists have experimented with various aesthetic approaches, attempting to positivize the occult cosmologies otherwise locked in one’s mind. Occult paradigms participated in the development of art movements of the fin de siècle, for example, Belgian symbolist painting. Fernand Khnopff (1858-1921), Jean Delville (1867-1953), and Félicen Rops (1833-1898) sought to aestheticize hidden realms of experience through mystical imagery replete with arcane iconography. They rejected realism in painting, portraying a syncretic, intuitive inner life. Their works transcend the mundane to depict higher spiritual realities and incite visionary states in viewers. Aligning with the epistemological dilemmas that scientists face, artist-esotericists seek to simulate and thus enact the experience of occult illumination.

    As this sweeping history reveals, the topic of simulation traverses historical subdisciplines, foregoing clear-cut boundaries between science and non-science. Scientists, artists, and occultists alike possess relevant knowledge of the ambiguity, treachery and duplicity involved in simulation; of the devices and deceptions involved in sensitive visual description. Simulations lie between the visible and the invisible, representation and the irrepresentable, idea and image, form and matter. They can be sites of illuminating microcosmic and macrocosmic visualisation, yet also beguilement, error and betrayal, which we look forward to exploring through the Simulations of the Unseen conference.


  • 2023-03-08 16:44 | ESSWE admin (Administrator)

    The application for travel bursaries for this year's ESSWE conference in Malmö is now open. The first deadline is March 31. If funds are still available after applications for the first deadline have been assessed, a second call will be announced for April.

    Please find the application form and information on how to apply on the Bursaries page.


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