Ghosts, Magic, and the Mystical: Understanding the Supernatural

Catalog description

Despite the rise of science and secularism, why, and to what extent, do people still believe in supernatural phenomena? Even when cultures or individuals disavow such beliefs, how does the history of belief in the supernatural affect contemporary life? Belief in ghosts, magic, and other mystical phenomena is widespread across cultures and history. This interdisciplinary Colloquium asks how the connection between humanity and the prospect of mysterious phenomena - from spirit entities and the mysteries of nature to the challenging futuristic world of artificial intelligence - has shaped human history and still impacts current critical global issues: forced migration, poverty, the Anthropocene, social injustice, and xenophobia. Aiming to enhance our ability to understand the boundary between everyday life and another order of reality, the course asks what happens when that barrier eases or breaks apart for some. The goal is not to promote or debunk specific beliefs or practices, but rather to understand them using approaches from anthropology, sociology, social psychology, philosophy, and history, seeing beliefs and practices in their cultural, social, and political contexts.