RS 305: Magic, Mysticism and the Occult

The study of religion may be approached from many angles. In this course we aim to deepen our understanding of the nature of religion by focusing on mystical experience and other extraordinary phenomena found in different religious traditions. Examples of such might include clairvoyance, telepathy, miracles, rebirth, synchronicity and so on. We will examine and evaluate the nature and significance of these phenomena in a variety of religious and philosophical contexts. The course begins with discussions of the very notion of mysticism and "religious experience" in general. This will lead to an exploration of mystical experience as such and allow us to look at mystical teachings from around the world.