DOCSLIB.ORG

An Examination of the Concept of Reincarnation in African Philosophy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Examination of the Concept of Reincarnation in African Philosophy AN EXAMINATION OF THE CONCEPT OF REINCARNATION IN AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY by HASSKEI MOHAMMED MAJEED submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY in the subject PHILOSOPHY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF. M. B. RAMOSE JANUARY 2012 CONTENTS Declaration vi Acknowledgement vii Key Terms viii Summary ix INTRODUCTION x Problem Statement x Methodology xi Structure of the Dissertation xii PART ONE 1 Belief in Reincarnation in some Ancient Cultures 1 CHAPTER ONE: EGYPTIAN BELIEF 2 1.1 Immortality and Reincarnation 7 1.2 Egypt and Africa 12 1.3 On the Meaning of Africa 17 CHAPTER TWO: GREEK BELIEF 19 CHAPTER THREE: INDIAN BELIEF 25 ii CHAPTER FOUR: CHINESE BELIEF 36 CHAPTER FIVE: INCA BELIEF 40 Conclusion for Part One 49 PART TWO 52 Personal Identity: A Prelude to Reincarnation 52 CHAPTER SIX: PERSONAL IDENTITY 52 6.0.0 On What Does Personal Identity Depend? 52 6.1.0 The Ontological Question in African Philosophy of Mind 55 6.1.1. Mind as a Disembodied Self-knowing Entity 56 6.1.2. Some Criticisms 64 6.1.2.1 Mind has no Akan Equivalent 65 6.1.2.2 Mind is Meaningless, Nonsensical, and Nonexistent 86 6.1.2.3 Mind is Bodily 96 6.1.2.3.1 Mind Signifies Mental or Brain Processes Identifiable with the Body 96 6.1.2.3.2 Bodily Identity as either a Fundament or Consequent 97 (a) Body as a Fundament 97 (b) Body as Consequent 106 6.1.2.4 Mind is neither Body-dependent nor a Disembodied Entity 107 6.1.3 Synthesis: Materialism, Physicalism, and Quasi-physicalism 111 6.2.0 The Normative Question in African Philosophy of Mind 121 6.3.0 Persistence (Survival) 123 iii PART THREE 128 Reincarnation in African Philosophy 128 CHAPTER SEVEN: THE DOCTRINE OF REINCARNATION IN AFRICAN THOUGHT 128 7. 0. Reincarnation: Introduction 128 7. 1. The doctrine of Reincarnation in African Thought 131 7.1.1. The „Sage‟ Question in Traditional African Philosophical Research 132 7.1.2. An African Concept of Reincarnation 141 7.1.2.1. On the Partial Reincarnation Thesis 141 7.1.2.2. On the Complete Denial of Reincarnation in African Thought 144 7.1.2.3. On the Reincarnation of Souls Not Admitted to the Spirit World 153 7.2.0. The Language and Eschatological Concepts of Ancient Egypt and Traditional African Culture 154 7.2.1. Similarities in Terms of Language 156 7.2.2. Similarities in Terms of Eschatological Concepts 159 CHAPTER EIGHT: RATIONALITY OF BELIEF IN REINCARNATION 164 8.1.0 „Ancestral‟ Return 164 8.1.1 Ordinary Return 164 8.1.2 „Ancestral‟ Return as a Connection between Souls 166 8.1.3 Personal Survival 173 8.2.0 The Awomawuo Phenemenon 183 iv 8.3.0 The Non-Admissibles 185 8.3.1. African and Buddhist Non-Admissibles 192 CONCLUSION 195 NOTES 199 REFERENCES 240 v DECLARATION Student Number: 4562-414-3 I declare that An Examination of the Concept of Reincarnation in African Philosophy is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. H.M. Majeed. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I must express my profound gratitude to Prof. M.B. Ramose whose critical comments, patience, and close supervision ensured that this dissertation was not only a success but also intellectually rewarding. The support of my family has also been overwhelming. vii KEY TERMS Reincarnation or rebirth; Ancient philosophy of religion; Akan or African philosophy; Immortality and personal survival; Akan eschatology; The soul; Life-Death philosophy; Afterlife; Personal identity; Rationality of reincarnation. viii SUMMARY This dissertation is a philosophical examination of the concept of reincarnation from an African point of view. It does so, largely, from the cultural perspective of the Akan people of Ghana. In this work, reincarnation is distinguished from such related concepts as metempsychosis and transmigration with which it is conflated by many authors on the subject. In terms of definition, therefore, the belief that a deceased person can be reborn is advanced in this dissertation as referring to only reincarnation, but not to either metempsychosis or transmigration. Many scholars would agree that reincarnation is a pristine concept, yet it is so present in the beliefs and worldviews of several cultures today (including those of Africa). A good appreciation of the concept, it can be seen, will not be possible without some reference to the past. That is why some attempt is first made at the early stages of the dissertation to show how reincarnation was understood in the religious philosophies of ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Indians, Chinese and the Incas. Secondly, some link is then established between the past and present, especially between ancient Egyptian philosophy and those of contemporary sub-Saharan Africa. In modern African thought, the doctrine of reincarnation has not been thoroughly researched into. Even so, some of the few who have written on the subject have denied its existence in African thought. The dissertation rejects this denial, and seeks to show nonetheless that reincarnation is generally an irrational concept. In spite of its irrationality, it is acknowledged that the concept, as especially presented in African thought, raises our understanding of the constitution of a person as understood in the African culture. It is also observed that the philosophical problem of personal identity is central to the discussion of reincarnation because that which constitutes a person is presumed to be known whenever a claim of return of a survived person is made. For this reason, the dissertation also pays significant attention to the concept of personal identity in connection, especially, with the African philosophical belief in the return of persons. ix INTRODUCTION The concept of reincarnation, also known as „rebirth‟, is the belief that a „person‟ (after his or her death) can be born again.1 The implication here is that a „person‟ can inhabit different bodies at different times. This dissertation reflects on the concept of rebirth in African philosophy. Although it dwells much on traditional African thought, the dissertation does not argue that a „tradition‟ necessarily constitutes a „philosophy‟. Problem Statement Reincarnation is a belief that is widespread in African and Asian societies and is increasingly becoming popular also in the West. But, the way the notion is commonly understood in the African conception of the person and of personal survival, bristles with several problems and puzzles – some of them logical – which make the notion very difficult to comprehend. Since there is not much African philosophical literature on the subject, I believe that an adequate clarification of the concept itself cannot be found fully discussed in existing books. This is why I developed an interest in carrying out a research that will lead me to some indigenous African cultures for first hand discussion and analysis of the concept of reincarnation. This way, my analyses will contribute to the understanding of the concept. If it is said that a „person‟, or, as is sometimes suggested, an aspect of a person survives death, then what will this aspect be? What exactly is that which reincarnates? If it is a soul (or a nonphysical entity) that reincarnates, why should it [the soul] be said to constitute a person at all? In any case, what/who is a person? Is it even true that a person is not completely material? If x a person is both physical and spiritual, then what is the relation between the two? These are some of the questions that the dissertation will seek to answer. Aims: The aims of this dissertation are: i) To attempt to clarify and understand the concept of reincarnation generally. ii) To explore how the concept is understood in African thought. iii) To explore the rationality of the concept of reincarnation. Methodology: In order to construct a truly African perspective on reincarnation, this research dwells mainly on the traditional values and beliefs of the Akan people of Ghana. Ideas generated from the examination of those values and beliefs – and from those of named traditional elders – are then used by me to develop an original traditional Akan philosophical position on reincarnation. The method of investigation, then, is purposely and distinctly philosophical – i.e., the position I come to, with regard to Akan reincarnation, is not established on the basis of the numerical strength of my discussants, but on the philosophical quality or usefulness of their views. Traditional beliefs and values are also treated the same way. The method, hence, develops, admits or rejects concepts, ideas or beliefs on the basis of logic. The Akan concept of reincarnation will thus be clarified and appraised with the aid of logic. The research also makes use of published materials, nonetheless. xi Structure: The structure of the dissertation is as follows: Part One Belief in Reincarnation in some Ancient Cultures Reincarnation is a basic concept that has attracted the attention of many thinkers, including ancient philosophers. This is probably due to the fact that the doctrine is directly connected with such enduring but perplexing questions as the nature of a person, life and death which humans have always been interested in. And, for the necessary background discussion of the doctrine, I intend, in this part, to explain briefly how reincarnation was understood in some ancient cultures, focusing on ancient religious philosophies of Egypt (in chapter one), Greece (chapter two), India (chapter three), China (chapter four) and the Inca Empire (chapter five). Part Two Personal Identity: A Prelude to Reincarnation This part shall serve to prepare the ground for a proper examination of the concept of reincarnation.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Brief History of the Women's Entheogen Fund
    34 m a p s • v o l u m e x v i n u m b e r 2 • a u t u m n 2 o o 6 A Brief History of The Women’s Entheogen Fund The Women’s Entheogen Fund (WEF) nated women for funding. When Carla was created in 2002 to support the work passed away earlier this year, another Annie Harrison of women who spend a significant portion woman made a generous grant in Carla’s memory, thus expanding the pool of [email protected] of their professional lives researching psychoactive plants and chemicals. donors to the fund. Other women have While women have historically now stepped forward to make donations played a central role in investigating the in Carla’s honor and create more aware- use of entheogens, their work has been ness of the WEF. funded less frequently and has been I am very pleased to see the WEF consistently underrepresented in the community continue to grow and ac- scientific and popular entheogenic knowledge the contributions of its literature. members. I would like to thank WEF It has been especially distressing to recipients Sylvia Thyssen and Fire Erowid see relatively few female entheogenic for taking the time to document their researchers presenting their work at valuable research here in the MAPS relevant conferences over the years. This Bulletin. These women form the center of continuing disparity was illustrated once a community that I hope will continue to more at the International Symposium on support the work of female entheogenic the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of investigators–a proud and sacred tradition …as I began Albert Hofmann that took place in Basel, that stretches forward from the first wise Switzerland earlier this year.
    [Show full text]
  • Adyar Pamphlets Theories About Reincarnation and Spirits No. 144 Theories About Reincarnation and Spirits by H.P
    Adyar Pamphlets Theories About Reincarnation and Spirits No. 144 Theories About Reincarnation and Spirits by H.P. Blavatsky From The Path, November, 1886 Published in 1930 Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Chennai [Madras] India The Theosophist Office, Adyar, Madras. India OVER and over again the abstruse and mooted question of Rebirth or Reincarnation has crept out during the first ten years of the Theosophical Society's existence. It has been alleged on prima facie evidence, that a notable discrepancy was found between statements made in Isis Unveiled, Volume I, pp. 351-2, and later teachings from the same pen and under the inspiration of the same Master.[ See charge and answer, in Theosophist. August 1882] In Isis it was held, reincarnation is denied. An occasional return, only of “depraved spirits" is allowed. ' Exclusive of that rare and doubtful possibility, Isis allows only three cases - abortion, very early death, and idiocy - in which reincarnation on this earth occurs." (“C. C. M." in Light, 1882.) The charge was answered then and there as every one who will turn to the Theosophist of August, 1882, can see for himself. Nevertheless, the answer either failed to satisfy some readers or passed unnoticed. Leaving aside the strangeness of the assertion that reincarnation - i.e., the serial and periodical rebirth of every individual monad from pralaya to pralaya - [The cycle of existence during the manvantara - period before and after the beginning and completion of which every such "Monad" is absorbed and reabsorbed in the ONE
    [Show full text]
  • The Entheogens: Technology of Sacred from the Shamanic Experience
    The Entheogens: technology of Sacred from the shamanic experience The term "entheogen" comes from the greek "entheos" which means "God inside". It was used for the first time by Gordon Wasson to point out those aubatances which lead the human being to recognize the divine inside themselves. We are talking about "the sacred plants" which have always been used, in the sciamanic culture, to extabilish a contact with the parallel world of spirits in order to recognize the enemies and anything which can demage the human beeing. This in its intuitive and clairvoyant powers. Regarding the entheogenic experience, interesting hypotesis have been advanced, which consider it to be the origin of religions (G. Wasson), and history of humanity could be divided into three Eras. (J. OTT). The first one is the Era of Entheogens, which had been developing itself in at least 50 millenniums, was characterized by the shamanic spiritual demostration as the entheogenic religious experience of Iron Age. This Era is considered to end with the destruction of the sanctuary of Eleusis, the last great mystery-entheogenic curt of the past. Then the Era of the Pharmacocratic Inquisition would follow. It was symbolically born in America with the fall of the Atzeca (1591) and officially set ill) in 1620 with the Spanish Inquisition, which forbade the use of "peyote" and other plants with the sauce effects, This period, which lasted over 1500 years, is characterized by the violent settlement of Christianity considered as a power of deconsecration and in open conflict with the entheogenic experience of the cult in the previous Era.
    [Show full text]
  • On Faith-Healing New Secular Humanist Centers?
    New Secular More on Humanist Faith-Healing Centers? James Randi Paul Kurtz Gerald Larue Vern Bullough Henry Gordon Bob Wisne David Alexander Faith-healer Robert Roberts Also: Is Goldilocks Dangerous? • Pornography • The Supreme Court • Southern Baptists • Protestantism, Catholicism, and Unbelief in France 1n Its Tree _I FALL 1986, VOL. 6, NO. 4 ISSN 0272-0701 Contents 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 17 BIBLICAL SCORECARD 62 CLASSIFIED 12 ON THE BARRICADES 60 IN THE NAME OF GOD 6 EDITORIALS Is Goldilocks Dangerous? Paul Kurtz / Pornography, Censorship, and Freedom, Paul Kurtz I Reagan's Judiciary, Ronald A. Lindsay / Is Secularism Neutral? Richard J. Burke / Southern Baptists Betray Heritage, Robert S. Alley / The Holy-Rolling of America, Frank Johnson 14 HUMANIST CENTERS New Secular Humanist Centers, Paul Kurtz / The Need for Friendship Centers, Vern L. Bullough / Toward New Humanist Organizations, Bob Wisne THE EVIDENCE AGAINST REINCARNATION 18 Are Past-Life Regressions Evidence for Reincarnation? Melvin Harris 24 The Case Against Reincarnation (Part 1) Paul Edwards BELIEF AND UNBELIEF WORLDWIDE 35 Protestantism, Catholicism, and Unbelief in Present-Day France Jean Boussinesq MORE ON FAITH-HEALING 46 CS ER's Investigation Gerald A. Larue 46 An Answer to Peter Popoff James Randi 48 Popoff's TV Empire Declines .. David Alexander 49 Richard Roberts's Healing Crusade Henry Gordon IS SECULAR HUMANISM A RELIGION? 52 A Response to My Critics Paul Beattie 53 Diminishing Returns Joseph Fletcher 54 On Definition-Mongering Paul Kurtz BOOKS 55 The Other World of Shirley MacLaine Ring Lardner, Jr. 57 Saintly Starvation Bonnie Bullough VIEWPOINTS 58 Papal Pronouncements Delos B. McKown 59 Yahweh: A Morally Retarded God William Harwood Editor: Paul Kurtz Associate Editors: Doris Doyle, Steven L.
    [Show full text]
  • ABORIGINAL BELIEFS and REINCARNATION Marjorie Crawley
    ABORIGINAL BELIEFS AND REINCARNATION Marjorie Crawley Although reincarnation has been believed over thousands of years among a variety of widely dispersed cultures, apart from the Celtic heritage of many Europeans it is not a concept that is part of our European Australian understanding of the nature of man and his relation- ship to the world. In recent years, however, with the intrusion of Eastern religions, we have been given more opportunity to attempt to understand, if not accept, categories of thought foreign to our own, yet difficulties in understanding the concept of reincarnation persist. For it has been expressed in doctrines that have changed according to the understanding of wisdom, and the needs of the people during the passing ages, even within the same religious tradition. There is also doubt as to whether it was correct to attribute reincarnation beliefs to some cultures, pointing to an indescision as to what counts as evidence and how to interpret it. 1 It is not surprising therefore, to find conflict of opinion as to whether the Aranda believe in reincarnation. Early this century, Baldwin Spencer and F.J. Gillen were cited for the affirmative, and Carl Strehlow for the negative. 2 More recently, T.G.H. Strehlow supported the view, The father of the young initiate then takes the hand of his son, leads him to the cluster, and places the smooth round stone into his hands. Having obtained permission of the other old men present, he tells his son: 'This is your own body from which you have been reborn. It is the true body of the great Tjenterama, the chief of the Ilbalintja storehouse ..
    [Show full text]
  • Neotrance and the Psychedelic Festival DC
    Neotrance and the Psychedelic Festival GRAHAM ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OF REGINA, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND Abstract !is article explores the religio-spiritual characteristics of psytrance (psychedelic trance), attending speci"cally to the characteristics of what I call neotrance apparent within the contemporary trance event, the countercultural inheritance of the “tribal” psytrance festival, and the dramatizing of participants’ “ultimate concerns” within the festival framework. An exploration of the psychedelic festival offers insights on ecstatic (self- transcendent), performative (self-expressive) and re!exive (conscious alternative) trajectories within psytrance music culture. I address this dynamic with reference to Portugal’s Boom Festival. Keywords psytrance, neotrance, psychedelic festival, trance states, religion, new spirituality, liminality, neotribe Figure 1: Main Floor, Boom Festival 2008, Portugal – Photo by jakob kolar www.jacomedia.net As electronic dance music cultures (EDMCs) flourish in the global present, their relig- ious and/or spiritual character have become common subjects of exploration for scholars of religion, music and culture.1 This article addresses the religio-spiritual Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture 1(1) 2009, 35-64 + Dancecult ISSN 1947-5403 ©2009 Dancecult http://www.dancecult.net/ DC Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture – DOI 10.12801/1947-5403.2009.01.01.03 + D DC –C 36 Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture • vol 1 no 1 characteristics of psytrance (psychedelic trance), attending specifically to the charac- teristics of the contemporary trance event which I call neotrance, the countercultural inheritance of the “tribal” psytrance festival, and the dramatizing of participants’ “ul- timate concerns” within the framework of the “visionary” music festival.
    [Show full text]
  • Living a Mindful Life: an Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry Into the Lived Experience of Secular Mindfulness, Compassion and Insight
    LIVING A MINDFUL LIFE: AN HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGICAL INQUIRY INTO THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SECULAR MINDFULNESS, COMPASSION AND INSIGHT _______________________________________________________________ A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen Jane Kellock Arnold MA (hons) in Philosophy and Psychology, University of Edinburgh (1985); MSW in Social Work, University of Edinburgh (1996) 1 DECLARATION I have composed this thesis myself. It is the record of my own work and it has not been presented to this or any other university in support of an application for any degree or professional qualification other than that of which I am now a candidate. Any personal data have been processed in accordance with the provision of the Data Protection Act (1998); all quotations have been distinguished by quotation marks and sources of information and help specifically acknowledged. Signed: ...................................................................... Jane Kellock Arnold Uphall, West Lothian, April 2018 2 ABSTRACT This research study explores the experience and effects of long-term practice by six student practitioners of secular mindfulness, compassion and insight forming the Mindfulness-Based Living model incorporated into the MSc in Mindfulness Studies at the University of Aberdeen. A review of existing literature on the topic of mindfulness highlights that research is predominantly postpositivist and quantitative in approach, only recently incorporating limited qualitative studies, and is focused chiefly on mindfulness as a treatment for a range of mental and physical disorders. However, the nature of mindfulness particularly when practised in conjunction with compassion and insight suggests that it is a more intense, complex, nuanced and pervasive experience than is reflected in the literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Ce4less.Com Ce4less.Com Ce4less.Com Ce4less.Com Ce4less.Com Ce4less.Com Ce4less.Com
    Hallucinogens And Dissociative Drug Use And Addiction Introduction Hallucinogens are a diverse group of drugs that cause alterations in perception, thought, or mood. This heterogeneous group has compounds with different chemical structures, different mechanisms of action, and different adverse effects. Despite their description, most hallucinogens do not consistently cause hallucinations. The drugs are more likely to cause changes in mood or in thought than actual hallucinations. Hallucinogenic substances that form naturally have been used worldwide for millennia to induce altered states for religious or spiritual purposes. While these practices still exist, the more common use of hallucinogens today involves the recreational use of synthetic hallucinogens. Hallucinogen And Dissociative Drug Toxicity Hallucinogens comprise a collection of compounds that are used to induce hallucinations or alterations of consciousness. Hallucinogens are drugs that cause alteration of visual, auditory, or tactile perceptions; they are also referred to as a class of drugs that cause alteration of thought and emotion. Hallucinogens disrupt a person’s ability to think and communicate effectively. Hallucinations are defined as false sensations that have no basis in reality: The sensory experience is not actually there. The term “hallucinogen” is slightly misleading because hallucinogens do not consistently cause hallucinations. 1 ce4less.com ce4less.com ce4less.com ce4less.com ce4less.com ce4less.com ce4less.com How hallucinogens cause alterations in a person’s sensory experience is not entirely understood. Hallucinogens work, at least in part, by disrupting communication between neurotransmitter systems throughout the body including those that regulate sleep, hunger, sexual behavior and muscle control. Patients under the influence of hallucinogens may show a wide range of unusual and often sudden, volatile behaviors with the potential to rapidly fluctuate from a relaxed, euphoric state to one of extreme agitation and aggression.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reality and the Verifiability of Reincarnation
    religions Article The Reality and the Verifiability of Reincarnation Ankur Barua ID Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 9BS, UK; [email protected] Received: 31 July 2017; Accepted: 22 August 2017; Published: 24 August 2017 Abstract: We investigate the topic of reincarnation by revisiting a recent debate from the pages of the journal Philosophy East and West between Whitley Kaufman, who presents five moral objections to karma and reincarnation as an explanation for human suffering, and Monima Chadha and Nick Trakakis, who seek to respond to Kaufman’s critiques. Our discussion of four of the problems analysed in their exchange will suggest that while the rejoinders of Chadha and Trakakis to Kaufman consist of plausible logical possibilities which successfully rebut some of his criticisms, the scenarios that they sketch are grounded in specific metaphysical theses about the nature of the human person and the structure of reality. The cogency of the responses that Chadha and Trakakis formulate is integrally related to the acceptance of these metaphysical presuppositions which need to be highlighted more clearly as we seek to understand what is at stake in the dispute. Keywords: reincarnation; karma; verifiability 1. Introduction A conceptual survey of the source-texts and the extensive commentaries of classical Vedantic systems indicate that while they all point to liberation from the karmic cycles of reincarnation (sam. sara¯ ) as the highest goal of human existence, they rarely take up the reality and the dynamics of reincarnation as topics for extensive discussion. The classic debates, for instance, between Advaitins and Vi´sis.t.advaitins¯ are centred around the question of who or what seeks liberation from sam.
    [Show full text]
  • MINDFUL HEROES Stories of Journeys That Changed Lives
    MINDFUL HEROES stories of journeys that changed lives Edited by Terry Barrett, Vin Harris and Graeme Nixon Everyone loves a good story. This book tells the stories of a constellation of Mindful Heroes: ordinary people just like us, who followed the path of mindfulness and went on an inner journey that would change their world. They engaged with an in-depth study and courageous exploration of mindfulness practice. Having experienced for themselves the benefits of mindful awareness, compassion and insight, they then wanted to give others the opportunity to discover their own potential. These 26 Mindful Heroes from 10 countries creatively applied mindfulness to a variety of settingsacross Education, Health, Business, Sport, Creative Artsand Community work. Now they share the moving stories of their personal and professional journeys of transformation with you. "As the old saying goes, 'It is not what happens on the cushion, it is what we take out into the world.' Mindful Heroes exemplifies this notion, exploring the lives of those who have not only experienced the personal benefits of meditation, but those who have gone on to make it their passion and purpose in life, planting the seeds of awareness and compassion for the benefit of us all." Andy Puddicombe author of The Headspace Guide to Mindfulness & Meditation: 10 minutes can make the difference. Co-Founder http://www.headspace.com "This is a wonderful book. It reminds us that we are all heroes, due to the power of our own minds. The living examples presented in these pages help to make the mindful path accessible and relatable.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study Guide by Atom
    http://www.metromagazine.com.au https://theeducationshop.com.au A STUDY GUIDE BY © ATOM 2019 ISBN: 978-1-76061-XXX-X ATOM CONTENT HYPERLINKS 3 CURRICULUM LINKS 5 SERIES SYNOPSIS 7 PARTICIPANTS 10 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT 10 PRODUCER’S STATEMENT 11 TIMELINE 11 BEFORE VIEWING 12 VIEWING CHART 1 13 VIEWING CHART 2 15 KEY THEMES THIS IS A REMARKABLE 15 CLOSE ANALYSIS AND GRIPPING STORY – 16 EPISODE ONE: UNSEEN, HAIR-RAISING, UNFATHOMABLE UNHEARD, UNKNOWN AND DEEPLY DISTURBING. The Cult of The Family (2019) directed by Rosie Jones is a three-part investigation into the rise and fallout of Australia’s most notorious cult. With survivors and former cult members telling their stories alongside the Australian detectives and the investigative journalist who worked the 23 AFTER VIEWING case, The Cult of The Family exposes not just The Family but also the conservative community 23 CREATIVE TEAM that allowed it to flourish. 24 FURTHER INFORMATION 24 CREDITS TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WGJ606k2sE DURATION: 3 x 58 minutes 2019 © ATOM 2 + CURRICULUM LINKS The Cult of The Family is suitable for secondary students in Years 10 – 12 studying English, Ethics, Health and Human Development, Legal Studies, Media, Psychology and Sociology. ENGLISH MEDIA The Cult of The Family can be used as an individual or The Cult of The Family can be used to study the documentary’s supplementary text. Students should study texts that explore ethical representation of events, people, organisations, places and ideas. dilemmas in real-world settings. It is also recommended that Activities in this study guide provide opportunities for students to: students have access to non-fiction texts that represent a synthesis of information from credible and verifiable sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Ernesto Bozzano on the Phenomena of Bilocation
    Ernesto Bozzano on the Phenomena of Bilocation Carlos S. Alvarado, Ph.D. University of Virginia ABSTRACT: Italian psychical researcher Ernesto Bozzano (1862-1943) was a well-known student of parapsychological phenomena and a strong defender of the concept of survival of bodily death. This paper includes an excerpt of what Bozzano referred to as the phenomena of bilocation, a term he used for the phantom limb sensations experienced by amputees, autoscopy, out-of-body and near-death experiences (OBEs and NDEs), and a variety of luminous or cloud-like emanations that clairvoyants claimed left the body at the moment of death. He believed these phenomena indicated the existence of a subtle body capable of exteriorization during life as well as at the moment of death. I present Bozzano's ideas in the context of his career as a psychical researcher and of previous discussions of the topic found in the early literature of Spiritualism and psychical research. Although some contemporary students of OBEs and NDEs still speculate on the relationship of these phenomena to the concept of survival of death, Bozzano's work is not widely cited today and few researchers have followed up his method. Nonetheless, his work is of historical interest, reminding us of areas and phenomena that deserve further study. KEY WORDS: Ernesto Bozzano, bilocation, out-of-body experiences, deathbed phenomena, apparitions of the living, survival of death. Italian psychical researcher Ernesto Bozzano (1862-1943) was an important defender of the concept of survival of death through the study of the phenomena of parapsychology. Part of this work centered on the phenomena of "bilocation," a term he used to refer to the Carlos S.
    [Show full text]