Studia Religiologica
April 19, 2016
D. Higgins
1 citation
The Eighth Karma pa, Mi bskyod rdo rje (1507–1554), argues that human beings possess two concurrent but nonconvergent modes of awareness: conditioned consciousness (rnam shes) and unconditioned wisdom (ye shes). Recognizing their difference is key to realizing their underlying unity, which resolves a Buddhist philosophical tension between a model that sharply differentiates conventional and ultimate truths and a model that identifies them as one. The article includes a translation and critical edition of the Karma pa's short text replying to Bla ma Khams pa's queries on whether two minds can exist in one person.
Studia Religiologica
May 20, 2026
Małgorzata Alicja Biały
In 1930s Wisła, Poland, a conflict within esoteric circles exposed deep ideological and worldview divisions. Centered on figures Józef Chobot, Agnieszka Pilchowa, and Jan Hadyna, the 1934 dispute involved differing interpretations of the Rosicrucian tradition, as debated in esoteric journals. The clash pitted adherents of Max Heindel's Christian-mystical The Rosicrucian Fellowship against Harvey Spencer Lewis's universalist AMORC, reflecting a broader tension between spiritualist messianism and a theosophically inspired project of spiritual synthesis. Press sources and correspondence show these divisions mirrored a redefinition of Polish esoteric spirituality, blending local mystical traditions with international movements.
Studia Religiologica
December 19, 2025
Małgorzata Sacha
Yoga, originally a spiritual practice aimed at liberation from worldly existence, has been adapted into a global wellness practice with therapeutic benefits. This paper examines how yoga and psychotherapy intersect, identifying three ways yoga techniques—postures, breathwork, and meditation—are used in therapy: as additions to conventional psychotherapy, as mind-body programs combined with standard treatments, or as autonomous yoga-based psychotherapies. Evidence suggests yoga can reduce stress and improve mental health, but opinions are divided, and adverse effects, both physical and psychological, require attention. The paper calls for rigorous, culturally sensitive research to evaluate the efficacy and safety of yoga-based interventions in psychotherapy.
Studia Religiologica
December 19, 2025
Piera Talin
Ayahuasca rituals are being reinvented through hybrid, artistic forms that the author calls 'otherwise ayahuasca expressions.' These ritual forms navigate a tension between fixed structures and flexible ones, with change involving shifting flows between established and more adaptable ritual frameworks. Based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in Brazil and Italy, the article explores transformations in ayahuasca ritual structures, bridging ritual studies and the anthropology of the otherwise. These otherwise ayahuasca expressions emerge from other religious and ritual forms, mediating ritual experiences through art and experimentation that are mostly not allowed in other comparable settings.
Studia Religiologica
April 30, 2025
Jan Jakub Kalinowski
The article presents a concept of mythical-religious consciousness by examining the meaning-giving role of myth and the category of the sacred in the works of Ernst Cassirer and Mircea Eliade. Despite their differences, both thinkers share an antireductionist and anti-Cartesian approach to myth. The perspective is supplemented with Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutical philosophy to integrate it into broader anthropology. The aim is to establish a synthetic, trans-disciplinary framework drawing on ontology, epistemology, linguistics, psychology, sociology, and religious studies, while acknowledging the risk of oversimplification. The study also connects to ongoing research in 4E cognition to enhance its relevance.