Dancing and Nonduality

Video with

The Cult of Dyonisus & His Radically Ambiguous Followers

More than two thousand years ago, a series of cults were rapidly spreading across Greece and the whole ancient western world, mingling shamanic techniques of ecstasy of prehistoric origin with the newly born philosophic discourse. These cults, known as the Mystery Religions, brought a much-needed wave of fresh air to those who could not find any spiritual meaning in the Olympian religion, allowing for a real transformation of consciousness in the initiates. These practices, and the value-system associated to them, triggered a new religious and cultural movement able to join people from different origins, reconnect them with the ecstatic dimension of spirituality and the paradoxical nature of reality.

Chiara follows the cult of Dionysus along its evolutionary trajectory and explores the social, spiritual and political outcomes of ecstatic group rituals. Who was Dionysus, what did he represent? Which consciousness-altering techniques were used to induce a sense of being possessed by the god of ecstasy himself? How did the political authorities react to a religion that held ego-dissolution and radical ambiguity at the height of its spiritual practice?
 

The Moon Cannot Be Stolen

Article by

Sometimes a story can teach much more than entire philosophical treatises

Abrahamic Mysticism: A Shared Heritage

Article by

A history of the weaving of Jewish, Christian and Islamic Mysticism

#62 The Dreamer’s Dream

Podcast with

A simple yet profound conversation on the life and teachings of Éric Baret

Keep A Small Flame Burning

Article by

Using Buddhist teaching to deal with grief during the poly-crisis

#60 Spiritual Warriors

Podcast with

Imminent Buddhist teacher Lama Rod on his new book "The New Saints"

Wholeness & Fragmentation

Video with

The problem with our "civilized" and compartmentalized ways of thinking, which is fragmented.

#57 The Alchemy of Love

Podcast with ,

A captivating conversation into divine and personal love with two modern-day mystics

More Distant than the Stars and Nearer than the Eye

Article by

Exploring the commonness of mystical experience in Sufism and Hindu bhakti-marga

Support SAND with a Donation

Science and Nonduality is a nonprofit organization. Your donation goes directly towards the development of our vision and the growth of our community.
Thank you for your support!