Cultural and Religious History, Study of Religions by Karl Baier
Lukas Pokorny, Leona Mörth-Nicola, Kerstin Tretina (ed.), Blicklichter und Grenzgänge. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Religion, Gender und das Lebensende. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, 2025
The chapter’s introductory considerations emphasize that seeresses have had a firm place in Europ... more The chapter’s introductory considerations emphasize that seeresses have had a firm place in European religious history since antiquity. The Catholic Church is thematised as an institution in which religiously conspicuous women such as visionaries could find recognition. Three types of religious visionaries who appeared in Catholicism in the first half of the nineteenth century are then discussed, namely, Marian seeresses, clairvoyant somnambulists, and spiritualists, along with both their characteristics and various cultural and religious contexts. The chapter proceeds with an examination of the social position these women had due to their visions, and gender stereotypes linked to their status are addressed as well as the role of men in the visionaries’ careers. The result is a multifaceted depiction of a form of feminine Catholic spirituality of that era, which has received increasing scholarly attention in recent decades but deserves further investigation.
Julie Chajes, Boaz Huss (eds.): Theosophical Appropriations: Esotericism, Kabbalah, and the Transformation of Traditions
Yoga in Transformation. Historical and Contemporary Perspectives, 2018
The article investigates the role of yoga within Viennese occultism focusing on Carl Kellner and ... more The article investigates the role of yoga within Viennese occultism focusing on Carl Kellner and other protagonists of this milieu who had close ties with him. In the introductory section, the term “occultism” and the state of research on Viennese occultism will be discussed.
To give an idea of the background of Kellner’s interest in yoga, I will be looking at his life and professional career and the fields of his occultist activities, namely his involvement in Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and High-degree Freemasonry. The next section introduces the reader to Franz Hartmann’s and Kellner’s occult philosophies of nature and their striking similarities to concepts articulated some years later by Vivekananda in his famous Raja Yoga. After that, the core issues in Kellner’s understanding of yoga will be reconstructed. His encounter with South Asian yogis will be described, followed by an analysis of Kellner’s sketch on yoga and of his manuscript “Reincarnation”. Last but not least, the question of yoga and ritual sex within the so-called inner occult circle and the early Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) will be discussed.
Addressing the role of yoga in his Problems of Mysticism and its Symbolism, the concluding part of the chapter will be an homage to Herbert Silberer, the most talented representative of second-generation Viennese occultism.
Hans Gerald Hoedl, Astrid Mattes & Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Vol. 5, Vienna: Praesens , 2020
Annette Wilke, Robert Stephanus and Robert Suckro (eds.): Constructions of Mysticism as a Universal. Roots and Interactions across Borders. Harrassowitz: Wiesbaden, 2021
The paper discusses how the term "mysticism" entered the discourse on hallucinogens. This is foll... more The paper discusses how the term "mysticism" entered the discourse on hallucinogens. This is followed by an examination of the conceptualization of mysticism by important representatives of the psychedelic movement, such as Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) and Timothy Leary (1920-1996). Filter theory is presented as a central doctrine shaping the psychedelic movement. The second part addresses the debate on the relationship between drug experience and mystical experience, focusing on Walter N. Pahnke (1931-1971), Robert C. Zaehner (1913-1974), and Frits Staal (1930-2012).
Eli Franco (ed.): Yogic Perception, Meditation and Altered States of Consciousness, Jan 1, 2009
In the Western European history of meditation and contemplation the period from the 12 th to the ... more In the Western European history of meditation and contemplation the period from the 12 th to the 15 th century differs significantly from the times both before and after. Earlier forms undergo important changes and the foundations are laid for spiritual practices of which several dominated until the 20 th century. Four trends are of special importance: • The development of elaborate philosophical and theological theories which treat meditation and contemplation systematically.
Interdisziplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society (J-RaT), 2019
This article deals with Narendranath Datta (1863-1902) more known under his monastic name Swami V... more This article deals with Narendranath Datta (1863-1902) more known under his monastic name Swami Vivekananda. Vivekananda was a representative of the Bengal renaissance , a movement that is famous for its contribution to the modernization of India. Vivekananda became one of the architects of neo-Hinduism and a pioneer of modern yoga. His ideas also contributed to the rising Hindu nationalism. The article outlines his biography and religious socialization. A closer look will be given to his concept of religion and the way he relates it withIndiàs national identity. A second major part of the article examines Vivekananda's understanding of religious experience that is crucial for his yoga philosophy and his philosophy of religion in general.
The Asia-Pacific Journal / Japan Focus, 2013
Theosophical History. A Quaterly Journal of Research, 2012
Robert A. Segal, Nickolas P. Roubekas (eds.), Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion. Second Edition, 2021
Like other terms in the study of religion, "esotericism" is problematic. It has different meaning... more Like other terms in the study of religion, "esotericism" is problematic. It has different meanings connected to different approaches. The noun "esotericism" emerged in the late eighteenth century. But the institutionalized study of esotericism as an academic discipline came only in 1965, with the establishment of a chair in the History of Christian Esotericism at Sorbonne University. Since then, the field has developed rapidly. I will first deal with the historical roots of the word "esotericism" and the closely related "occultism." The range of topics and methods that characterize the field will then be considered.
Polylog. Zeitschrift für interkulturelles Philosophieren, 2003
Hans Gerald Hoedl, Astrid Mattes & Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Vol. 6, Vienna: Praesens , 2021
An introduction to the research history of Austria´s early twentieth century racist religions and... more An introduction to the research history of Austria´s early twentieth century racist religions and Walther Paape´s contribution
Karl Baier, Regina Polak, Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger (eds.): Text und Mystik. Zum Verhältnis von Schriftauslegung und kontemplativer Praxis, 2013
Lukas K. Pokorny, Franz Winter (eds.): Appropriating the Dao. The Euro-American Reception of China. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 163–200., 2024
The introductory part of this chapter deals with the reluctant treatment of C. G. Jung’s (1875–19... more The introductory part of this chapter deals with the reluctant treatment of C. G. Jung’s (1875–1961) relationship to Chinese thought in the history of Jung studies. As basis for understanding the significance of Jung’s reception of Chinese sources, his work is placed in the context of modern psychology and religion. Afterwards, his early reception of Daoism in Psychological Types (1921) is highlighted. Therein Jung interprets the dao in the context of a vitalistic reinterpretation of the Freudian notion of libido and the problem of how to unite opposing tendencies within the psyche, whose conflict blocks the natural flow of life force. A key section of the chapter then treats Jung’s relationship and collaboration with Richard Wilhelm (1873–1920). This leads to a discussion of Jung’s orientalism that framed his approach to “the East.” Finally, it is shown how and why his interpretation of the Yijing as synchronicity-based science is an exceptional case that relativizes Jung’s prevailing orientalist juxtaposition of East and West.
In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten wurde Meditation weltweit zu einem Kernbereich moderner Spirituali... more In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten wurde Meditation weltweit zu einem Kernbereich moderner Spiritualität. "Meditation und Moderne" enthält die bisher ausführlichsten Analysen zur Geschichte dieses Phänomens.
Als Hintergrund wird der Wandel der spirituellen Praxis vom Hochmittelalter bis zur Etablierung des neuzeitlichen Paradigmas von Meditation in Westeuropa nachgezeichnet. Die für die Moderne wichtigen innovationen entstehen zunächst im außerkirchlichen Bereich mit Schwerpunkten in Nordamerika und Asien. Eine Schlüsselrolle spielen dabei Mesmerismus, Okkultismus und New Thought, die auch an der Entstehung des modernen Yoga beteiligt sind. Gemeinsam mit der Körperkultur-Bewegung wird in diesen Strömungen die Basis für die moderne Meditationskultur gelegt. Im 20. Jahrhundert setzen Reformbemühungen in den Großkirchen, in Philosophie und Psychotherapie den Trend zur Meditation fort. Die Verbreitung von Zen-Praxis läutet im deutschen Sprachraum die Meditationsbewegung der 1970er und 80er Jahre ein, mit deren Darstellung das Buch endet.
Elizabeth J. Harris, John O'Grady (eds.): Meditation in Buddhist-Christian Encounter. A Critical Analysis, 2019
The paper begins with terminological clarifications that are followed by an investigation of the ... more The paper begins with terminological clarifications that are followed by an investigation of the ancient roots of Christian meditation and contemplation and the main strands of their development within Western Europe until the end of the Quietist controversy. Special emphasis is laid on the changing meanings of these terms in various periods, the growing differentiation between meditation and contemplation, and the ways in which they were correlated to each other. The concluding part of the paper investigates the renaissance of contemplation that took place in two waves, the first one from around 1900 until the 1930s, and a second one from the late 1960s until the present day.
Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft, 2017
This article investigates the religious thought of Karlfried Graf Dürckheim during the Nazi perio... more This article investigates the religious thought of Karlfried Graf Dürckheim during the Nazi period. Dürckheim was a very active propagandist of National Socialism in wartime Japan. After the war he became one of the fathers of transpersonal psychology and an influential popularizer of Zen in the German-speaking world. In his Nazi writings he connects his commitment to the NS-regime with a religiosity that aims at a mystical union with the German nation („Volk“) and the divine ground of the world that – according to Dürckheim – primarily manifests itself as nation. During his stays in Japan he became increasingly interested in the militant wing of Zen that supported Japanese imperialism and in many ways resembled Dürckheim’s Nazi-mysticism. For Dürckheim the true source of Japan’s political and military success was based on a deep harmony between contemporary Japanese society and its transhistorical national essence that itself participates in the divine. In his view, Zen contributes significantly to this harmony.
Entspannungsverfahren, 2019
An introduction to one of my major fields of research. The article provides a survey of Mesmer's ... more An introduction to one of my major fields of research. The article provides a survey of Mesmer's biography and the development of mesmerism until the heyday of the era of romanticism. I focus on three major proponents of mesmerism within this period: Mesmer himself, the anthropological theory of the German Puysegurist Eberhard Gmelin and the psychotherapeutical approach of Karl Joseph Hieronymus Windischmann who was a pioneer of the mesmeric reception of yoga.
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Cultural and Religious History, Study of Religions by Karl Baier
To give an idea of the background of Kellner’s interest in yoga, I will be looking at his life and professional career and the fields of his occultist activities, namely his involvement in Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and High-degree Freemasonry. The next section introduces the reader to Franz Hartmann’s and Kellner’s occult philosophies of nature and their striking similarities to concepts articulated some years later by Vivekananda in his famous Raja Yoga. After that, the core issues in Kellner’s understanding of yoga will be reconstructed. His encounter with South Asian yogis will be described, followed by an analysis of Kellner’s sketch on yoga and of his manuscript “Reincarnation”. Last but not least, the question of yoga and ritual sex within the so-called inner occult circle and the early Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) will be discussed.
Addressing the role of yoga in his Problems of Mysticism and its Symbolism, the concluding part of the chapter will be an homage to Herbert Silberer, the most talented representative of second-generation Viennese occultism.
Als Hintergrund wird der Wandel der spirituellen Praxis vom Hochmittelalter bis zur Etablierung des neuzeitlichen Paradigmas von Meditation in Westeuropa nachgezeichnet. Die für die Moderne wichtigen innovationen entstehen zunächst im außerkirchlichen Bereich mit Schwerpunkten in Nordamerika und Asien. Eine Schlüsselrolle spielen dabei Mesmerismus, Okkultismus und New Thought, die auch an der Entstehung des modernen Yoga beteiligt sind. Gemeinsam mit der Körperkultur-Bewegung wird in diesen Strömungen die Basis für die moderne Meditationskultur gelegt. Im 20. Jahrhundert setzen Reformbemühungen in den Großkirchen, in Philosophie und Psychotherapie den Trend zur Meditation fort. Die Verbreitung von Zen-Praxis läutet im deutschen Sprachraum die Meditationsbewegung der 1970er und 80er Jahre ein, mit deren Darstellung das Buch endet.
To give an idea of the background of Kellner’s interest in yoga, I will be looking at his life and professional career and the fields of his occultist activities, namely his involvement in Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and High-degree Freemasonry. The next section introduces the reader to Franz Hartmann’s and Kellner’s occult philosophies of nature and their striking similarities to concepts articulated some years later by Vivekananda in his famous Raja Yoga. After that, the core issues in Kellner’s understanding of yoga will be reconstructed. His encounter with South Asian yogis will be described, followed by an analysis of Kellner’s sketch on yoga and of his manuscript “Reincarnation”. Last but not least, the question of yoga and ritual sex within the so-called inner occult circle and the early Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) will be discussed.
Addressing the role of yoga in his Problems of Mysticism and its Symbolism, the concluding part of the chapter will be an homage to Herbert Silberer, the most talented representative of second-generation Viennese occultism.
Als Hintergrund wird der Wandel der spirituellen Praxis vom Hochmittelalter bis zur Etablierung des neuzeitlichen Paradigmas von Meditation in Westeuropa nachgezeichnet. Die für die Moderne wichtigen innovationen entstehen zunächst im außerkirchlichen Bereich mit Schwerpunkten in Nordamerika und Asien. Eine Schlüsselrolle spielen dabei Mesmerismus, Okkultismus und New Thought, die auch an der Entstehung des modernen Yoga beteiligt sind. Gemeinsam mit der Körperkultur-Bewegung wird in diesen Strömungen die Basis für die moderne Meditationskultur gelegt. Im 20. Jahrhundert setzen Reformbemühungen in den Großkirchen, in Philosophie und Psychotherapie den Trend zur Meditation fort. Die Verbreitung von Zen-Praxis läutet im deutschen Sprachraum die Meditationsbewegung der 1970er und 80er Jahre ein, mit deren Darstellung das Buch endet.
For the more recent discussion see my review of Johanna Lauterbach "Gefühle mit der Autorität unbedingten Ernstes".