During the latter part of the nineteenth century, so-called esoteric movements became increasingly popular in cultural and intellectual circles in Europe, not least in Sweden. Secret teachings, rituals and practices in alchemy, astrology, occultism and theosophy were predominant, with a belief in correspondences in the cosmos, living nature and transmutations. But esotericism goes back much further in time in Swedish history. Although such esoteric ideas were long considered heresy by the Church and thus driven underground, they have had a significant impact on Swedish culture. In this anthology, we bring together some of Sweden¿s foremost experts on the subject to explore the history of esotericism in Sweden and how its rituals, practices and traditions came to influence writers and artists such as August Strindberg, Selma Lagerlöf, Viktor Rydberg, Hilma af Klint, Tyra Kleen and Carl Milles.
How has the idea of liberty developed and evolved over the centuries? What does freedom mean for us today and what do we need to do to preserve the freedoms for which generations of men and women fought and even gave their lives? Liberty is indispensable to flourishing societies the world over. Its story contains everything from our ancestors' long quest to establish freedom of thought and freedom of religion, to the modern fight against authoritarian politics and tyrants everywhere. In this anthology leading academics, writers and historians explore what liberty has meant through the ages and reflect on this great drama of freedom at work.
"Consciousness is a scientific problem that is unlike any other. Our own consciousness, as Descartes noted, is the most indubitable feature of our existence. It is the most precious one, as well: consciousness is life itself, and for most people having their bodies kept alive in a vegetative state is no better than dying." -- Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology, Harvard UniversityConsciousness is also a unique scientific problem in other ways. There is no general agreement about the definition of the subject of study. Opinions are divided about how - with which methods - it should be studied. And nobody can know for sure which answers could possibly be relevant. For many decades it was forgotten by science, buried underground by the regime of behaviourism and cognitive science, but now it has arisen again and has become a hot topic in circles working at the frontier of science.
A 60-page softcover notebook based on an original sketchbook of the Swedish artist and mystic Hilma af Klint
A 60-page softcover notebook based on an original sketchbook of the Swedish artist and mystic Hilma af Klint
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