Myth

A collection of 27 posts

Why So Many Mythological Monsters Are Female

As figments of the imagination, the alien, creepy-crawly, fanged, winged and otherwise-terrifying creatures that populate myths have long helped societies define cultural boundaries and answer an age-old question: What counts as human, and what counts as monstrous?

Relation Between Religion and Conspiracy Theories

A large study published in the journal Political Psychology suggests that the link between conspiracy belief and religiosity is rooted in cognitive similarities between the two beliefs.

What is Diwali?

Can you imagine a festival that combines the best features of the most popular festivals in the United States? New year’s day is the day to make new resolutions and renew friendships. Independence day is the day of patriotism and fireworks. Halloween is the time for trick or treats.

Rediscovering God with Rupert Sheldrake

Many people used to think that belief in God would disappear with the advance of science. But that has not happened, and some prominent atheists are now trying to reinvent religion. What is going on? Is the universe ultimately conscious or unconscious? And if consciousness pervades all nature, how does

The Messiahs: Mithras, Osiris, and Apollonius

A long time ago, in a land far away, a child was born. He was the son of a god and a mortal woman, and he used his miraculous powers to do good and to serve others. Tragically, he was betrayed and was killed by his enemies. But ultimately he

Jesus in the Underworld?

The Christian affirmation of belief in Jesus descent to Hades is in the Apostles Creed and in the so-called Athanasian Creed as well as being article III in the Anglican Thiny-Nine Articles. The Biblical origin for this belief which is a major and normative part of Christian tradition, seems to

BBC Belief: Interview with Rupert Sheldrake

Tonight on Belief Joan Bakewell talks to Professor Rupert Sheldrake. Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and a former Research Fellow of the Royal Society. He’s worked at Clare College Cambridge and at the International Crops Research Institute in Hyderabad. During his seven years in India Professor Sheldrake studied the

Sheldrake on Life After Death

The paranormal is defined in relation to the normal. Paranormal means beyond the normal. Therefore to define it implies that we know what the moments in sciences is often taking to be the materialist theory.