The Future of the Humanities with Dr. Jeffrey Kripal - Oklahoma Center for the Humanities
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The Future of the Humanities with Dr. Jeffrey Kripal

The Superhumanities: Altered States and the Future of Knowledge

Feb. 13, 2025 at 7 p.m.

101 Archer North Gallery

This talk advances the idea that the humanities as a set of disciplines are often generated or inspired by remarkable altered states of consciousness and embodiment, which can sometimes be re-experienced by a deep engagement with the texts and artworks themselves. Hence many a teaching or pedagogical moment. Hence some of the furthest reaches of the intellectual life. The humanities, in short, are often the superhumanities. Critical theory and altered states often go together and cannot be thought apart.
Jeffrey J. Kripal holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University, where he chaired the Department of Religion for eight years and helped create the GEM Program, a doctoral concentration in the study of Gnosticism, Esotericism, and Mysticism that is the largest program of its kind in the world.
This talk is free and open to the public. Magic City Books will be on site selling copies of Kripal’s book, The Superhumanities: Historical Precedents, Moral Objections, New Realities, and Kripal will be signing them after the talk. For more information about OCH exhibits and events, bookmark our homepage at humanities.utulsa.edu or follow us on social media.