Publication details
Pýthie a inspirovaná věštba v Delfské věštírně: Sociokulturní a kognitivní perspektiva
| Title in English | Pythia and Inspired Divination in the Delphic Oracle: Socicultural and Cognitive Perspective |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Religio. Revue pro religionistiku |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Philosophy and religion |
| Keywords | Pythia; Delphi; Delphic oracle; Apollo; ethylene hypothesis; spirit possession; patterned dissociative identity; cognition |
| Description | The article attempts to evaluate a possible contribution of cognitive psychology to our understanding of Pythias role in divinatory procedures taking place in the Delphic Oracle. In previous scholarship there was a deep-rooted tendency to search for a natural substance whose digestion should have caused changes in Pythias mental state. These efforts have recently been revived in the form of a much advertised Ethylene hypothesis, purportedly harmonizing information of ancient sources with scientific knowledge of modern geology. According to the author of this article, the actual merit of this hypothesis remains very problematic. In contrast, it is argued, based on the evaluation of ancient descriptions of Delphic divinatory consultations and a research done in the field of cognitive psychology, that Pythias mental state can be classified as an instance of Patterned Dissociative Identity, which is very often emicly understood as a possession of human mind by spiritual beings. |
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