Understanding Spiritual Experiences: Shamanism, Wicca and Occult, Swedenborg, Healing

Spiritual experiences are not well understood or discussed, but the majority of the population have one or more experiences. Spiritual experiences can happen in a religious setting or in a non-religious setting. This course will examine spiritual experiences in some of the non-traditional religious enclaves including shamanism, wicca and the occult. We will also examine descriptions of the world beyond from the writings of Swedenborg, Anthony Borgee, Eban Alexander and others. And we will look at the role of spirituality in healing and the relationship between spiritual phenomena and health. The emphasis is on understanding spiritual experiences and finding common characteristics. This is not a class about beliefs or dogma. We will discuss recent research and the various organizations devoted to the study of spirituality. And of course, sharing experiences is an important part of the course.