The Bible Code

The Bible Code is a best selling book by Michael Drosnin which, if anything, demonstrates the popular craving for novelty and a sense of wonder. I’ve talked to otherwise intelligent people who are impressed by this highly questionable book. But … Continue reading →

The Bible

The word Bible comes from the Latin after the Greek biblia, or “books.” Biblia is a form of byblos, meaning the papyrus paper exported from the ancient Phoenician port city of Biblos. Also known as the Holy Bible, the Bible … Continue reading →

Looking through a glass darkly – The paranormal, normal and bias

The Latin prefix para means beside or beyond. Like the word supernatural, paranormal refers to any phenomenon that eludes explanation through normal science or conventional wisdom. Paranormal can be a misleading term because what is ‘normal’ is open to debate … Continue reading →

Panpsychism – The Future Calls?

Panpsychism is the belief that all things possess consciousness. Some extend this belief to say that the type of consciousness matches the complexity of a thing’s organization. The idea goes back to ancient times and has appeared around the globe. … Continue reading →

Quiddity – What is?

Embed from Getty Images Quiddity (Latin: quidditas = whatness) is a medieval scholastic term referring a thing’s essence (primary substance) in contrast to its observable form (secondary substance). This kind of distinction goes back to Plato and plays an important … Continue reading →

Ragnarok – Old Norse for “Fate of the Gods”

In Scandinavian myth, Ragnarok is a terrible final battle in which the gods are destroyed, along with most of creation and mankind. According to the story, Ragnarok is preceded by lawlessness and anarchy. There are only two survivors of the … Continue reading →

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) – Great unifier or opinionated reductionist?

Embed from Getty Images Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) was an Indian scholar of religion and philosophy who taught at the University of Calcutta and Oxford. He became the first Vice President (1952) and the second President of India (1962). More interesting … Continue reading →

The Glory and, sadly, the Gory of Rome

Embed from Getty Images young woman taking pictures at the Pantheon, Rome Rome is the vibrant capital of Italy, with a long and complicated history, dating back to the 8th century BCE. The founding of Rome is understood in terms … Continue reading →

Paul’s Letter to the Romans – Ancient innovation to overcome legalism

Paul’s Letter To The Romans is an important book of the Christian New Testament. Most Catholic and Protestant scholars agree that it was written by the apostle Paul c. 56 CE., probably in the Greek city of Corinth. Paul’s writings … Continue reading →

Reversal – Beyond the clever machine

In psychoanalytic theory, reversal is a Freudian defense mechanism. A broader idea than turning against the self, reversal takes place when the ego converts an instinctual impulse into behavior appearing as its opposite. The miser becomes a philanthropist, the pervert … Continue reading →