The Greeks perceived mental experiences of exceptional intensity as resulting from divine intervention. To share in the immortals' knowledge, one had to liberate the soul from the burden of the mortal body by attaining ekstasis, mania, or enthousiasmos, that is, by merging with a superhuma... see more

This chapter surveys the wealth of literature on altered states of consciousness which in many cases lead to the sensation of ineffable revelation of superhuman truth. Altered states of consciousness often occur in people exposed to sensory deprivation. As a result, seers, shamans, and oth... see more

This chapter discusses oracles focused on caves and subterranean chambers, such as the prophetic caves belonging to Pan and the Nymphs, oracles of the dead (at Taenarum, Heracleia Pontica, and elsewhere), the caverns in the valley of Meander (Hierapolis and Acharaca), oracular cults of imm... see more

This chapter envisages the mental frame of freelance ‘impresarios of gods’, their behaviour, method of attaining illumination, and especially the role of cave experiences in their lives. The cave environment required for the Sibyls reflects the traditional Greek views on the conditions nec... see more

In the limited data on the Presocratic philosophers, caves and descent into underground chambers appear with remarkable consistency. Prolonged sleep in Zeus' cave on Crete enlightened Epimenides with divine knowledge and endowed him with superhuman powers. Pythagoras' underground sojourns ... see more

The Greeks knew of at least two ways of ‘brushing with death’: near-death experiences and mystery initiations. The chapter surveys literary descriptions of passages through darkness in the visions of people who had been pronounced dead and eventually returned to life. These testimonies all... see more

The Retrospect draws together the major themes explored in the book, focusing on the modalities common to prophecy, early philosophy, and mystery cults. It offers new integrative interpretations of these phenomena, highlighting the role of seers and sages as intermediaries between immortal... see more