A scholarly inquiry into the cognitive foundations of religion, exploring how the human brain processes and maintains ‘non-obvious’ or counter-intuitive beliefs through symbolic and ritual systems.
An empirical study of the cognitive structure of belief systems, examining how dogmatism and open-mindedness influence human perception and the processing of information.
A foundational text in cognitive science that proposes the human mind functions by building internal ‘mental models’ of the world. Kenneth Craik argues that thinking is a physical process of simulation that allows for prediction, explanation, and survival.
A foundational exploration of how narrative serves as the primary cognitive tool for human meaning-making. Jerome Bruner details the structural features of stories and explains how they allow individuals and cultures to construct a cohesive sense of reality.
C. Scott Littleton provides a foundational survey of Georges Dumézil’s ‘trifunctional hypothesis,’ exploring how Indo-European myths reflect a common structural organization of sovereignty, force, and fecundity.
A critical survey of Greek mythology that evaluates various theoretical approaches while highlighting the unique historical development and Near Eastern influences of Greek narrative traditions.
A comprehensive study of the functional differences between the brain’s hemispheres and how the historical shift toward left-hemisphere dominance has reshaped Western culture, philosophy, and our perception of reality.
Otto Rank analyzes the recurring biographical motifs of legendary heroes across cultures, proposing that these narratives reflect universal psychological processes and the human struggle for identity against parental authority.
A seminal work by Franz Cumont that pioneered the historical study of Mithraism, detailing the rites, symbolism, and cosmological beliefs of this influential Roman mystery religion.
A scholarly investigation into the lunisolar mechanics, solar terms, and mathematical algorithms that govern the traditional Chinese calendar and its cultural festivals.
