Indices in the Dark
A cognitive semiotics of Western Esotericism is proposed with reference to the opaque aspects of esoteric discourse and texts, exemplified by Crowley's Liber AL and the tradition of Thelema. Such discursive opacity (leading to failed interpretation) is a semiotic problem, as it would hardly be...
| Published in: | Aries |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2017
|
| In: |
Aries
|
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Crowley, Aleister 1875-1947, The book of the law
/ thelēma
/ Opaker Kontext
/ Semiotics
/ Cognitive linguistics
/ Esotericism
/ Tradition
|
| RelBib Classification: | AA Study of religion AE Psychology of religion AZ New religious movements |
| Further subjects: | B
cognitive science of religion
cognitive semiotics
opacity
semiosis
relevance
transmission
Thelema
|
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | A cognitive semiotics of Western Esotericism is proposed with reference to the opaque aspects of esoteric discourse and texts, exemplified by Crowley's Liber AL and the tradition of Thelema. Such discursive opacity (leading to failed interpretation) is a semiotic problem, as it would hardly be tolerated in ordinary communication due to expectations of relevance (i.e. that the discourse will be intelligible and informative). It is argued that this is different when the context is religious, i.e. that in religious contexts, opaque signs/texts will effect a shift in interpretive strategy from linguistic interpretation (to understand the text’s linguistic import) to indexical interpretation (intuitions about the text’s background), leading to a psychological effect, a motivating sense of relevance—the relevant index effect. Findings in the cognitive study of reading provide suggestive evidence in this vein. With reference to the relevant index effect, a model for the transmission of esoteric traditions is proposed. In conclusion, theoretical and empirical avenues are explored. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1570-0593 |
| Contains: | In: Aries
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700593-01701003 |