This week, TTAC are delighted to be joined by a special guest: Aiden aka @AidenTheVVitch In this episode, the hosts discuss all things prayer. How is prayer typically applied across different occult practices? Do you need to pray to be an occultist? Why are so many people ‘afraid’ of prayer? Is there any scientific evidence for prayer as a health intervention? And what’s the difference between prayer & spells, anyway? We hope you enjoyed this special guest episode of TTAC - let us know if you’d like to hear more from Aiden in the future! REFERENCES: Reviews of prayer as a health intervention - the good, the bad, and the (mostly) ugly: 1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10836918/ 2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12776468/ 3. The efficacy of "distant healing": a systematic review of randomized trials - PubMed4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11761499/ 5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16569567/ 6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2802370/
In this episode, the hosts dive into the science of smell & the odiferous side of the occult Why is incense such a popular offering? Does an oil's odour reflect its properties? And what on earth does a saint smell like?! This episode features four case studies across different traditions to explore the seemingly-ubiquitous - but surprisingly diverse - role of fragrance in the occult. You can also expect to hear about science of smell & how odour can interplay with cognition.smell ya later xREFERENCES- Brief summary: the science of smell! // Sell, C. S. (2006). On the unpredictability of odor. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 45(38), 6254-6261.- Amazing book on the chemistry behind perfumery // Pybus, D. H., & Sell, C. S. (Eds.). (1999). The chemistry of fragrances (Vol. 17). Royal Society of Chemistry.- Olfaction and memory - how odour interplays with PTSD & emotion // Vermetten, E., & Bremner, J. D. (2003). Olfaction as a traumatic reminder in posttraumatic stress disorder: case reports and review. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64(2), 202-207. && Zald, D. H., & Pardo, J. V. (1997). && Emotion, olfaction, and the human amygdala: amygdala activation during aversive olfactory stimulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 94(8), 4119-4124.- Tapputi, one of the world's first chemists (and perfume makers)! // https://arkeonews.net/the-3200-year-old-perfume-of-tapputi-the-first-female-perfumer-in-history-came-to-life-again/ - Odour in antiquity // https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10871/17556/GrantG.pdf- The role of scents in traditional Chinese religion // Habkirk, S., & Chang, H. (2017). Scents, community, and incense in traditional Chinese religion. Material Religion, 13(2), 156-174.- Osmogenesia & sensing the saints Saucier, C. (2010). // The sweet sound of sanctity: sensing St Lambert. The Senses and Society, 5(1), 10-27. && Harvey, S. A. (1998). St Ephrem on the scent of salvation. The journal of theological studies, 49(1), 109-128.- Amusing paper on 'oilers' with a lot in there about MLMs // Kieffer, K. G. (2021). Smelling Things: Essential Oils and Essentialism in Contemporary American Spirituality. Religion and American Culture, 31(3), 297-331.
This week the hosts dive into the intersection between conspiracy theories and the occult, all the way from the wacky to the outright terrifying. This episode explores the basis of the psychological concept ‘magical thinking’ and how it relates to spirituality, as well as how this mode of thinking might help or hinder one’s practice. It also features a discussion on why conspiracy theories are unfortunately so prevalent in the occult world, how to spot them, and the potential dangers they pose if left unchallenged. REFERENCES: - Some degree of magical thinking is normal: Peters, E. R., Joseph, S. A., & Garety, P. A. (1999). Measurement of delusional ideation in the normal population: introducing the PDI (Peters et al. Delusions Inventory). Schizophrenia bulletin, 25(3), 553-576 - Stress might pre-dispose us to magical thinking: Keinan, G. (2002). The effects of stress and desire for control on superstitious behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(1), 102-108. && Keinan, G. (1994). Effects of stress and tolerance of ambiguity on magical thinking. Journal of personality and social psychology, 67(1), 48. - The ‘dual model’ hypothesis of magical thinking & superstition - system 1 vs system 2: Risen, J. L. (2016). Believing what we do not believe: Acquiescence to superstitious beliefs and other powerful intuitions. Psychological review, 123(2), 182. - The basics – LSU’s guide to conspiracy theories: https://faculty.lsu.edu/fakenews/about/rumors.php - Historical connections between conspiracy and esotericism: Asprem, E., & Dyrendal, A. (2018). Close companions? Esotericism and conspiracy theories. In Handbook of conspiracy theory and contemporary religion (pp. 207-233). Brill. - You might also want to check out our earlier episode on bias!
In this episode, the hosts explore the crossover between spirituality and sustainability. What does it mean to build an environmentally sustainable spiritual practice? How have environmentalism and spirituality historically crossed paths? And why DO people keep burying jars, anyway? Join us this week for a topic very close to our hearts. Thanks to Kelsey from our Discord (https://discord.gg/kJthJyxTBc) for suggesting this episode. REFERENCES: Environmental challenges associated with vegan diets https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/23/the-environmental-dangers-of-veganism && https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200211-why-the-vegan-diet-is-not-always-green Interactions and collaborations between environmenal scientists & local spiritual practice - https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/1540-9295%282007%295%5B332%3AEOTFC%5D2.0.CO%3B2 && https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/195631648.pdf- Monkey conservation in Fiema & Boabeng supported by local spiritual practice - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08873630709478212?journalCode=rjcg20 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/195631648.pdf Religion's proposed relation to 'earth stewardship - https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/120322 && https://www.academia.edu/7961945/Environmental_Stewardship_Critical_Perspectives_Past_and_Present_Edited_by_Robert_James_Berry WITCHBODIES podcast https://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/29535/ You can keep up-to-date (ish) with our podcast on (Instagram)[https://www.instagram.com/testtubesandcauldrons/].
We're baaaack! Please enjoy as Hanne, Astra and Fel expand and dive deep on research practices and how to incorporate what you've researched into practicality. And again, thank you all so much for your continued support.Check out our discord!: https://discord.gg/NfefwYePyPNotes:Owen Davies Grimoires: A History of MagickMagic in Medieval Manuscripts by Sophie Page and Esoteric ArchivesGrimoire archive: http://english.grimoar.cz/?Loc=aut&Lng=2&New=374Explaining p-values: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00031305.2019.1583913