Are dreams the bridge between alien minds and cosmic meaning?
Starting Aug 20, How Aliens Might Dream explores how non-human beings could imagine myth. Astrobiology, depth psych, sci-fi..
Starting Aug 20, How Aliens Might Dream explores how non-human beings could imagine myth. Astrobiology, depth psych, sci-fi..
August 6, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Are dreams the bridge between alien minds and cosmic meaning?
Starting Aug 20, How Aliens Might Dream explores how non-human beings could imagine myth. Astrobiology, depth psych, sci-fi..
Starting Aug 20, How Aliens Might Dream explores how non-human beings could imagine myth. Astrobiology, depth psych, sci-fi..
Gates of Hell, Giacomo del Pò, ca. 1703–08. Princeton University Art Museum.
A horned demon drags a soul to hell as flames and shadows swirl. Del Pò’s Baroque vision evokes divine justice through myth and chiaroscuro.
How did hell’s imagery shape Baroque morality?
A horned demon drags a soul to hell as flames and shadows swirl. Del Pò’s Baroque vision evokes divine justice through myth and chiaroscuro.
How did hell’s imagery shape Baroque morality?
August 5, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Gates of Hell, Giacomo del Pò, ca. 1703–08. Princeton University Art Museum.
A horned demon drags a soul to hell as flames and shadows swirl. Del Pò’s Baroque vision evokes divine justice through myth and chiaroscuro.
How did hell’s imagery shape Baroque morality?
A horned demon drags a soul to hell as flames and shadows swirl. Del Pò’s Baroque vision evokes divine justice through myth and chiaroscuro.
How did hell’s imagery shape Baroque morality?
Is this the face of a body at war with itself?
Surgeon-artist Sir Charles Bell captured the excruciating effects of tetanus in this drawing of a soldier stiff with lockjaw.
“The Wounded following the Battle of Corunna: Tetanus Following Gunshot Wounds, Charles Bell, ca. 1809. Public domain.
Surgeon-artist Sir Charles Bell captured the excruciating effects of tetanus in this drawing of a soldier stiff with lockjaw.
“The Wounded following the Battle of Corunna: Tetanus Following Gunshot Wounds, Charles Bell, ca. 1809. Public domain.
August 5, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Is this the face of a body at war with itself?
Surgeon-artist Sir Charles Bell captured the excruciating effects of tetanus in this drawing of a soldier stiff with lockjaw.
“The Wounded following the Battle of Corunna: Tetanus Following Gunshot Wounds, Charles Bell, ca. 1809. Public domain.
Surgeon-artist Sir Charles Bell captured the excruciating effects of tetanus in this drawing of a soldier stiff with lockjaw.
“The Wounded following the Battle of Corunna: Tetanus Following Gunshot Wounds, Charles Bell, ca. 1809. Public domain.
What if we’re celebrating the wrong end of life?
Tonight at 7pm EST: free online talk with bestselling author Karen Salmansohn on her new book To Die For Life—a guide to reverse-engineering your life from your deathbed.
“My Funeral” (1910), Miguel Viladrich Vilá. Used for educational purposes.
Tonight at 7pm EST: free online talk with bestselling author Karen Salmansohn on her new book To Die For Life—a guide to reverse-engineering your life from your deathbed.
“My Funeral” (1910), Miguel Viladrich Vilá. Used for educational purposes.
August 4, 2025 at 10:12 PM
What if we’re celebrating the wrong end of life?
Tonight at 7pm EST: free online talk with bestselling author Karen Salmansohn on her new book To Die For Life—a guide to reverse-engineering your life from your deathbed.
“My Funeral” (1910), Miguel Viladrich Vilá. Used for educational purposes.
Tonight at 7pm EST: free online talk with bestselling author Karen Salmansohn on her new book To Die For Life—a guide to reverse-engineering your life from your deathbed.
“My Funeral” (1910), Miguel Viladrich Vilá. Used for educational purposes.
Where does science end and art begin?
A 18th-century anatomical plate depicting the muscles of the human face in meticulous detail.
“Cette planche représente, en detail & de grandeur naturelle, les muscles de le face....” J.F. Gautier Dagoty, 1773. The New York Public Library. Public domain.
A 18th-century anatomical plate depicting the muscles of the human face in meticulous detail.
“Cette planche représente, en detail & de grandeur naturelle, les muscles de le face....” J.F. Gautier Dagoty, 1773. The New York Public Library. Public domain.
August 3, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Where does science end and art begin?
A 18th-century anatomical plate depicting the muscles of the human face in meticulous detail.
“Cette planche représente, en detail & de grandeur naturelle, les muscles de le face....” J.F. Gautier Dagoty, 1773. The New York Public Library. Public domain.
A 18th-century anatomical plate depicting the muscles of the human face in meticulous detail.
“Cette planche représente, en detail & de grandeur naturelle, les muscles de le face....” J.F. Gautier Dagoty, 1773. The New York Public Library. Public domain.
Could freedom from flesh be what makes angels more divine?
In this art history class, August 26, we’ll explore the role of angels in Catholic cosmology, theology, literature, and especially visual culture.
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Purgatory the Musée Condé, Chantilly. Public Domain.
In this art history class, August 26, we’ll explore the role of angels in Catholic cosmology, theology, literature, and especially visual culture.
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Purgatory the Musée Condé, Chantilly. Public Domain.
August 3, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Could freedom from flesh be what makes angels more divine?
In this art history class, August 26, we’ll explore the role of angels in Catholic cosmology, theology, literature, and especially visual culture.
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Purgatory the Musée Condé, Chantilly. Public Domain.
In this art history class, August 26, we’ll explore the role of angels in Catholic cosmology, theology, literature, and especially visual culture.
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Purgatory the Musée Condé, Chantilly. Public Domain.
How do yokai take shape in Japanese folklore?
Japanese woodcut from One Hundred Tales, the vengeful yokai Oiwa appears with a paper lantern for a head—her face warped by the poison her husband gave her.
Oiwa, Katsushika Hokusai (ca. 1760–1849).
Library of Congress. Public domain.
Japanese woodcut from One Hundred Tales, the vengeful yokai Oiwa appears with a paper lantern for a head—her face warped by the poison her husband gave her.
Oiwa, Katsushika Hokusai (ca. 1760–1849).
Library of Congress. Public domain.
August 2, 2025 at 11:19 PM
How do yokai take shape in Japanese folklore?
Japanese woodcut from One Hundred Tales, the vengeful yokai Oiwa appears with a paper lantern for a head—her face warped by the poison her husband gave her.
Oiwa, Katsushika Hokusai (ca. 1760–1849).
Library of Congress. Public domain.
Japanese woodcut from One Hundred Tales, the vengeful yokai Oiwa appears with a paper lantern for a head—her face warped by the poison her husband gave her.
Oiwa, Katsushika Hokusai (ca. 1760–1849).
Library of Congress. Public domain.
Why are we drawn to horror—and what does it reveal about us?
Join Carl Abrahamsson for a 4-part class (starting Aug 24) on horror’s mythic roots, media evolution, and psychological grip.
Still from Carrie (1976), dir. Brian De Palma. © MGM/UA.
Used under fair use for educational commentary.
Join Carl Abrahamsson for a 4-part class (starting Aug 24) on horror’s mythic roots, media evolution, and psychological grip.
Still from Carrie (1976), dir. Brian De Palma. © MGM/UA.
Used under fair use for educational commentary.
August 2, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Why are we drawn to horror—and what does it reveal about us?
Join Carl Abrahamsson for a 4-part class (starting Aug 24) on horror’s mythic roots, media evolution, and psychological grip.
Still from Carrie (1976), dir. Brian De Palma. © MGM/UA.
Used under fair use for educational commentary.
Join Carl Abrahamsson for a 4-part class (starting Aug 24) on horror’s mythic roots, media evolution, and psychological grip.
Still from Carrie (1976), dir. Brian De Palma. © MGM/UA.
Used under fair use for educational commentary.
Is this a fragrance—or a formula for ritual?
This ruby glass perfume bottle, circa 1880, is composed of four vials arranged in the form of a cross—each with its own silver screw cap and a central engraved brass panel.
Science Museum Group, Object No. A641768.
This ruby glass perfume bottle, circa 1880, is composed of four vials arranged in the form of a cross—each with its own silver screw cap and a central engraved brass panel.
Science Museum Group, Object No. A641768.
August 2, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Is this a fragrance—or a formula for ritual?
This ruby glass perfume bottle, circa 1880, is composed of four vials arranged in the form of a cross—each with its own silver screw cap and a central engraved brass panel.
Science Museum Group, Object No. A641768.
This ruby glass perfume bottle, circa 1880, is composed of four vials arranged in the form of a cross—each with its own silver screw cap and a central engraved brass panel.
Science Museum Group, Object No. A641768.
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Deijman, ca. 1656. Public Domain.
Originally part of a large group portrait, this fragment is all that remains of Rembrandt’s second anatomy lesson. Much of the painting was lost in an 18th-century fire, leaving only this haunting glimpse into early medical spectacle.
Originally part of a large group portrait, this fragment is all that remains of Rembrandt’s second anatomy lesson. Much of the painting was lost in an 18th-century fire, leaving only this haunting glimpse into early medical spectacle.
August 1, 2025 at 7:06 AM
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Deijman, ca. 1656. Public Domain.
Originally part of a large group portrait, this fragment is all that remains of Rembrandt’s second anatomy lesson. Much of the painting was lost in an 18th-century fire, leaving only this haunting glimpse into early medical spectacle.
Originally part of a large group portrait, this fragment is all that remains of Rembrandt’s second anatomy lesson. Much of the painting was lost in an 18th-century fire, leaving only this haunting glimpse into early medical spectacle.
Which truths rise when the card turns upside down?
August 10, join French-born scholar and professional tarot reader Laetitia Barbier for Dissecting the Tarot I: Reading Reversals, a class in our Dissecting the Tarot series.
Tarot card (reversal of card no. 15). Source unknown.
August 10, join French-born scholar and professional tarot reader Laetitia Barbier for Dissecting the Tarot I: Reading Reversals, a class in our Dissecting the Tarot series.
Tarot card (reversal of card no. 15). Source unknown.
August 1, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Which truths rise when the card turns upside down?
August 10, join French-born scholar and professional tarot reader Laetitia Barbier for Dissecting the Tarot I: Reading Reversals, a class in our Dissecting the Tarot series.
Tarot card (reversal of card no. 15). Source unknown.
August 10, join French-born scholar and professional tarot reader Laetitia Barbier for Dissecting the Tarot I: Reading Reversals, a class in our Dissecting the Tarot series.
Tarot card (reversal of card no. 15). Source unknown.
Which myths lie beyond the veil of death?
August 7, students will explore how cultures across time have envisioned the afterlife through mythology—from Norse, Greek, to the sacred Books of the Dead from Tibet, Egypt, and the Maya.
Death and the Girl, Frans van Kuyck, 19th century. Public domain.
August 7, students will explore how cultures across time have envisioned the afterlife through mythology—from Norse, Greek, to the sacred Books of the Dead from Tibet, Egypt, and the Maya.
Death and the Girl, Frans van Kuyck, 19th century. Public domain.
August 1, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Which myths lie beyond the veil of death?
August 7, students will explore how cultures across time have envisioned the afterlife through mythology—from Norse, Greek, to the sacred Books of the Dead from Tibet, Egypt, and the Maya.
Death and the Girl, Frans van Kuyck, 19th century. Public domain.
August 7, students will explore how cultures across time have envisioned the afterlife through mythology—from Norse, Greek, to the sacred Books of the Dead from Tibet, Egypt, and the Maya.
Death and the Girl, Frans van Kuyck, 19th century. Public domain.
What power lies in threes?
A surreal sideshow illusion that shaped 19th c. visual culture and reflects performers navigating a system that commodified identity. Archives now work to reframe such histories.
Bunnell’s 3 Headed Songstress, c. 1875. Syracuse University Libraries.
A surreal sideshow illusion that shaped 19th c. visual culture and reflects performers navigating a system that commodified identity. Archives now work to reframe such histories.
Bunnell’s 3 Headed Songstress, c. 1875. Syracuse University Libraries.
July 31, 2025 at 3:04 AM
What power lies in threes?
A surreal sideshow illusion that shaped 19th c. visual culture and reflects performers navigating a system that commodified identity. Archives now work to reframe such histories.
Bunnell’s 3 Headed Songstress, c. 1875. Syracuse University Libraries.
A surreal sideshow illusion that shaped 19th c. visual culture and reflects performers navigating a system that commodified identity. Archives now work to reframe such histories.
Bunnell’s 3 Headed Songstress, c. 1875. Syracuse University Libraries.
Where does the archetype of the Witch come from?
Beginning August 3, join cultural historian Jason Lahman for Part I of a two-part series exploring the archetype of the Witch.
The Witches Sabbath, Francisco Goya, ca. 1797–1798. Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid, Spain.
Beginning August 3, join cultural historian Jason Lahman for Part I of a two-part series exploring the archetype of the Witch.
The Witches Sabbath, Francisco Goya, ca. 1797–1798. Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid, Spain.
July 30, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Where does the archetype of the Witch come from?
Beginning August 3, join cultural historian Jason Lahman for Part I of a two-part series exploring the archetype of the Witch.
The Witches Sabbath, Francisco Goya, ca. 1797–1798. Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid, Spain.
Beginning August 3, join cultural historian Jason Lahman for Part I of a two-part series exploring the archetype of the Witch.
The Witches Sabbath, Francisco Goya, ca. 1797–1798. Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid, Spain.
Shaman’s poncho, ca. 1850, A ceremonial garment from the Indigenous Tlingit people.
Could a garment be both a form of protection and a portal?
Portland Art Museum. Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indigenous Art. Shared for educational purposes.
Could a garment be both a form of protection and a portal?
Portland Art Museum. Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indigenous Art. Shared for educational purposes.
July 30, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Shaman’s poncho, ca. 1850, A ceremonial garment from the Indigenous Tlingit people.
Could a garment be both a form of protection and a portal?
Portland Art Museum. Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indigenous Art. Shared for educational purposes.
Could a garment be both a form of protection and a portal?
Portland Art Museum. Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indigenous Art. Shared for educational purposes.
What remains when dignity is framed in silk and silence?
Joos van Cleve’s Lucretia (ca. 1525) captures the Roman heroine at the brink of her fateful act—her suicide after assault, a gesture that ignited revolution and the birth of the Republic.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Joos van Cleve’s Lucretia (ca. 1525) captures the Roman heroine at the brink of her fateful act—her suicide after assault, a gesture that ignited revolution and the birth of the Republic.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
July 30, 2025 at 1:46 AM
What remains when dignity is framed in silk and silence?
Joos van Cleve’s Lucretia (ca. 1525) captures the Roman heroine at the brink of her fateful act—her suicide after assault, a gesture that ignited revolution and the birth of the Republic.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Joos van Cleve’s Lucretia (ca. 1525) captures the Roman heroine at the brink of her fateful act—her suicide after assault, a gesture that ignited revolution and the birth of the Republic.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Why do monsters thrill and terrify us? And how have they—and we—changed over the ages?
Tonight at 7pm EST, join us for Monsterland: A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imagination with author Nicholas Jubber.
Tonight at 7pm EST, join us for Monsterland: A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imagination with author Nicholas Jubber.
July 28, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Why do monsters thrill and terrify us? And how have they—and we—changed over the ages?
Tonight at 7pm EST, join us for Monsterland: A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imagination with author Nicholas Jubber.
Tonight at 7pm EST, join us for Monsterland: A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imagination with author Nicholas Jubber.
Can artificial intelligence teach us something about the soul?
In the class Soul & the Machine: AI, Myth, & Depth Psychology, beginning today 7/28, we’ll explore how our evolving relationship with AI reflects timeless myths of creation, consciousness, and the blurred line between human and machine.
In the class Soul & the Machine: AI, Myth, & Depth Psychology, beginning today 7/28, we’ll explore how our evolving relationship with AI reflects timeless myths of creation, consciousness, and the blurred line between human and machine.
July 28, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Can artificial intelligence teach us something about the soul?
In the class Soul & the Machine: AI, Myth, & Depth Psychology, beginning today 7/28, we’ll explore how our evolving relationship with AI reflects timeless myths of creation, consciousness, and the blurred line between human and machine.
In the class Soul & the Machine: AI, Myth, & Depth Psychology, beginning today 7/28, we’ll explore how our evolving relationship with AI reflects timeless myths of creation, consciousness, and the blurred line between human and machine.
Can peace be forged on a scale dripping with blood?
Karl Alexander Wilke, “All right!” Illustration for Die Muskete, January 23, 1913.
Karl Alexander Wilke, “All right!” Illustration for Die Muskete, January 23, 1913.
July 28, 2025 at 5:44 AM
Can peace be forged on a scale dripping with blood?
Karl Alexander Wilke, “All right!” Illustration for Die Muskete, January 23, 1913.
Karl Alexander Wilke, “All right!” Illustration for Die Muskete, January 23, 1913.
When will war stop feeding the grave?
During the First World War, Mrs. Kitchener took over her husband’s work as a gravedigger at Aley Green Cemetery in Luton while he served on the front.
Mrs Kitchener, female gravedigger, Aley Green Cemetery, Luton, c.1917. Imperial War Museums
During the First World War, Mrs. Kitchener took over her husband’s work as a gravedigger at Aley Green Cemetery in Luton while he served on the front.
Mrs Kitchener, female gravedigger, Aley Green Cemetery, Luton, c.1917. Imperial War Museums
July 28, 2025 at 4:27 AM
When will war stop feeding the grave?
During the First World War, Mrs. Kitchener took over her husband’s work as a gravedigger at Aley Green Cemetery in Luton while he served on the front.
Mrs Kitchener, female gravedigger, Aley Green Cemetery, Luton, c.1917. Imperial War Museums
During the First World War, Mrs. Kitchener took over her husband’s work as a gravedigger at Aley Green Cemetery in Luton while he served on the front.
Mrs Kitchener, female gravedigger, Aley Green Cemetery, Luton, c.1917. Imperial War Museums
Can archetypal images take shape in non-human minds?
Beginning August 20, How Aliens Might Dream with Jason D. Batt, Ph.D. explores how alien mythologies could emerge from non-human worlds—shaped by exoplanet science, astrobiology, and depth psychology.
Beginning August 20, How Aliens Might Dream with Jason D. Batt, Ph.D. explores how alien mythologies could emerge from non-human worlds—shaped by exoplanet science, astrobiology, and depth psychology.
July 28, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Can archetypal images take shape in non-human minds?
Beginning August 20, How Aliens Might Dream with Jason D. Batt, Ph.D. explores how alien mythologies could emerge from non-human worlds—shaped by exoplanet science, astrobiology, and depth psychology.
Beginning August 20, How Aliens Might Dream with Jason D. Batt, Ph.D. explores how alien mythologies could emerge from non-human worlds—shaped by exoplanet science, astrobiology, and depth psychology.
Robe and Axe of Giovanni Bugatti, Criminology Museum, Rome.
Giovanni Battista Bugatti (1779–1869), known as Mastro Titta (“master of justice”), was the official executioner of the Papal States in Rome from 1796 to 1864.
If beheading is a ritual, who—or what—is truly being sacrificed?
Giovanni Battista Bugatti (1779–1869), known as Mastro Titta (“master of justice”), was the official executioner of the Papal States in Rome from 1796 to 1864.
If beheading is a ritual, who—or what—is truly being sacrificed?
July 26, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Robe and Axe of Giovanni Bugatti, Criminology Museum, Rome.
Giovanni Battista Bugatti (1779–1869), known as Mastro Titta (“master of justice”), was the official executioner of the Papal States in Rome from 1796 to 1864.
If beheading is a ritual, who—or what—is truly being sacrificed?
Giovanni Battista Bugatti (1779–1869), known as Mastro Titta (“master of justice”), was the official executioner of the Papal States in Rome from 1796 to 1864.
If beheading is a ritual, who—or what—is truly being sacrificed?
What dreams rot beneath empire?
This 1906 cover of Strana Mechty (Land of Dreams) emerged from the shadowy fringe of Russian Symbolist print culture.
Strana Mechty No. 1, 1906. Russian Symbolist journal. Artist unknown.
This 1906 cover of Strana Mechty (Land of Dreams) emerged from the shadowy fringe of Russian Symbolist print culture.
Strana Mechty No. 1, 1906. Russian Symbolist journal. Artist unknown.
July 26, 2025 at 8:49 PM
What dreams rot beneath empire?
This 1906 cover of Strana Mechty (Land of Dreams) emerged from the shadowy fringe of Russian Symbolist print culture.
Strana Mechty No. 1, 1906. Russian Symbolist journal. Artist unknown.
This 1906 cover of Strana Mechty (Land of Dreams) emerged from the shadowy fringe of Russian Symbolist print culture.
Strana Mechty No. 1, 1906. Russian Symbolist journal. Artist unknown.
What might a saint keep in a cabinet of curiosities?
August 15, Join us for a 5-week online course exploring the poetic history and contemporary practice of Cabinets of Curiosity. From Renaissance wonder to personal altar, we’ll trace how objects become portals to memory, mystery, and meaning.
August 15, Join us for a 5-week online course exploring the poetic history and contemporary practice of Cabinets of Curiosity. From Renaissance wonder to personal altar, we’ll trace how objects become portals to memory, mystery, and meaning.
July 25, 2025 at 8:25 AM
What might a saint keep in a cabinet of curiosities?
August 15, Join us for a 5-week online course exploring the poetic history and contemporary practice of Cabinets of Curiosity. From Renaissance wonder to personal altar, we’ll trace how objects become portals to memory, mystery, and meaning.
August 15, Join us for a 5-week online course exploring the poetic history and contemporary practice of Cabinets of Curiosity. From Renaissance wonder to personal altar, we’ll trace how objects become portals to memory, mystery, and meaning.
What happens when famine is felt in the belly—and the soul?
John Charles Dollman’s Famine (1904) was originally conceived as an allegory—a reflection on spiritual emptiness and the death of the soul through long neglect.
Famine, John Charles Dollman, 1904. Salford Museum & Art Gallery.
John Charles Dollman’s Famine (1904) was originally conceived as an allegory—a reflection on spiritual emptiness and the death of the soul through long neglect.
Famine, John Charles Dollman, 1904. Salford Museum & Art Gallery.
July 24, 2025 at 10:26 PM
What happens when famine is felt in the belly—and the soul?
John Charles Dollman’s Famine (1904) was originally conceived as an allegory—a reflection on spiritual emptiness and the death of the soul through long neglect.
Famine, John Charles Dollman, 1904. Salford Museum & Art Gallery.
John Charles Dollman’s Famine (1904) was originally conceived as an allegory—a reflection on spiritual emptiness and the death of the soul through long neglect.
Famine, John Charles Dollman, 1904. Salford Museum & Art Gallery.