Divination - A Cognitive Perspective

This Element adopts a naturalistic, cognitive perspective to understand divination, examining belief, plausibility, and the socio-cultural factors influencing the perception and persistence of divination practices across societies and history.

List of contents

1. Introduction; 2. Divination: the thorny definitional issue; 3. Theories of divination; 4. A 'common-sense' cognitive approach and why cognition serves as the foundation to understand divination; 5. Divination in society – The interplay of individual cognition and societal processes; 6. Conclusions, outstanding questions, and future directions; References.

Summary

This Element adopts a naturalistic, cognitive perspective to understand divination, examining belief, plausibility, and the socio-cultural factors influencing the perception and persistence of divination practices across societies and history.

Product details

• Authors: Ze Hong, Ze (University of Macau) Hong
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.05.2025
• EAN: 9781009542012
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0954201-2
• No. of pages: 80
• Series: Elements in the Psychology of Religion
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology; Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Applied psychology; Psychology, PSYCHOLOGY / Applied Psychology, Cognition and cognitive psychology, Fortune-telling and divination, Cognitive studies, Religion and science