# Gnoseologies ## expand\_more ## Gnoseologies: Transcendence and Transformation Today This series focuses on ways of knowing that are often labeled as “non-rational.” Traditionally referred to as *gnosis* in Western philosophical and religious traditions, and often understood in contraposition to science (*episteme*), these ways of knowing are becoming more and more influential in contemporary societies, popular culture, and academic research. What is the place of spirit possession, divination, and experiences perceived as “out-of-the ordinary” in our lives? How can we study and approach these types of phenomena? Going beyond dichotomies such as body and mind, ordinary and extraordinary, reason and experience, and matter and spirit, this series hosts scholars of different disciplines and practitioners interested in exploring and expanding the boundaries of what counts as “knowledge” today. ### Series Host [Giovanna Parmigiani](https://giovannaninaparmig.wixsite.com/mysite) is the host of "Gnoseologies". She is an anthropologist of religion, a scholar of Contemporary Paganisms, the co-chair of the Contemporary Pagan Studies Unit at the American Academy of Religion (AAR), and the founding co-convenor of the Anthropology of History Network at the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA). Her work is firmly grounded in ethnographic and auto-ethnographic practices, and her main focus of interest are the relationships between religion, politics, and gender. Her first monograph, [*Feminism, Violence and Representation in Modern Italy: ‘We Are Witnesses, Not Victims’*](https://iupress.org/9780253043382/feminism-violence-and-representation-in-modern-italy/) (Indiana University Press, 2019) dealt with violence against women, and her second, [*The Spider Dance: Tradition, Time, and Healing in Southern Italy*](https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/spider-dance/) (Equinox Publishing) with contemporary Pagan women and healing. She also writes about [conspirituality](https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article/89/2/506/6299191) and conspiracy theories. As a Research Associate in the Transcendence and Transformation Initiative at the CSWR, she is working on a new ethnographic project titled, "Magic and Populism in Southern Europe." At HDS, she teaches courses on Earth-based Spiritualities, the Anthropology of Magic, Religion and Healing, and Religion, Materiality, and the Senses. ## Gnoseologies Event Videos [### Video: Arts & Crafts Divine: How Spiritual Expertise Is Made with Olivia Cejvan ](/news/2025/12/17/video-arts-crafts-divine-how-spiritual-expertise-made-olivia-cejvan) December 17, 2025 ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Arts and Crafts Divine with Olivia Cejvan](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Olivia%20Cejvan%2012.17.25.png%20%281%29.png?itok=fvjRQUUN) [### Video: Esoteric identities: Helena P. Blavatsky as a woman philosopher? With Tim Rudbøg ](/news/2025/12/10/video-esoteric-identities-helena-p-blavatsky-woman-philosopher-tim-rudbog) December 10, 2025 What counts as philosophy—and who gets to be recognized as a philosopher? In conversation with Gnoseologies host Giovanna Parmigiani, Tim Rudbøg explores Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s engagement with major philosophical questions of being, consciousness... ![Title card for Esoteric Identities: Helena P. Blavatsky as a woman philosopher?](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Tim%20Rudb%C3%B8g%2012.10.25.png%20%281%29.png?itok=8Ai2k76V) [### Video: Postapocalyptic Futures: Visionary Landscapes in Northern Peru ](/news/2025/03/05/video-postapocalyptic-futures-visionary-landscapes-northern-peru) March 05, 2025 In this conversation with Gnosologies host Giovanna Parmigiani, Ana Mariella Bacigalupo, Professor of Anthropology at the University at Buffalo, shared how sentient mountains and lakes (Apus), channeled by Northern Peruvian shamans, addressed the greatest... ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Postapocalyptic Futures with Ana Mariella Bacigalupo](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Ana%20Mariella%20Bacigalupo%20%281%29.png?itok=LzqHdjs_) [### Video: Embodied Ethnographies of Healing: Senses, Images, and Trance ](/news/2025/01/09/video-embodied-ethnographies-healing-senses-images-and-trance) January 09, 2025 With Anthropologist Emily Pierini ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Embodied Ethnographies with Emily Pierini](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Emily%20Pierini%20%281%29.png?itok=RGMon1l7) [### Video: The Spider Dance Tradition, Time, and Healing in Southern Italy ](/news/2024/12/10/video-spider-dance-tradition-time-and-healing-southern-italy) December 10, 2024 A book talk with Giovanna Parmigiani, on her new book *The Spider Dance: Tradition, Time, and Healing in Southern Italy* ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Book Talk: The Spider Dance Tradition, Time & Healing in Southern Italy](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Giovanna%20Parmigiani%20%281%29.png?itok=sjKKTpyk) [### Video: ReSpell: Religion, Spirituality, and Well-being ](/news/2024/10/16/video-respell-religion-spirituality-and-well-being) October 16, 2024 In this Gnoseologies event, Giovanna Parmigiani, CSWR Research Associate, spoke with Eugenia Roussou, PhD, sociocultural anthropologist, about her ethnographic research on contemporary religiosity and well-being in Southern Europe; the anthropological... ![Title card for ReSpell: Religion, Spirituality, and Well-being](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Eugenia%20Rossou.png?itok=esI14IhS) [### Video: Researching Alternative Rationalities ](/news/2024/09/25/video-researching-alternative-rationalities) September 25, 2024 In this Gnoseologies event, Professor Giovanna Parmigiani speaks with Bernd Christian Otto (PD Dr. habil.) about alternative rationalities, esoteric practices, global comparison, practitioner-scholarship, and other ways of studying esotericism today. The... ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Researching Alternative Rationalities, with Bernd-Christian Otto](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Bernd-Christian%20Otto%20%281%29.png?itok=kG6ZbdWt) [### Video: Magic in the United States. A conversation with Dr. Heather Freeman ](/news/06/18/2024/gnoseologies-magic-united-states-conversation-dr-heather-freeman) April 10, 2024 Gnoseologies host Giovanna Parmigiani speaks with Heather Freeman about her podcast Magic in the United States and the personal and professional journey behind it. Magic in the United States is a podcast examining how magic, religion, spirituality, and... ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Magic in the United States with Heather Freeman](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Heather%20Freeman%20%281%29.png?itok=qEBp_7hT) [### Video: Wisdom from the Edge: A Conversation with Anthropologist Paul Stoller ](/news/06/18/2024/gnoseologies-wisdom-edge-conversation-anthropologist-paul-stoller) March 27, 2024 In this conversation with Gnoseologies host Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani, Paul Stoller discusses his latest book, Wisdom From the Edge in which he describes what scholars can do to contribute to the social and cultural changes that shape a social future of... ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Wisdom from the Edge, with Paul Stoller](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Paul%20Stoller%20%281%29.png?itok=0iy5q0-0) [### Video: Catholicism as Movement: Affective Histories & Political Life Forms, Dr. Valentina Napolitano ](/news/06/17/2024/video-gnoseologies-catholicism-movement-affective-histories-political-life-forms-dr) March 06, 2024 Gnoseologies host, Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani engaged in conversation with Dr. Valentina Napolitano on themes of contemporary Catholicism, focusing on the "Atlantic Return", Pope Francis and migrants' (im)mobility highlighting the "heart" as political... ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Catholicism as Movement: Affective Histories & Political Life Forms](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Valentina%20Napolitano%20%281%29.png?itok=umbB0o5z) [### Video: We Cannot Imagine Otherwise: Capitalist Personalities, Plotlines, & Promises of Salvation, Dr. Andrea Jain ](/news/06/18/2024/video-gnoseologies-we-cannot-imagine-otherwise-capitalist-personalities-plotlines) February 21, 2024 In conversation with Gnoseologies host, Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani, Dr. Andrea Jain, expands the boundaries of what currently counts as “knowledge” starting with diagnosing the social systemic dynamics that shape what we can and cannot imagine. In this talk... ![Title card for Gnoseologies Episode: Capitalist Personalities, Plotlines, & Promises of Salvation](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-05/YT%20Thumbnail.%20Gnoseologies.Andrea%20Jain%20%281%29.png?itok=OGV0ba0G) [### Video: ​​​​​​​Angela’s Symposium: YouTube, Esotericism, and the Academia ](/news/2023/11/06/gnoseologies-angelas-symposium-youtube-esotericism-and-academia) November 06, 2023 Center for the Study of World Religions hosted our first Gnoseologies series webinar of the academic year on October 18, 2023. Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani engaged in conversation with Dr. Angela Puca. In this discussion, Dr. Puca describes how she pioneers an... ![Dr. Angela Puca smiling into the cameral](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/hds_cswr/files/me_1.png?itok=VQrhfyMG) [### Video: Multiple Subjectivities and the Ethnographic Study of Lived Religion ](/news/video-multiple-subjectivities-and-ethnographic-study-lived-religion-conversation) April 26, 2023 Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - As part of the T&T Gnoseologies Series, CSWR Research Associate Giovanna Parmigiani engages in a fascinating conversation with Black Feminist ethnographer and African diaspora studies scholar, Assitant Professor N. Fadeke... ![Photo of Professor Fadeke Castro](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/thumbnail_fadeke_castor_2022_288x400pixels_1.jpg?itok=GKQR4860) [### Video: Reiki, Energy Medicine, and Post-Materialism ](/news/2023/05/03/video-reiki-energy-medicine-and-post-materialism) April 05, 2023 Center for the Study of World Religions Research Associate Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani led a conversation with Dr. Natalie Dyer on April 5, 2023, titled "Reiki, Energy Medicine, and Post-Materialism." Dr. Dyer is a research scientist with Connor Whole Health... ![Natalie Dyer looking at the camera](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/natalie_dyer_250.png?itok=NtZyStSE) [### Video: Music, Voice, & Healing: A Conversation with Grace Nono ](/news/2023/4/14/music-voice-healing-conversation-grace-nono) March 08, 2023 On March 8, 2023, Research Associate Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani sat down with Dr. Grace Nono to discuss Dr. Nono’s work as an ethnographer and performer, shamanism in the Philippines, and some of the possible connections between sound and healing. This event... ![Grace Nono, HDS Visiting Lecturer in Women and Shamanism](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/grace_nono250.jpg?itok=H2NFKoKC) [### Video: Essays on Women in Western Esotericism: Beyond Seeresses and Sea Priestesses ](/news/2023/3/25/video-essays-women-western-esotericism-beyond-seeresses-and-sea-priestesses) February 22, 2023 On February 22, 2023, Dr. Amy Hale and Dr. Christa Shusko present their book Essays on Women in Western Esotericism: Beyond Seeresses and Sea Priestesses, edited by Amy Hale. They discuss some of the latest and pressing topics in the study of (Western)... ![Essays on Women in Western Esotericism](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/2.22.2023_essays_on_women_in_western_esotericism_beyond_seeresses_and_sea_priestesses_istock-173813237.jpg?itok=RLUHiKJB) [### Video: Affect Theater and Collaborative Meaning-Making ](/news/2022/12/30/video-affect-theater-and-collaborative-meaning-making) November 02, 2022 On November 2, 2022, Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani discussed affect theater with her guests Prof. Cristiana Giordano (UC Davis) and Prof. Greg Pierotti (University of Arizona), and how it can transform academic research. This discussion touched on the role of... ![Affect Theater and Collaborative Meaning-Making](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/untitled_1.jpg?itok=xeONsrQm) [### Video: Black Tarot: African American Women and Divine Processes of Resilience ](/news/2022/12/5/video-black-tarot-african-american-women-and-divine-processes-resilience) October 19, 2022 On October 19, 2022, religious studies scholar and Black and biracial educator Marcelitte Failla (Emory University) discussed the practice of Tarot reading, Black witches, divination, resilience, and the meanings, limitations, and possibilities of being a... ![Black Tarot](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/tarot.jpg?itok=cj38Zr1D) [### Video: Ways of Knowing through the Changing Landscapes of Esoteric Art ](/news/ways-of-knowing/2022/3/30) April 06, 2022 In this illustrated talk and conversation, we will explore how our understanding of artists’ esoteric practice is shaping the conversation between art, artists and the audience. We will primarily be looking at the contributions of women artists, both... ![Dr Amy Hale](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/swan_no.1_raw_image.jpg?itok=A_PXwtlB) [### Video: Paranthropology: The Anthropology of the Paranormal ](/news/anthropology-paranormal/2022/3/23) March 30, 2022 What is the paranormal? How can we make sense of out-of-the ordinary experiences? How can we study the paranormal— anthropologically? Please join Dr.Giovanna Parmigiani in a conversation with Dr. Jack Hunter about the anthropology of the paranormal.... ![Dr. Jack Hunter](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/dr._jack_hunter_raw_image.jpg?itok=JKGtRGJF) [### Video: Gut and Other Knowledges in Religions of the African Diaspora ](/news/religions-african-diaspora/2022/2/23) March 01, 2022 Dr. Elizabeth Pérez discusses practices of embodied knowledge production and transmission in such Afro-Diasporic religions as Cuban Lucumí, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomblé. In conversation with CSWR Research Associate Dr. Giovanna Parmigiani, she... ![Dr. Elizabeth Perez](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/elizabeth_perez_raw_image.jpg?itok=5A1gA8m4) [### Video: Negation, Not-knowing, and the Dark in Brazilian and Cuban Creole Forms of Religion ](/news/negation-not-knowing/2022/2/16) February 22, 2022 In this event, Diana Espírito Santo will examine the ambiguous, dark spaces of paradox from the point of view of two distinct ethnographic sites: Brazil and Cuba, with Umbanda and creole espiritismo respectively. In exploring the various vignettes—of a... ![Espirito](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/espirito_santo_raw_image.jpg?itok=6VrJlgQQ) [### Video: The Truth Shall Set Whom Free? A Conversation on Esoteric Knowledge, Alternative Spirituality, and Conspiracy Theories ](/news/knowledge-spirituality-conspiracy/2021/12/8) January 10, 2022 Esoteric spiritualities tend to encourage a personal search for spiritual truths, unburdened by concerns for dogma and authority. Such seekership has been cast as a particularly individualistic, liberal, and democratic way of doing religion, well-adapted... ![12.8.21_egil_asprem_image](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/12.8.21_egil_asprem_image.jpg?itok=I3CQCIVe) [### Video: Cultural Appropriation in Neopagan and New Age Religions: A Conversation with Sabina Magliocco ](/news/cultural-appropriation/2021/12/1) December 14, 2021 Please join Giovanna Parmigiani (HDS) for a panel discussion on the phenomenon of cultural appropriation in modern Paganism and the New Age movement. Sabina Magliocco (University of British Columbia), along with HDS students, will explore this theme and... ![S.M.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/12.1.21_sabina_magliocco_image.jpg?itok=Xw31VNoo) [### Video: Black Magic Matters: Hoodoo as Ancestral Religion ](/news/magic-matters/2021/11/10) November 10, 2021 Does Black Magic Matter? A brief discussion of the African American traditions known as Hoodoo, Conjure and Rootworking, and practices of divination, spiritual protection and healing. We will discuss the origins of magic in the specific context of slavery... ![Giovanna Parmigiani Event](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/cswr_event_11.10.jpg?itok=1U84hXUh) [### Video: Exploring Magical Consciousness as a Form of Knowledge ](/exploring-magic/2021/10/27) October 26, 2021 Welcome to the first event of Gnoseologies: Transcendence and Transformation Today in which we will discuss “magic” with Dr. Susan Greenwood. This series focuses on ways of knowing that are often labeled as “non-rational.” Traditionally referred to as... ![Exploring Magical Consciousness](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hds_cswr/files/magicalthinking-985x555.jpg?itok=goH1g11o)