Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual Realm
Alister Hardy was one of the pioneers of the scientific study of spiritual experiences (SE); however, his work and insights have not received the attention they deserve. This paper, based on an in-depth analysis of Hardy’s own writings, presents his main methodological and epistemological contributi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-09-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/9/713 |
| _version_ | 1797517460028522496 |
|---|---|
| author | Alexander Moreira-Almeida Marta Helena de Freitas Bettina E. Schmidt |
| author_facet | Alexander Moreira-Almeida Marta Helena de Freitas Bettina E. Schmidt |
| author_sort | Alexander Moreira-Almeida |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alister Hardy was one of the pioneers of the scientific study of spiritual experiences (SE); however, his work and insights have not received the attention they deserve. This paper, based on an in-depth analysis of Hardy’s own writings, presents his main methodological and epistemological contributions for advancing the investigation of SE. Hardy’s main epistemological propositions were as follows: the transcendent as the core of spirituality and SE as a major source of R/S beliefs; a nondogmatic approach, acknowledging that Darwinian evolution does not imply materialism and that mind is not reducible to matter; and a call for studies of psychic experiences and considering an expanded naturalism, including the “para-physical”, that could lead to a perennial philosophy and a natural theology. His methods focused on phenomenological classification and the development of a natural history of SE based on studies with proper ecological validity on the experimental and the experiential, mixing large surveys of the general population with in-depth qualitative studies of the most prominent cases. In addition, it would be worth investigating developments of SE throughout a person’s life. Bringing back Hardy’s contributions will foster a better understanding of the history of the scientific study of SE and provide key insights for moving it forward. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:15:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7bb18e644d446e7bddb54932e14fab5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:15:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7bb18e644d446e7bddb54932e14fab52023-11-22T15:03:34ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-09-0112971310.3390/rel12090713Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual RealmAlexander Moreira-Almeida0Marta Helena de Freitas1Bettina E. Schmidt2Research Center in Spirituality and Health (NUPES), School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora 36038-330, BrazilPsychology Graduation Program, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, BrazilInstitute of Education and Humanities, University of Wales Trinity Saind David, Lampeter SA48 7ED, UKAlister Hardy was one of the pioneers of the scientific study of spiritual experiences (SE); however, his work and insights have not received the attention they deserve. This paper, based on an in-depth analysis of Hardy’s own writings, presents his main methodological and epistemological contributions for advancing the investigation of SE. Hardy’s main epistemological propositions were as follows: the transcendent as the core of spirituality and SE as a major source of R/S beliefs; a nondogmatic approach, acknowledging that Darwinian evolution does not imply materialism and that mind is not reducible to matter; and a call for studies of psychic experiences and considering an expanded naturalism, including the “para-physical”, that could lead to a perennial philosophy and a natural theology. His methods focused on phenomenological classification and the development of a natural history of SE based on studies with proper ecological validity on the experimental and the experiential, mixing large surveys of the general population with in-depth qualitative studies of the most prominent cases. In addition, it would be worth investigating developments of SE throughout a person’s life. Bringing back Hardy’s contributions will foster a better understanding of the history of the scientific study of SE and provide key insights for moving it forward.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/9/713spiritual experiencereligious experiencemethodHardyresearch |
| spellingShingle | Alexander Moreira-Almeida Marta Helena de Freitas Bettina E. Schmidt Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual Realm Religions spiritual experience religious experience method Hardy research |
| title | Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual Realm |
| title_full | Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual Realm |
| title_fullStr | Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual Realm |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual Realm |
| title_short | Alister Hardy: A Naturalist of the Spiritual Realm |
| title_sort | alister hardy a naturalist of the spiritual realm |
| topic | spiritual experience religious experience method Hardy research |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/9/713 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexandermoreiraalmeida alisterhardyanaturalistofthespiritualrealm AT martahelenadefreitas alisterhardyanaturalistofthespiritualrealm AT bettinaeschmidt alisterhardyanaturalistofthespiritualrealm |