Download or read book Understanding the Unknown written by Laura Thursby and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-07-22 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume was first published by Inter-Disciplinary Press in 2016. The supernatural – that which exists beyond the scope of science or the laws of nature – has long captivated our attention. The supernatural upsets our understandings of the rational and forces upon us a recognition that there exists something more, something beyond the veil that we cannot quite grasp. A critical reflection of this category raises some very serious questions for interdisciplinary research, which are explored throughout this volume: How do experiences of the supernatural function temporally and cross-culturally? How have ideas about the supernatural influenced well-known historical figures? How has the supernatural been used in fiction as a literary or narrative device? What happens to the supernatural in the supposedly rational and disenchanted modern experience? How does it shape the beliefs and practices of actual people? And why is it important to devote energy to its study if it remains a category forever beyond our realm of comprehension?