The great Greek classical civilization is considered the font of much of the West’s science, Art and philosophy, but there were also (much less frequently discussed today) mystical teachings and “mystery schools" that played an enormous role in Greek culture. In this class esoteric scholar Robert Place will discuss these wisdom teachings and their continuing influence and importance, using lecture and slides of historical works of art.
Pythagoras – Buddha of the West
The surprising similarities between the methods, goals and beliefs of Buddha and Pythagoras, the mathematician/mystic, lover of sophia (wisdom) and the West’s first philosopher.
Wednesday, April 5, 7:45 pm
Plato & the Western System of Chakras
Today schools present a sanitized, secularized version of Plato, but the quintessential Greek thinker also discussed mysticism, the soul, reincarnation and the psychic centers now commonly known as “chakras,” penning some of the earliest known writings on the subject.
Wednesday, April 19, 7:45 pm
Hermes and Plotinus – The Wise Men of Alexandria
A discussion of the ancient teachings known as the Hermetica, a group of texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, and the works of Plotinus, the first Neoplatonic philosopher. These mystical teachings that stem from Alexandria delineate a path to gnosis, or enlightenment, that became the foundation of the Western mystical traditions. It directly influenced Gnosticism, Alchemy, Kabbalah, Sufism, and Christian Mysticism.
Wednesday, May 3, 7:45 pm
The Renaissance: Rebirth of the Mystical Quest
Despite what is commonly taught today, the true essence of the Renaissance is found in its rediscovery of Hermetic and Neoplatonic philosophy and its quest for gnosis, or enlightenment, as we will see in our examination of artists such as Dürer, Bruegel and Botticelli, the philosophy of Ficino and esoteric disciplines such as alchemy.
Wednesday, May 10, 7:45 pm
For more information visit www.opencenter.org or call 212-219-2527
