The Superhumanities

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What if we reimagined the humanities as the superhumanities? This vision celebrates the fantastic undercurrents within humanistic disciplines, opening up new cultural worlds and meanings. Jeffrey J. Kripal seeks to revive the suppressed dimension of the superhumanities, which encompasses rare but real altered states of knowledge that have fueled the creativity of many revered authors, artists, and activists. He posits that the history of the humanities is rich with superhumanist thought, possession states, and out-of-body experiences. For Kripal, the concept of the superhuman is central to humanity's aspirations throughout history and across cultures. He diagnoses the humanities' malaise, suggesting that the prevailing belief that truth must be depressing can be challenged. Kripal advocates for the decolonization of reality to honor human diversity, engaging with psychoanalytic, Black critical, feminist, postcolonial, queer, and ecocritical theories. He addresses objections to the superhumanities while acknowledging contemporary scientific realities. Ultimately, he aims to transcend mere critique, promoting a holistic perspective that recognizes humans as both social-political beings and evolved cosmic entities capable of experiencing something super.