Grant Potts, “Mysticism & Sexuality”

February 10, 2015
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Eastview Campus 8500

Religions are often perceived as being concerned primarily with limiting sexuality or promoting restrictive sexual moralities. However, many religions include traditions that seem to see a strong relationship between human sexuality and mystical attainment (understood as union with God, enlightenment, immortality, etc.). In this talk, Dr. Grant Potts, Chair of Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities will provide a survey of how the world’s religions have used human sexuality as a metaphor for mystical attainment, have seen direct relationships between sexual and religious ecstasy, and in some cases have included sexual practices as part of religious practices oriented on mystical attainment. This will include an exploration on why, especially in traditions which otherwise have strict understandings of sexual morality, why these traditions so often link human sexuality and mystical experience.

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