A historical survey on the influence of climate and the natural physical environment on living mode, culture and religion. Information garnered from contemporary anthropological and archeological research figures prominently in this course. This course offers a comparative study of Eastern and Western religious disciplines. Techniques for spiritual development from East and West are introduced. This course offers a systematic study of the role religion plays in society and how religion and applied psychology interact in various situations of social change.
Every religion has both exoteric and esoteric aspects.
In Religions exoteric aspect, churches were built and doctrines were promoted by a saint or an enlighten person to adapt the truth to the precise circumstances of a particular tribe. The division among different tribes brought about the exoteric aspect of religion has been the cause of many wars over recorded history. On the other hand, such practices as various forms of asceticism and meditation have been mainly employed by the esoteric aspect of religion to help people come closer to God or the Absolute. Academic and experiential studies of Western and Eastern mysticisms have revealed that there are common experiences and ascetic methods in the esoteric aspect of every religion of the world. This suggests that the truth has a universal nature.