The two principle orientations of Academia Sensuum may be articulated as follows:

 

Exploring the human senses

Around this axis, the Academy aims to promote a more conscious use of the human senses, so important for the healthy development of an integral anthropological profile and so necessary for a future marked by the preservation of creation and an embodied spirituality. The programme aims to pay attention to the formation of the senses, both physical and more spiritual:

  • olfaction: training sessions for the olfactory sense, introductions to the art of perfumery and aromatherapy, olfaction in the scientific, anthropological, societal and religious spheres, etc.
  • hearing: the art and dynamics of listening, singing workshops, personalised lessons, concerts, masterclasses, etc., as well as the history, forms and challenges of dialogue, etc.
  • sight: eye training, iconography, visual arts, themed exhibitions, etc.
  • taste: taste training, culinary sessions, nutritional sciences, taste cultures, etc.
  • touch: exploring the body through contact with nature and natural materials, reflexology practicum, etc.
  • the spiritual senses: discovering the senses of the soul and the faculties of the spirit – seeing and listening to the inner heart; developing imaginal and symbolic vision, which also enables us to better understand the different levels of meaning in sacred writings, the ‘book of nature’ and the arts (lectio divina, contemplative prayer).

 

Exploring the quest for meaning

Convinced that reality is not metaphysically univocal, but is made up of different levels of being that cannot be reduced to one another without losing meaning, the Academy wants to explore the current and timeless questions of life in an interdisciplinary and holistic way. This means that we want to provide a space for dialogue and encounters between different worldviews, be they religious, philosophical or scientific. By way of example, we can think of the following themes and approaches:

  • Contemplate the relationship between the divine, the human being and the cosmos as articulated and celebrated in different religions and wisdom traditions, and explore what this might mean for addressing contemporary issues (for example, questions relating to artificial intelligence or transhumanism);
  • To promote intercultural and interfaith dialogue with a view to tackling the various forms of radicalism and fundamentalism, whether political, religious or scientific (European sciences, peace, democracy);
  • Exploring and deepening the existential and dynamic relationship between nature and the earth and our animated physicality, with a practical dimension for everyday life (e.g. disciplines such as permaculture, horticulture, herbalism, water sciences, but also eutony and alternative medicine).

 

Members of the Organisation Board:

David Roef Nieuwejaers, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law of the University of Maastricht

Karen De Clercq, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Paris

Cyrille Vael, La Rivelaine

Wouter Colpaert, Philosophie teacher, trainer in cooperative discussion techniques, Tilburg

Joris Geldhof, Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame

Thomas Pott, La Rivelaine