Los fenómenos preternaturales y sus diferentes dimensiones en el pensamiento de Swedenborg, Kant y William James

Resumen

The academic tradition has provided us with several ways to approach history and construct!he narrations that shape it. This PhD offers a historical overview of preternatural phenomena, that is, of those experiences, sensations and feelings that are thus far inexplicable from existing academic perspectives. Ghost sightings, encounters with ghosts and spirits, telepathy, thought transference, and near-death experiences are examples of preternatural phenomena. Although they have been approached from different perspectives, strange phenomena have been scarcely studied. This has resulted in one of!he majar problems in approaching preternatural phenomena -a prejudiced rejection announced by Kant and denounced by James. Scientists and philosophers -even the rnost open-minded- have not made any real efforts to approach a number of events that contributed to shape the society they lived in. Likewise, researchers devoted to the study of preternatural phenomena have no! tried to understand or refute!he criticism on their work. The present PhD intends to offer a combined perspective on!he subject -an analysis that aspires to be both critical and as free as prejudice as possible. This relates to the dichotomy between scholar science and "marginal science", which has traditionally been neglected or treated as pseudoscience. This dissertation focuses on a specific historical period: the second half of the 18'" century and!he 19'" century -a time when mediums, psychics, and seers thrived, and ghostly encounters took place in unprecedented numbers. Preternatural phenomena were, indeed, in fashion -also in Academy: Swedenborg, Kant, and James are bu! three of the many philosophers, scientists, and religious scholars who devoted part of their work to this complex subject. The third section of this PhD offers a brief overview of the determining historie events that took place during the transition from the Modern to!he Contemporary age, and lays out the majar theories that contributed to shape subsequent scholarly approaches to preternatural phenomena. The different discussed elements are thematically brought together and put into relation far their analysis in!he ensuing chapters. Each of the authors is here discussed as a representative of a speciftc approach and they are presented in chronological arder: Swedenborg (as a representative of the spiritual approach), Kant (as a representative of!he philosophical approach), and William James (as a representative of the scientiftc approach). This PhD is structured as follows: the introduction, which is devoted to justify the pertinence of this research and offer an outline of!he state of!he art, is followed by a section dedicated to Swedenborg. This first section delves into!he main events of the author's lile and career and lays out!he question of his classification as an author -should he be called a scientist, a seer, a mystic? lt also constitutes an introduction of Swedenborg's visionary activity in the Spanish field.