Meet The Kosmos Institute Spring Quarter Professors
Dr. Gregory Shaw
Neoplatonism: The Spiritual Tradition of the West
Gregory Shaw, professor of Religious Studies for over 35 years at Stonehill College, Massachusetts, is the author of Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of lamblichus, Practicing Gnosis: Ritual, Magic, Theurgy, and Liturgy in Nag Hammadi, Manichaean and Oher Ancient Literature, Hellenic Tantra: The Theurgic Platonism of lamblichus, and several articles on the later Platonists, Gnostics, and Hermeticists.
Dr. Hereward Tilton
Gnosis I: The White Serpent
Hereward Tilton (BA Hons 1, Ph.D., FHEAI) is a religious studies scholar who has taught on the history of alchemy, magic, and Rosicrucianism at institutes dedicated to the study of Western esotericism within the University of Exeter and the University of Amsterdam. His interest in psychedelia was first kindled in his early teens, and he was inspired by experiments with LSD and lucid dreaming to study the work of Jung and Eliade as an undergraduate. Since receiving his doctorate he has conducted research on alchemical entheogens in early modern Germany under the auspices of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and he has translated and introduced an eighteenth-century Austrian black magical manuscript dealing with traditional psychoactive fumigations called Touch Me Not: A Most Rare Compendium of the Whole Magical Art (Fulgur Press, 2019). In his most recent books, The Path of the Serpent, Vol. 1: Psychedelics and the Neuropsychology of Gnosis (Rubedo Press, 2020) and its forthcoming sequel, he applies recent discoveries in psychedelic neuroscience to the symbolism and techniques of a European gnostic tradition with historical and phenomenological ties to IndoTibetan tantra.
Dr. Sebastian F. Moro Tornese
Harmony of the Spheres: Music in the Pythagorean-Platonic Tradition
Dr. Sebastian F. Moro Tornese, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is an accomplished scholar in the field of philosophy of music. He completed his studies in the United States before earning a Master’s degree from the University of Oviedo in Spain. Dr. Tornese obtained his doctorate at Royal Holloway under Professor Anne Sheppard, supported by scholarships from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK, and The Hellenic Institute. His doctoral research centered on Neoplatonic philosophy, specifically examining the idea of cosmic harmony in Proclus' commentaries on Plato's Timaeus and Republic. He conducted postdoctoral research at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, funded by a Haas Association scholarship, and at the Eugenio Trías Center for Philosophical Studies with sponsorship from Caixa Bank. His postdoctoral work focused on the philosophical implications of Pythagorean-Neoplatonic musical thought, exploring themes such as universal harmony, cosmic sympathy, and the musical interpretation of the "Anima Mundi" (World Soul) and "Scala Naturae" (Great Chain of Being). Dr. Tornese has served as an associate professor of Medieval Philosophy at Pompeu Fabra University, where he taught courses on Ancient and Medieval Aesthetics and Philosophy of Music. He also held a professorship in Rhetoric within the Master’s program in Literary Journalism and Humanities at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Dr. Laurence Hillman
Practical Archetypal Astrology II: Natal Chart Practicum
Born and raised in Zürich, Switzerland, Dr. Hillman became immersed in archetypes at the age of sixteen. As a professional archetypal coach, he specializes in helping his clients understand their deeper purpose and their life's calling. His tools for mapping archetypes include archetypal astrology for which he is one of the leading voices worldwide. He has been a practicing astrologer for over 48 years. He is the author of Planets in Play - How to Reimagine Your Life Through the Language of Astrology, the co-author of Alignments - How to Live in Harmony with the Universe, and also the co-author of Archetypes at Work - Evolving your Story, One Character at a Time.
