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The Hidden Face of Time (1985) by Michel Hulin, a French Indologist and historian of religions, explores the concept of death and the afterlife through a comparative analysis of different cultures and religious traditions.
The book uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining philosophy, anthropology, religion, and art to uncover the complexity of human coping with the inescapable taboo of death. Hulin begins by considering the philosophical status of death and its metaphysical dimension, examining how man throughout history has shaped belief systems and myths in the face of the anxiety of the unknown.
The book traces the evolution of the concept of the afterlife, from prehistoric and shamanic worldviews, through ancestor cults in Africa, to the complex religious systems of ancient Mesopotamia and Pharaonic Egypt. Pre-Islamic Iran, Jewish tradition, Islam, and Christianity are particularly analyzed, with an emphasis on the theological frameworks of heaven, hell, and purgatory. Hulin also explores Indian thought, especially the Vedic understanding of rebirth and the concept of the transmigration of souls in the Vedas and Upanishads.
Through a comparative method, the author reveals archetypal patterns in the cultural elaboration of the idea of death, emphasizing the richness and diversity of the human imaginary. The book is significant for understanding universal and specific aspects of spirituality.
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