About Us
What is mystery and why are humans drawn to it? How does mystery shape the pursuit of knowledge and the uses of power? In an age of science, is the goal to cultivate as quickly as possible the vast expanses of mystery, thus domesticating them, or to respect mystery as a kind of aphrodisiac of the mind, a seductive force essential for expanding our horizons?
The Mystery Project Collaborative explores these fundamental yet under studied questions through interdisciplinary approaches drawn from the arts and humanities, the social sciences, the basic sciences, and the world of business. It investigates how a concept that emerged in ancient Greek religious rituals has come to shape our institutions, our social practices, our technological projects, and our understanding of the human quest for meaning.
The project has three phases:
Phase 1 seeks to expand current discussions on the LSU campus through three mystery-related clusters. This format is designed to focus attention on key research questions and major books and/or projects across disciplines that have addressed mystery. A second goal is to create a website that will bring the work of the Mystery Project Collaborative to wider audiences.
Phase 2 will feature a speaker series built around major intellectual figures who address mystery in literature and the arts, esotericism, cryptography, cybersecurity, and business entrepreneurship. It will also be devoted to forming an international Advisory Board and a consortium of universities and institutions that can partner in the pursuit of a common research agenda.
Phase 3 will focus on the organization of an international Mystery Symposium whose proceedings will be published by a major university press. Ultimately, the goal is to establish a Mystery Studies Center at LSU, which would support an integrated curriculum, ongoing research projects, conferences, a podcast series, publications, and other mystery-oriented events.