Dear Colleagues,

The Religions journal seeks submissions for a new Special Issue entitled “Topography of Mind”, an exploration of the profound nexus between Buddhist arts and the landscapes of the psyche they reflect and construct, both physical and psychological. This Special Issue aims to unravel the complex tapestry of Buddhist expression, acknowledging that ‘sites’ within Buddhist traditions manifest both as tangible edifices and intangible states of consciousness. We welcome contributions that probe how visual and material culture in Buddhism serves as both an aesthetic achievement and a profound medium for delineating the contours of mental experience.

This Special Issue encourages an interdisciplinary approach, inviting contributions from fields such as art and architectural history, religious studies, anthropology, literature, philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience, among others. Manuscripts should consider how the ‘topography of mind’ in Buddhism is not confined to the physicality of sacred spaces and the ritual objects within them, but is often represented by invisible realms of mental processes. The physical and the metaphysical are inextricably linked, and submissions should reflect the complex interplay between the environmental, the material, and the spiritual dimensions of Buddhist arts.

We welcome studies that are methodologically innovative and that expand our understanding of Buddhist topographies in new or understudied geographical, historical, or theoretical contexts. Submissions that bridge gaps between traditional scholarship and contemporary interpretations of Buddhist art’s role in shaping human experience are of particular value.

The submission deadline is 20 July 2024, and prospective authors should ensure their manuscripts comply with the submission guidelines provided by the Religions journal. The editorial committee looks forward to receiving insightful contributions that shed light on both the seen and unseen ‘topographies’ of the Buddhist world, contributing to a richer understanding of the dynamic interplay between environment, art, and the architecture of belief.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to Guest Editor Assistants, Mr. Michael Norton (michael_norton@g.harvard.edu) and Ms. Icey Lin (bingjielin@g.harvard.edu) by May 31st, 2024. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors in order to ensure that contributions are within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer review process. We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Prof. Dr. Eugene Y. Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website by July 20th, 2024. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI’s English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

• Buddhist art
• landscapes of the psyche
• tangible edifices
• sacred space
• intangible states of consciousness

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.