Anthropology of the Occult with Alireza Doostdar

UChicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies

In this interview, Alireza Doostdar plunges into the world of Iranian occult sciences. His ethnographic research, or ‘deep hanging out,’ introduces us to a diverse cast of characters: New Age spiritists, fortune tellers, and ordinary people grappling with what lies beyond the natural. Drawing on the ideas and practices of these interlocutors, Doostdar reveals the symbiotic relationship between occult and rational thinking. Interview by Rachel Carbonara. Check out Doostdar’s book from Princeton University Press: The Iranian Metaphysicals Explorations in Science, Islam, and the Uncanny. https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11335.html The views expressed in this podcast are the participants' own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.