RELIGION & ESOTERIC: Personal Development & Unifying Concepts in World Religions

About this event

**WEEKLY on Monday Evenings** **In-Person, if in Area. Conference Call, if Out-of-Town.** **Two Semesters starting September 2026 through June 2027** **NW Baltimore (Pikesville), Maryland 7:00 PM** **Do you desire understanding other cultures and religions? Do you ever question your childhood religious upbringing? Did you accept the dogma but wonder if there is something more? If so, how has that affected you?** **It’s been proven that high-control or fear-based religious environments or being taught to "behave a certain way" can leave deep marks on a child’s development.** Many people carry those marks into adulthood, often without their awareness or understanding the connection. It manifests as anxiety, shame, confusion, perfectionism or a deep mistrust of the world, their future or of themselves—not because they are broken, but because their systems were shaped without concern for their individual needs or sensitivities. **Young children are wired to take adults seriously and literally.** They don’t yet have the abstract thinking skills to say, “This is a metaphor,” or “This is symbolic language.” Fear, shame and control interacted with their developing brain, body and sense of self before they felt they had the right to question or ask for greater clarity themselves. **What felt “normal” back then may finally make sense** when you see complex, invisible theological ideas as simple, touchable forms. A deeper understanding of religion requires looking past simple stereotypes to explore core beliefs, cultural contexts, and historical practices from the inside out. **We study Exoteric vs. Esoteric religion**. Exoteric refers to public rituals, laws, and common narratives of a faith while Esoteric focuses on inner mystical experiences and hidden symbolic meanings. **We look at:** Daily rituals, community structures, and ethics rather than just official dogma, Understand how political, social, and geographical shifts shaped the evolution of each faith. Bridging the…