leidenartsinsocietyblog

Lieke Smits is Lecturer at Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society

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Medieval Mindfulness

There are some striking similarities between medieval devotional practices and modern mindfulness exercises, especially with regard to the role of the body in meditation.

Lieke Smits • September 08, 2016 • 2 comments

Talking about Feelings

Writing a history of emotions is no easy task. How can we find out how people felt in the past? Where can we find traces of their emotions?

Lieke Smits • May 19, 2016

The Privacy of the Bedchamber: The Stages of Love in Dirc Potter’s Der minnen loep

The late medieval author Dirc Potter gave his readers dating advice, specifying not only what to do at each stage of love but also where to do it. Not surprisingly, the last stage of love takes place in the privacy of the bedroom.

Lieke Smits • March 23, 2016