Dr. Lilan Laishley
232E Holt Hall
(423)425-4334
Email
Dr. Lilan Laishley holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Religious Studies, with a specialization in Ritual Studies and American religious diversity. Her dissertation, “ Labyrinths in American Contemporary Culture: Rituals
that Engage a Sacred Cosmos,” examines how the circuitous path of the labyrinth acts as both a symbol for the
spiritual journey, and as a practice for meditation and prayer. Walking the labyrinth is a ritual practice that cuts
across a diversity of faith traditions and illustrates American spiritual diversity, including people who identify
as “spiritual but not religious.” Dr. Laishley also has a M.S. in Counseling from Hunter College where she
examined how symbols and guided imagery enhance intuition in counseling. Her thesis integrated Carl Jung’s
process of individuation with the symbolic system of the Tarot. Her current research is on Christian mystical
and esoteric practices of The Harmony Society, a nineteenth century American utopian commune.
Dr. Laishley's Curriculum Vitae
