Dantians and Dragons: Paracorporeality and the Euro-American Reception of Chinese Martial Arts Spiritualities

Abstract What happens when bodies are expanded beyond their visible or measurable limits, when they are doubled, split, or fragmented, or when constituents are added? In the history of religion, one encounters claims about changes in the body that go beyond what the natural sciences define as possible. There are claims about astral projection, imaginary organs, and dual or plural bodily states, as well as subtle bodies, energetic anatomies, and hypostatic union, to name just a few examples. This article examines some examples from Chinese martial arts spiritualities and their Euro-American reception, offering a possible conceptual approach. Inspired by Joseph P. Laycock’s idea of paracosms , a possible comparative term is suggested, namely, paracorporeality . As a broad term, paracorporeality can encompass the variety and messiness of different claims and practices oriented towards expanding the human body beyond its physical limits or constructing parallel or superimposed bodies or body parts.