Vladimír Bahna

Vladimír Bahna, PhD, is a researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (ÚESA SAS), where he has been working since 2007. His academic background includes an Mgr. in Religious Studies from Comenius University's Faculty of Arts (2006) and a PhD (2012). He maintains active international collaborations, having worked at Masaryk University in Brno and Oxford University's Centre for Anthropology and Mind.

His research primarily focuses on cognitive and evolutionary anthropology, with special emphasis on religion, narrative folklore, and supernatural experiences. Bahna has made significant contributions to understanding memory transmission, conspiracy theories, and the cognitive aspects of religious beliefs. His work often bridges anthropology with psychology and cognitive science, employing both theoretical and experimental approaches to study cultural phenomena.

Bahna's scholarly output shows a consistent trajectory toward understanding how supernatural experiences are transmitted socially and how cognitive mechanisms shape religious beliefs and practices. His research spans from theoretical explorations of cultural evolution to empirical studies of contemporary religious practices and online discourse about conspiracy theories.

• Literary Fund Award for Scientific and Professional Literature 2020 for the book Supernatural Experiences and the Narrative Mind
• Award for the best dissertation project in social sciences for 2009 within the "We support individuality" program of the Intenda Foundation

Bahna actively contributes to academic training, supervising doctoral students and teaching courses on cultural evolution and religion at multiple institutions including Comenius University and Masaryk University. He has participated in numerous research projects funded by VEGA grants, focusing on collective rituals, ethnology, and social anthropology in Slovakia. His international collaborations include work with the LEVYNA Laboratory for experimental research on religion at Masaryk University.